Natural growth or deliberately planted remains a mystery but a mass of daffodils greeted motorists from the edge of a spinney in a lay-by alongside the northbound lane of the A15 near Bourne in the early spring although this profusion of blooms has not survived the years and the display today is not quite as colourful as it was a decade ago.

The grandest stately home in Lincolnshire is Grimsthorpe Castle which dates back to the 12th century, situated in a commanding position on a hill and can be seen from all of the approach roads such as here from across the valley after leaving Elsthorpe village.

The countryside in Lincolnshire is cross-crossed with minor roads and all are a delight to drive down such as here after leaving Kirkby Underwood, the route lined with wayside trees and the battlemented 15th century tower of Rippingale church on the skyline.

Wheels from long defunct agricultural machinery were salvaged to make this distinctive sign for Church View Farm on the main A15 north of Bourne, the name inscribed on the wheels as a reminder that the spire of Haconby church and the tower of Morton church can both be seen from this spot.

Abandoned railway tracks provide corridors of countryside that soon turn into unofficial nature reserves such as here along the old Bourne to Sleaford line which closed in 1964 and is now home to a wide variety of flora and fauna while rosebay willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) or fireweed as it is also known appears in abundance each year.

Heavy rain brought flooding to many areas during the late winter of 1999, particularly here at Creeton lying in the valley of the West Glen River which burst its banks and thousands of gallons of water rushed into the road and surrounding meadows, turning the countryside into muddy lakes and cutting off houses on either side of the B1176 at the very foot of the hillside.

Electricity pylons have become a familiar sight in the countryside supporting overhead transmission lines taking power to isolated communities and although often condemned as eyesores that deface the rural landscape, these towers of latticed steel supported on concrete foundations such as here at Aunby may soon be regarded as monuments of 20th century progress that should be preserved.

A short stretch of the A151 between Bourne and Edenham village has an avenue of ancient oak trees with ivy-clad trunks on either side that provide a magnificent contrast to the blue sky on a clear winter’s day.

Butterflies are becoming a less familiar sight in our back gardens especially those close to farmland where agricultural chemicals take their toll but we still get occasional glimpses of these colourful visitors such as this beautiful peacock (Aglais io) settling on the buddleia long enough to get a picture.

Autumn turns Witham into an even more attractive village when the trees take on their seasonal shades of red, brown and yellow as the leaves fade and begin to fall, scattering their colourful profusion over road and pavement.

The West Glen River seen here bubbling its way around Careby is one of the two sources of the River Glen but instead of joining the East Glen River to form the main waterway, it now flows along the Greatford Cut to join the River Welland upstream of Market Deeping, a re-routing devised as part of a flood relief scheme completed in 1953.

White or mute swans can often be seen along the Bourne Eau and the Car Dyke but one of their favourite haunts is behind Eastgate where the two waterways meet to create a large pool full of weed and algae where they frequently feed and play.

The route of the old Roman road has hardly changed for the modern A15 which is badly in need of upgrading to cope with the increasing flow of traffic between London and the north with many hazardous stretches such as here north of Bourne where the footpath also remains perilously close to the carriageway.

A small stone bridge dating back to the 19th century carries the B1176 over the West Glen River south of Careby and alongside is a ford to enable horses and carts and now heavy farm machinery cross the waterway.

Topiary which dates from Roman times is the art of training plants and trees by clipping the foliage to develop clearly defined shapes, such as this small evergreen shrub (Ligustrum jonandrum) which has taken years to transform into a galleon and was on display outside the Waterside Garden Centre near Bourne with a price label that no doubt reflects the time and expertise involved.
Also on display at the garden centre with a similarly high price was a topiary replica of the Eiffel Tower shaped from the same evergreen shrub (below).

There was a time when gnomes complete with floppy hats and fishing rods adorned our gardens but popular ornaments today include dogs and wild animals such as tigers and gorillas, seen here on display at the Waterside Garden Centre near Bourne, where they even have a couple of giraffes awaiting good homes.