Notes From A Somerset Garden

A Weekend in London

2011-02-18T14:07:00.004Z

We have had many changes again at the start of this year.

We decided to have a few days away in London.

Visited family, went to the theatre, walked part of the Thames Path and drank tea in the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen :-)

Oh,, and fed the birds in Hyde Park too :-)

Happy Christmas 2010

2010-12-22T09:24:00.000Z

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Snow In A Somerset Garden

2010-12-18T17:20:00.000Z

It snowed hard during the night. Everything was covered!

It looks magical and I do like the snow, but we couldn't go out today for many reasons and so we only looked out through the window.

I have put dried fruit out for the birds, and a failed Christmas Cake :-)

I have shaken the snow from the bird feeders and made a hole in the ice on the little pond.

Stay warm and safe!

Iced Netting - or Frozen Heron Guard

2010-11-29T10:53:00.006Z

Despite the snowy weather that is enveloping the country our little town is just dry and very cold. The last remaining flakes of snow on the shed roof have disappeared and the black birds are searching lawn for the sunflower seeds and raisins that I threw out this morning.

The little wildlife pond was frozen solid and I have poured water into a corner to help it defrost a little. The larger fish pond is free from ice in the centre.

The one thing that caught my eye this morning was the patterns on the netting, in the corner where the oxygenating pump is causing little splashes of water to jump from the surface :-)

End of November

2010-11-26T11:50:00.000Z

I can hardly believe it is nearly the end of November!

The garden is still a mess, it needs so much attention, but it is also so wet. At the moment its almost impossible to get out into the garden and I just keep looking at it through the window :-)

So much cutting back is required, I am itching to pick up those secateurs!

But there again, there are many attractive seed heads that can be left!

We have had a couple of frosts already but no snow here - yet :-)

The blackbirds are back, along with blue tits and sparrows, the bird feeders are full and bird bath defrosted.

Have a good weekend everyone :-)

Pondworks Complete

2010-11-10T21:38:00.000Z

At last our pond is complete. I had begun to wonder if we would finish it this year with the wet weather but it has been filled, the last coping stone has been laid and the fish are swimming :-) The pond plants look very small, but have plenty of room to spread their leaves in the new year.

We still have quite a bit of landscaping to do and I admit I have hurried this, wanting to finish the replanting and clear some of the mud! We have managed to spread the last heap (dumpy bag) of earth. I am still amazed how much earth came out of the hole! LOL.

We have built a frog ladder in the corner and will put the pump and filter in next spring.

Of course we are not the only ones to be pleased with our new pond :-)

And I know that some of you like herons!

But they are not welcome in our garden! It is netted and the fish are not for breakfast!

We still have the little wildlife pond to attract smaller wildlife :-)

Minehead Beach & Pondworks Update

2010-10-22T09:54:00.000+01:00

Thank you to everyone who has shown so much interest in our work on the pond. It is nearly finished now. We had to wait for the coping stones to be delivered and they took some finding as we needed an unusual size, not wanting to have too many cut edges. They arrived this week :-) I do try to shop locally where I can but in this instant we had to shop online. I will post again about the pond when it is finished and I no longer have to look at the mud ha!

Being unable to do very much in the garden, I have been drawing up plans on bits of paper for a mini stream leading to the little wildlife pond that is still place. I hope to have an area of more water tolerant plants like the astilbe and loosestrife etc that will look natural and attract wildlife. The fish pond will have to be netted, we have already seen a heron sitting on the fence eyeing up the fish!

Outside of the gardening I walked with a friend yesterday, the weather was warm and sunny in the morning, although it turned to rain later in the day. We walked along Minehead Promenade and then up by Culvercliffe before turning back to town. I have posted two of the photos taken yesterday morning. The heart seems to be a recurring theme, it is not the first time I have seen this natural pool appear on Minehead Beach. :-)

A view of Minehead Beach at low tide.

Hope you all have a great weekend :-)

Pondworks - Update 2

2010-09-29T12:23:00.000+01:00

Our pondworks are progressing in the right direction but we are being hampered by the rain :-(

The block work is finished, the final block was laid with some ceremony :-).

We decided on a good wide shelf this time, in our old pond we made it too narrow and then, after it moved, we could not persuade the plant pots to balance on it! No chance of that happening this time, its wide and shuttered to keep it in place :-)

It was a good feeling to see that the stone facing has begun. Rain has put a stop the facing now though and it remains covered for the time being.

We also tried to make a start with the lining, using carpet remnants that have kindly been donated. It is odd cutting carpet and underlay to fit inside a pond :-) and it is hard work! But its one way to cut costs a little bit and its a way of recycling! It has also meant that we could spend that little bit more on a good butyl liner.

The fish seem to all be ok now that air is being pumped into the tank and at least the pond lilies are doing ok in the rain :-)

As usual I am impatient to have the pond finished but we did agree that this time we would not rush and make mistakes :-).

I don't like to guess when we will be finished, but the end is in sight :-)

Pondworks Update

2010-09-23T21:31:00.000+01:00

Thank you to everyone for your comments and interest in our pondworks :-)

We are pressing on slowly, or rather HG and friends are :-)

I have become chief tea maker, watcher of grandad (trying to keep him out of harm's way), and constant cleaner of the kitchen floor.

Unfortunately there have been many showers and they are constantly covering and uncovering their work on the pond. They have however finished the footings and have laid one layer of blocks today so it is moving in the right direction.

The pile of local stone, which previously edged our flower beds, will be used to face the ugly blocks.

On top of the work we have had a huge disappointment in that the pump which we took out of the old pond has broken and we have lost some of the fish. I have had to buy an aeration unit to pump air into the tank. Such a shame, it was quite depressing although we have managed to sort it and save the majority.

It is really good to see the pond take shape at last though :-)

Pondwork Progress

2010-09-19T14:24:00.000+01:00

We are having a day off today after all the digging and preparations this week. My goodness, we don't remember that digging the first pond made us ache so much. We must have been younger or something :-)

Anyway the old pond has been emptied, the fish placed in a large tank, rocks piled in a corner and all plants removed or potted ready for replanting later on. Now we are waiting for the blocks to arrive.

We did find some fish, the heron had not had all of them. Also loads of frogs, of course :-)

Thanks to our friends who came to help and for keeping us sane :-)

NB This is not an instruction on the best way to enlarge a pond :-) only a record of our efforts :-)

Hampton Court Gardens, Kew Gardens, and Our Garden

2010-09-17T10:38:00.024+01:00

Last weekend was one of contradictions :-)

It was great to have a break and see two places I have long wanted to visit.

Apparently Hampton Court Palace it is now one of the many wedding venues available for hire. I had to smile at the thought that people want to marry in the place where Henry VIII had so many wives. Anyway this meant that I could not take the traditional photos of the Tudor front at Hampton Court, there were barriers in the way. A shame that this was the first view for us when we arrived. However it did not disappoint!

On an historical note, I did not know that Katherine of Aragon gave birth to 6 children! Surely she must be one of the most unfortunate woman in our history.

Neither had I realised that some of the Tudor buildings were destroyed when William and Mary decided to rebuild Hampton Court. Thankfully they run out of money and the project could not be finshed. I found the Tudor buildings far more interesting, the kitchens in particular. Its a shame the Tudor carp ponds have been filled, but W&M's formal gardens are just amazing!

On the other hand I found the architecture at Kew Gardens delightful. I am not really a glasshouse person but to climb the spiral staircase and walk along above the tropical plants was a real surprise.

With a huge interest in ponds, of course, one of my favourite photos is of the Waterlily House at Kew.

I had expected the buildings of Hampton Court and the plants at Kew to be the most enjoyable aspects but, for me, it was the other way around.

And then, just to bring me back down to earth, a view of the chaos in our garden :-)

Which means I should leave this blog and go and do some work :-)

PS, the plants around the outside of the pond have now all been removed! HG is, as I write, starting to dig the new pond!

September

2010-09-10T10:44:00.001+01:00

We are starting to make the final preparations for the enlargement of our pond. Thanks to some great freecyclers in West Somerset we have borrowed several containers to keep our fish safe from the many neighbouring cats and the ever present herons!

We will start to move plants and dig up this year's annuals and those invasive plants, ie ivy and bind weed, on Monday. The coresopsis has been flattened by the recent wind and rain and I am thankful that I did take many photos on one of the good days :-)

Its already getting chilly in the evenings here and we have had so much rain just lately that its not great to sit in the garden. Somehow I don't mind the upheaval that the new pond works will bring, its time to do something constructive. I am ready :-)

But first I am off for the weekend with a friend to visit Kew Gardens and Hampton Court Palace :-)

Homegrown Apples

2010-08-24T14:43:00.001+01:00

It has been ages since I last posted and I honestly don't know where the time has gone! The weather, here, for the last few days has been wet, wet, wet! On Saturday the rain water was coming up the drains at one point instead of flowing down.

