Tomatoes in abundance!

In the past couple of years the tomato harvests in the garden and green house have been pretty poor or non-existent. Insufficient warmth and sunshine, and too much rain leading to the dreaded tomato blight, meant that we had almost given up on tomatoes all together. But I don't give up readily and planted again this year. And lo and behold, we actually did see the sun this year, and gained rather a good crop.

Such sweet and succulent tomatoes that are full of flavour are rarely seen in shop bought toms, and they smell delicious too. Those that didn't ripen on the vine, have been brought in and are doing well on the window sill.

So what to do with all these lovely gems. Well, Steve made Green tomato chutney and here's Friday's dinner that I made from a recipe in Bill's Cook, Eat, Smile: Roasted tomato and orange soup with a crusty rye bread...scrummy...

Hmmm, now let's see what else can be had in that garden of ours...?

Have a good week!

Creating my own Kate Tulett art

At the South of England Show this year, in the pouring rain, I stumbled across the very lovely Kate Tulett in one of the craft marquees. Kate is an art teacher, artist and generally a splendidly bonkers lady! I thought her collages were fab, and longed for one of her creations myself, but settled on a one-day textile course held at the school she teaches at in Oxted. But unbeknownst to me, my great hubby sneakily arranged for me to receive one of her aquascapes for my birthday, knowing that I have a particular penchant for all things sea related.



It was done in great haste as we only 'discovered' Kate a week away from my birthday, and the collage was a surprise, so it involved secret emails, and a hand-over on a garage forecourt.
I love my picture, it even has lines from a poem that Steve wrote for me many years ago!

Those who know me are well aware that I am a hoarder as far as fabric, buttons and ephemera go, and I like art which is both textural and three dimensional. So having a go at creating something as fun as one of her pieces was quite a challenge. Letting go, and allowing myself to empty my head of science and bees and such, even for a day, is not always easy. Nature accompanies me where ever I go :o)

And despite being amongst many (many!) children on the course, Kate was patient with all and sundry, no matter what age or temperament. I have done some machine embroidery before so I am reasonably comfortable with a sewing machine, but am always open to new techniques.

We looked at the work of Sophie Standing, a very clever textile artist and Kate explained her techniques, before embarking on our own projects. And although I haven't finished it, I'll show you how far I managed to get today.

First a sketch on muslin, then acrylic paints washed over the canvas

Here's one of Kate's pieces in progress

And two stages of other pieces of Kate's work!

Next the fabric stage, and here the photo of my garden for inspiration

Kate's desk!

My collage beginning to take shape with fabric scraps

Oh, oh! Small people upturning the giant fabric box and hiding amongst the multitude of textures and colours! Great fun!

But, of course, bees are always in my heart, and always part of my garden...

You'll have to wait to see the completed article, as there is more to add to my master-piece. However, I am pretty chuffed at the way it is progressing, and even the din of enthusiastic noise from what seemed like a hall full of halflings didn't deter my enjoyment of the day.

Many thanks to Kate and her two peachy assistants!

Love is in the air

It's that time of the year again when the pond starts to fill up with new life.  The sound of amorous frogs (Rana temporaria) is quite amusingly loud, especially in the evenings, and whereas the rest of the garden still looks rather drab and uninviting with few blossoms and leaves, the pond is quite green and springing (haha literally!) into life. Sadly few of the many frogspawn survive to full adulthood, this is presumably why the frogs invest so much into producing so many offspring.

The common frog is usually more active at night, though it can be seen during the day too. They become sexually mature at about 3 years old. During February and March the frogs emerge from hibernation and journey to their chosen breeding pond. They have been known to return to the same breeding ground each year.

The male frogs usually reach the breeding ponds before the females, and they attempt the attract a female frog by making a low purring croaking sound, like this:

A successful male will wrap his forelimbs around the female in a mating embrace known as 'amplexus'.  Each female lays 1000-4000 eggs at a time, which are fertilised by the male as they are released.

The frogspawn is encased in a jelly-like substance which protects the little embryos. Depending on the  weather conditions, two to four weeks later the tadpoles will hatch out.

After around 16 weeks the tadpoles start to grow back legs, followed by front legs. When they have fully absorbed their tails they leave the water as tiny froglets, usually in early summer but sometimes as late as September. I for one can't wait to follow their progress this year!
Frogs are a great natural slug deterrent - every gardener should favour a few of these hopping about the borders. Do you have frogs in your garden?

Perhaps you'd like to help with the Million Ponds Project? This Project will create an extensive network of new ponds across the UK. Ultimately the aim is to reverse a century of pond loss, ensuring that once again the UK has over one million countryside ponds. For more information go to the Pond Conservation website.

In the meantime, enjoy one of nature's spring marvels!

I do believe in fairies!

