Thursday 14 July 2016

Bee-Song

This morning flower heads are vibrating to the tune of our industrious little honey bees.  Humble, committed and delightful they were out and about early drawing nectar and collecting pollen to feed the bulging nursery in the brood chamber.  This year is proving particularly challenging for our bees;  roller-coaster temperatures and heavy showers have really disturbed the bees' flight patterns and plans for succession.



A hive check last night gave a surprising insight to their inner life, the top supas are laden with early summer honey, the brood chamber brimming with young bees and brood waiting to emerge!  The woodland paths are sparkling with early blackberry flower, always a firm favourite with the bees, as well as us, producing delicious honey for us all.  We have so much to learn from a gentle winged friends, it is a privilege to live and work alongside them!

Monday 11 July 2016

Butterflies

As the season progresses, bare patches appear in the soil where perennials have struggled to survive the wet winter.  Although sad, it presents an opportunity to re-think and add new cultivars to the planting.



Last week's unexpected 'magical moment' was in a local garden centre.  Lurking by the exit in a turquoise, ceramic pot, I spied a delightful, black buddlea; it was love at first sight!  With a delicate arching form and blackcurrant flower spears, the 'Black Knight' will provide a striking silhouette and backdrop for the blue-red roses 'Celebration' and 'The Times'. Being a source of precious nectar for the butterflies and bees adds to its attraction, the multiple flower heads fill the early morning air with a soft, scent of honey.

Sunday 10 July 2016

Meet William Lobb.

The moss rose is a charming addition to any garden.  Vigorous and heavily scented, it is a showstopper with a foppish, charming habit.  Our moss of choice is the delicious, aubergine William Lobb.  In late spring, as we battle to cut back his winter-brittle, spiteful stems, I question our love affair with this expressive rose.  However, come June,with the sun at its zenith, all is forgiven as new shoots run down the stone wall and skip along the terrace, laden with musk scented blooms

The downy heads of  new blooms exude rose oil from the moss covered buds, as well as the petals.  With youth, the velvet moss-spikes are tactile and soothing; time spent in quiet contemplation with William Lobb is soothing and uplifting, a wonderful metaphor for life's journey and our innate capacity to allow space for forgiveness and transformation in our lives...

I'm just popping out now to spend some time with William; allow him to work his magic. I will ask permission to take his photo, then we can all share a little of his magic.



Saturday 9 July 2016

Love is all Around...

This summer the garden is certainly a demanding mistress.  Luscious, rich and heavy with scent, our intermittent sunshine and showers are proving perfect for the growing season.  Early July, post solstice, is boasting borders more usual in early June.

Our roses are flourishing, cascading over the geranium underplanting, a joy to behold.  Below, the notably fussy, Compte du Chambord, is unfurling his paper-pink leaves with abandon.  Bordered by the exquisite Apothecary Rose, a fuscia pink single flowering variety, and the repeat flowering Magic Carpet, the perfume swirling around the flagstone path is intoxicating, a particularly favourite with our inquisitive little honey bees!


Tuesday 10 May 2016

Wild Garlic

Walking up through the garden this morning, an infusion of wild garlic hung in the air.  Distinctive, fresh, with a curative affect on the respiratory system, a clear indication that May is upon us and that the woods are ribboned with swathes of lime and white wild garlic amongst the lapis bluebell glades.  Less pungent than the familiar bulbs, these delicate flowers make a welcome accompaniment to salads and soups; a forager's delight!

The garden is simply beautiful at this time of year; buds held back by the Arctic blast have burst open, seeming to hare along to make up for lost time.  The steely buzz of a chain saw reverberates through the locale; tree surgeons are felling a precarious tree, guilty of overhanging the lane, intimidating the balance and growth of the unfurling copper beech.  Within a morning the skyline is forever changed; delicate beech branches now stretch skyward, etching their form against the dove grey clouds.  The woodland is a hive of activity, where there is always work to be done, plants and animals to nurture and protect for the generations yet to come!  The trunk of the old tree is now being loaded into a trailer, to journey 100 metres to the woodshed, where it will be logged and seasoned. In no time, once again the days will shorten, then we will welcome the warmth of the spring wood on the fire.