Today we have sunny showers, the sort of day to put your washing out to dry and then bring it in quick before it rains again.

On the gardening front, the wildflower bed has been taken over by the coreopsis! A mistake to mix the seeds and not to be repeated. I will however be planting them separately, the display has far exceeded the cabbage, broccoli, and spinach that I grew for us to eat. It has been devoured by unseen creatures, and we just don't fancy eating the lacework leaves.

Years ago, when we began to design our garden, an elderly neighbour told me that every garden should have a fruit tree and I am really pleased that I listened to him. We now have two apple, one plum, one cherry, and a rowan (which I know is stretching it but it is a fruit).

This apple is on our tiniest tree, planted approx four or five years ago and producing fruit for us to eat every year.

Not bad for one of those bargain basement trees that can be picked up at different times of the year. This one came from good old Woolies, reduced to a price that we just couldn't refuse.

The strong winds have blown many of the apples from the tree and we are picking them up daily.

They do taste a little bit sour but are great in puddings plus there are blackberries in abundance not so far from here :-)

Wild Flowers

2010-07-26T15:21:00.000+01:00

Since my last post the weather has changed, of course :-)

We have had cloudy days and many heavy showers. Today it is warm but oh so windy. Schools have broken up for summer holidays, the weather is typical for this time of year. I believe the forecast is for better weather towards the end of the week.

Anyway the garden has certainly benefited from the warm rain. Some flowers are over and cut back for this year but others have just taken off in abundance. Two of my summer favourites, the Hydrangeas and Japanese Anemones are just about to burst into full bloom.

The one new item in my garden this year is the wild flower bed. I have wanted to do this for some time and never found the time or the space for it before. This year, with the enlargement of the pond on hold, I had a bare patch of earth that badly needed filling. For quite a while it did look like an unweeded seed bed, and even now I have my suspicions and have removed some very tall dandelions! However, after the warm damp weather, I am really pleased with the effect.

Next year, I may plant an even larger area :-)

Perfect Weather

2010-07-12T15:19:00.001+01:00

The weather here has been just perfect, and a friend and I made the most of it on Saturday. Warm, sunny, slight breeze, with a shower in the night. What more can we ask for :-)

I have been having a clear out since my last post. I had thought to just pay for extra space but decided to take a look at my web album first. I was very surprised to find a whole load of photos that I had certainly never sent to my blog. Goodness knows how they made it to my web album but, just like clearing out my wardrobe from time to time, I have had a good look through and taken a lot of unwanted items out. So now I may have enough space for a little while anyway :-)

In the meantime it has made me a little bit more aware of the number of pics that I do post :-)

So anyway, I am back armed with my camera. I've had a couple of days out, plenty of work in the garden, and I've slowed down with the baking (most of it going straight to my waistline!). I've taken part in an exhibition in Taunton Library and am making preparations with the EPA for a stall at the Dunster Show.

Pics posted today were taken at one of my favourite beaches :-)

Sunny Days

2010-06-16T15:21:00.001+01:00

Today is one of the those beautiful sunny days that may linger in our memories :-) I am at home all day today, HG's job means that he can come home for lunch and we were all able to sit in the garden together for an hour and relax in the shade.

Only a short while ago I posted this same corner of our garden, taken from indoors, looking out, on a rainy day. I said that we hoped to sit here one fine day and today it is actually warm enough to do just that :-)

The canes are in place for the sweet peas (still only approx 6" high) and the hanging baskets are in place. I would post more pics but have a message that I have exceeded my limit! Time to delete unwanted entries or may be make other plans? I need to think about this! I guess that, as I started this blog in September 2006, I have done quite well :-)
The strawberry pots have been moved onto the table as our only ripe berry so far this year was eaten by slugs! This seems the most eco friendly way to discourage them, although I know they may well climb up and abseil back down this evening!
We can always eat choc ice lollies :-)

Inside - Looking Out!

Garden Wildlife

2010-06-13T20:24:00.001+01:00

This year, for the first time in ages, we are occasionally able to just sit in the garden. I have always found this difficult before, relaxing when the weeds are jumping out at us. Now though, I have learnt to ignore them occasionally, even when they shout :-)

We have noticed that the birds are becoming more used to our presence. I was told this would be the case and it is true. When we were at work all day and dared to step into our garden, all the birds would fly away. Now it is only the seagulls and rooks, the largest bird visitors to our garden that flee at the sight of us.

The smaller birds are becoming quite tame.

This pigeon plods around unperturbed by our presence

The sparrows are getting to know us.

The siskins and finches are emptying the bird feeders! :-)

And my favourites, the young blackbirds, are all around the garden.

We have watched the parents feeding them.

This young blackbird has clearly learnt how to feed himself.

Today we watched him find worms and our strawberries :-)

Who? Me?

I haven't managed to catch all our visitors on camera, we have wrens nesting and although I see them often, I have yet to have a camera in the garden with me at the same time.

Blue tits visit often too. Something to aim for over the coming months.

A Walk in the Woods

2010-06-06T14:01:00.002+01:00

One of the great things about walking in the English countryside is that the views are so varied.

I walked with a friend yesterday for a few hours with a stop for lunch. Tea and cakes of course :-) They have become almost obligatory :-)

I am not going to say where this time :-) If you have walked here you may recognise it. If not, I'll give you a clue, it is somewhere in West Somerset, quite close to Minehead.

We started off walking through a field of buttercups :-)

We moved onto an avenue of trees.

We found bluebells stil in flower, hidden in the woods.

And Rhododendrons growing wild.

There were natural archways across the paths.

And a castle in the background.

I could share the place with you :-)

but then..........

it wouldn't be so hidden :-)

Towards the End of May

2010-05-27T20:23:00.009+01:00

Judging by some of the comments I have received I may have given the impression that our garden is quite huge, and that is wrong. I would like a much bigger garden and look on in envy at the gardens of some other bloggers. It is the largest garden I have ever owned, our first was barely a courtyard and I can remember a relative described it as pocket hankie :-) But that tiny patch was a start.

When we moved here, approx 20 years ago, the garden was beautifully laid out with a manicured lawn and circular rose beds. Unfortunately it was not very child friendly. Two young sons on bicycles and scooters quickly destroyed the fine grass and the thorns on the roses didn't do the boys a lot of good either. To the dismay of some of our elderly neighbours the garden was transformed, the greenhouse was removed (for obvious safety reasons!), the garden became a cycle track with climbing frames and sand pits, and later, a tiny football pitch with a goal post at one end.
We did edge the garden with tall shrubs like buddleas and we began to introduce the fruit trees, but it remained a playground until bicycles were replaced with mega drive systems and computer games. At this point we reclaimed the garden :-) but I don't regret a single day of it. I really believe your garden should suit your needs.
It has taken years to achieve the planting we have and I still consider it a work in progress. There are always things I want to change :-) But it was never an instant garden and my advice to anyone would be 'be patient', see what works for you and be prepared for things to go wrong.

We have had some beautiful weather this month. We are able to sit as well as work in the garden :-).

The downside of such heat at this time of year, of course, is that it finishes off many of the spring plants like the bluebells and forget me nots, when I wish they had lasted a little longer.

The upside is that the garden can move on to the next phase and everything seems to be taking off with little damage from frost.

Rhododendrons

Comfrey

Peony & Lady's Mantle

Aquilegia

Yellow Day Lilies

Clematis

London Pride & Geraniums

This year's new growth on our Christmas Tree

We always refer to this as a fried egg plant :-)

*********

And when things go wrong!

This is the second dead frog we have found this week. Both were found facing towards our pond so does that mean they were trying to get to water?

It's heartbreaking.

This is the year of biodiversity!

Our Garden In May

2010-05-18T17:22:00.000+01:00

We seem to be having our April Showers in May again this year but the rain and the sunshine is certainly making our garden grow.

I had intended to concentrate on one plant post per day but to be honest I simply can't keep up with it.

I have probably missed the Azaleas at their best and they have been beautiful, the Rhododendrons are not far behind. The bluebells and primroses are still in bloom and everything is producing wonderful new leaves. Even the Rowan, always the last tree in our garden to produce its leaves is bursting open.

Some plants that I have moved, like the peonies and a small acer tree, are feeling the strain but I am confident they will be ok.

If I had to describe myself as a gardener I would probably say I am erratic.

