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| Aquilegia |
The news made it sound like the weather was going to be horrible this weekend, but yesterday defied those predictions and turned out to be spectacular. (Friday was supposed to be rainy too, and it wasn't, at least not here.)
Olga and I spent the morning out on the lawn, me reading and Olga snoozing in the sun. Critters were coming to life all around us -- I saw hoverflies for the first time this year, and the forget-me-nots were alive with bees. The cloud of gnats that in summer seems to perpetually linger outside the back door, over the sunniest corner of our patio, is there once again. They like that spot, for some reason.
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| Hoverfly on dandelion |
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| Daisies on the lawn |
I did some vacuuming and tidied up a few more potted plants. Then I got really motivated and began cleaning windows! We have a lot of them, but I did all the ones overlooking the garden and patio, inside and out.
I wouldn't say it was fun, exactly, but I put my iTunes on, and with the help of the Doobie Brothers and John Denver I got absorbed in the work.
They look pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.
I haven't done the ones at the front of the house yet. They're a problem because I have to stand amid a thicket of shrubbery to clean them.
Of course it's going to rain this week but as I always say, if you wait for dry weather to do something in England, you'll never do it. I think it had already been a couple of years since I cleaned them last. They were faintly spattered with paint and cement from the Russians' balcony project, and that was a year and a half ago.
Dave and I were looking at our tulips on Friday morning. "We should bring those inside," he said, gesturing at a couple of the flowers. Rather than wait for them to become slug bait, we did just that. (Although slugs don't seem to eat the tulips with the same enthusiasm they find for the daffodils.)
Happy Easter, if Easter is a thing for you!
Lovely to see your Aquilegia blooming..ours is still just leaves, but it is by our cold northwest facing front door.
ReplyDeleteI look at the met office weather online..and go for the radar maps..that seems to give a better insight, but allow that it could change with varying wind speed or direction
The room looks like a conservatory with so many windows and so many plants. Nice. Your musical tastes are questionable but I don't mind if you say the same about mine.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the gnats are attracted by the smell... Only kidding!
ReplyDeleteSo much sunshine. The windows, now that’s a satisfying job!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize you had so many windows in the living room; what a great room.
ReplyDeleteThough I know cleaning windows is a pain, as I do it infrequently, that room with all of the windows is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThat's a marvelous room for plants. Alk that light. We're not up to sitting outdoors yet,but insects are active.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! That room is stunning with its clean windows!
ReplyDeletethose windows in that room would make me fall in love with your place alone.
ReplyDeleteI looked up aquilegia because it is such a pretty flower and was surprised to see that it's a columbine but none of the pictures look like this while a few came close they had more petals.
I can see why you like your apartment so much - all those windows looking into your garden. Such beauty!
ReplyDeleteI'm with everyone else - that's a fabulous room! Also, I LOVE that frilly tulip. So blousy. So floofy. Fun!
ReplyDeleteThat room with all of the windows looks wonderful, Steve! This is such a happy Spring post and seeing your blooms made me smile.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter! Happy Spring!
Happy Easter! The windows look sparkly clean. I need to do that for my sliding glass doors but it's pouring down rain right now so I'll have to wait. I love all the blooms!
ReplyDeleteJust a big wow for your views, inside and out. No wonder you wanted clean windows! Love the frilly tulips...glad you saved them indoors to be a bright color.
ReplyDeleteSo much beauty in your post today! Even though we're in full swing spring here, I haven't seen an abundance of insects yet. I've only walked through a couple of spider webs so far. The periodical cicadas will be emerging soon! I still remember how loud they were in 2011!
ReplyDeleteI'll say you have a lot of windows to wash. You do have a very bright room with all the windows.
ReplyDeleteThose tulips, tho!! Aren't they fancy!! Ours have long disappeared because the deer think they are delicious and planted just for them. I love where you live, it's the best. Even though your shed is a falling down mess and the Russians bang and pound away. It's pretty sweet!
ReplyDeleteI'm always amazed at how fast windows get dirty. I wash the outside of them twice a year, once about right now. Maybe next weekend. Fortunately, in our family, cleaning the windows on the inside isn't my duty.
ReplyDeleteLooks just absolutely beautiful. When I was younger I used to put on some dancing music and polish furniture while dancing and singing. It made the chore less painful. However, at my age presently, I'd probably fall over and hit my noggin. Happy Easter from the base of the mini-mountain in Maine where we're expecting another round of snow by the end of the week. Ugh!!!
ReplyDeleteThe windows look great! I see how dirty and cloudy my windows are when the weather gets nice. A few years ago I hired someone just to do the outside, telling myself that I would do the inside. Well...I did a few but I should have had the person do the interior too. JD and the Doobies, great choices. My late husband was a huge fan of JD.
ReplyDeleteYour living room with floor to ceiling windows is very beautiful. With large windows, you bring the outside in and it is lovely. The yellow tulip must be a hybrid it is spectacular. The wildlife eat tulips on my property so I do not grow them.
ReplyDeleteSnow on the ground this morning, warming with sunlight this evening.
ReplyDeleteThe windows look lovely. You could come and do mine, I only have two.
ReplyDeleteYour flowers look so bright and cheerful.
GZ: We have a couple of them, and this one always blooms earlier than the others.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: I think it is technically described as a conservatory by our landlords, but we just call it the living room!
YP: You mean the lovely perfume of our lilacs? (We don't have any lilacs.)
Mitchell: Yeah, this room gets great light!
Bob: It's where we spend all our time!
Michael: Thanks! It's beautiful even when the windows are dirty, to be honest.
Boud: There are a few hours right around midday when it's tolerable; otherwise it's still too chilly.
Ms Moon: They do make a huge difference!
Ellen: Yeah, that particular plant is not very columbine-like. We have two others that look more typical.
Wilma: This room and the garden were the two biggest reasons we wanted the place!
Bug: Isn't it great? It's called a parrot tulip or something like that.
Ellen D: Isn't it great to watch the season change?
Sharon: Yeah, window-washing is definitely not a rainy-day activity!
Barbara: I am usually loath to cut our flowers but I'm not sure why, because we definitely see them more indoors.
Kelly: Yeah, I heard it was a big year for cicadas. We don't have them here, as far as I know.
Red: Yeah, it's a great room for natural light!
Linda Sue: I complain a lot but all in all it's a great place. We wouldn't have stayed ten years if that weren't true!
Ed: Oh, twice a year is much better than me. I'd say once every two years, maybe?
Regina: Don't hit your noggin! Ha! Music DOES make housework so much more pleasant.
Margaret: I considered hiring someone for these but I got motivated! As I said, that front window will be more of a challenge.
Susan: I never knew deer were so fond of tulips until I wrote this post!
Catalyst: Well, I'm glad that snow isn't hanging around!
River: I think I could have polished off two pretty quickly, unless they're very big. :)
Why don't you spray your garden with a vinegar solution, or toss some salt around?
ReplyDeleteYour living room looks like a beautiful conservatory with that light and the plants. I love it! Well done on your working. Nice clean plants! My daffs are still hanging in there. But I'm longing for the day when I can read outside!
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