Saturday 30 April 2016

Snow in April

Whilst a kaleidoscope of tulips and daffodils run ribbons through tiered beds, garnet studded japonica branches overlap orange-scented osmanthus blooms to form a windbreak along the flint.  The air is refreshing air under steel-blue skies,  just for a moment it's tempting to believe that the time for winter gloves and mittens is in the past.  But within moments the snow clouds roll in overhead, shocking the tender, innocent flower heads!



The language of flowers is subtle, quite understated; but their feelings are clear to all who stop to spend a moment in their company.  Petals contract in shock as the sharp arctic blasts sear across the pond, burning the pretty pastel bonnets of spring garden visitors.  Our woodland amphitheatre hosts a  Shakespearian gala fit for the Globe; an exciting performance of comedy, tragedy and romance!  And for now it appears that the winter stars from Act one are determined the make cameo appearances in Act two. The drama unfolds...

Wednesday 27 April 2016

Betty to the Rescue!

Watching weather systems playing with the light in the garden is a favourite pastime. This morning, I was privileged to observe Ash leaves, bathed in sparkling sunlight, tentatively unfurling tender fingers as they emerged from their bud-cocoons.  Imagine their shock, when only moments later, pea sized hailstones pelted down from the skies, ricocheting on the dusty path.  In an instant, the balmy temperature turned icy!





 Standing high on the hill above the woods and facing west, it is possible to watch the storm clouds as they advance across the channel, their bulk turning the water matt-grey.  With an Arctic front advancing, it is difficult, even with the mod-cons and weather apps, to predict and plan the gardening day.  Even more challenging, in addition to navigating the turbulent weather fronts, our plants and trees are having to deal with imported diseases.  What a relief to read this weekend, that a 200-year old Ash tree in Norfolk, called Betty, appears to be immune to Chalara Ash-dieback; a predatory fungus predicted to deplete up to 50% of our native woodlands.  Her immunity, when genetically identified, will help to protect our native trees and the wildlife that depend on the humble ash for survival.  Living in the middle of an Ash wood, we care passionately about our woodland friends: wood mice, bullfinches,wrens, blue-tits, bats and beetles, who together with the flora and fauna have enough to contend with as it is!

Friday 22 April 2016

Beetles in Leather

Our unseasonal winter has resulted in some exceptional activity in the natural world.



Leatherjackets, the rockers of the insect world, have faired well in our temperate winter climate, surviving the short, dark days into spring.  Recent damp conditions have encouraged these little fellows closer to the surface of our garden lawns; a delicious banquet for their predators but a disaster for gardeners. Swathes of tobacco lawn are developing where fresh grass roots are being severed by the birds dining a la carte; crunchy side salad to accompany the leatherjacket protein.  What a palaver at the beginning of the season, a significant development on the annual moss cull and scarifying frenzy that usually typifies the end if April!


Thursday 21 April 2016

A Celebration of Colour and Scent

There it is again, just ahead of me, on the air... elusive, a mere suggestion, I wonder if I am simply imagining?  But no, there it is again, hovering like a humming bird around the edge of my nostrils, teasing me, tempting me, drawing me forward.  A Thumperesque twitch sets the senses in motion, triggering nerve synapses, revitalising my system; vision sharps whilst shoulders relax, the quest intensifies as I scour the hedgerows for the source of this intoxicating scent.



Buds of Mai form parasols over newborn lambkins nestling close to their mothers in grass;  all the while the scent flickers on the breeze, teasing me...  Then without warning, the purveyor slips into focus, peeking just above the camouflage of the wild garlic, the lapis bonnet of a native bluebell sways gently on the breeze.

As my eyes attune to the hue of blue, I notice that these harbingers of Spring are ribboning along the coppiced path, stretching their graceful necks towards the shards of sunlight piercing the emerging overhead-canopy.  The fanfare of royal blue announces the arrival Spring, the season of sunshine and showers, and celebrates the 90th Birthday of our Queen!

