Winter Sun

 Cornus - maroon stems rising from the decaying claret sedum

Geisha Girl

Chaenomeles- speciosa, flowering quince, is one of our first winter flowers in the garden this year.  Long lasting clusters of apple-blossom flowers develop early, opening  slowly along a woody stem.  Then later in the year, at harvest, yellow, apple-like fruits adorn the stems. 

Also known as Japonica, these graceful shrubs reach decoratively through evergreens, adding flashes of colour to their form.   

With glorious names like; 'Scarlet Storm' and 'Madame Butterfly', the Japanese quince adds a touch of drama to the house and garden. 

 

The Ash Cycle

 Seasoned ash crackles in the burner; the amber logs aromatic and warming.   Our basket of pine cones, gathered on our summer walks, make perfect fire-starters.  Sadly, this year many local trees have fallen victim to 'ash dieback'; in the woodyard piles of aged trunks, wait to be logged and stacked for their next incarnation.  Since January the predator has advanced steadily, striking majestic  trees in their prime.  Within years, the woodland may well revert to the heathland of the 1950s; a time when wild rabbits feasted daily on ash saplings.  A time before they too were wiped out by another fatal virus - Myxomatosis.  So a new cycle begins...

 

Jack Frost

The rising sun lights Jack Frost's overnight masterpiece, he truly is the Banksy of the natural world.  Crystals droplets hang from railings above the frozen pond. The palette of white invokes stillness; foliage, stems, bee hives and a birdtable, all edged with ice.

Samskara, our labrador puppy, is mesmerised by his first encounter with early morning frost.  Unsure, he skids down the steps to velcro grass, where he lifts a paw, just for a moment unsure, frozen in motion.    

Morning Mist

 Looking down the valley, mist swirls over the fields with the rise and fall of the morning's breath.  Ash silhouettes frame the view, occasionally interrupted by the aerial displays of birds, chasing, ducking and diving from woodland perches...

Black Knight Draped in Old Man's Beard

 An air of excitement blows through the woods today as the inhabitants anticipate the arrival of the festive season.  Tobacco-speared buddlea punctuate the skyline, swathed in a downey shawl of Old Man Beard. Trees sport ivy breeches, rocks and branches capped in velveteen moss.  As the sun lowers in the sky, robins squabble over crimson berries and fermenting fruits.  Pheasants scoot in and out of the skeleton bracken, reminding me to pause, breathe, reflect on the precious gifts of nature...

Blackbirds Feasting in the Crabapple Tree

 Dancing blackbirds feasting on golden crabapples, this morning's gift in the early morning sunshine.  Simply leaving the tree laden with fruit, like festive baubles, provides a nutritious breakfast for our feathered friends.  Their glossy patent wings, reflecting the light remind us of the gifts of mother nature.

 

The Majestic Dignity of Evergreens

 In these challenging times, where we are all being asked to dig deep for inner strength and understanding, we can look to nature's steadfast evergreens for a sense of endurance.  Our late autumn landscape, a warming palette of olive, aubergine, claret and saffron evergreens, can provide opportunity in our daily routine to pause, re-centre and balance. It is in the peace and awe that nature inspires, that we can reacquaint  ourselves with the healing balm of breath.

Autumn Foliage Takes a Bow...

Rotting leaves squelch underfoot, softening the path, a nod to the long days of the summer.  Leaves, rich in hues of autumn, journey towards decay; once more revealing the strength of their intricate structure.

Nature bestows unexpected moments of joy;  a shaft of caramel light sweetens the landscape through the drenched lens of unrelenting mizzle.  It is in these fragile moments that we witness the restorative magic of nature, our footsteps releasing the unmistakable scent that announces the arrival of Winter and her entourage of sparkling crystals.

First Days of Winter...

