Autumn Cottage Diarist

Birthday Gift from Mother Nature

Can you believe the lovely gifts I have received for my birthday today? My family home with me yesterday - and now, today, just look how Mother Nature has gift-wrapped my garden. This was taken at 3.45 on the shortest day during an afternoon of unexpectedly heavy snowfall (with the most enormous snowflakes I have ever seen!) The birch tree looks as if it had been especially frosted just for me!

Another long gap from me posting here, and belated thanks to all of you who have left messages since my last message. I will write to you all during the holiday period - but for now I just wish you a Peaceful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

From a Corner of the Kitchen

I've not been very good at posting the promised photographs of my church-crawl, have I? I will get there, I promise...just rather a lot of domestic 'stuff' needing to be done at the moment which has held up  longer leisure sessions at the computer. This morning's 'domestic stuff' is taking place in the kitchen - which really does need a filtering of all the knick-knackery around. I need to make at least ONE surface clear - even I realise that!

But before I do any packing away - here is just one corner of the kitchen, not prettied up or tidied up - so you can still see the recycled plastic tubs in the image below - but you can get some idea of the things that take up perhaps too much space here - my excuse is that they all keep me company!

Here are some of the the egg-cups which I collect - and the brassware, the hen egg-holders, the jugs - and of course, the cookery books. What keeps you company in your own kitchen? I'd love to hear about it!

 

One Damn Thing After Another

What's missing from all these photographs, dear reader - that I only now have the heart to write about here?

Here is Britt-Arnhild, the missing person - and how very much she has been missed.

It has been one thing after another at Autumn Cottage since last Friday, when the snow fell, down, down,down - not great in quantity in comparison with those of you across the world who experience 5 foot drifts as a matter of course. But in this part of the country, on that day - down came the snow - then the sleet, then the ice....until I could not get out, and nobody could get here to me. So, as many of you know, I made "an executive decision" and advised Britt-Arnhild to divert to the relative calm of London rather than the wilds of North Hampshire.

That afternoon, I went out to take photographs of the unexpected snowfall - just minutes after taking the one of the house sign (above), I turned round to return to the house and promptly fell - er - base over apex, twisting my ankle and landing on the base of my spine. Since then, I have hobbled around like a Fairytale Crone - (even grateful for Mother In Law's walking stick yesterday morning, but don't tell anyone I did that!)

And then, also yesterday - a phone-call, while I was making my morning tea, from my oldest son, telling me that "I'm OK Mum, but I have had a car crash" - the words that every parent dreads to hear. It was the snow again - he was travelling at only 10 miles per hour, but hit black ice and lost control - finally coming to a stop when meeting a brick wall. Then someone else hit him. Thankfully, the kindness of strangers provided him with breakfast and a warm coat while he waited for the recovery vehicle. He is all right now, physically at least, but still shaken up, and the car is a write-off.

So - instead of enjoying the company of  Britt-Arnhild, whose visit I have been awaiting for weeks, painting and decorating, with textiles, old journals and cookbooks ready to share, (and a package of goodies for Marta!) - I am now sitting here all on my own, mostly enjoying the comfort of lounging on my bed, keeping the foot up and the bottom down, not getting around very well, and surrounded with textbooks and papers for a final essay submission at college.

At least something worthy is getting done - but I  would MUCH rather be visiting Kew Gardens with dear Britt- who I have just spoken to on the phone, and who is truly making lemonade from lemons! I am also lucky enough to be warm, and have food (loads of food - LOADS of chocolate!) and the company of the cats, (who want to know where their visitor is?), so I am very grateful for these bonuses...but still....

Come to England again, Britt-Arnhild, so that we can finally meet up and enjoy each other's company. Next time it will, I promise, be sunshine and roses round the door to welcome you, rather than a catalogue of disasters.

I'm so sorry, my friend. At least, have the welcome that awaited - and still awaits you here....

(Portrait of Britt-Arnhild, taken by B-A, from her blog)

All Packed and Ready to Go - Away for Another Year

The boys' reindeer stockings and door-deer, waiting to be packed into mouse-proof stacking boxes, then into the loft.

Confined to quarters with a cold and sore throat today, so here are some images of yesterday's "activities" - mostly designed to keep warm in the continuing bitter cold. All the Christmas ornamentation came down and is now packed into stacking storage boxes (seems hardly any time since I was putting it all up), and a quick foray made into the garden just to see how many plants look as if they are beyond saving from the frost. (All into the greenhouse last year - one day frost. Not many in the greenhouse this year "because we are having much warmer winters now" - three weeks frost. Sod's Law).

The tree - an artificial one, to take all the heavy ornaments that go on each year. Now to find the right box in that garage - brrrr.