I tend to buy plants from the First Aid Section of Garden Centres and then when I get home I don't know where to plant them. I often end up moving plants at the end of the season because I have initially put them in the wrong place. I am waiting to move a fennel at the moment, it grew much taller than I had expected and obscured a climbing rose behind it. It has to wait because I don't want to disturb the bluebells that are in front :-)

Anyway, I know what I like and I strive to achieve it.

The garden, to me, is simply another room, or series of rooms, of my home. Our garden faces east and as the sun moves round throughout the day we can also move from one area to another. We probably have too many seats but we can sometimes sit in the sun and sometimes the shade. It is good for everyone.

At the moment, with the pond revamp on hold, it feels like I am in the middle of decorating! I know it will get better but I hate this period.

To remind myself how far we have come I have only included the good photos in this post.

I like to pack the plants in tightly.

I let plants seed and then remove those I don't need.

I have already begun to pull a few Forget Me Nots out. It is surprising how tall they get and what they hide! But they do give so much colour and 'fill in'. And I want them to seed for next year.

A View of Minehead

2010-05-18T16:50:00.001+01:00

Each time I walk around this beautiful area I am reminded how lucky we are!

Minehead is nestled on the coast between Exmoor and the Sea.

Of course, living in a rural area we do lack some facilities.

And there are things I miss.

But no one has everything and we have a lot more than most.

If you click to enlarge this image you may be able to see the Red Deer in the field.

Eye Level Snails

2010-05-15T11:57:00.003+01:00

It is a truly lovely day today. It is not only dry, the sun is shining, there is little breeze and the temps are up in the 70s.

So why, as I hung the washing out to dry this morning, did I spot this little snail at my eye level in the fatsia?

You may think I am obsessed with slugs and snails :-)

Perhaps I am, they have done so much damage to my plants in the past.

As far as I can see there is no damage to the fatsia. So why climb so high?

I thought slugs and snails liked cool damp areas of the garden!

Solomon's Seal

2010-05-10T15:03:00.000+01:00

Solomon's Seal - I cannot find a meaning for the name although it is said to come from a mark at the bottom of the stem near to the rhizome. Perhaps when the plant has died back I will dig to see if this is true :-)

This plant appears year after year in a shady part of the garden.

It is one of those graceful plants that hides it real treasure.

And you have to grovel on the ground to see beneath the leaves.

Little pearl drops hang delicately from under the stem.

Each year I mean to take some images of this beautiful plant and each year I am too late!

This year I have managed to take some images of good and bad!

Slugs!

I have tried to simply grow plants that are pest resistant but this plant was in our garden before me :-) I cannot remove it and so it takes its chance.

Generally it is hardy, it come up year after year and seems to be frost hardy.

I only wish the slugs would leave it alone :-)

Click here for more info

Fallen Blossom and Dandelions

2010-05-09T15:05:00.002+01:00

Cherry Tree White = Deception

Dandelion = Rustic Oracle

The weather has changed again and people are joking that we have had our summer :-) Well I hope its a joke! Today the temperature is barely reaching 50 degrees, we have had a lot of rain, even now there is quite a strong cool breeze. The seeds, which had been coming along nicely may go into hibernation at this rate.

Most of the cherry blossom has been blown from the tree although the apple blossom is still holding on at the moment. The Magnolia is almost entirely green, still lovely but such a shame that the blossom does not last a little longer.

The garden is showered with cherry blossom.

I had not noticed before how the petals are shell shaped.

And dandelions, the one weed that we constantly remove :-)

This one escaped us and with the strong breeze, the seeds will spread and germinate oh so quickly. As a child we would count the number of breaths it took to blow all the seeds from the clock, thereby telling the time :-)

Please summer, come back to us soon :-)

Bluebells

2010-05-08T10:20:00.001+01:00

Bluebells = Constancy

Bluebells are most definitely on my list of favourite flowers. In our garden we have several varieties, not only in shades of blue but also pink and white.

I must stress that I am not an expert in gardening, although I have a great love for it.

It does appear to me however that we have tall Spanish Bluebells, with flowers all around the stem, on one side of the garden, growing in the open sunshine.

And English Bluebells, with flowers on only one side and leaning over, growing in the shade, under a holly and an apple tree on the other side of the garden.

It is against the law to pick them from the wild.

I have picked them from the garden before but they don't last indoors and now I leave them alone. They look their best in their own surroundings and its hard to find a prettier site than a bluebell wood.

RHS advise that English and Spanish varieties can produce hybrids.

For expert advice on Bluebells I suggest you refer to the RHS Advice Link by clicking here :-)

A Rambling Post About Daisies and Politicians

2010-05-06T10:41:00.007+01:00

Daisy = Innocence

I have written before how HG mows around the many plants growing in our lawn. Daffodils, primroses, not to mention the fruit trees, all make for cutting the grass a bit of an obstacle course.

At this time of year the grass is full of what my grandfather would have called weeds (his lawn was immaculate as far as I remember). Ours is littered with life, the dandelions we do remove but the daisies are left to fair for themselves.

Years ago I bought a little book called Language of Flowers by Kate Greenaway from a bookshop in Hay on Wye. It lists the meaning of flowers, something we seem to have forgotten in our busy lives.

These images were taken yesterday when the sun shone all day. :-)

---OOO---

Today is Election Day here in the UK and I predict a day of high emotion. Political leaders seem to want to tell me what the 'other' parties will do if I vote for them.

Well I can make up my own mind thank you :-)

And 'yes' I will be casting my vote :-)

Horner Woods and Porlock Coastal Path

2010-04-26T11:29:00.001+01:00

I have managed two walks over the last few days, the weather has been fantastic and its really good to get out in the fresh air.

The Coastal Walk is on my list of things to do one day and on Saturday I walked just a short part of it between Porlock and Porlock Weir.

The sea defences have been eroded here and there are warning signs about tidal floods.

You can clearly see the damage that the salt has done to these trees and yet they have their own strange beauty.

Just a short distance from Porlock is Horner Woods, one of my favourite spots in West Somerset.

This area will soon be green and lush, fed by streams of clear fresh water from the surrounding hills.

We completed a short circular walk from Horner, along the valley, across the second bridge, up Windsor Walk, onto Webbers Post and then back to Horner.

Altogether a good few days :-)

April and Blackbirds

2010-04-23T16:52:00.007+01:00

The garden is moving on in leaps and bounds. Its almost impossible to keep up with it and each time we go into the garden there is is something new to discover.

The strawberry pots, bought last year in a late season sale, are on time this year.

The Pieris, a gift from a cousin, is beautiful with its red leaves, resembling brightly coloured petals.

The Cherry Tree is bursting with white blossom. Its also just wonderful to have these blue skies :-)

The Cherry and Magnolia look so lovely when they are both in bloom and really brighten the garden at this time of year.

Sadly, petals are already falling to the ground.

No idea what this tree is, it was labeled as an apple when I bought it, no apples so far :-)

We ate lunch in the garden and watched the blackbirds collecting grass and mud.

And as I wandered the garden with my camera I found this little early fledgling in one of the beds. The black birds may be relining their nests for another batch ?

We left this little one alone and very soon his parents were back feeding him. Last seen he had climbed about a foot off the ground into a Viburnum but with so many cats around its hard to just leave him.

The ash on the ground is from our wood burner :-) We have been spreading it daily since last autumn and have noticed a decrease in the number of slugs - or may be that is just due to the sub zero temps this winter.

We have had to cover both our ponds with netting to prevent the herons raiding them again. Other pond owners in this area have had to do the same as herons are becoming a really pain. And yes, I know its nature :-) but its frustrating too.

Spring Flowers

2010-04-16T19:32:00.001+01:00

This is a first for me :-) Two posts in one day!

After our walk we came home to have tea in the garden and I couldn't resist taking these images.

We seem to have more and more primroses each day forming little clumps of colour across the garden.

Blossom on the plum tree :-)

The Magnolia buds have burst open.

If you look closely you can just see the beginnings of the bluebells.

The cherry tree will soon be showered in blossom.

The Apple Blossom is just slightly behind.

The mass of perennials that form most of our flower beds includes primroses, forget me nots, peonies and diasies.

Close up of forget me nots. A mainstay in our flower beds.

Tete a Tetes under the Magnolia Tree - we believe some have been stolen by squirrels!

Clematis Montana - vigorous in our garden but so full of colour!

And this is my conundrum! I had said I would not grow lilies this year as they have been attacked by lily beetles for the last two years. I had decided to have a break, to rotate our pots, so to speak. However these have escaped my attention and have started to grow down by the summer house.

