Completing the circle

It could be said that 2021 has been quite a ride - a complete sea change in fact. It was incredibly difficult to choose a photo a month so, rather than trawl up and down until I saw what I wanted, I have chosen at random the first one that catches my eye and have written about that one  .... 

Top left - January : I started a new job, as head gardener in a walled kitchen garden as part as a charity which works to help with people's minds and mental welfare. It has been a steep learning curve, not just how to manage a large vegetable garden so that it produced a steady flow of fruit and vegetables to the cafe and for sale rather than a series of gluts, but how to manage volunteers, meet their needs, teaching them new skills, making use of their existing skills base, form a community and a safety net whilst getting the best from them - I am still learning.

Top Right  - February : I, on a whim, sort of 'sashiko style' stitched my work trousers all down the left leg. Why? Well why not? It does sometimes start a conversation, which when meeting someone new does help break the ice.

Bottom Left - March : Although we walk all through the year, March really kicks off walks that are further afield.  This particular walk resulted in a rather muddy and wet (but very happy) dog,

Bottom Right -April : A good month for walking,  gently balmy days, camping, once again a happy (and usually muddy) dog.

Top Left - May : Wild camping as often as we can, we walk along pathways strewn with cow parsley. The light levels are clear and bright and days are warming while nights remain chilly.

Top Right -June : I'd decided to allow the garden to gentle 're-wild' and for a brief few weeks in June, it was beautiful, romantic, flower filled with birds, insects, frogs and hedgehogs. However, it was not long before it became not so much 're-wild' but down right savage so required a bit of a machete job....

 

Bottom Left - July : Warm and wet. Sunny days that warmed me to the bone and rainy ones that drenched me in equal measure.

Bottom Right - August : Dusky hot days melted into sultry evenings with the most glorious sunsets

Top Left - September : The call of wild camping and walking had us revisiting places we love, sharing them with Moss who delighted in swimming in rivers and the sea, walking in woodlands and along the coast line. May have to take her back!

Top Right - October : The mellowing of the seasons, softened the light, made things feel reflective and contemplative. 

Bottom Left - November : I tentatively dipped my toe into the loom-weaving waters and was dragged off into a delight of weaving. The rhythmic movement and the gentle building of the woven fabric really pleases me - I know I need lots more practise and I have been experimenting with reasonable success - I shall certainly be playing with this a whole lot more!

Bottom Right - December : take today, this misty early morning photo brings the circle around back to January when I started at the walled garden.  I wrote - this year has been quite a ride and a rather good one.

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Don't think you have reached the end of my waffle just yet!

I have just one (or three) more photographs to share with you - December 2021 to me will be forever linked to festive wreath making, the pictures only show about half of what was made .... 87 in total to be precise ... a mixture of wreaths made by myself (44) and the rest made by participants of the wreath making workshops.  

It has been a busy month.

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Five things I noticed today

• The finer the rain - the quicker it seeps through and chills me to the bone. It also seems to have a slight metallic scent - it smelt of winter today

• My left boot, when damp, squeaks when I am walking through the main building at work - loudly - to the point of making people look up

• The people I work alongside (the council men who are based at the park) are so kind and generous with their time and their knowledge

• Tea, even if made in my bucket sized heat saving travel mug, does not stay warm long enough for me

• I need to clear out the drains running along the glasshouse as a matter of urgency - the trees are flinging their leaves about in monsoon like quantities.

Have a lovely weekend

#moreblogvember

Today in bite size pieces

My day was one of gentle stories which filled my heart.

The first was the delight on the dog's face when she realised where she was. One of her favourite spots to walk and play. She chased leaves as they blew on the wind, she paddled in the super high tides as they flooded over the road, her joy was palpable.

The next small story was filled with the scent of autumn. The fallen leaves all smelt faintly of burnt toffee with traces of damp decay.  Against the grey sky the leaves and berries shone and on the buffeting winds I could feel rain mixed with salty spray.

I picked up a few leaves from the Acer Campestre - the field maple - which coated the pathway. They were soft and rain dampened - so no dry and rustling leaves to kick. After I'd taken my photograph I opened my fingers and let the wind carry them away. They lifted up and twirled about a bit then were caught by a strong gust and shot upwards eventually landing on the choppy waters.

I have always wanted to stop and 'talk' to this huge Willow tree every time I've walked by. However, it seems to be such a friendly fellow as it always have some one doing exactly that. Today's rough weather had chased away day trippers and fishermen so I finally got my chance. We sheltered beneath the huge branches as we donned waterproof trousers just in time as it began to rain in earnest shortly afterwards. I thanked the tree for his shelter and hoped I could pass the time of day with him again.

Sheltering back in the van after our walk, the rain hammering down, we were warm and dry and nursing mugs of tea while our cheese and tomato toasties sizzled and melted into the most welcome of lunches. 

My day was filled with so many gentle stories, all woven together, slipping into each other and making me very happy.

Hope your Saturday had moments of joy and gentle happiness which made you smile too xxxx

#moreblogvember

 

Blogtober day 26 - let's get to the root of the matter!

Day 26 of my first blogtober attempt and this evening I really don't have much to talk about....

Today was busy and I managed to work both gardening sessions - the morning one was delayed and accompanied by rain and a lovely friend while the afternoon garden was battered by high winds and filled with laughter.

One of the jobs from this morning was to rescue and repot a rather 'congested' Chlorophytum (think most folk know them as either Hen and Chicks or Spider plants). I was warned it needed a little TLC .... the description of it's predicament was ....