Just two of the well over 100 precious ornaments collected since the boys were born, and received from friends overseas

Not much left of the artichokes - above ground, anyway. They will be back though - Mother Nature has promised!

Waiting for spring down by the frost-encrusted pond

I know how he feels!

I'm longing to get back in here, but it's too cold for me yet - but who knows what is taking refuge in there during this bitter weather?

But this was probably the best and the nicest part of the day - a mug of hot chocolate as dark fell, sitting in my warm kitchen with a Jo Malone amber and burnt orange candle burning, Classic FM on the radio - and my journal and a pen to keep me company. Makes me feel better just looking at it!

I Think They are Staying!

Am I watching them...or...??

The sheep are still with us - they are now in the field at the bottom of the garden, instead of to the side....but they look as if they are staying - I hope at least until lambing. In which case, be prepared for many more photographs like this, for it must be evident that I have a passion for sheep, and will be photographing them probably every day. I could watch them for hours. Don't you think I am lucky to have such excellent entertainment laid on at the bottom of my garden - and all totally free! Yet one more of the simple pleasures of life here at Autumn Cottage, for which I am so grateful.

These photographs were taken at just past 1 pm in the afternoon - but you can see how long the shadows are already. Never mind - they are shortening by the day and the sky is blue! Spring will be along shortly, by which time, this bed below needs to have been dug over, not an easy job as there is a four year mat of entangled lemon balm roots to remove - and then more top soil to be trundled up from the heap at the bottom of the garden. Maybe moving that lot will help me to lose some weight!

But at least Chilly Buddha keeps calm amongst the bamboo and fatsia, in a sheltered spot down by the summerhouse!

Flocks by night...

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night".

I only went out to water the plants in the greenhouse, and....look what has turned up in the field next door to Autumn Cottage. I'm sure that they were not there a day or two ago. Rather a lovely, and very appropriate arrival, don't you think? The sight has certainly given me a lift. I wonder if they will stay until spring?

(Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, it's nearly dark here)

On a Cold and Frosty Morning

Ethereal Eryngium

Winter has arrived at Autumn Cottage – crisp and sparkling frost greeted me when I woke this morning, so I wrapped many layers around me and ventured into the garden to capture these few pictures.

Jerusalem Sage

Lissie and Pip were not far behind me. (Lissie demonstrating that she was superior to humans by walking on water...)

"Why can't I reach those leaves - they're above the net??"

 

We need these frosts to kill off the pestiferous bugs that decimate the garden after a mild winter. Enjoy these brief images of Autumn Cottage Garden in December...then remember that it is only two weeks today until the Winter Solstice, after which – the sun – and the warmth – returns. 

Winter sun, low in the sky

And so do I...my final presentation is done, I have an essay to hand in by the end of January, and my Dissertation by September, but after other people’s presentations next week, and our Christmas evening meal the week following, I am done with taught modules at Winchester, and all set to present writing and creative classes at Autumn Cottage. Another reason to get gardening soon– I already have a list of people lining up to share Autumn Cottage with me, writing, sketching and photographing down by the summerhouse and over in the herb garden.

Frosted fennel seed heads in the herb garden

Milk Thistle

A welcome shot of colour - Hebe and cyclamen on the frost-protected patio

 

Now where is my woolly hat, and where are my gloves?

A frost encrusted Jerusalem Sage seed head

Phew!

Liquadamber leaves at Hilliers Gardens

Just catching up with everyone since once again it seems an age since I spoke to you all. I was expecting this semester to fly by, but I didn't expect it to be turbo-charged, with me flapping about in the jet-stream!

Since I spoke to everyone, the pace at college has revved up. I am following two modules this semester, one of which is online, and requires input each week, the other of which is by attendance at the University each week for a lecture, plus a PowerPoint presentation plus discussion  in ten days time, and a 4000 word essay by the end of January. After that - my personal attendance is not required, but I will then start to write the final part of my MA  - a 20000 word dissertation.

Steve the builder, giving the fireplace a final hand-stripping to remove the last traces of varnish

On the home front, I am trying to redecorate my "little" sitting room, the room in the house with most of the old features left, including an inglenook fireplace, old bread oven, a Victorian pine fireplace surround and a number of the timber frame beams exposed. The fireplace surround and the beams have taken a LONG time to strip of their many layers of paint and/or varnish, it is not a job that can be rushed, but they are now nearing the point where they can be waxed or oiled and polished - and then I can paint the walls! I was hoping to have it done by Christmas - but it may not be feasible. I'm hoping that by the time Britt-Arnhild comes to visit me in February, it WILL be done, however - something to get my skates on for!

