The Enchanted Forest

R IS FOR?



ROCKS!

Deep in the heart of Brittany, France lies 'La Forêt de Huelgoat', the last vestiges of a vast ancient forest, which allegedly once spread across vast swathes of Brittany. 'La Forêt de Huelgoat', suffered immense damage in the great storm of 1987, which caused devastation in southern England and northern France. However replacement planting has taken place and it is still a sight to behold. Amidst the oaks and beeches lies a glorious chaos of majestic granite rocks, some of which are named after the forms they resemble. In a place like this you can imagine coming across korrigan, the fairy like spirits of Breton folklore but perhaps the dull skies were not to their liking ~








Nearby is the little town of Huelgoat, where we spent a couple of rainy days earlier this summer. Despite the weather there was much to keep us occupied apart from our excursion into the forest. It was not quite the Tour de France but we enjoyed an afternoon as spectators of a most serious bike race, some 25 circuits round the lake ~



The day then drew to a close and a new one began with riotous fireworks over the lake at midnight ~

Rush over to ABC Wednesday now for a ruck of Rs !

Between The Rainbows and Sprinkles

Between the rainbows and many lengthy sprinkles I have been :

• Getting much pleasure from the new bird feeding station that I can now gaze out at from the comfort of the settee. I had spotted one in the RSPB catalogue and had dropped a hint to himself that this would make a welcome Christmas gift. Out and about on my travels though I came across the same model at good old Wilkos for less than half the price, so Christmas has come early. There have not been so many birds during this month's wet spell but I have seen robins, great tits, blue tits and blackbirds visiting. Now I need to get a photo whilst they are munching.
• Running regularly into the greenhouse to see whether my sweet peas have germinated. These were sown on 1st November and I have been watching their activity or lack of it like a hawk. Well yesterday I could not curtail my patience any more and did what I should not. I gently stirred beneath the compost with my finger and was so pleased to see signs of green. I used to sow sweet peas in October to overwinter in a cold greenhouse but found that they they made too much growth before winter and became rather straggly by spring. So last year I moved to a November sowing which worked well. I have sown 'Matucana' again for its scent. I have also sown 'Albutt Blue' which is supposedly also highly scented.
• Finding it impossible to get to the allotment to sow my Solent Wight garlic but I have planted some cloves in cells in the greenhouse. I have also sown some 'Douce Provenance' peas in cells to overwinter in the greenhouse. I have not done this before so it will be interesting to see how they do. The forecast predicts a break in the wet stuff for Tuesday so I hope to do the business then at the allotment with the remaining garlic.
• Reading avidly - books, catalogues and camera magazines but more on these subjects to follow at a future dare.
• Finding it harder and harder to walk past the sulking pile of unplanted bulbs. In fact I think that the pile is multiplying daily so I have resisted Avon Bulbs tempting sale, well up to now anyway. My conscience may stir me into action soon says she hopefully.

"The Owl And The Pussy Cat"

Q IS FOR?



QUINCE AND APPLE DAY!

"They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon
They danced by the light of the moon." - Edward Lear


Not so long ago when the leaves were still hanging on to the trees, we spent an afternoon here where an Apple and Quince Day was taking place.

We walked past this beautiful gate leading to the walled garden where ~



There was a storyteller underneath the apple trees recounting tall tales of dragons and far away lands ~



A quince trail was taking place - sadly no signs of the owl and the pussycat,but there were were old friends to greet - Flora and the Three Little Pigs.





There were old varieties of quinces and apples to ponder over ~






Before walking underneath this living archway leading to the kitchen garden ~



Where there was still of blaze of colour from dahlias and pumpkins ~





Back to the one of the stalls to buy a jar of locally produced quince fruit cheese and then out of the garden, taking our leave by the way of this wall ~



On a quest to find out more about the letter Q quick over to ABC Wednesday now !