Tuesday 5 April 2016

April Showers

What a wonderful combination; showers and sunshine, now that April has arrived.  Perfect conditions to encourage new growth;  bald, deciduous climbers now sport breeches of lime green shoots.
This morning, a symphony of birdsong drew my sights high above the woodland canopy, to the ice-blue sky.  It was there that I spied a crown of Buckthorne  in full flower; a profusion of delicate blossom displayed on dark thorny branches.  In a bid for survival, amongst the suffocating crop-pines, this steely tree had forced its head high above the neighbouring canopy to bask in the sun's rejuvenative rays.  As soon as the hedgerows fill with Mai, the precursor of our delicious sloe berries, it's a sure sign that spring is in full swing!



There is a gentle hand-over between the winter torch bearers; Heather and Hellebore, and the spring's jaunty new arrivals; Blossom and Daffodil.  The garden runs her own Olympics each year, botanical athletes performing, under varying conditions, to achieve a personal best!  It's always close run, and entirely subjective, but this year the Hellebores have taken the Gold!




Monday 4 April 2016

Nuin Ash


Being a woodland garden, the trees, in and around us, have a huge impact.  Untouched for decades, the soil is fertile; rich in nutrients that allow complex root systems to thrive.



Small saplings develop, gaining majesty and gravitas as the years pass by.  Here, the distinctive bark of the Ghost Tree provides a textured backdrop to the Lent Lillies; small, native wild daffodils which love to naturalise in the grass under trees and in deciduous woodland.  Ash saplings burst forth with abandon in our hillside micro-climate and one, once tiny sapling, now towers high above the copper beech which, until last year, cut a distinctive silhouette on the summer skyline.  The Beech cannot match the vigour of the Ash.  Signs of the tree's distress are clearly visible; pale washed out leaves on unbalanced branches blocked from sunlight by the Ash canopy.  In ancient tree lore, the Ash represents the linking of the inner and outer worlds; macrocosm and microcosm.  It is interesting to see nature illustrating this concept with such simplicity, but in the language of the trees it is clear that the space is too small for both to thrive.  With heavy hearts we have decided to allow the Beech space to develop its full potential; the tree surgeon is booked this morning to fell its companion.

Unexpectedly, there has been a stay of execution for the Ash; the arbourculturist has severed a tendon in his hand over the weekend.  So for now, we'll carry on as before, letting Nature take her course.

Sunday 3 April 2016

Hail the Heatwave

Crazy weather patterns seem to be dominating our first days of British summer time.  If we are struggling, even with the help of all our gadgets and forecasts, imagine how the flora & fauna in our natural world are coping.  Branches laden with buds, just waiting to burst, risk frost burn and worse from the intemperate climate.  Today, London is predicted to be hotter than Ibiza and Barcelona, I wonder what the horse chestnut flowers will make of this?  Poking their beautiful flower heads out of lime buds, they will unfurl their tender petals, encouraged by the sun's warm rays.  And then, just as they relax and adjust, the icy northerly wind will whip round the corner and rip through the delicate sepals.

We are lucky in this country to experience the full range of seasons; from the stark silhouettes of winter to the soft hues of summer.  Every day there are changes in the trees and flowers, free for us all to enjoy and, in my view, more wondrous and exciting than any Hollywood blockbuster!

Monday 14 March 2016

Hedge Blush

Tonight's magnificent sunset turned the hedgerows blush rose in its glow.  A cherry sundae glaze coated the late winter landscape.  Amber rays stretched out from the low, tequila helios.  Oh, how I wished that I had my camera to capture this scene; the hedges were positively raspberry, something that I have never noticed before!  For commuters re-emerging from the city, it was like a scene from Constable country, warm, glowing,welcoming...


Sunday 13 March 2016

Wildlife Refuge

One of the joys and privileges of this garden is the daily inter-action with our native wildlife.  In the early hours just before dawn, it is a wonderful moment when the songbirds chorus in unison to welcome the new day.  Harmonious, cheerful voices echo through the trees as the natural world awakens from slumber.  In a world focused on 'our rights', it is important to think carefully about our responsibilities; we have a huge responsibility to protect and restore our countryside habitats for future generations to enjoy.  Life in a working village is about community, living and working harmoniously with each other as well as the land and the creatures who reside here.




Valley Garden Paradise is a peaceful,working garden, although without doubt she can be a demanding mistress with her fertile soil and steep, terraced beds.  Under firm, but loving, hands she blossoms, benefiting greatly from regular pruning, mulching. Her payback for this custodianship is handsome,  her bounty providing a healing space to sooth and restore the soul. A joy and natural wonder for all who work and visit.