So do I leave them and risk them being attacked again? We don't use pesticides but if anyone has experience of a companion plant that might help we will be really grateful. :-)

East Quantoxhead Beach

2010-04-16T18:57:00.001+01:00

We had four hours to ourselves today and decided to visit East Quantoxhead Beach. We have been many times before, when our sons were young and it is a beach full of surprises :-)

It is not a bucket and spade beach but we all love it and have never been disappointed.

The geology is astounding.

We walked along the beach well away from the cliff.

As we walked I couldn't but think about the volcano in Iceland, the earthquakes in China and Tibet, and the people affected in these countries. The news is full of airports and passengers but others will be affected for so much longer.

A reminder that Mother Earth is greater than us all!

Bossington, Magnolia Tree and Spring Anemonies

2010-04-11T14:10:00.003+01:00

The weather has certainly brightened up this week and on some days we have had warm air and clear blue skies.

We walked at Bossington on Thursday, a beautiful day with calm clear weather, it almost resembled summer :-)

We parked in the National Trust car park and walked out towards the sea.

The coast of West Somerset is quite magnificent and you don't have to walk far for views like this. As well as the blue sky and sea, we sat and watched the plough work its way up and down the fields. It is important to remember that this area is also farmed and not here just for our leisure!

Yesterday in the garden, it was warm enough to sit outside and eat lunch :-) I even discovered that the laptop works in the garden and would have posted from there had the battery been fully charged :-)

These spring anemonies are all in full colour.

I have them in pots by the door and as the Tete a Tete daffodils fade these take their place at the top of the cheerful scale.

At the bottom of the garden the magnolia blooms open almost by the hour. It struck me today how the buds on our magnolia all face the same way, north, for some reason. This is surprising as I would expect them to face south

And still tidying I am finding last year's magnolia leaves amongst the shrubs. Amazing that they always last so long, even through such a long, cold, wet winter.

I know this looks untidy but had to post it. HG has now cut the grass for the third time this year but I have dared him to touch the primroses :-)

Grass cutting becomes more and more tricky as I plant bulbs and leave seedlings to flower :-)

Easter Primroses

2010-04-04T13:00:00.003+01:00

One of my early memories has to include one that I am not very proud of.

I can remember walking out in the countryside with a party of walkers, 'Primrosing'

It isn't allowed nowadays and a good thing too.

I have an image in my mind of bunches of primroses being tied to a stick and poor the little flowers were swinging back and forth as the carrier trod his way home.

I think it may have been for Mothers' Day more than Easter and the little bunches were presented to our Mothers in Church on the following Sunday.

I wonder what my Mother really thought.

I suspect she accepted them with good grace but really thought they should have been left where they were.

I am pleased to say that these little primroses are growing in my garden. They seed freely and are scattered across flower beds, gravel and the lawn.

I have to say they are one of my favourite spring flowers :-)

Happy Easter to you all!

Pheasant Days

2010-03-29T12:43:00.003+01:00

HG and I had a really busy day in the garden yesterday, clearing more ivy and cutting back shrubs. Its a bit like a mass blitz and everything looks so much neater and tidy. Just the grass to sort really. HG has already cut the grass once this month and the rain and slightly warmer weather means it now needs cutting again! Plus several holes to fill :-)

As we had a break for lunch a visitor arrived in our garden.

He wondered around looking terribly proud of himself.

He seemed to be searching for something

But it wasn't on the ground so he flew onto the pergola.

He tried looking pathetic.

and then turned his back on us.

He circled ...

and continued to search.

And tried to look casual by having a quick preen.

But we knew he was really after the birdfeeders!

With crows, seagulls, and pheasants, its no wonder our little birds have flown!

Click for info on Pheasants.

Luxborough & Dunster Walks

2010-03-19T11:52:00.004Z

Have been walking nearly every day this week and making the most of this beautiful area. In a bit of rush today but I really wanted to post these photos to show the varied scenery.

Thank you to all my friends who have shared these scenes with me this week:-)

Positives and Firsts

2010-03-14T13:43:00.002Z

After my last post I thought I should include some positive aspects of the garden. It is surprising, once you begin to look closely, how many signs of spring there really are. Ignoring the fence and the old shed area (HG now has plans for this area and is considering a larger, semi raised pond) the rest of the garden is showing a reasonable amount of growth and spring colours.

These little Tete a Tete Daffoldils are in a pot close to the kitchen door.

This Periwinkle is at the opposite side of the garden.

The Helebore is by the ponds and while kneeling in the earth I saw the first bee in the garden this year.

First Primrose of the year too - hiding in the undergrowth.

And the Clematis Montana on the central pergola is beginning to send out shoots

A huge sigh of relief as our old daffodils appear untouched for the moment. In previous years they have been devastated by slugs! I believe the cold winter we have this year may have helped our gardens and caused a decrease in the slug population.

And finally fresh Parsley :-), the first of the herbs.

Not strictly a spring photo of course, but I need to include this Japanese Anemone seed head in my journal, before I cut them down. This is the first time I have left these plants untouched throughout the winter and so the first time I have seen the fluffly little seeds. I often find seedheads almost as attractive as flower heads, you just need to look more closely.

Altogether a very good day :-)

Secateur Addiction

2010-03-10T16:01:00.001Z

I knew that it would happen. That moment when the sun shines and you decide that you really have to get into the garden to begin the process of tidying up. I knew also that I had to get a move on to take control of the ivy invasion in our garden. We have many birds visiting our garden and over the years several pairs have used the ivy along the side fence to build their homes. I wanted to be done before they began nesting this year.

And so the work commenced and out came the secateurs.

The real problem was not only with the ivy but also the brambles that had grown up through it. To clear the unwanted growth I have had to remove so much more. The fence should have been covered with Hydrangea Petiolaris, an attractive climbing hydrangea with delicate lacy flowers. This had all but disappeared into the ivy over the last couple of years.

Now is has it has all but vanished by my own hand.

I have just looked up the meaning of addiction and like this one best of all - A positive addiction is a beneficial habit--where the benefits outweigh the costs. I am quietly confident that the hydrangea will recover - lets hope the ivy and the brambles will not.

We have also had to cut down a small but vigorous hazel nut tree, possibly planted by a squirrel, and the red dogwood. Having cut down so much growth of course, we are now in the middle of many trips to the recycling centre and the clearing up is not nearly so theraputic at the cutting back.

Let me stress that we have not seen any nesting activities in our garden this year. There are still plenty of trees, shrubs and ivy left in other parts of our garden as well at the surrounding area.

This nest, found yesterday while 'tidying' is quite beautiful however, woven simply and held together with a little mud underneath. I have wondered whether to place it in one of our bird boxes - any thoughts :-)

No gardening today - although the ponds have defrosted there is no sun and the wind is very cold!

Plus my hands hurt so much with bramble scratches and secateurs strain!

Gardening Mix

2010-03-05T11:33:00.002Z

How many people, I wonder, would say that their school days were the best days of their lives? If I'm honest, I would say no. I grew up in West Sussex and I've often felt short changed by the education system. My main regret is that I never had the chance to learn Latin. I have heard many people complain because they were forced to learn this language but I so wish I had had the chance. Not least because I might better understand the international language of plant names. As it is, its all a mystery to me!

For the life of me I don't know the name of this beautiful flower, apart from calling it a Spring Iris.

Another mystery in our garden ....

Various animals have been accused of digging these holes but none have been seen.

My favourite, and the one I choose to believe :-)

Squirrels looking for their nuts

Today is bright and sunny but cold.

And some of our frogspawn is frozen again.

Gardening - A mixture of trials and surprises.

You might also like to visit
Photoventure

2010-03-01T10:48:00.002Z

It is hard to believe that today is the 1st March already. The months are flying by and most of my plans are still in my head and on paper. We woke to a very hard frost today although it has already melted away and left the garden half bathed in sunlight. There is so much to do. So far I have cut back some of the ivy and taken last year's flower heads off of the hydrangeas. HG and I moved the compost bins, two of them had been sitting on the lawn all winter and we want it to recover naturally as much as possible. We won't be putting the ivy in the compost, my guess is that it would root and grow! And so a trip to recycling centre is now also on the list of things to do.

I'm really not sure if it was the drop in temperature last night, or not, but the frogs have vanished again. They have left the nursery full however. Our little pond is brimming with spawn, I don't ever remember it being quite so full. We will net it very soon now, mainly to keep the heron away, but also because we have being visited by at least half a dozen cats from the neghbourhood :-) Next year I would like to set up some sort of film equipment to record the events. It has been very funny watching the feline spectators eyeing up frogs leaping about from small to larger pond. Spring Watch! If you are reading, you are welcome to set up in my garden :-)

Later today I will clean an old belfast sink we have in the garden. I tried to make a mini water garden on the terrace but it wasn't a huge success and so I shall move some of the frog spawn into it. A bit like not putting all your eggs in one basket. It will be easier to cover with a grill and protect it.