The Grouch

Finally emerging from my hiding place under the bedclothes after the cacophony of noise that accompanies Guy Fawkes Night, I forced myself out today to stock on supplies for the weekend. The smokey aftermath haze had evaporated and there is a much cooler feel to the air. Like Elizabeth over at Welsh Hills Again, November is one of my two least favourite months of the year the other being February. I think that Thomas Hood's poem 'November' sums it up so well - here is just an extract but it says it all :

"No sun - no moon !

No morn - no moon -

No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease

No comfortable feel in any member

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds ! -

November!"

Further to this just a few other observations that I have made me even more grouchy :

• Nearly all the leaves on the trees have now floated off into the stratosphere. We live in a hollow just off a busy main road. In summer the leaves give us a lot of cover but at this time of year the feeling of privacy disappears. I almost feel naked now when I go out into the garden. The traffic also seems noisier - it probably isn't but it seems so.
• Going up the lane from the house to the main road I notice that more empty bottles and cans have been discarded at the side of the lane . Once more I need to don the rubber gloves, find a bucket and go and clear up after somebody else. I could bat for England on the subject of litter but will save that for another day. A large stick carrying the remnants of a firework has also descended from the skies. I wonder about the statistical odds of being hit on the head from a descending firework on Guy Fawkes night. This thought will keep me occupied for the rest of the day.
• After nearly a week of copious amounts of rain what once was a golden ground cover of crunchy leaves is now a slithery morass of slush. Yeeeeeeeugh !
• Aforesaid rain has prevented any work at the allotment this week. I had been busy incorporating manure into the raised beds but have been stopped in my tracks. The rain has also preventing any bulb planting in the garden. The pile of bulb packets sits sulking giving me dirty looks whenever I pass. When will the rain cease? After a couple of dry hours it has just started yet again.
• It seems to be full blown Christmas in the shops. Where has the magic gone ? Why can't they wait until 1st December before putting up the decorations, lights and other paraphernalia ?
• Last though not least. The patch of eczema on my hand, that plagues me every winter has appeared in the last couple of days. Now maybe that's the main reason behind my general state of extreme grouchiness.

Oh well there's a ray of sunshine in all this doom and gloom. At least I can look forward to curling up on the settee to watch the glitter, glamour and grace that is 'Strictly Come Dancing' on November Saturday nights. Does wonders for a girl's spirits.

My Second Home

P IS FOR ?



"How luscious lies the pea within the pod."
~ Emily Dickinson

MY ALLOTMENT PLOT which is my second home during the warmer months. It is where I grew some perfectly podded peas - the first pickings were in June.

Please have a peek at ABC Wednesday, where there will be plenty more posts all pertaining to the letter P.

GBMD November -''Gathering Leaves"

Artist- Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Oh nnnnnnnno it's Nnnnnnnnovember - the one month of the year that I struggle to find anything positive to say about ! This poem though never fails to make me smile as I think of leaf collecting with spoons. The rain has stopped and I am off to try. Could be a new technique to get on top of the ever gathering mounds.

'Spades take up leaves
No better than spoons,
And bags full of leaves
Are light as balloons.

I make a great noise
Of rustling all day
Like rabbit and deer
Running away.

But the mountains I raise
Elude my embrace,
Flowing over my arms
And into my face.

I may load and unload
Again and again
Till I fill the whole shed,
And what have I then?

Next to nothing for weight,
And since they grew duller
From contact with earth,
Next to nothing for color.

Next to nothing for use.
But a crop is a crop,
And who's to say where
The harvest shall stop? "

~ "Gathering Leaves" - Robert Frost.


You can enjoy more thoughts, poems and musing at Garden Bloggers Muse Day hosted by Carolyn Gail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago.

Is It Or Isn't It And Other IDs

A quick trip to the allotment this afternoon to drop some stuff off. The site was looking rather melancholy and was quiet. A couple of other plot holders were at work but other than that the place was deserted. Whilst there I noticed this wee beastie on a cosmos flower that is now going over. I read Ryan's post at Ryan's Garden earlier this week and wondered whether the invasion has spread to the north west. Could this be a harlequin ladybird ? I am hoping not. There are certainly numerous aphids about for ladybirds nice or nasty to feast upon. Himself took the car through a car wash a couple of days ago and was not a happy bunny to find the car covered with aphids this morning. After the curses out came the bucket and soapy water. The car has now been parked in a different spot so it will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.