Saturday 12 March 2016

Scents and Scent's Ability

As the days draw out and we head towards British summertime, it feels opportune to reflect on the beauty of the winter season.  Skeletal plant sculptures, draped in dried leaves and silken lace spun by spiders, define the cool hues of the winter landscape. From January onwards, delicate flower heads adorn the branches, pastel pom-pom petals emerging like a catwalk of scented, horticultural milinary.  Without doubt, there is as much pleasure to be enjoyed during the daylight hours of winter as in the riot of high summer.

A garden seduces all the senses, and the power of scent on the psyche is not to be underestimated.  Early flowering species are reliant on the power of their essential oils to attract pollinators.  The tiny white flowers on the Sweet-Box, Sarcococca, produce a  hypnotic scent that seduces the unsuspecting passer by, as well as being a firm favourite with the sleepy honeybees.  The profusion of glossy black berries now adorning the Box are testament to the success of the pollinators.  Other firm favourites here in the garden are the Daphne, 'Jacqueine Postle', and Witch Hazel, both in full flower at this time.  The healing power of scent in the natural world is a wonder to behold, only ever a breath away and free to those who linger long enough to sense the magic...


Thursday 10 March 2016

The Ides of March...

Well, what a crazy mix of weather we are all experiencing.  From the biting northerly winds, chilling everything in their path, to balmy sunshine, tempting us outside to inspect the garden.  One bonus of the cold snap has been the prolonged hellebore season; our bell roses are still strong and vibrant, acting as cool, sophisticated chaperones to the dashing young daffodils.  On the bee-bank, our snowdrops are returning to the green after a spectacular display, their energy driving downwards to the root bulbs in preparation for a well earned rest period.  This rest is essential for the plants to replenish in readiness for next year's season.  I often marvel at nature's wisdom and can't help thinking that we would be wise to follow suit, giving our bodies time to rest and heal naturally.

The pond is peaceful but will soon be a hive of activity as the spring cycle begins.  In preparation, locally there are 'Toad Patrols' to look out for, and assist, toads crossing the roads and paths on their annual pilgrimage to their home breeding grounds.  These cheeky amphibians are creatures of habit, and just like the infamous Mr Toad, they are extremely particular about returning to their roots, their own Toad Hall!  Hopefully, in just a few weeks, the pond will resemble bubble wrap just below the water's edge, and we will be able to watch the cycle from frogspawn all over again.  A wonderful rite of spring!

Tuesday 1 March 2016

Love & Affection


In the dining room the woodburner crackles and pops on a diet of dry ash, radiating a warm glow from the 1740's inglenook.  Outside it's icy in the rain, heavy vibrations fill the air; the chipper is shredding hazel cuttings from the lower boundary hedge, its engine powerful and determined as it chomps through the rather large branches.  Note to selves: this hedge requires a gentle prune every year!  Being a working garden, we are busy all year round and sometimes manage to overlook the obvious.  Happy and growing with abandon, the hedge had grown to a height of to twenty feet or more!  It was only the realisation that our view was slowly disappearing that galvanised us into action...



There is a fine balance between a sustainable, managed country garden and overwhelming chaos.  Trees and shrubs respond enthusiastically to gentle pruning, throwing soft, fresh shoots and regenerating lower down.  It's easy to forget that this magical, textured landscape requires loving husbandry; after all we all flourish bathed in a little love and affection!

Monday 29 February 2016

Bee Kind...

Bees are vital to our diverse eco-system, and with over 270 species of wild bees in the UK, we have a huge responsibility to protect them.  Our little winged friends pollinate our wild flowers, gardens and crops, to this end they work tirelessly as soon as the days lengthen and warmer weather arrives.



The heather, hellebores and other spring flowers are vibrating to the work of our resident worker bees, both hives are lively and working.  It is such a privilege to live alongside these amazing creatures, I feel that they have so much intelligence to share with us.  In our generation alone, there has been a massive loss of the bees' natural habitat, this is having a catastrophic effect on bee colonies.  It is our responsibility to preserve and restore these natural wonders in our countryside for the benefit and well being of future generations...

