Slow painting

Sunday 12 February 2012

Allotment beauty

The plot isn't very beautiful just now. It's either frosty, with friable, crusted earth, or frost-burnt, wet, sticky and weedy.



But occasionally there's an unexpected glimpse of beauty.





These chinese lanterns and polyanthus are part of a little flower bed tended by a group of plotholders who try to counteract the gloom of the site in the fallow months. During the winter it can seem nothing more than a sea of huts, black plastic, sagging netting and tatty cabbages. But here's a reminder that allotments needn't always be dour and functional.

12 comments:

The Cranky said...

Even during the chill there's always the beauty of potential.

L. D. said...

The photos of the Chinese lanterns are wonderful. Great shots.

Mark Willis said...

Those Chinese Lanterns are certainly photogenic! Your first photo of them (the close-up) is really nice.
So you haven't been digging yet then??

This is Belgium said...

always something to admire somewhere... just have to keep eyes open..

Janet/Plantaliscious said...

Your first photos look very familiar. We don't have anything like the last up at our allotments. it is a stark time of year.

Andrea said...

A little color can really give you a lift, great photos.

Kelli said...

The Chinese latern photos are gorgeous! So eye catching.

Allotment Blogger said...

Very lovely - one of my allotment neighbours has a chaenomeles hedge on her allotment and it makes me smile every time I walk past it.

Unknown said...

I have never had luck with growing the Chinese Lanterns.

Janet said...

What potential in that soil and a wondeful photo of the Chinese lanterns.

Buck said...

That's glorious! We haven't had a proper winter here; little snow and warm-ish temperatures but even still, our community garden hasn't a speck of green yet. The flowers are a great touch in a community garden, plus they are useful in that they draw pollinating insects. Wonderful photos!

Gunn said...

Wow, looks nice, and something I have never seen here in Norway.