INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE

At last there are signs of early Spring even though the temperature has been under 6 degrees for the past week. As this is our last week in the United Kingdom I thought I should include some photo's of some distinctive architecture. 

We visited Stonehenge on a grey day with a bitterly cold wind blowing.  

This charming house was in the city of Salisbury.

This view is of the  cloister of Salisbury Cathedral.

Here is the central tower of Canterbury Cathedral, seen from the city wall. 

I was delighted to see these crocuses, below, while out walking on our brief visit to Cornwall.

This beautiful hellebore was in the Royal Horticultural Society's garden at Wisley in Surrey.

I think this small flower is a fuchsia.

I loved the texture and colours of the bark of these birches, also at Wisley . The first is Betula albosinsensis.

and these dried leaves of giant rhubarb (Gunnera manicata) also had a beautiful texture.

In this week's ikebana I am wanting to express the coming northern hemisphere Spring. I have used Cherry blossom that is just beginning to open and to suggest the passing winter I have used insect damaged leaves of blackberry. The improvised vase is made from a plastic mineral water bottle.

Greetings from Christopher
6th March 2013