Sunday 28 February 2016

Scent of Ivy and Fir

This morning's Turkish Delight sky is fragranced with the intoxicating wood-scent of Ivy and fir, blue smoke from the woodmen's coppicing fire permeating the hillside.

Ivy has a symbiotic relationship with so many of our native trees, their trunks resplendent in ivy leaf breeches.  In a way Ivy is the woodland couturier, cladding its chosen host in glorious olive creations in exchange for a drink.  I love wandering through the mall of trees, looking at nature's intricate designs and imaginative colour combinations.


What a fabulous catwalk collection, an arbicultural fashion week...

Saturday 27 February 2016

Changing Landscape

Today's biting wind has chilled me to the bone, so much so that I am now snuggled up with a fleece and hottie in an attempt to thaw!  Vulcan and Icy, tired from chasing around for warmth, are my cosy couch companions tonight.
Despite this seasonal cold snap, a quick visual survey of the landscape shows that the surrounding patchwork of fields is beginning to change colour in preparation for the early summer crops.  I am particularly interested in the oatmeal coloured rape fields which, just eight weeks hence, will be a vibrant blaze of yellow.  A firm favourite with the bees, there is a sense of trepidation as this may be the first year that the farmers grow their crop from GMO seed.  These unnatural blue seeds are a worry for all bee keepers.  A thriving natural world, preserved for future generations, is dependent on responsible custodianship of our land and all her species, this is something where we all need to play our part...

Thursday 25 February 2016

Stunning Totems

This graceful young stag stopped me in my tracks along the track today...  Mr Timnus I presume!



              All it takes is a little imagination for wonder and magical moments to surround you...

Bell Roses

Pretty, white Bell-Rose Hellebores add grace and elegance to the late winter garden!



                                                          Glorious, simply glorious...



Monday 22 February 2016

Limestone Grassland

The Devon Reds have moved higher onto the limestone grassland today.  Close inspection reveals that they are tucking into the purple shooting bramble leaves as they push up through the dry grass.
I have always associated bramble, for culinary purposes, with autumn fruit, delicious in crumble and jam.  Of course, our honey bees devour bramble flower nectar in late June, producing precious stores of bramble honey if we are lucky.  Without doubt, the combined taste and texture of bramble honey is simply the best...




Today, seeing the cattle feasting on succulent, young bramble shoots added a further credence to the culinary possibilities of the thug-like bramble.  Vicious backward growing thorns take no prisoners, punishing careless gardener's hands with glee!





Sunday 21 February 2016

Welcome Party...



Last night, at dusk, unusual guests lined the barbed wire fence to welcome us home.   A herd of seven Devon Reds had wedged themselves uncomfortably amongst the wild hazel border, seeking shelter from the ferocious northerly winds.  Along the track, it's common to catch a fleeting, peripheral glimpse of a deer or rabbit, but the sheer form and presence of these magnificent beasts is breathtaking.  The cattle have been introduced as part of the re-naturalisation programme in this AONB.  Curious by nature, they push their heads through our boundary hedge in search of pastures new, snapping strands of barbed wire, with ease, in the process. These bovine beauties leave their signature trail of titian hair twisted around the hawthorn, like ribbons flying from a Maypole.




Ideally, the herd would like to cosy down in the woodshed, warm and sheltered from the intemperate conditions, but thankfully this season's timber stacks fill the space.  There is only one downside to the presence of our curious friends; the churning effect of their heavy footprints in the waterlogged soil  Early primroses, wild daffodils and snowdrops lie imprinted in muddy troughs; well and truly 'pressed!'


Friday 19 February 2016

Natural Re-generation

The clearing of the pine paddock continues a pace.  It is a demanding task for the woodman, who works meticulously, calculating the angle of fall for each tree, his priority is to avoid the track and fragile over-head lines. The farm at the brow of the hill relies on these out-modded lines for communication with the outside world.  In the event of a cold snap, snow and ice often render the track impassable save for the ancient Massey Ferguson and the Defender!

I learned today that the plan is to allow the land re-generate naturally.  Within a couple of years we can expect a profusion of buddlea and a smattering of ash saplings.  What a wonderful prospect, a morning stroll in the company of butterflies.


