A Mellow End To The Year

How strange to look out of the window without being dazzled by the white. The freshly uncovered grass looks yellow & stressed from the sub-zero temperatures.

I could not resist this wonderful early morning rose quartz sky!

A Woodcock in The Garden

Pin feathers that are useful to artists are to be found on this fine little bird. According to my knowledgeable father-in-law, this is an absolute fact. In the sub -zero temperatures it has been a real priviledge to spot these brave little fellows darting through the woods without a care!

They are distinctive birds with a long, narrow beak & speckled lemon feathers. Their appearance in the garden is a rarity & a real treat for anyone lucky enough to meet these shy creatures. They are part of the gamebird family but have a grace & elegance that eludes the humble pheasant. Shh, don't tell our resident pheasant Elvis that I said this!!

Post Christmas Thaw

What an interesting metaphor the garden is for our everyday life. For the past week the landscape has been frozen in time by the sub-zero temperatures, & most of us have been psycologically frozen in the race to create the 'Perfect Christmas Day'. As the snow melts the last of the year's blooms are emerging a little worse for wear, probably like most of us after indulging in too much rich fayre! One deep breath of the refreshing winter air reminds me of the amazing restorative power of nature.

White Christmas

We are celebrating christmas with the garden blanketed in snow. The winter-sun's rays are bouncing off the crystals, jumping magically through the windows. Elvis is feasting on a lunch of fat balls and peanuts, demonstrating his newly acquired balancing skills. Too much more of this christmas fayre and he will be grounded!!!

From June to December

It's amazing browsing through photographs taken in June to see the way the garden changes as the year moves on. Vivid colours & blousy form are replaced by skeletal silhouettes. This morning the plants are rigid with frost - creating real interest. It is one of the only times that individual blades of grass take on a persona of their own & stand out from the crowd. Ivy, cladding the trees, has been traced with a silver highlighter, white berries punctuating the bark. The trees emerge hauntingly through the freezing fog. Properly dressed, it has been a day to venture out & explore nature's magical kingdom.

The Garden Re-Emerges

It started at 6pm last night, the soft patter of rain on the window pane. Finally, after a week the barometer started to rise as the wind chill left the air. Slowly, areas of grass & vegetation have begun to emerge from the blanket of white - all looking a little worse for wear. Bravely, the rose 'Gertrude Jekyll' is displaying a single fuchsia-pink bloom in defiance of Jack Frost. The plucky young poppies have not fared so well; their fleshy stems and leaves collapsing into mush as they thaw. Mr Mole has struggled in the frozen soil, resorting to the single grand-scale excavation of his predecessor's run. Judging by the size of the mole-hill, his exertions over the past week must have kept him toasty in the freezing temperatures.

Looking out over the brooding hues of olive & chocolate under the graphite clouds, it is hard to believe that only yesterday Isis & I had to shield our eyes from the glare of the winter sun on the snow!

Beautiful Winter Landcape

The cool colours of winter simply take your breath away!

Look Mum - This is Fun!

Today, even I didn't want to venture out! The landsape is frozen, the woodland is eerily silent & even the 'Woodmen' don't want leave their log-burner. But for puppies the perspective is different. New territory & new smells - this is all very exciting. Pokey & Mr Mousse have new winter coats so they're suited & booted for adventure! 'Mum, just make sure that you order lots of dry logs for Christmas, otherwise we'll be really cold!'

The Big Freeze

Overnight the snow has fallen & once again the landscape is ethreal. The running water from the stream prevents the pond from icing over completely; this is a lifesaver for the birds who need to be able to drink & wash their feathers. The fat balls are in great demand; even the pidgeons are attempting an ungainly display of gymnastics to sample the delicacy followed by a dessert of bright berries and ruby crabapples. The plants take on a new persona swathed in sparkling crystals, the Miscanthus particularly has a touch of 'Liberache' about it! The potted-Peiries is shivering outside the window as the biting north-east wind cuts through her leaves. It may be beautiful today but the wind-chill is deathly.