Wild life at Rhydd Barn
I am keen to encourage wild life in all its forms to visit and/or live in the surroundings of the Barn. On a recent visit I managed to take a photo (see below) of a beautiful pheasant that was strutting around our field immediately in front of the Barn. It visited us all week, morning and evening! I also photographed a host of white and purple fritillaries and bright yellow primroses which are currently flowering in our small wild flower meadow.
Flowers and seeds
Roses and clematis are in bloom on the screen around our LPG (gas) tank brightening up the entrance drive approach to the Barn.
We have planted a new dark pink clematis in a pot on the patio to climb up the Malvern stone wall and the trellis above.
Seed heads have appeared in the wildflower paddock in front of the Barn. It’s time for the grass to be cut.
Roses and clematis beside the Barn driveway
New clematis on the patio
Seed heads in the wildflower paddock
Gardening
Our wonderful gardener has been busy at Rhydd Barn refreshing our flower pots, tubs, and baskets around the barn patio—the cyclamen look good now. And the small flower bed at the entrance to the barn has been tidied up: some unsuitable shrubs were removed in favour of smaller flowering plants (eg small roses from the local nursery in Guarlford) with a backing of slate to keep it tidy. The edging along our entrance drive has been repaired or replaced where necessary so it all looks much neater, giving a positive first impression to our visitors.
Spring 2017 at Rhydd Barn
Our plant pots on the patio have been refreshed and spring flowers – primroses – are appearing in the little wild flower meadow despite the cold weather. The new gates installed last year have been varnished to protect them.
Landscaping around Rhydd Barn
The small garden by the side of the entrance drive to Rhydd Barn has been re-landscaped with interesting plants surrounded by wood chips on the soil to suppress weeds and retain moisture. A new clematis has been planted in a pot at the back of the patio by the converted pigsty which should climb up the wall and around the trellis above. The fields in front of the barn have been cut for hay and bales made (see photos) resulting in a change in the landscape.
Flowering meadow
Primroses and cowslips are flowering in the little meadow by the entrance gate to Rhydd Barn. More primroses have been planted this month.
Bluebells are flowering at the bottom of the slope behind the barn in ‘the dingle’.
The small white flowers of blackthorn are appearing in the hedgerows. A lovely warm sunny day after a cold and wet winter.
I have bought an attractive set of new saucepans for the kitchen.
Decorating
The north wall of the Rhydd Barn facing the common needed painting and this was done last week. The other walls were repaired where necessary with white paint. The iron hand rail on the steps and iron side gate have been re-painted black.
The Barn looks very smart for the new season.
The tubs on the patio are full of fresh daffodils—so spring is coming after such a wet winter.