Smoke Signals


Vulcan and I spotted slate smoke signals, rising high above a copse of aged pines this morning, on our ritual climb to the cattle grid.  Within living memory, this woodland was a paddock, where locals grew kale and potatoes for their families.  At the end of WW2, local landowners were given grants to plant non-indigenous pine crops for use in the re-construction of the country.  Now, sixty years on, these trees are rangy and well past their sell by date!  The red clay, below their canopy, lies barren; acidic and inhospitable to our native flora and fauna.  So now, with the promise of spring, pine incense permeates the woods, and neat stacks of timber punctuate the land.


And it's not only trees on the move!  The field grass is holding an exhibition of finely tilled soil; molehills.  The style and design of the individual mounds varies, according to their artistic influence, but there is no doubt that these palm sized creatures, with shovels for hands, shift soil speedily.    During February, it's the amorous males who create the soil sculptures, digging an underground tunnel-system in search of a mate.  Being a life-long fan of Moley's adventures in 'Wind in the Willows', I have tolerance for these tenacious little fellows.  I'm grateful their help in the garden, showing a natural flair for the principles of Feng Shui they efficiently aerate our heavy clay soil and cleanse the soil of potentially troublesome grubs. 




Thursday 18 February 2016

Bird-Life

This year St Valentine blessed us with a RSPB birdsong clock, if you haven't seen one, I recommend checking them out!  Each hour's arrival is announced by a different song-bird, from a fabulous cast of twelve: barn owl, black bird, robin, nightingale, song thrush, chaffinch, blue tit, great tit...

 The power of birdsong to lift the human spirit is seriously underrated in the modern world where wi-fi and smart phones rule.  A simple step outside the front door, on a frosty morning, is all it takes to let these talented choristers into your world. As the sun rises, they harmonise in unison to welcome the start of another day full of infinite promise...

This morning, we watched woodpeckers breakfasting at the bird table on seeds and nuts.  We are thrilled to host both: the 'green woodpecker,' moss plumage topped with a cherry fascinator, as well as the 'great spotted woodpecker,' red flecked monochrome.  They are frequent visitors, particularly when hard ground makes extracting insects a trial.  Distinctive drumming announces their presence, reminding us to keep a close eye on the bee hives.  These beautiful birds become drilling predators when conditions are tough; the opportunity to feed on warm, sweet honey fresh from the hive can prove just too tempting to resist!

Wednesday 17 February 2016

Wet & Sodden

Yesterday provided a glimpse of promise, respite from endless long, damp days.  It was testament to the hardiness of hellebores and snowdrops, our garden's early visitors.  Frozen, like statues in Narnia, it was a joy to watch them gently lift their heads towards the sun as it crept over the hill and warmed their sap.





Frozen ground presented us with a perfect opportunity to prune the hazel and dog rose hedge that runs the length of the ha-ha. Woody and leggy it was detracting from the view; drastic action was the order of the day.  We needed a re-style, a Vidal Sassoon inspired make-over; bold and definite.  The decision was taken to cut the hard wood back to the base to allow fresh green growth create soft movement.  The result is stunning, with space for the air to circulate and the sun to warm the soil.  Soon the fern fronds will unfurl, providing parasols and shade for the flower fairies and water sprites who love to play in the garden...

Monday 1 February 2016

Galanthophile


I awoke this morning to hear the definition of the word galanthophile coming over the radio waves!
This wonderful word conjures visions of intrepid explorers, high in the mountains seeking out different varieties of these hardy little flowers.  In Victorian times they were all the rage, and it was quite de rigeur to hold 'Snowdrop Luncheons', where each guest arrived with snowdrops from their own garden to exchange with another guest.  The simplicity and joy in such a simple transaction seems to be lost in today's frantic existence!




Wandering through the woods, surveying Gertrude's work, I was fascinated to find vibrant bursts of colour amongst the fractured, brittle branches.  A holly bush laden with crimson berries nestling in amongst the ivy breeches of the native ash.  These dapper olive leggings adding glossy depth to the slumbering tree trunks, their elegance distracting their hosts from the truth of their parasitic nature.  Many majestic woodland giants are overcome by gusts from Gertrude, and her like, because the weight of the trunk, dressed in ivy, disturbs nature's perfect balance...