I have decided to finish tidying the garden and then try a new veg patch down by the shed before I start to plant any seeds. If March, the proverb says, comes in like a lamb, it will go out like a lion. Despite the number of frog visitors, winter may not be over yet!

Update:

click for info on Nature's Calendar

Frogs Alive!

2010-02-25T13:15:00.000Z

At this time of year our little pond is alive with frogs.

They watch us closely!

Fill the pond with spawn

and dive under the surface if we approach too quickly

Throughout this month they have come and gone

and come back again

Frogs are a gardener's best friend. They eat slugs and snails and need some protection themselves.

I love to see the frogs in our garden.

They are welcome anytime :-)

Through The Window

2010-02-19T11:26:00.000Z

Am I selfish to enjoy the cold winter?

There is so much that is beautiful about it.

No gardening today, but we will catch up.

Easy for me to say, I know.

I really do believe that Mother Nature will win however much we try to control her. So let's work with her in stead.

Shed Replacement

2010-02-17T14:43:00.016Z

At last, after waiting more than a year, our gardening plans are back on track. There were many reasons why we waited for the new shed. Among them, one of the biggest was the wildlife in our garden. Over the years blackbirds have nested in the ivy behind the old shed and we didn't want to disturb their efforts. And so now the work begins!

We have a shed ....

where there was no shed ...

and no shed ...

where there was a shed !!!

We have a mass of ivy to clear (the secuteus can't do too much damage here) and a mess to clean up before the best job - planting - can begin :-)

February Gardening Plans

2010-02-10T14:44:00.006Z

It is fair to say that I have had a good January. No longer rushing off to work in the mornings and back and forth at lunchtimes, my life is so much easier. With the cold weather I think I may have hibernated to a certain extent. Perhaps I did just need some time to gather my thoughts. Whatever it was I feel so much better and ready to move on. I feel full of energy and ideas :-)

I can hear from family groaning from a distance :-)

So anyway the sun is shining today even though it is very cold. The forecast is for -2 or -3 tonight and so I know it would be a mistake for me to get those secateurs out just yet. Once I have them my hand there will be no stopping me and I will go too far!!

I can do less harm with the camera in the garden I think and so here are some images of things that do need to change. There is a lot of work to do!

And here are some images of good things :-)

And an image of sunshine :-) Couldn't resist including this one.

Our new shed should arrive this week and then I really can get cracking. It is not only tidying that is needed in our garden. Over the years I have packed too much into too small a place and I need to be tough and simply remove some plants. Some of the sedams that have spread and taken over odd corners need to be removed; ivy needs to be cut back, compost bins are in the wrong place, and the old tumbledown shed will have to be dismantled. So much to do! I can't wait :-)

Photoventure

Two Friends - Two Continents

First Frogspawn 2010

2010-02-06T13:47:00.012Z

When HG popped out to the garage last night he called me to come and see :-)

A frog had found its way round the side of the house and was sitting next to the side door. As we watched to see which way he would go the little frog hopped into the porch way. HG removed him and put him in a sheltered corner behind the a flower pot :-)

This morning, this little frog and many others, had clearly found our back garden!

As we approached the smaller wildlife pond the water bubbled as the frogs dived under the surface.

If you wait quietly though, the frogs soon float to the surface.

This is the first frogspawn in our garden this year.

Considering the pond was frozen over only a week ago we are surprised to see so many frogs about.

Its early days of course, we expect many more to arrive.

This is the fourth year of recording events in our garden.

Last year the first recording of frogspawn was on 24th February.

In 2008 it was on 26th January.

And in 2007 it was on 24th January.

Clear Cold Nights

2010-01-30T14:06:00.005Z

It a was full moon last night, a clear circle against a black sky. Of course we have some light pollution but you could see the stars. It was a beautiful clear cold night.

This morning our ponds are half frozen making wonderful geometric patterns.

You can see the ice spreading across the surface. At 2 pm, it has not melted.

We have lost many plants this winter already. Some lavendar has survived, some has not. The rosemary has gone along with the margarites which I had in pots near the house. It is too early to check for some, time will tell. Others, like the fatisa above, are almost untouched.

Longer Days

2010-01-24T15:52:00.002Z

It is already becoming clear that the daylight hours are lengthening. The weather this weekend has been dryer and clearer than for sometime.

I actually have washing on the line for the first time this year :-)

Stepping into the garden, it is clear how much work there is to do and its tempting to take hold of the secateurs and start snipping away at last year's stalks. We have left many of the seed heads and dead wood for the wildlife but always find it messy at this time of year. I want to start spring cleaning but of course winter is not over yet and we could easily have more snowy and frosty days.

The Rhododrendron buds can give you a false sense of security.

But these waxy evergreens do give colour to the garden.

There again, I love the lacy effect of last year's Hydrangea flowers.

Not so the Ivy! It's a complete pain but it is probably holding up the fence :-) and the birds love it!

I don't think it is possible to have a tidy wildlife garden! But then no one has everything :-)

Heron Patrol

2010-01-20T14:12:00.003Z

Several times recently, when we have looked into the garden, we have seen a heron watching us closely. We have lost fish from our pond again despite taking action to protect it.

It is frustrating.

Over the last few years we have had frogspawn taken and wonder what else - herons, we have discovered, will take many small animals, not just fish.

This morning we witnessed the heron being chased away by seagulls! Maybe the cold weather is making wildlife more territorial.

This photograph was taken through the window. The heron is not so brave when we step into the garden.

Photoventure

is a new blog written by myself and a friend, Deb from Canada. We aim to publish photos, showing comparisions of our gardens throughout the year.

Please take a look and leave us a comment.
:-)

New Experiences

2010-01-15T12:30:00.006Z

I've always believed that's it important to have new experiences. I don't want to grow old wishing I had done something that was easily within my grasp. It is easy to sit back and say I can't do that because .....

Of course life sometimes takes over but when something is possible we should go for it.

This week we had a long awaited viist to London planned. Caring for an elderly relative, these things are not to be taken lightly but we had made our plans and were not going to be stopped by a little bit of snow :-)

The weather forecast gave blizzards and newspeople recommended that we stayed at home unless it was necessary to travel. In the event, however, the weather didn't seem to be so bad and we reached the train station without any trouble. The train event ran on time. We had no bother with public transport at all and credit is due to the workers who turned out to keep things running. The worse bit of the journey was leaving our own road which is on a hillside and remained untreated!

I took my camera with me to London but to be honest I didn't use it very much. I had hoped for snow covered monuments but while we were there the city was simply just cold and wet.

For the most part, I kept my gloves on and my camera packed away.

I did however take these photos of the frozen fountains in Trafalgar Square.

On a warmer front we met relatives, went to the theatre, popped into the Egyptian rooms at the British Museum, drank lots of coffee and hot chocolate, went shopping, and used an internet cafe for the first time. HG and I were the eldest using this facility and we raised some smiles from the younger generation with our questions :-) But it was easy and I would recommend it to anyone :-) Just don't be afraid to ask!

Snow Day - Anticipation

2010-01-06T10:06:00.005Z

Aftter watching the news and the weather forecasts predicting snow it has finally arrived here in West Somerset!

HG was due to travel 30 + miles early this morning and we woke several times throughout the night and couldn't resist a peak out of the window. At 3 am the scene was wonderful. Everything was white, except the sky which glowed pale orange probably from the street lights. I tried to catch the scene of camera but admit that being half asleep and the temp very cold, I did not have any success.

These photographs were taken at approx 10 am.

I do like the snow :-) luckily I don't have to travel anywhere today.

I really do believe though that we have to learn to deal with snow days if this is a sympton of climate change. In Canada, Deb regularly tells me of sub zero temperatures reaching as low as -20/30.

We may have to learn to cope.

I had to take the bird photos through the window.

Snow capped Hydrangea.

Snow can be beautiful if your time is your own. Not so great if you have to be somewhere else. Stay safe.

All Day Frost

2010-01-04T22:15:00.004Z

It seems really strange that Christmas and New Year are over already! Where did they go?

Now schools are back tomorrow and I really am resigned to my new start :-)

I am itching to get into the garden. It has been a bit neglected these last couple of years. The weather and work committments have stopped our plans for relaying parts of it. We have a new shed base but no shed and plants to put in with no area prepared. Ferns in temporary places, ornaments in a corner waiting to be placed - well actually they are just outside the window - I like to look at them :-)

At the moment our plans are on paper only but the shed is a priority - we want to pull down the old shed before it falls! And before the birds starts nesting in the ivy again this year.

