We don't normally do anything special on a bank holiday, unlike people who have to work but it was such a nice day so a quick trip to the coast seemed like a good idea, as a change we headed for the Mayo coast and followed the road along

the Moy river estuary where the river discharges into Sligo bay . For a bank holiday the beaches were surprisingly quiet despite the nice weather.

We didn't collect any seed weed, we just sat and enjoyed the view returning across the Ox mountains.

Here the rain clouds were gathering and somewhere close by had already had rain

 enabling us to enjoy a rainbow.
Sunday was the last of the plant swap events for this year, arranged by Laslo of the Knockvicar Organic Gardens, it was very well attended as usual and we picked up a couple of things who's names escapes me, so we will have to play the waiting game to find out what we have. In exchange we took loads of parsley which grows like a weed for us, true Oregano, (not Marjoram) soap wort, Mimulus, and Sweet Woodruff, again this also grows like a weed so we are quite pleased to be able to swap with people who want what we have. If we had wanted tomato plants we could have had as many as we wanted, but we are selective when it comes to tomatoes, we only grow Sungold, excellent flavour and they have never let us down. On our way back from the swap we had intended to stop off at our favourite bluebell woods, however, we could not get parked within half a mile of the woods, it seems as though everyone in the area had the same idea as us, it was again a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight. Twenty odd years ago we would have been the only people there, it would seem that the woodlands fame has spread.  We instead took a slight detour via Forest park,

if you don't follow the main route through the park there are several lovely areas full of bluebells

and Garlic Ramsons.

The wild cherries are also putting on a lovely display,

and the wild arum is just popping up.
The garden is now delivering something every day,

we have had the first asparagus,

the first strawberries, although they are a month later than normal, hopefully we will soon have a glut of them, we have also had the first picking of spinach. We seem to have very good germination this year, better than normal, I am wondering if this has anything to do with the Planting by the Moon book that we were given at Christmas and to which we are following. It certainly seems to be working.
Most of the daffodil are now over although there are a couple of types just coming out into bloom,

I think the colour of these tulips is stunning.

now it's the turn of the tulips,

I had bought a few different types this year,

A true black tulip.

one of them has turned out to be a true black tulip, it's lovely. One of the plants that I had got a couple of years ago from the plant swap has this year put on a spectacular display, it had been described as wild garlic, which loosely speaking I suppose it is,

in fact it is Allium Triquetrum, (three cornered garlic) it certainly deserves a place in the garden.

Before glazing.

I've named her Flora, she can sit and guard the rockery for me.

I'm still enjoying the pottery classes that I go to every week,

Funky duck

I have a funky duck waiting to dry so it can be glazed  and a couple of mugs on the go which I started last week.

Before glazing.

I think I will try to emulated a Troika vase for my next project. Troika was a small pottery set up in 1962 in St. Ives in Cornwall, it was only in existence for twenty years and pieces that come up for sale fetch a pretty penny, far more than I can afford to pay, although Troika pieces were made using a mould, I will have to try doing it using the slab method, however it turns out I know I will enjoy the challenge.