Darren doing the same to excess plaster, which has been masking the old beams

Autumn Cottage garden has also needed attention - only minimal, I'm afraid, as the weather has been wet for much of the time...but the patio garden is now spick and span - with ideas for next year floating around in my head after watching the Mediterranean segment of Monty Don's "Around the World in 80 Gardens" (being especially inspired by the courtyard gardens of Cordoba) and by getting round to sending off my membership application to join the Mediterranean Garden Society - of which place, more later...

Well, the wet and windy - and cold - is certainly with us today. I am spending the morning doing my unfavourite task of the week - sorting paperwork, answering mail and shredding discarded paper and envelopes. The only thing that makes it a tiny bit less tedious is to pile all the junk mail into a box and see how much "free stuff" I have for collage work. I'm offering a "Create a Book of Inspiration" workshop in the New Year and I love to tell participants, and even more SHOW them what is out there for free. Even after taking my name off many mailing lists, it still seems to pour through the letterbox, so now I say "thank you very much for free stuff" and pop it in the collage box.

The envelopes and anything with personal details gets shredded and then gets put on the compost heap - round and round it goes again, and will end up on the veg garden next year. I LOVE it! (I'm careful not to shred highly coloured papers for the compost heap though - the inks may be toxic and I don't want that on the garden).

I have another excellent offer for the compost heap by the way - a friend who came for coffee last week informed me that she had four horses and that I was welcome to take their manure for the garden. I was thrilled! And now you know what sort of a person you are dealing with here at Autumn Cottage - the sort of person who becomes ecstatic at the thought of a trailer-load of POO!!

The weather was so much better last week - so once again we visited the delightful Hillier's Gardens near Romsey...enjoy these few photographs to see just how wonderful a garden can look in late autumn. Perhaps mine can look like this too, one day.....:-)

Training ground for future horticulturists - the Children's Garden training area at Hilliers, with raised beds and compost bins much in evidence. Waiting for Spring!

One of the fascinating sculptures that are dotted around the gardens...can you see what this lizard is made of??

Bicycle chains and other pieces of scrap metal - amazing - and SO realistic!

Colours in the Winter Garden - who says that this time of the year is uninteresting?

Carpet of Gold

Once again, a week has flown by with no post from me - and no replies to all the comments which you so generously leave. I am sorry - life has been very full recently. I'm back in college with a dual module schedule this semester, which means LOTS of reading and research, plus new counselling clients, and several very pleasant but nevertheless time-consuming social engagements (I'm emphatically NOT complaining!) - seeing old friends and entertaining new ones. I hope you will all forgive me for my lack of communication.

An exceptionally mild autumn here so far, and with little wind, which has meant that the falling leaves have made carpets in various shades of gold beneath the trees, from where I have gathered them up and "bagged" them.

The bags will have holes punched in their bottoms, and then be piled up behind the summerhouse. In a years time, I will open them up and hopefully find soft, crumbly leafmold, which I'll then add to home made compost to make a potting and seed medium for next spring.

I also started to clean out the potting shed today - as the weather closes in, less will be done outside, but there is plenty to be done under cover. I'm hoping to start to sell "Autumn Cottage Plants" at the garden gate next year, especially when I run my writing workshops, as attendees often comment on how much they like the garden - it would be nice for them to take a little bit of it away with them - and add to my coffers so that I can ncrease the plantings and the peaceful welcome even more!

Here are some images of how autumn is gently falling at Autumn Cottage.

Helpers want to have fun!

No more evening glasses of wine here for this year...(they have moved indoors!)

Glorious colours of the sumach tree

The Good Life - (for cats!) - In Hampshire

The weather has turned - a very cold night, and Lissie has decided that "Indoors mode" is henceforth in operation until further notice. But the chill has developed the colours in the leaves outside - glorious autumn tints are abundant at the moment.

I can hardly believe that the herb and vegetable beds are just a year old - the butterfly bed has been a aprticular pleasure over the last few months - here are the rich pink sedums, with heads of fennel seeds and the buddleia - now pruned back - which have all attracted a multitude of fascinating insects to themselves.

Down by the pond, the leaves are starting to fall from the whitebeam and the great oak - just as well that I netted both ponds this morning, to avoid barrows full of leaves falling in and poisoning the water. This pond will need cleaning out in the spring, with lots of water lilies to split - but that is not a job for now!

The pelargoniums and citrus trees are starting to feel the chill, so here they are, coming in to the conservatory  for the winter. Now where will I put all thse pots??

Sentry-cat Pip has kept his eye on me, to make sure that I have been doing the cleaning up properly....and here is the reason why Autumn Cottage is such an appropriate name for my home at this time of the year...one of the acers (palmatum dissectum) in full golden speldour.