'It is trying to climb out of it's pot, I've never seen one trying to move out by itself'.... 

...and they were not wrong! The poor thing had pushed itself out of the terracotta pot by it's incredible mass of roots. 

It did take a bit of a pull before the pot released the plant, then with a bit of 'cruel to be kind' root pruning, the plant was potted up - I swear I could hear it sigh with relief.

Any hoo - shall leave it here - I have a mug of tea waiting for me and I am about to watch #SHOTY (Scotland's House of the Year) which we both thoroughly enjoy. Till tomorrow when hopefully I'll have something a little more interesting to say!

#blogtober2021

Blogtober day 24 - taking the slow lane

Today gave us no illusions of a lingering Indian summer as it seems that autumn is definitely here. We watched the rain fly across our view through the window while we sipped tea first thing this morning. The clouds seemed in a hurry too, rapidly sliding across the dreary grey sky.

It was a good thing that we went walking yesterday when, despite the greyness of the sky, there was warmth in the air and colour all around. The woodland we visited smelt damp and earth rich and the leaves were shades of bright orange through to red, browns and creams.

Odd fungi abounded - from the tiny little bright orange 'Yellow Stag's Horn' which when you compare it to the fronds of the sphagnum moss, you can see how small and delicate it is; to the large peach coloured bracket fungus which I suspect may be a Birch Polypore.

We followed a path blanketed by fallen leaves when we stumbled upon a strew of green and red crab apples, we must have stood on some as the air was filled with a crisp sharp apple scent making our mouths water at the thought of the very acidic tangy juice.

Although plenty of bird song, there were very few insects about - apart from this sticker of a bumblebee on the road sign.

On such a dull day - the more subtle and probably over looked colours seemed prevalent, the soft tan browns of the front door glowed in the dull light as did the red leaves on the wall climber.

The bracken in the gill still looked gloriously fiery in shades of yellows, lime, rust and terracotta yet it's brackeny cousins on the top of the hill were already a dull dead brown.

And just in case you ever wondered if there were ever any stars on earth - the answer is yes - 'Earthstars' or Geastrum - a type of puff ball - strange creatures indeed.

A tiny family of tiny Mycena, I am not sure which variety, seemed to be strolling through a mossy scene on a rotting piece of fallen wood.

So, while Moss was stick hunting, puddle splashing, water drinking, sniffing, running and generally taking life at high speed - we slowed down to see the smaller things, the less visible, the quiet and the decaying. Yes, Autumn is definitely here.

#blogtober2021

Blogtober day 6 - the autumnal light edition

After days of high wind and torrential rain - today was absolutely sublime. The light and the clear blue skies were such a relief and a delight.

I was working in the walled kitchen garden today and along with the apprentice and volunteers we just revelled in the warmth. Unfortunately most of the late summer flowers have been hammered however tomorrow I have the perfect volunteer who will painstakingly and carefully go round and deadhead anything less than ideal and the remaining flowers will certainly look the better for it.

Whilst I was teaching the apprentice how to do blackcurrant autumnal pruning my attention was caught by the palest almost translucent little cluster of mushrooms as they peeked through the fallen leaves and woodchip.

The staff are used to me abandoning my post and taking photographs of apparently banal things - however there is the most amazing magic in nearly everything I take a photo of - you just have to look for it - except dog poo ..... I am hard pressed to find anything 'magical' in that.... however I also have to record offending (yes they are very offending) lumps of poop in the park while the council try and work out a way to reach out and train those folk who seem to turn a blind eye. Good luck to them.

There is a little acer tree in the centre of the park which has, in the last day or two, turned into the most flamingly beautiful cloud of colour which stands out amongst all the other less vibrant foliage. Gorgeous. 🍁🍂

At lunch time, Moss and I wandered around the park (I say wander - we gallop around at high speed - that dog has no concept how to wander, she has one speed and it is 'high speed'! 🙄🐾😄) Any hoo, we walked galloped our way around the bottom of the bowling green as I'd spotted all the wind damaged branches and leaves languishing on the perfect grass. Then my eye was caught by spider webs decorating the fencing. 

There is beauty in the smallest of corners and the most mundane of areas - you just have to look for it 😊💕

#blogtober2021

The turning of the wheel

 Has anyone else felt it? That shift in the seasons. The taste in the air?

That softly scented decay drifting on the early morning breath. An earthy tang rising from the soil.

Working today down below the plant canopy with my hands busy in the garden - it felt damp and crumbly. The humus smell filled my head.

Harebells abound and tree leaves have lost their summery shade of green hinting at tones of rust.

I am not ready.

Drifting mists

Saturday was a strange soft grey translucent sort of day. 

Where views were pale and wistful while distant horizons were mere hints of their normal bulk.

Hill tops seemed to levitate above a faded village barely visible through the shifting mists.

As try as it might, the sun only managed to splash a little soft light on the undersides of the cloud 

as it sank behind the moorland hills.

We stopped at our local waterfall - a tall spout which crashes into a decently deep pool.

Perfect for a little autumnal dip (if you are a dilly dog that is .....)

We stopped a while, drank tea and quietly nibbled fruit cake. 

The crash of the water into the pool was the only sound, even the birds seemed muted.

That sign amused us - it seemed to blend in perfectly with our walk - a gentle, quiet one 

where only the crunch of our boots, the splash of the pool 

and the distant sound of the occasional bird song,

all good soothing sounds - the perfect contrast to the madness of the outside world.

 

 

And as we turned off the moor road - I looked back.

Time to go home, warm up and put the kettle on - xx