Well here it seems that Christmas disappeared almost faster than you could say it. We have had a stay at home quiet but thoroughly relaxing few days. All in all the batteries which were running down are now thoroughly restored. There has been good food and wine and pursuit of gentle pleasures including reading, jigsaw puzzling, crossword solving, scrabbling as well as watching the odd film. There were some gardening related presents including a couple of books (more of them a later date), pruners, secateurs, gardening gloves, a packet of peas and some muscari bulbs to plant in a most pretty jug. Best of was a trowel which made me positively purr.
The first jigsaw entitled 'Garden Party' pictured above was a challenge to the old grey matter - only 250 pieces but the pieces were not conventional. It did not follow that a straight side necessarily equated with an edge piece - they could be in the middle of the jigsaw. If the kind donor of this gift
(a birthday present from earlier in the year) reads this you chose well my friend. We have now moved on to a thousand piecer which should keep occupied for some considerable time.
Although it was not a white Christmas we had snow on the Feast of Stephen. It arrived in darkness and was quite magical. My nose had detected that snowfall was imminent earlier in the day so I was on the look out for it. I've had discussions about being able to smell snowfall with several family members and friends and there seems to be a divided camp on the topic. What about you - can you smell snow before it arrives?
The bitterly cold temperatures since have prevented it from melting completely so scattered but substantial white patches remain. No chance to use the new trowel yet as the earth is indeed still hard as iron but I've made it to the greenhouse each day to study the state of snowdrop play. There have been one or two casualties, some will not flower this year whilst some have multiplied most considerately. In flower for Christmas Day were 'Mrs Macnamara', 'Faringdon Double',' Peter Gatehouse', 'Fieldgate Prelude', and an unlabelled bulb which did not flower at this time last year or during the remainder of the winter. I obtained 'Peter Gatehouse' in the green earlier this year so this was its first flowering. It was also a debut for 'Fieldgate Prelude' bought in 2013 and which has multiplied well. You can see a photo above. The seasonally named 'Three Ships' and 'Ding Dong' did not live up their reputation with the former going over well before Christmas whilst the latter is only just showing white. Now I know that I do not really need any more snowdrops but I'm already debating which I might add to my little collection over the next few weeks. Elsewhere in the garden I had two varieties of rose still in flower for Christmas Day - snowdrops and roses, now that's a first!
It sounds like you've had a wonderfully relaxing Christmas. I can't say that I can smell snow before it arrives but we were out for a walk on Boxing Day and it was mighty cold so I wasn't surprised when the snow fell later that day. It's a long time since I've done a jigsaw but we've got a few kicking around the house, I may just dig one out and get cracking while we're all still at home this week.
ReplyDeleteIt has been more relaxing Jo just hunkering down for a few days. Hope that you have fun if you decide to tackle a jigsaw.
DeleteThe Snowdrop is a wonderful contrast to the colourful jigsaw.
ReplyDeleteRoses and Snowdrops, a winning combination, but not one you would naturally put together.
A sign of a changing world?
Happy New Year.
Yes it could well be Brian - all most perturbing and topsy-turvy to say the least. A most happy New Year to you too :)
DeleteSnowdrops and roses here too, I can't quite get my head around it! Glad the batteries are properly recharged. Is your greenhouse unheated if you are growing snowdrops in it? I really would like to get into 'specials', but they are far too vulnerable in the garden given everything likely to nibble upon them.
ReplyDeleteThe greenhouse is usually unheated Jessica although if temperatures below zero are predicted I switch on a little fan heater so that the pots do not freeze. I also ventilate the greenhouse most days and the pots only come in for the winter. I can understand your reluctance to grow such treasures. Oddly enough the squirrels leave snowdrops planted in the garden alone but then I do not have a Ptomely on the loose:)
DeleteSounds like you had a very relaxing and wonderful Christmas, with a fab haul of gifts too! As soon as I saw your first photo I exclaimed how wonderful a vignette it is then had an ahh! moment as soon as I figured out it was a puzzle.
ReplyDeleteIt was most calm indeed guys. The gardening related presents were particularly welcome especially the trowel. No not a vignette just an optical illusion :)
DeleteI can smell rain coming - petrichor.
ReplyDeleteSo why not snow coming ... but not here!
Oh thanks for introducing me to a new to me word Diana :) Not a scent that often happens here but I have experienced it.
DeleteHappy new year Anna. We had a flurry of snow here yesterday - nothing to shout about and I couldn't smell it. I hope we get a snowfall this winter!
ReplyDeleteOh we got it first Rob before it drifted over to Europe where it seems to have fallen more furiously. Hope that you get the chance to smell it and shout about it before winter is out :) A most Happy New Year to you too.
DeleteHappy New Year to you Anna, it sounds as though you had a delightful Christmas. We have snowdrops and roses too, my few early snowdrops in the garden didn't quite make it for Christmas but they are flowering to mark the New Year.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that your snowdrops are in flower for the New Year bells Pauline. Happy New Year to you :)
DeleteSounds like a good way to spend Christmas Anna. I sometimes smell rain, but we can often tell snow is on the way from the colour of the sky. Nice to see some snowdrops. I had some snowdrop foliage appear just before Christmas, but it is now buried under a foot of snow!
ReplyDeleteYes forthcoming rain has its own discernible scent too Cathy. I imagine that your snow is still on the ground and it will be a while before those 'drops' re-appear but they will be perfectly snug.
DeleteSeems you've had the perfect christmas, Anna. Lovely puzzle, all these handy gardener's gifts AND flowering snowdrops - you're such a lucky girl! Yes, I can smell the snow too but we haven't had any so far but it's very frosty and the landscape and garden look lovely. :)
ReplyDeleteYes I am most fortunate Annette and try not to forget it. Hurrah - another member of the snow sniffing society!
DeleteYou SHARE doing your jigsaws, Anna..? Surely that's dangerous territory? I sometimes sneak a piece into one of the Golfer's, but have just ordered myself one of the bookshop jigsaws you showed us last year as I couldn't interest him in that one for himself! Interesting to hear about your snowdrops and how they are doing - I too have been doing a bit of an assessment which i shall probably write about shortly, and yes, I can feel that desire tugging....
ReplyDeleteYou have hit the nail on the head Cathy. It's inherently dangerous territory even before we make inroads as I'm right handed and he's left handed :) Then he fills areas that I've declared as mine etc, etc.... I hope that you enjoy the bookshop puzzle. We may go on to tackle the second next Christmas. I look look forward to reading more about your snowdrops :)
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