~ garden mood board April/May 2013 ~

 

It's May.  Nominally autumn but feeling very wintery.
The chill air bites in the mornings and evenings, the scarves are out, umbrellas are by the door. 
The garden has been calling for rain and today it's here.  The fire will be lit soon.

Moment to moment, day to day the garden changes in autumn as the leaves change and fall, the light softens.  
The last of the roses and cosmos are still blooming, I spy an occasional windflower and dahlia.  Our vegies are finished, the salad leaves gone to seed.
For the first time I've raided the neighbour's garden as well - those red hips were just too good to resist and ours are gone to an over vigorous pruner.

Each month I link with lovely people to share mood boards of what's happening in our gardens.
How does your garden grow?

♥

~ weekend snippets ~

 

We're still keeping our weekends low key.
A visit to Salamanca for apples, coffee, new plants for the garden and a chance meet-up with old friends.
Gardening, so many weeds to deal with.  Gorgeous roses to pick and delight in.  The chaotic beauty of the windflowers.
An afternoon tea with the friends who are family
Roast chicken and parsnips.
Amazing chalk art - we started drawing sea creatures as we talked about his excursion to the Marine Studies Centre this week but we ended up covering all the pavers with colourful art and he practised his letters over and over.
And candles for Earth Hour.

How was your weekend?
 ♥

{all on the iphone - I really must make time to get the real camera out before I forget how to use it}

Linking up with Em and others who share the snippets of their days. 

~ our garden - the late spring version ~

 

 

 

I had a wander round our garden today with my phone (I really should reach for the D80 more often... sigh).  We were lucky to inherit a garden with lots of the work already done...although we seem to be heading towards a more messy, random cottagey look than was originally intended (neglect will do that!)

We have big plans to grow more food but at the moment all we seem to manage are loads of raspberries, some spinach, some herbs and a few tomatoes.  The poppies have overtaken the raised bed and there are raspberries everywhere else that there aren't flowers.

I just love this time of year - the warmer weather and longer daylight means we're all spending more time outside - playing, weeding, eating, sitting... 

How does your garden grow?
Are you growing food for your family?

 ♥

~ garden mood board for July ~

In the depths of a frosty winter there is still much to wonder at in the garden.

Stark, sculptural beauty. 

The beauty of what has gone before.

 

As well, the beauty of hope and promise.

The beauty of what will be.

How does your garden grow?

I do a monthly garden mood board with Karin and others over here.

♥

~ garden mood board...June ~

Winter.

Frosty mornings where footsteps equal mushy footprint trails.

Chilly evenings with winds that steal breath from body.

Freezing nights where cold seeps into every corner.

Winter.

Bare branches, cold soil, withering leaves that have forgotten to fall.

Small promises of spring starting to make their way towards the frail sunshine.

But...for those who wander and search....stunning hellebores in shady corners - winter's hidden treasures.

 

I create monthly garden mood boards with Karin - there are lots of other lovelies to explore there too.

♥

~ garden mood board...May ~

Winter approaches.

(We had to scrape ice off the windscreen for the first time this week - I use one of those shop cards that I never remember to have with me in the shops - like a priceline card - that's my tip of the month).

Most of the leaves have fallen, the grass is sodden, the outlook more bleak.

However, amongst the sombre browns and greys, little bursts of life appear.

Precious snowdrops, jonquils (already), hardy violas, the last of the roses, a camellia from our baby tree, occasional daisies (those ones that never die). 

If you go looking there really is beauty everywhere.  What's in your garden this month?

I'm doing a mood board every month with my friend Karin.

♥

~ from our vegie patch ~

Today's harvest from our, somewhat modest but very well loved, vegie patch.  

It's a work in progress - we're hoping to grow lots more of our own food in the next few years.  

I think its a great project for the kids - they really are more interested in trying new foods if they've had a hand in helping them grow.

We're loving the home-grown tomatoes with basil.   The lemons are awesome in a gin and tonic.  Or simply with sparkling mineral water.  My kids eat them whole too....(shudder)

You do need a few carrots to make a snack but put them with rosemary next to some roast lamb and.... mmm!

I'm joining my lovely friend Karin who shares a mood board from her garden or nature every month.

What's growing where you are?

♥

~ on hollow trees and hollow feelings ~

When we started our renovations a year ago one of the hardest things was cutting down a couple of old conifers on the boundary so we could extend.  I didn't like them but cutting trees down goes against the grain.

I was able to reassure myself that we were protecting the majority of our beautiful trees and that our little green oasis would still be there, even with the bigger house.  

 

The main feature of our back garden has always been the ancient, enormous pear tree.  

I loved it unreservedly.  It had a ladder and a small cubby area.  It provided beautiful blossom and shade to read and play.  It had an old tyre swing that we all loved.  It also produced upwards of a thousand pears a year - all inedible unless cooked and all of which the Doc had to pick up and cart to the compost (or tip).  He didn't always share the pear tree love.  The wombles often picked pears up for pocket money and made enough to keep them in icy-poles for the summer. 

I think it was one of the factors that swayed our decision to buy the house (a decision that took all of 5 minutes - I have long lamented my ability to choose curtains, shoes, what to have for dinner... but show me a house I love and I'm signing before I've hit the back wall).

Last week the rain stopped for long enough for us to get into the garden again.  A bit of weeding, some mowing and a chance to look around.  We found, to our horror, a huge crack along one of the branches of the pear tree and a hollow rotting centre.  The tree doctor confirmed our worse fears and today he came with his chainsaw and razed it to the ground.

 

There wasn't even any time to get used to the idea.  There yesterday, gone today.   

I feel like I've committed a {carbon} crime and I've shed a few tears.  

I feel all hollow inside too.

 

(On the upside we have quite a load of firewood for next year and lots of potential).

What's your favourite part of the garden?

♥