Sunday 31 January 2016

Gertrude's Here!

"What a difference a day makes; twenty four little hours," so the song goes...

Yesterday's cut glass skies have been replaced by blustering Gertrude running amok!  It's certainly warmer but what a high price to pay, the garden is now strewn with decaying debris; brittle branches broken away from the trees in the fearsome gusts.  Fur and feathers will literally fly as the garden's residents struggle to find food and shelter.  Tiny song birds will quickly lose energy as they strive to keep warm.  Squirrels, pheasants, as well as wild birds are scrabbling for the scattered seed from the fallen birdtable, another of Gertrude's victims.

In the lee of the hill, we are generally protected from the prevailing westerly winds.   But tonight, as Gertrude journeys eastwards the patio and rose garden lie directly in her path...  Tomorrow, the first day of February, I will venture out early to assess the damage.

Monday 25 January 2016

Full Moon


From frost to fifteen degrees, what is happening to our seasonal and weather patterns?

Earthenware planters lie fractured after last weeks freezing temperatures. Geraniums droop, beaten by the sharp snap, their stems having expanded to breaking point.  It will be an interesting few days as America's blizzard ventures out over the Atlantic.  Fearless of the imminent threat, an army of snowdrops is exploding into formation on the bee bank.  Tight aqua clumps, punctuated with brilliant white buds forming an angelic aura hovering just above the tobacco clay.

Just half an hour out in the fresh air wandering along the soggy paths is a healing tonic for the soul, my idea of Paradise.





Thursday 21 January 2016

Glorious Dogwood


Early this morning, in that moment between dreams and wakefulness, I listened to an artist's ode to the glory of winter dogwood.




He lamented that a palette of ochre, sienna and cobalt can easily become muddied at this time of year.  However, this is the dogwood's moment, pared back to her bark, she creates a symphony of colour: blood-orange, acid-lime and sherbet-lemon.  The winter sun casts her light playfully, creating an explosion of colour.  Seeing how this palette lifts the spirit in a natural setting, I am inspired to experiment with these bold,vibrant shades at home.


Wednesday 20 January 2016

Midwinter Rose


Our bizarre weather patterns are encouraging unseasonal visitors to the garden this January.

This delicate pheasant rose usually festoons twelve foot runners in July, racing down the bank and tumbling onto the flagstones.  So imagine our surprise to see her swaying like a lantern over the emerging snowdrops!


Saturday 16 January 2016

Sarcococca ruscifolia - 'Dragon Gate'

Water diamonds sparkle in the winter sun, last night's star strewn skies having created the perfect conditions for our friend, Jack Frost.

Thanks to Prof Brian Cox, we spotted Orion's Belt and The Plough in the midnight sky before snuggling down under the duvet.  It was whilst we slept that Jack set the garden in frost.



This morning, iced air is a stimulant on the in breath.  Sarcococca's intoxicating scent hovers over the steps, its delicacy seducing the senses,  stopping me in my tracks.  Beautiful amongst the snowdrops and hellebores this unassuming shrub, commonly known as  Butcher's Broom, is deserving of its place in the border.  Varnished, olive leaves support explosions of tiny white flowers; elegant and understated.  Our hot tip for this week is to seek out this charming, unassuming plant for you garden, I promise you that Sarcococca will not disappoint!


Thursday 14 January 2016

Jack Frost

  Jack's late arrival is a cause for celebration, I had wondered where he'd been hiding.  At last the soil is crunchy like well baked apple crumble.  The cloying clay finally crisp, ready to shatter, allowing nature's magic to spring clean the russet soil that supports and feeds our flower family.




Wrapped up against the biting wind, Vulcan and I marched through the woods this morning, the ground now solid underfoot, black mud runs replaced by solid ruts.  Sunlight feeds the soul and lifts the spirit.  Vulcan mirrored my joy, his expressive tail twirling at each fresh scent sensation amongst the decaying bracken.  His presence is calm and reassuring in an uncertain world, his love constant and unconditional.  Today, natures beauty is abundant, a sensory feast for us all, if only we take a moment to stop and stare.

Tuesday 12 January 2016

Pull up a Chair...

January skies; clear, bright, defined.  Finally some time to pull up a chair in front of the fire and contemplate the season ahead...