And to add insult to injury there was a little Jack Russell in the garden when I stepped out with my camera. I have no idea where he came from but he had the audacity to bark at me! Like I was in his garden! It is time for me to reclaim my stake :-)

Today we have had an all day frost. They don't happen very often when you live near the coast but today, despite a bright sunshine, the frost did not disappear. These photographs were taken in our garden at 3.30 pm!

Frost

Acer Leaf on Ice

And our little pond frozen solid! We did melt a corner several times but it simply froze again. It has been badly neglected and perhaps should be tackled even before the shed.

So much work to do :-) Already I have forgotten how I squeezed so much into each day :-)

New Year New Start

2009-12-29T21:53:00.003Z

It seems ages since my last post and so much has changed.

For sometime I have been rushing around, often in circles, chasing my own tail in fact. I read on another blog that if you are stuck in a shadow you should move, and so that is what I have done. I suddenly realised one day that I no longer wanted to work 30 plus hours in an office. It was not really doing me, or anyone, any good at all. I often felt as though I had spent my entire life at a desk, I started work at 17 in a Woolworth store counting cash. Possibly a midlife crisis but I wanted more time to be outside, to walk. Something had to give and so I moved out of the shadow and into the light. After a family discussion I handed in my notice at work.

So now as the new year draws near I am making a new start.

I am relieved to have made the decision and to have handed over my job to someone who will fill it beautifully.

I am happy. I have time to walk.

I caught this sunset late one afternoon before Christmas, proving that nature provides the best illuminations.

And this week we walked at Blue Anchor. The sea was not so blue on this occasion but the wind certainly whipped away any remaining cobwebs. It was freezing but hot chocolate at the Driftwood soon warmed us up :-)

I would like to thank everyone who has sent me so many good wishes. I have been overwhelmed! I will miss everyone so much but there comes a time, I guess, in everyone's life when you know that it is time to move on. Thank you all for your friendship.

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-24T20:48:00.000Z

Wishing you all a

happy, healthy & safe Christmas.

Hopcott and Home

2009-11-15T12:56:00.004Z

I have always loved to walk, or ramble, where ever I have lived. One of my earliest memories is walking on the South Downs in Sussex with my family. In summer we would often stroll on a Sunday Evening, ending up at a cosy inn somewhere not far from home. Perhaps that is why I like to walk so much now.

Rambling has many happy associations :-)

I also like to walk when I need to think. 2009 has been an eventful year for us, and as the end of the year approaches we have had a lot to think about, and some important decisions to make. And so plans are made and steps are taken :-)

Walking really clears the mind and the head and I recommend it :-)

Hopcott Common is not far from home now. It is a great place to walk. There are so many paths and over the years I think we may have covered most of them. Those that I have not yet covered I plan to walk very soon. I am not sure of today's definition of a common, the land belongs to Crown Estates, but thank goodness we are still allowed access. We are so lucky to have this right on our door step! Searching the www I have found a map to show just how many paths there are!

For more info on Dunster Forest Walks - please click here.

As always its important to remember that people live and work on Exmoor!

Please remember the Country Code it is there for very good reason.

The weather here yesterday was wild. The photo below gives some indication of how strong the wind was in our garden! Incredibly most of the leaves are still clinging to the branches.

And right outside the kitchen door these mini chrysanthemums are in full flower, even if soaked!

Enjoy your walk - where ever you are :-)

Minehead Beach - Sunday Stroll

2009-11-01T16:15:00.007Z

The good thing about changing the clocks is that it is lighter again in the mornings. Having no alarms today was an added bonus :-) So far, it has been one of those lazy days which start with tea in bed and Sunday papers :-) We decided to walk after breakfast, the weather has been stormy in the night but the sun was breaking through.

Taking a different direction this week, we walked along Minehead Prom. The seafront car park was full and there were plenty of people around as a cycling event was taking place.

We decided to move down on to the sand. It was obviously raining out in the channel but we managed to stay dry on land. The wind was still strong and blew us along the beach. You can see the sand being whipped up into the air. It was not so pleasant walking back again but being sand blasted certainly blew some cobwebs away :-)

The view of North Hill is always pleasant whatever the weather. For some reason it often takes me by surprise. I have always lived near to the coast but grew up in a more urban area of Sussex by the sea.
The waves make me feel at home though. I love the sound of pebbles in the surf and the distant crash of waves.
And finally, just to prove we were there :-)

Garden Colours & Halloween Grumps

2009-10-31T12:32:00.011Z

It has to be said that I am a bit of an old grumble weed at Halloween :-) I simply believe that another of our traditions has been hijacked by the commercial world. My own children still remind me how I refused to let them go trick and treating :-) I think they may have forgiven me :-) I have just never liked the roaming around the streets in plastic masks or the fear that some of our more vulnerable people are subjected to.

I'll move on :-)

Although the trees in our garden are just beginning to turn to autumn colours (I am expecting the forecast gales to strip them nearly bare tomorrow) there is still a lot of colour in our garden. The Kaffir Lily (Schizostylis coccinea) is beautiful again and I really must get around to splitting and replanting it. Our Japanese Anemones, one of my all time favourites, is still in flower near the house. The mock orange, bought a couple of years ago is covered in little orange globes. The cyclamen have self seeded in the gravel again, forming little clusters of leaves. The fatsia is in flower and is producing a mass of little buds.I am puzzled by the holly in our garden though. One holly tree was already in place when we moved in and for about 15 years I did not see a single berry on it. I have been told that only female holly trees bare berries and so for all these years believed that our holly tree must be male! Its not a tree that is pruned harshly, I only cut a few sprigs each year to bring indoors. There are many holly trees in this area, several homes around here are named after it. Birds drop so many seeds that little holly saplings shoot up regularly around the garden. So why has this particular tree produced berries this year. Has our holly tree undergone a sex change? :-) Has anyone else noticed that a tree has changed its habits of a lifetime :-)

Spring Forward, Fall Back

2009-10-25T20:49:00.004Z

Commenting to a friend this week that I could never remember whether the clocks go forward or back I learnt the following

Spring Forward, Fall Back.

Its so easy! Will I remember in six months time though :-)

I don't know what these are, hope someone will tell me! I would never pick or eat anything that I had found. I simply don't trust myself enough to identify them!

We were not disappointed in the woods with fungi however. Here the Stinkhorn was easily spotted!
The rain clouds gathered as we walked today. The wind picked up and we were showered with drizzle.

While out at sea the sky was blue.

This picture was taken a fortnight after the one in my previous post. Perhaps in another week the view will be gold :-)

As darkness will come at least an hour earlier today we decided to head out for our Sunday Stroll just after lunch. I wanted to photograph glorious autumn colours and shades. Although autumn is clearly here though, the weather has been very mild and many of our trees are still relatively green. I once read that it is the daylight hours that affect our trees, I'm not sure that is right. Light or temperature?

A Short Walk at Webbers Post

2009-10-04T18:09:00.008+01:00

HG and I decided to take a short walk today. We have had a week of colds and sore throats and sneezes. Driving to Webbers Post, and leaving the car in the car park, we took the 'easy path'. Although it is only a week since my last post the weather has definitely changed. We are, of course, officially in autumn now. Autumn Watch and has begun on the BBC so there is no doubt :-) The temperature has dropped and the clouds were low, not a crisp dry day but a more traditional grey damp one :-)
The trees are still hugging their greenery at the moment though. The ferns have began to die back and the heather has lost it colour but the view generally is still green here.
Our Rowan Tree is not the only one covered in red berries this year.
Most of the Rowans have plenty of food for the birds.
We sat for a short while at this pretty little seat overlooking Dunkery, Horner and Ley Hill. With a seat pointing in four directions you can always find one out of the wind here :-) It was not the weather to sit around though!

We headed home and lit the wood burner :-) Everyone needs a treat sometimes :-)

Rock Heart

2009-09-27T19:37:00.013+01:00

I walked with friends this afternoon along the prom towards the old harbour. The water was blue, the air was warm, the sun shone. It was like a summer's day, hard to believe it will be October next week. This pool had been left by the outgoing tide and from the prom you could clearly see the shape of the heart, it would have been missed from the beach perhaps :-) Hope you all had a great weekend!

Relections, Blackberries and Hedgerows

2009-09-20T21:18:00.008+01:00

Today is apparently the last day of summer. It will be autumn tomorrow.

