When the sun rises the colours rise too and a new day begins. Each day brings new opportunities to find out about this place we call home. At Warton Hall the renovations are in full swing, with the garages to the front of the house now almost complete and the joining of Holly Cottage into the main house, stripped, scaffolded and ready for the new roof.

 This is where the work began. and the raised vegetable beds have been dug over in preparation for planting.

One hundred young trees have been planted, cedar, ash, birch, beech, oak and walnut. Fruit bushes, blackberry, blueberry, redcurrant, blackcurrant and gooseberry.

Over the winter months the bog garden has filled with water and the plants are beginning to show signs of growing. One of the artists is making some beautiful glass pieces that will sit in the water and another had created a piece to be placed in the tree stump. The bridge that will go over the water has been designed and will go into place in the next month.

The first tree to blossom in the green house and what a pretty sight it is too. Each flower represents a fruit so the fruit bowl should be full this year.

There are many little helpers who love to be in the garden with me, the hens need feeding and branches and twigs can be collected for the fire, weeds can be pulled and plants watered.

The snowdrops have all but disappeared now and daffodils line the driveway and are dotted about the woods, where bluebells are waiting patiently to shake their pretty heads in a carpet of purple haze.

Artists and craftsmen and women are at work preparing their work to be installed in the gardens and bakers are planning their recipes for all the homemade cakes.

Sometimes when I wander through the trees at dusk when the colours of the day have all but disappeared to a grey light hanging above the horizon, then I wonder if what I saw was an angel resting on the frosty ground with  feather blanket there to keep her warm.