Outside, snowdrops are forging their way through the sodden clay soil in a bid to join the hellebores.  Plans to reinforce the bee path are on hold, balmy temperatures are tempting our winged foragers to venture out of the hive when they should be sleeping.  A worrying trend; they are tiring now having missed a cold snap for hibernation.  Without doubt, they are confused and a little snappy like school children at the end of term!  Chilly days are forecast, which is welcome news for the January gardener, for this is the month for structural maintenance, whilst the flora and fauna are sleeping.

Sunday 10 January 2016

Hello Hellebores

Handsome purple parasols are decorating the tobacco soil early this year, thanks to our  unseasonably clement weather.  Low enough to avoid 'Storm Frank's' hearty gusts,  the moist woodland now hosts the garden's corps de ballet,  perennials performing the prologue to our garden year.



Cool hues of purple are an oasis of calm in the blue January light; crisp, clear and strong.   Opinion is divided on these robust winter treasures.  Here at VGP they grow and multiply with ease, their roots securely watered and tethered in the heavy clay soil, protected from the westerly winds by the ancient hillside.  Hellebores provide shading in the artist's winter palette, pools of cool amongst the stark silhouettes of the resting shrubs and trees.

Thursday 7 January 2016

Sammy Squirrel

A spokesman from the Wildlife Trust announced this morning that the nation's Sammy Squirrels are rather overweight, having over indulged on our Christmas scraps; what a gorgeous vision.  However, far from restricting the food that these stealthy thieves so expertly purloin from their feathered friends,  he advises that we should continue to provide for all wildlife as Jack Frost may arrive on the scene at any moment.  Oh the drama of it all...



Our lives are so closely entwined with the animal and plantlike that surround and support us, at times so stoically present that we simply pass-by without a backward glance.  Magnificent, technicolor stories, play out right under our feet. I for one pledge to take some time today to really stop and look at this glorious moment in time, on a rainy January day.

Monday 4 January 2016

Rainbows

What a magical gift this morning, the arc of a rainbow framing the view!
Vibrant colours in soft focus lift the spirit with a simple upward glance, magical...




Our heavy clay soil is sodden, the moisture rich air sends a shiver through to my toes as I take stock of the New Year garden. Winter colour punctuates the landscape; golden Hamamelis with its spicy scent and spidery petals adds a glow behind the fiery orange and red stems of Cornus 'Midwinter Fire'.  This is when the beauty of structural planting comes to the fore, skeletal forms add grace and drama to the prologue of 2016.  Nature's promise for the year ahead is mesmerising.

Saturday 2 January 2016

New Year Honours

This morning forging across the biting sand, leaning into the arms of hurricane 'Frank' is exhilarating; blood pumps, skin glows as pure ozone oxygenates my system as well as any New Year's gym session!  How wonderful to feel the touch of the natural world; living landscapes nourish our physical, mental and spiritual health.

But what of our tiny feathered friends who have to navigate these turbulent airways for survival in search of food, water and shelter?  Casualties punctuate the flotsam and jetsam ribboning the spongy, quilted shoreline.  Sad victims of perilous weather fronts, their beautiful feathers matted and broken... How can I begin to make a difference?  Little steps mark all new beginnings; today I will don my chef's hat, sort through the fridge and share the remains of our seasonal fayre with our brave, little aviators seeking solace in the garden.

Friday 1 January 2016

Frank's in Town

Happy New Year from 'Valley Garden Paradise'.  May 2016 bring you a wealth of health, peace and happiness.

Nature's abundance is a daily source of wonder, evening's inky canopy swooshes across the landscape like velvet stage curtains signifying a momentary break between Acts.
Hurricane Frank has been in Town for the festive season, and wow what a performance; Mr Sinatra would have raised his bourbon for sure.  Gusting force eight inland from the Atlantic, Frank's choreography is a joy to behold.  At his whim the sand performs a diverse programme of salsa mingled with boogie-woogie,  then slowing unexpectedly to a graceful waltz across the rocks and roof tops.  Yes, hurricane Frank has earned his place up there with the greats, blowing out the old, heralding the new with gay abandon.

Welcome to Valley Garden Paradise, please hop on to our blog and join us for "Nature's Wonders 2016'.

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