I don't dislike the time of year at all. The mornings are becoming dewy and evening are drawing in but there is always something new to see at any season. Today the sky was blue and the day was warm. It was too good to stay indoors and so we had a thought to visit Dunster Beach. We were sidetracked though :-) It's strange how you can live somewhere for more than 20 years and then find somewhere, just somewhere small, that you have never found before :-)

Here the water was so still that it reflected like a mirror.
Further along the lane the signs of last summer were beautifully evident in the hedgerow. Rose hips - my memory of these is rose hip syrup! How much of that were we given as children :-)
Elderberries. My mother used to make homemade wine with these :-)
Clematis, these little fluffy heads remind me of very fake wigs :-)

And blackberries. We found many today, the hedgerows were full. We picked enough for two apple and blackberry crumbles :-)

I was surprised how many people were blackberrying. Perhaps that is a sign of the times, wanting to get back to nature or the possibility of a free pudding.

It was a very pleasant, old fashioned, Sunday afternoon.

Sunny Days in September

2009-09-12T17:14:00.005+01:00

I woke early this morning and after laying still for a while decided it was time for a cup of tea. Very British :-) Anyway as soon as I stepped into the hall I noticed that the light flooding in through the window was that shade of red which only a beautiful sunrise can bring. I have been thinking about sunrise photos for a while but, lets face it, the sunrise in summer is very early! Today I forgot about the tea and went back for my jeans and jumper and drove straight down to the beach.

And this is what I found :-)

The sun was just peeping over the horizon. What a start to the day! I must do this again. It is true the best part of the day is very often the dawn. Here are some other photographs taken on sunny September days :-)

Cosmos in our garden.
And Rudbeckia. I must remember to tie this next year.
It has stood quite straight right up until flowering.
Sedum Ice Plants. These are attracting the bees but some need moving.
We have a lot of shade in our garden and some are in the wrong place.

And new to us this year, white anemonies :-)

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Rowan Berries and Apples

2009-09-10T21:15:00.011+01:00

School holidays are over and autumn is on the way. That must be why the sun is shining and the daytime temperatures are warmer than in July and August :-) Its typical of course, back to work and the weather seems to be better now than when I had more time to sit in the garden :-) Maybe it just seems that way. Like summers of our childhood being so much warmer than now. We are told that our summers will become increasingly drier and yet July I believe was one of the wettest on record. It will be interesting to see what the remainder of the year brings.

Our Rowan tree is completely covered in berries this year. Does that mean a harsh winter? At least the tree is looking wonderful, I have never seen it look so good :-). For two days I have come home from work and sat beneath it in the hammock with a cup of tea :-) At this time of year this is the last sun spot in our garden before it moves over the house.

And the sky is blue! A real picture of summer taken in September :-)
Usually we leave the berries for the birds. The blackbirds have stripped the tree in the past. This year I am wondering if I should pick some for us. Has anyone made Rowan Jelly? Perhaps its easier to leave them for the birds :-)
Last year the Rowan failed miserably and I had thought of replacing it if it didn't do better :-) Now I'm not superstitious but I read that its unlucky to cut down a Rowan. If we had cut it down we would certainly not have this beautiful tree in our garden this autumn!

And of course no garden journal in Somerset would be complete without apples :-) I seem to remember hearing that five fruit trees make an orchard, unfortunately we don't quite achieve that but we have enough apples to pick and store for a while. We have already had apple puddings :-) This tree has bent due to the weight of the fruit. I don't really want to pick them, I love this little tree just as it is. The apples are already starting to fall though and I don't want to waste them.

This is the little tree we bought a couple of years for 99p from Woolworths. A lot has changed since then!

But its good that somethings remain constant.

We have two apple trees, a cherry and a plum. If rowan trees count towards the total for an orchard perhaps we can claim one after all :-)

Walks Around Horner Woods, Horner Water and Dunkery

2009-08-21T16:30:00.007+01:00

Although we have been holidaying at home, and I should have more time than when I am out to work, it is fair to say that the days seem to be shorter and have less hours in them :-) I have walked with family and friends several times in the last week and so this post will cover Horner Woods, Horner Water and Dunkery.

We came across this pony quite late in the evening and I took the photo pointing into the sun. Some might say it should be deleted but I quite like it :-). We had walked at Dunkery on this evening looking for deer. In fact all the deer were some distance from us - point being I need a longer lens!

I know I have said it before but you have to bare with me - Horner is my big one time all favourite place. I was searching the net recently for a map of the walk from Horner to Dunkery and came across a site which said that Horner Woods are in North Devon. Oh .... so wrong! (Unless there are two of course!) Horner Woods are in West Somerset!! Please give West Somerset the credit for this beautiful area :-)

This photo was taken at the top of Horner Hill. We parked in Horner Woods Car Park and walked up through the valley, beside the river, following the signs over the second bridge to Cloutsham and then left to Webbers Post. In fact I found my old copy of Horner Woods Walks bought years ago at the tea rooms and we followed the directions for the two hour walk. It was a fairly steep climb up Horner Hill but as you can see the view was worth it! I must walk this route again in the autumn.

We then cut through Webbers Post and back down to Horner Woods Tea Rooms. Always a great pot of tea waiting there, and cake, at very reasonable prices :-) These four photos were taken at Horner Water. This time we parked at Webbers Post and walked down the valley until we meet the river and then along to the ford and back to the car park. I wanted to practise different settings on the camera for water shots. I still can't make up my mind which setting I prefer. I just love the subject to much :-)
What do you think?
Slow shutter speed?

Or fast?

As a PS it was great to see so many people at the Dunster Show today. Thanks to every one who stopped by the EPA Stand. :-)

A Walk in The Rain at Valley of the Rocks

2009-08-10T17:33:00.004+01:00

We drove to the Valley of the Rocks today. The weather wasn't too bad when we left home but on arrival the bad weather was well on its way. In addition to this I had every ramblers nightmare - I left my walking boots in the porch at home!! Aaaarrggghhh! And so we didn't walk very far. After a quick pot of tea from the very handy tea garden (which has an indoor seating area) we set off for a stroll in the damp misty rain - the sort that soaks your clothing right through.
I love this tree though! Imagine the weather that has shaped this one! The silver lining to the clouds were the goats. They seemed to love the weather, or the lack of visitors, and munched on gorse without paying any heed to us.

We were able to follow the path but were pleased the weather was no worse!

The sides of the cliff are steep and sadly there was little view today.

We will have to visit again when summer comes. Ha!

Walk on North Hill

2009-08-04T15:13:00.006+01:00

On Sunday we walked on the North Hill.

The sun popped out occasionally although the sky was cloudy.

It is a short walk from the seafront to North Hill but many people miss it.

It is uphill of course! But the climb is worth it. The view on a fine day is wonderful and at this time of year the heather is fantastic!
And the Gorse too!
Heather and Gorse. A tapestry of colours.
And on the way back down Exmoor Ponies crossed our path :-)

Can't think of a better way to spend our spare time :-)

On a point of interest though there were many bees but no butterflies - we didn't see one!

Walks in the Rain, Floods and Ponds

2009-08-01T17:08:00.005+01:00

I have managed to walk twice this week despite the rain. Wednesday was wet, wet, wet, I didn't even bother to take my camera, but I had arranged to meet some friends and so kept the promise to be there on time. In the event the rain eased for an hour and we walked at Selworthy, but not as far as the Beacon. A quick sprint up to Bury Castle was enough, when we reached the Iron Age Fort we were pestered by swarms of flies and made a hasty retreat back down the hill to the Tea Rooms :-)

Friday however was dry at least, if not sunny. We walked to Bossington Beach, climbed the steep steps up the cliff and then back to the car park. It would be great to have some sunny days but I suppose we have to remember that rain is far better than drought!

These photos are not quite in the right order :-) I often forget that I have to import them in reverse. This is actually the way back to the car park!

Here you can see the floods caused by this week's rain. It will, of course, eventually find its way to the sea.
The stream was fast flowing.
The wildflowers seem to enjoy the weather. This plant attracted the few bees that were around.

And these too.

Today in our own garden this Dragonfly laid eggs in the moss at the edge of the pond. It appeared in a brief moment of sunshine and then disappeared again.

We have taken a risk and put fish in our pond again. We have provided protection by way of a wire barrier, a fake sparkly heron and lots of pond weed. Let's hope its enough!

Weekend Away

2009-07-30T16:36:00.002+01:00

Guess where I went :-)

A weekend away, visiting, sight seeing, shopping, and the theatre :-)

Lily Under Attack

2009-07-27T18:29:00.011+01:00

Its hard to believe that the summer holidays have arrived and that July will soon be over! The weather continues to be more like April showers than scorching July! This is the third wet summer - oh for those long hot summer days of my teens when we spent days on the beach and warm balmy evenings out of doors!

