Visitor Garden goings on in April

I went into the Steam Train Works and had a shock!
There was colour everywhere! 



The centre bed looked amazing, Grape Hyacinths forming a carpet along the centre of the bed - beautiful!





The lavender bed showed new growth on the Lavender itself, Hyacinths I have never seen before were in full bloom with the transplanted Primulas adding to the colour.

The Delphiniums were really growing well, and more transplanted Primulas were showing gorgeous patches of colour.

Looks like the Gooseberries have taken as the branches are showing lots of green shoots and a Californian Poppy has managed to find a bit of space in the centre of the bed - that won't be staying there for long!! 

The Libyan Fig is full of buds flower buds and new shoots - ooh! everywhere is soooo full of Spring!

The Lads (Volunteers) are still working away inside the Signal Box, and this morning I am called inside to try to rescue a butterfly that is on one of the window frames. 

While there I took the opportunity to take some photos of the inside of the box, which is also being refurbed.


The stairs to the upstairs Lever Room have all been beautifully painted black.  BLACK! I hear you say ..... but it is a shiny black and the reflecting light shows off each stair riser.

The view from the top of the stairs was quite a shock to me as I didn't expect it to be quite so 'luxurious'.  The 'home comforts' of easy chairs, tv, sleeping bags are needed as the Signallers start early in the morning and leave late at night when the train trips are running.  
 

 I managed to get several photographs including this one of the Levers, all numbered and correct!!!



And what happened to the butterfly?



I took it outside and placed it onto one of the flower pots so that it could sit in the sunshine.


Such beautifully gorgeous colours!!


A large Peacock Butterfly.

During the course of my work in the garden, the Grape Hyacinths were continually visited by butterflies, including this Tortoiseshell.


A really beautiful day out gardening in the sunshine .......

To Cardiff by Steam Train

Meeting at Sunrise is one of the best things to do at the start of a day out.  We all gathered at the Works main gate and then climbed aboard for our trip to Cardiff, and a meet up with L.

used to be a Theatre

We left on time and after several stops, to collect passengers, take on water, etc., we arrived at Cardiff Station, in beautiful sunshine.  We met up with L and wandered out into the town.  We decided to lunch at the Prince of Wales, it was rather busy, several hen parties were in town, but the food was good.  We like Wetherspoons for food, the menu is always the same and the same good quality.


We wandered into town afterwards and had a look round the shops, then said our goodbyes and came back to the station.  


When I was getting ready to type out this post, I researched into the City of Cardiff and found that it has a lot to offer folks ...... 

here's just a snippet of info ....

First visit to the Visitors Garden for 2015

My first visit to the Visitors Garden was interesting, catching up on how it has survived the winter.

At the Signal Box garden there is a lot to repair and sort, the 'wheel' will need trimming once the new growth 'greens' it up again.  

The Lawn is another project .... do we turf or seed?  That is the question.  I will have to wait until the Signal Box is well and truly finished, all the Volunteers gone ......

The Gazanias in the hanging basket has survived the winter, I will empty it out and repot the plants and add a few more.

The sweet pea garden is looking very sad, empty canes, plant remnants still attached!!

The honeysuckle garden is showing hope in that the Delphiniums are shooting through, tiny little bright green shoots - I can't get close enough with my phone to show them off properly.





I am going to replant the square bed, I have some gooseberry bushes but, of course, I won't tell anyone!!

I removed all the plants, Sweet Williams and Polyanthus, in order to re-plant them somewhere else.  

One nice clean and dug planting space.

Some of the Polyanthus were planted in the lavender square.  Another bare batch filled with prettiness - well, it will be when the plants have settled.

I planted some of the Sweet Williams along the base of the fence in the honeysuckle garden, and some of the Polyanthus in the empty spaces round the Buddleia.  

Another pretty-looking-to-be-soon space!!