Painted Cows!!

The brown and white Guernsey breed of cattle is renowned for the quality and flavour of its milk, but on holiday came across these painted fibre-glass cows. Local artists have decorated the cows, which are being displayed before being auctioned in aid of the Guernsey Adult Literacy Project. These first two were in front of the community centre in the Parish of St Martin.

This one outside the museum in Candy Gardens, in St Peter Port.

Guernsey Abreuveurs

Bellieuse Abreuveur in the Parish of St Martin.
My old school French/English dictionary defines an abreuveur as a watering-place or horse-pond. In Guernsey they seem to have been used as a cattle drinking place usually with a well for drinking water close by.

La Fosse Abreuveur.

A leaflet with an explanation of an abeuveur which I was given on a guided walk around St Martin's Parish.

Some Guernsey Islands Archaeology

Standing at the gate to the Parish Church La Granmere Du Chimquiere, a granite or standing stone, in the Parish of St Martin.

Le Creuxes Faies, a prehistoric passage grave built in the Neolithic period.

Roberts Cross , Herm - a chambered tomb dating from the late Neolithic period.

Away South to Guernsey

A weeks holiday in Guernsey. St Peter Port Harbour with the town in the background.

St Peter Port from Castle Cornet.

Victor Hogo's statue in Candy Gardens, St Peter Port. He lived in Guernsey when he was exiled from France. 

The cruise liner Carribean Princess moored off St Peter Port.

Castle Cornet is Guernsey's ancient harbour fortress, which was isolated upon a rocky islet, until the construction of a breakwater and bridge in the 19th century.

The Governor's garden at Castle Cornet.

    

Ferry passing Castle Cornet.

St Martins Church in the parish of the same name.

The remains of Sausmarez windmill in St Martin.

Fermain Bay, where there is a good beach cafe.

Bec du Nez, popular for fishing.

Lihou Island. There is a causeway connecting the island to Guernsey at low tide. 

Sambucus nigra

The elder tree (Sambucus nigra) comes into flower quite late well after the blackthorn, hawthorn and rowan.

In the garden have an ornamental elder black lace (Sambucus nigra 'Eva') variant with lacy purple-black leaves and delicious flowers the colour of a blackcurrant sorbet.

Living Wall at Balcaskie

The ancient walls of the terraces in the garden at Balcaskie provide a habitat for many different plants.

A small white verbascum growing up the wall.

Yellow corydalis was probably the most prolific plant.

There is also a lot of this pale purple flower. At first I thought it was an aubretia, but I now think that it is Erinus alpinus aso known as fairy foxglove.

Corydalis and Erinus alpinus growing together.

Scotland's Gardens - Balcaskie

A mini-bus  or tractor-trailer took visitors from Kellie Castle to the garden at Balcaskie on the open day under Scotland's Gardens Scheme. The gardens, to the south of the house, are said to have been initially laid out by William Bruce around 1665 and are aligned on the Bass Rock.

Planting in the parterre. Dark-blue salvia with red valerian and creamy white foxgloves.

The sundial at Balcaskie, taken on last year's visit

The view from the terrace looks out to the Bass Rock. Can also just see the windmill at St Monans.

Planting of Lady's Mantle and contrasting blue geranium.

Statues in the garden.

 Looking over the orchard.

Datura sanguinea. A striking plant native to South America. Extremely poisonous, all Datura plants contain tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine (hyoscine), hyoscyamine, and atropine, primarily in their seeds and flowers.