Now a couple of of plants ids. The first is a lovely day lily which I have been lucky enough to have been given a division of by a dear gardening friend. She swears that the squirrels steal her plant labels and the one that identified this plant has gone missing ~




Finally a tree growing in a Liverpool park, photographed in June this year and then September ~

Doing It in Style

O IS FOR?




OUTDOORS WEDDING!

This was the glorious setting near Rossendale in Lancashire, where our niece and new husband chose to tie the knot. Afterwards the wedding party traipsed merrily around the reservoir on this memorable July day. Luckily despite the clouds, we did not need the plastic rain ponchos which each guest had been most thoughtfully provided with. Ours are now on standby should the heavens even pour and catch me unawares at the allotment.

Over to ABC Wednesday for more on the letter O.

Meet The Family!

They are sociable, are not fussy eaters, do not play loud music at night and only speak when they are spoken to !

They came home with us after we visited the Malvern Spring Gardening Show earlier this year. Himself having not only talked me into buying a new greenhouse but also into purchasing a Can -O- Worms from Wiggly Wrigglers who were exhibiting at the show. We shared our campervan with a thousands worms for a night or two - well I am exaggerating somewhat - they were in a sealed bag in a storage box, fixed to the back of the van. There was definitely no danger of any of them worming their way into our bed.

I must admit that I had hankered after a wormery for several years and just like the greenhouse they were on sale at a special show price. They are a source of constant amusement - I disappear into the shed at least once a day to check on their well being and to talk to them. However I do not think I will have any usable compost until the spring and I do not think that there will be vast amounts in the future to bulk up my allotment beds. My thoughts were confirmed by a recent visit to the library where I read a report on wormeries in "Which ? Gardening". Although Can- O -Worms emerged as the best buy the report advised that this product will not meet all the average gardener's compost needs. I am not complaining though as I think that I am getting my moneys worth in enjoyment, as well as having another place to dispose of kitchen waste. The question of the moment is whether they will be warm and cosy enough in the shed overwinter or should I bring them inside? Himself is not enthusiastic about the latter option.

Their very first meal ~



Whilst on the subject of beneficial gardening creatures did you know that this is Bee Aware Week? I found out about this accidentally when I was on one of those magical mystery trips that the internet sometimes takes you on. Bee Aware Week is part of an ongoing campaign by the Women's Institute to raise awareness of the decline of honey bees. They are asking all WI members to spend a whole day eating only foods that have been pollinated by honeybees. You'll find an action pack about the issues and recipes and ideas for what to eat on that day here. After discovering some tasty sounding recipes, I will certainly be planning a bee friendly menu at some stage this week. There may be honey cake for afternoon tea but I am not telling the family just yet!

"Feed The Birds"

I read in my newspaper on Thursday with some concern that the dry September we have experienced many parts of the U.K., may cause problems for garden birds this winter, according to the Royal Society For The Protection of Birds.

On the plus side the dry weather has produced a bumper crop of berries which will provide the birds with a great food source. However on the negative side the hard earth has sent the worms and other delicacies (slugs and snails) deep underground, making them hard for many of our garden birds to catch. Apparently blackbirds and song thrushes are already suffering. On "Feed The Birds Day" over this weekend the RSPB is asking gardeners to to feed the birds, as well as consider getting engaged in other activities that will provide sources of food for birds. This could be creating a water feature such as a pond, planting berry producing native plants, building insect boxes and setting up bird boxes. All sound advice wherever you are on the planet. For details of "Feed The Birds" events taking place this weekend throughout the country have a peek here.

Information and frequently asked questions about feeding birds can be found here and ideas to encourage birds and wildlife into your garden can be found here. I am hoping to build an insect hotel/wildlife raft at the allotment. The foundations will soon be in situ with some muscle from himself - a couple of wooden pallets, which were wrapped round my new greenhouse when it was delivered, so watch this space.