Where did April go?

This April I went to visit my old friend Emma.
Emma and her husband Pete moved to the West coast of Sweden in 2007, where they bought an old station house. Since then, their house has been lovingly renovated, making a stunning home for their new family.

Our first stop after the airport was at Mia's, Emma's Mum. She made us a fab lunch, and I got to have a look round their brand new house ( the picture above is the interior). The house looks out over the coast, and is one of the most beautiful settings you can imagine.

The following day Emma and I took a trip to Gothenburg, to visit the Botanical Gardens. A lot of the very early flowerers were at their best. This is Cornus Maas.

And this is some of last years Hydrangeas seen with the Spring sun lighting them up.

Emma is a very talented and knowledgeable garden designer, and it is always great fun to visit a garden with her. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and we spent a great day discussing our future plans for both of our gardens, and enjoying the Springtime. The volcanic ash cloud gave me a couple of extra unexpected days with my friends, which we spent laying out a new hornbeam hedge. What a bonus!