Spring spirits!

No, I haven't died, nor disappeared or abandoned the blogosphere.

I have been busy doing spring-tasks:  

♣ Gone skiing in Åre the last weekend of april/first of may (surreal), it felt like a must to say goodbye to winter and greet spring welcome properly (and I just had to ski once more before summer).

♣ Gotten back full access of my much missed balcony (or terrace as some call it). Brought my stored furniture from a basement store-room and my pots (the ones I could actually carry, the prettiest ones were too heavy so my tulips are now for everyone's pleasure) from the courtyard. Oiled the furniture (in linseed oil + terpentine, the best way to tend for wood I think, and it smells lovely once it's dried a bit!), pruned the plants.

♣ Bought new, big insulated pots with a simple irrigation system for my "new" balcony (no more messy jungle, I want a pretty jungle with happy plants).Bought soil (so far 100 liters, but I will need another 100 I'm afraid... heavy stuff!)

♣ Taken care of the courtyard, including moving all the spring bulbs that I accidently planted on top of each other (not very nice, I'm glad they are mobile) last autumn.

♣ Had a fair share of battles with the architectural antiquaries we hired to help us with our balcony railings. They were supposed to help us improve the attachments for us to get a building permit but have written a report where they want us to change all of it. To something we don't want, that is less pretty than the railings we've already installed around the courtyard. Which means the block will look really weird and ... fragmented. Not well composed. I do like well composed things and places...


I try to focus on my pretty flowers instead (the bulbs I planted in december are all in bloom now, I'm delighted and go for even more rounds than usual, I'm sure the neighbours think I'm really crazy by now. But it's worth it, they fill me up with joy).

A magnolia tree (Magnolia kobus) a couple of weeks ago, buds just breaking.


A branch of a purple azalea has found its way into the treetop.

Another magnolia (also M. kobus).

You can see the balcony railings that the architectural antiquaries dislike to the extent of trying to make us choose different ones for the street facades on the left... 


... I think they're quite pretty and suitable for the buildings. So do my neighbours.


(The architectural antiquaries should know that I'm really, really stubborn).

These are a few of the december-bulbs, it seems like they all survived winter! They are even more in bloom now than in the picture, it's actually quite hysterical; magnolias, cherries, daffodils, tulips, grape hyacints and garden hyacinths are in bloom at the very same time... like an ancient image of paradise.


Hopefully I'll have some time for sewing/photographing projects soon!