Still I have started as I mean to go on and not waste these valuable weeks! Today my wardrobe has been tidied and sorted, and I only put a few items back in that I couldn't bare to part with :-)

*********

The pale blue Hydrangea that I posted a couple of weeks ago (also in the header) has changed into this great mop head! I think I preferred it when it was pale blue :-) Never happy! I may have to move the shrub into the sun, it is sheltered by a rather large Rhododendron and has flopped forward to find more light. The Buddleia has flowered but we have hardly any butterflies at present. Still I live in hope!
However our faithful Japanese Anemones have flowered again. Year after year these beautiful perennials shoot up and fill the flower borders.
The Montbretia too comes up year after year. Not a favourite of mine in the garden as it also always flops over. I do however pick the stems and bring them indoors. I love to have a vase full in the fire grate for as long as I can.
The three little Cosmea plants I bought at a charity sale have suffered from slug damage. One has disappeared completely and the remaining two are not as they should be. Maybe the weather is partly to blame but having got this far they will hopefully continue to grow and produce more of the lovely flowers for a bit longer.
Our lilies have suffered a great deal from Lily Beetles this year. We don't use any poisons in the garden and I have a thought about crop rotation. Maybe having the lilies year after year has caused the problem and they may have to go before next year. Even this one, which looks untouched, hides a beetle inside its petals!
This one has escaped so far..........
But this one certainly hasn't!

A Different View of the Garden

2009-07-12T19:51:00.010+01:00

Today started with some seriously heavy rain. Our plans for the garden were on hold all morning but thankfully the clouds passed, the sky turned blue and the sun shone.

Our plans for today included de-spidering the summer house!

Something HG does every year for me :-)

The summer house is at the bottom of the garden, (or should that be the top). I never really know whether the path goes up or down the garden.

The fact is that from the summer house you see the garden from a different angle and it always surprises me.

And you find things you hadn't noticed before. Here, some of last strawberries have self seeded in the gravel - may be from a BBQ eaten there last year.

I have to find out the name of this shrub but I like to think of it as Pink Cloud :-)
The last of our day lilies - this orange one gives a splash of colour.
And this shrub is almost hidden from the house but from the either end is on full view
The Yellow Globe Buddleia is in full flower alongside the washing line.
The washing line is almost inaccessible.
I had wanted to remove this path at one time but it defeated me! Instead I let the plants cover it - much to the annoyance of younger family members :-) I love the smell of the lavender though as you brush through it.
A glimpse of the summer house.

Mid vacuuming stage!

And ready for occupation!

The final stage will involve relaxation: soft lights, a bottle of red, and perhaps a large amount of chocolate!

Hydrangeas Come Into Bloom

2009-06-26T14:59:00.006+01:00

Our good news is that HG has a job :-) After the shock of being made redundant and feeling thrown on the scrapheap he has something completely different! And he loves it!

No more sleepless nights! No more 12 hour days!. No more days without seeing daylight :-) No more hassle about alarms and call outs in the night! And now no more job application forms for jobs that he knew weren't suitable for him! Life begins again!

I know I posted a bee last time but couldn't resist this one :-) This lavender is so beautiful too. Some of our lavenders are not yet in flower - I hadn't noticed before that they flower separately. I am pleased that they do; it will lengthen the flowering time. This Yellow Loosestrife can be invasive but we simply pull it up if it seeds where we don't want it. It can be quite impressive when left in a clump. This very pale Hydrangea is not my favourite but I am hoping that as it matures the flowers will become larger. The lily beetles continue to attack! I keep removing them but clearly I need to find out more about their habits! Our lilies are being devastated! This shrub attracts insects but they don't seem to eat it! I really should do more with the Lavender. I have read other blogs about drying it but haven't really had any success. I have also ready about eating it, but haven't tried that yet. Our Little Christmas Tree continues to grow. We will have to relocate the bird bath soon!And here is my favourite flower of the moment - I don't know the name of this Hydrangea but suspect it might have something to do with electric blue :-)
As this is supposed to be my gardening journal I should mention that the slugs have stripped the Cosmea back to the stems, the rocket has seeded before we got around to picking it, the Erigeron has not seeded in the gravel at all and has been moved onto the terrace. :-)

Pond Life, & Bees

2009-06-20T22:27:00.009+01:00

We managed to spend some time in the garden today. The pond is brimming with life. The wire netting at the edge has worked so far and our much of the frogspawn survived. In previous years we lost most of it to other wildlife - unbelievably we learnt that foxes eat frogspawn as do herons!

Look at this beautiful little newt. Our first froglet :-)

(Well the first one seen anyway)

And the bees are everywhere!

Quite frankly I find this one a little bit freaky but I do like them in the garden :-)

Tomorrow I have to get down to the weeding!

Thanks to HG for the pond dipping :-)

Geraniums and Peonies

2009-06-14T19:57:00.003+01:00

Earlier in the year I moved our peonies. I had originally planted them at the bottom of the garden and so we rarely enjoyed them at their best. I decided to move them nearer to the house. This year, as I expected, they have not flowered so well but I am confident they will recover and flower again next year.

This is the only peony flower in our garden this year. The geraniums, however, are flowering profusely and are attracting a mass of bees!
I am trying to make a collection of geraniums but naming the varieties is difficult :-)
I am hopeless with Latin names (I didn't learn Latin at school).
Any advice on remembering Latin names will be gratefully received :-)

An English Summer

2009-06-06T18:38:00.004+01:00

They say that an English summer is three sunny days and a thunder storm. Perhaps that's not quite true but its typical that after working in an office Monday to Friday it rains on Saturday! And we had a huge rumble of thunder this morning! Its been an eventful week and I had plans for this morning. I had hoped to visit an Open Gardens Event but it wasn't to be. It must be a huge disappointment for all those gardeners who have spent so many many hours preparing their own gardens only to have this amount of rain today. It is coming down in stair rods!
We managed to sit in the garden for a short while on a couple of days after work. I am pleased to say the birds are much tamer this year! One blackbird especially comes almost right up to us and I had planned to catch him on camera this weekend :-) Maybe tomorrow!

Scarlet Lily Beetles

2009-06-02T21:45:00.007+01:00

Not all is rosy in our garden.

This morning I noticed that our lilies, one in particular, has been attacked. This is the culprit - A Scarlet Lily Beetle
In fact there was more than one.
I found these two and then two more doing their best to multiply!

It is difficult to know what to do when you have made a decision never to use poisons in the garden.

They have been removed and I will have to keep a close eye for the next generation. With so many birds I wonder if they have a natural predator?

Scarlet Lily Beetles

200th Post - Royal Bath & West Show

2009-05-30T13:32:00.010+01:00

I can hardly believe this is my 200th post! It seems quite important that I should have something worth showing or some momentous occasion in my life :-)

So here goes! I spent yesterday at the Royal Bath & West Show, a first for me and probably something I won't forget. It was certainly an experience and I have learnt a lot!

I am grateful to the EPA and the staff from Supporting Somerset for the opportunity they gave me.

I left home at 6am to arrive in time for the opening.

I took so many photos that it is difficult to pick just a few out but these are some of the images that at least made me think and some that made me smile.

Are we over cautious about lean meat?

Was this sign really necessary next to the judging enclosure? Should I be vegetarian?
Will some people do anything to earn a living? :-)

How many people has Prince Charles shaken hands with? :-)

[This is cropped quite a bit, I didn't get to shake hands :-)]

And how many images of PC are there on the net? :-)

The EPA, Bath & West Show and Glastonbury 2009

2009-05-26T21:14:00.008+01:00

Finally, after months and weeks of planning, (and years of wishing on my part) I am exhibiting my products at the Bath & West Show.

One of the great things about being in a co-operative is that we have a rota for the show. We don't all have to be there everyday and so I am there, but then again I'm not :-). It is ideal for me. I am sharing a card stand and a unit with another EPA member, not all these items are mine, but the greeting cards on view in the stand, plus the place mats, coasters and prep boards are. If you are visiting the show look out for the Exmoor Producers Association stand and say hello.

Royal Bath & West Show 2009

Unlike those members who have stayed over we were able to travel home again today. We have had a long and eventful day but decided to walk up to Glastonbury Tor on the way back to blow some cobwebs away. It felt like hurricane force up at the top. Anyone who visited today will know exactly how strong the wind was. We had trouble standing up!

Looking through the arches.

A more traditional view of Glastonbury Tor

Me taking a rest. Not the best pic of me, the wind played havoc with my hair! :-)

This is more like me, sheltering from the wind, and head in the bag from the bakery :-)

Wishing everyone at the Bath & West Show a really great week!