Hues of berry, magenta, and chocolate create structural definition in the winter garden.  As the short days darken in the Northern hemisphere, our senses encourage us to snuggle down for hibernation. Under a cosy bed of rotting leaf mulch, the perennials draw back to the warmth and comfort of their roots for rest, restoration and nourishment.  In winter, the natural world retreats, withdrawing its energy from the outside world; maybe we too could benefit from applying such ancient wisdom?

Thanks to incessant downpours, our heavy clay soil has been surprisingly malleable this week, surrendering self-seeded thistle roots with ease, making way for new plantings  In some traditions the start of winter signifies the new year, a time to make resolutions and set the seeds of intention for the seasons to come...

Summer Showers

Rain water streams through the flower beds as the clouds dump their bounty.  Our hillside location encourages the garden to drain, preventing the thirsty roots from drowning.  But... the delicate rose heads are overwhelmed, their paper thin leaves drenched and in danger of  turning to mush.  

This is where the statuesque, vertical berberis is a true asset in the summer garden.  Providing structure in the winter and stability in the summer; a place for the delicate flowers to rest their heads above the soil until the sunshine returns to restore them to their full glory.  

Raindrops Nestling in the Blooms

As we approach Midsummer, the garden is an abundance of colour and scent.  Each morning, as a new blossom unfurls, Icy rushes out to sample the scent.  The elegant Compte du Chambord, stays tight in bud until the warm afternoon sun dries his papery leaves; diamond raindrops simply evaporate into the ether...

Mining for Change...

This marks the magic boundary, where cottage and garden will converge, to create a space with a vista that we hope future generations will enjoy.

Valley Garden Paradise is both a joy and our passion.  Being custodians of this gentle valley, its wildlife, flora and fauna, invites challenge and creativity.  How to best manage the sloping hillsides, the natural watercourse, deer, pheasants, slow-worms and bees?  How to seamlessly integrate the whole, a fusion that will enable us all to live here in harmony? From a flowerbed showcasing the passionate flamenco of Crocosmia Lucifer with statuesque Sambuca Nigra:

To the shape shifting creation of a garden room and terrace, a spot to sit and contemplate the landscape anew...

As I sit here, a baby bee impatiently buzzes, asking me to open the kitchen window; she's blown off course and now she's in a hurry to get home in time for tea!

The Fourth Week of Creation

As the garden begins to show her blooms, delicate leaves being tempted to unfurl in the spring sunshine, the garden is simply a 'Tale of Two Aspects'

To the north, under the watchful eye of the white rabbit, a stream of violet iris meander through the Rose Nevada towards explosion of Roserie de la Haie.  Little Reader, is caught between two worlds, her tiny frame inviting us to stop awhile in nature's magical wonderland.  Quietly, she observes the construction of vibrant yellow scaffolding slopes, access points for her new neighbours: the dumper, the digger and the rock breaker.   A new footprint is emerging, created with the power of a machine and strengthened with a sea of concrete, in time this will mark the point where the garden and cottage become one.

All Change...

It's all change here at Valley Garden Paradise; after over a year of planning, today saw the beginning of 'Project Garden Room'.  A space to sit year-round, immersed in the beauty of the natural world.

Without doubt, the next eight months will be a seismic shift for all involved: the house, the animals and for us too.  VGP now resembles a theme ride at Alton towers, with a black run ski slope for the digger and dumper to access a Scalectric track of scaffolding that will form a vernacular railway into the rock face for the excavation.  It feels like we are living on the set of an action movie, now we simply await the arrival of Harrison Ford!

Having re-homed our stunning roses: The Nun, Odyssey and Burgundy Ice, in the white wood behind the bees, we took a deep breath and watched the digger excavate a trench for the footings of the first retaining wall.  The appearance of the water main surprised us all, the digger head inadvertently severing the pipe and producing an unexpected extra, a waterfall and trench shaped pool!

Without doubt, there's no going back...  Time for a walk through the garlic scented bluebell wood taking a moment to simply stop and stare, remembering that next week, under the Taurus new moon, our new chapter begins.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.