Tuesday, May 25, 2010

View from the Back Door


The view late Sunday evening from our back door. I posted a similar picture last year a week earlier so growth seems to have almost caught up. The sycamore has its leaves and small green flowers. The clematis is in full bloom on the arch and the chives and another herb whose name I forget are in flower in the herb patch. Under the tree the bluebells and the nettles are doing well.

That's a willow thingmajig under the tree. I have some willow growing around a small garden and it has to be cut back each winter. The rods are usually left to be dumped but this year I decided to make something with them. I don't know what it is but it can be seen from the window and is a conversation piece.

I saw some swifts today flying around the place. Later when the sycamore tree is home to millions of insects the swallows and swifts spend a lot of time circling it feeding on the wing.

5 comments:

Mags Treanor said...

You are so blessed with that garden. Even to see it in a photo is refreshing!

Connie Roberts said...

Oh, I'm so envious over here in New York, Michael. What a beautiful, idyllic scene.
If that doesn't inspire you to write a poem...

Your mention of bluebells reminds me of Kavanagh's "Bluebells for Love":

There will be bluebells growing under the big trees
And you will be there and I will be there in May;
For some other reason we both will have to delay
The evening in Dunshaughlin -- to please
Some imagined relation,
So both of us came to walk through that plantation...

Connie

Michael Farry said...

Thanks Mags and Connie. I'm not sure about a poem though. There seems to be plenty of garden poems already. We'll see.

chiccoreal said...

The flowery clematis is gorgeous! How wonderfully bushy growing on the arch. What an abundant garden and so gentile! Are those "stinging nettles"? Makes a good herb tea. Do you have many other herbs? Anything indigenous to ireland? Lovely green Ireland! ps that little boy looks so familiar; the "Angela's Ashes" dustcover lad could be twins; perhaps? T'is he?

Michael Farry said...

Thanks chiccoreal. It's just a small "semi-detached" garden, a bit country garden, bits of this and that. Rambling roses, honeysuckle. A few of the usual herbs. The Angela's Ashes resemblance has often been mentioned. It is me - a happy Irish Catholic childhood!