Ever since I was a little girl I've been fascinated with the natural world. I also have a particular fondness for the magical world too. And this includes pixies, trolls, unicorns, nisser (Danish Christmas elves), and, of course, fairies! Now, don't get me wrong, I certainly don't have twee plastic gnomes all over the garden, or tacky ornaments of dragons and pixies on the mantelpiece.

However, I do like the mystery surrounding these mythical beings. Fairies are usually tiny, often beautiful human-like creatures (sometimes with wings) that appear in legends and folklore around the world. Fairies probably began as versions of pagan nature gods and goddesses, and so they are often associated with the outdoors.

Depending on the region, fairies are said to live in woodland communities, underground kingdoms, or inhabit lakes, hills, or stone or grass circles — sometimes with centaurs, elves, ogres, gnomes and other such creatures. Fairies come in many races and tribes, and vary in size and shape; though most are small, some can change in height and become human-sized or larger if they choose.

The remains of a fairy...

Fairies are now mostly relegated to children's magical fiction, hence the phrase "fairy tales." In centuries past, however, many adults also believed in the existence of fairies. Early fairies were not cute pixies; they were lustful, nasty and cruel creatures as likely to kill you as lead you out of the forest. They were often benevolent, but could also be capricious and vindictive. Travelers on long journeys (or even those just beyond their home villages) would bring offerings to leave for the fairies, typically bannock (bread) cakes, tobacco or fruits. In return, the fairy folk might provide good weather or safe passage from wild beasts and highwaymen.

Today I decided to pamper to my inner 'fairyness' and make a little home for a fairy. It's very easy to do and makes a lovely (and also rainy day) play activity with small people, as they can use their imagination to create something rather magical.

Find a large jar, the bigger the better.

Pop out to the woods, your garden, or a local park, and collect some stones, a little moss and a few twigs.

Arrange these items in the jar. If you wish, you could also add some miniature furniture, for instance, chairs and a table borrowed from a doll's house. I kept my fairy jar quite natural, like their woodland floor home.

I added a large toadstool, and popped my little fairy girl in.  And I think she looks rather cute nestled there in the spongy green moss, bringing a sparkle of New Year magic to my home!

How about this teapot fairy house made by Arthur Millican, jr. of Sleepy Hollow Woodworking Studio?

Or this pine cone house from Annmarie Garden?

 

So, tell me, do you believe in fairies?

 

The Autumn Wreath

I like the changing seasons very much, I like the different colours that nature displays, and I like to celebrate how we are moved along the year through the shifting months. Making a seasonal display seems right, a way of bringing nature just a little closer to our home. A wreath takes little artistic talent and can look very homely and inviting hanging on the front door.

First either make a base circle from twigs and stripped branches from any bush or tree which is quite pliable, or in this instance pay a few pounds for a shop bought moss covered base.

Collect lots and lots of plant material from the garden. Believe me, to get it looking dense and cover all the surface takes a surprising amount of greenery, here less is not more! In any case, if you run out, you can always pop outside and top up your supply.

Select stems, seed heads, dried flower heads, even a few fresh flowers that compliment in colour, and tie a selection of these together in bunches using florist wire. Attach to the base by wrapping the wire firmly around it.

Build up the base with lots of small posies, taking a selection of each type of plant material at a time, working in the same direction. You may have to snip the ends of the stems with the leaves and flowerheads, so the bunches sit tidily on the base. Occasionally stand back to check the visual symmetry of the material used.

You can either leave a space to tie a nice ribbon or bow round the wreath, or like me, continue until it is entirely covered with plant material. Shape a little of the florist wire on the reverse of the base to form a loop and hang on the door.

And hey presto, let the sun shine on your creation to welcome friends and strangers alike to your home.

Ha' en dejlig dag!

The Bath experience

Genuine Victorian Tearooms in Bradford on Avon

Yesterday we headed out of Sussex and down to Bath for the weekend as Steve was giving a talk to the Bath branch of the Avon Beekeepers Association. We had been offered the use of a room in the lovely Georgian B&B house run by the secretary, Glenys Lunt, and her husband George in the nearby town of Bradford on Avon. Having left one boy with his grandparents and another with my friend, Gaby, who also puppy and house-sat, we set off first thing Saturday morning on the nearly 3 hour journey west.

After lunching with a group of the beekeepers at the Bear in Bath, we headed off to the venue just down the road from the pub. It was the AGM (Annual General Meeting) and so after the talk (Bees need Buddies - wildlife gardening for pollinators), and a buffet brought by members, we headed off into Bath to do a little exploring. 

Bath is a beautiful old city in the county of Somerset in South West England, and was first established as a spa with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis ("the waters of Sulis") by the Romans sometime in the AD 60s, about 20 years after they had arrived in Britain (AD43). They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills in the valley of the River Avon around hot springs. Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973.

Much later, it became popular as a spa town during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from creamy yellow Bath Stone. The City of Bath was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

There were lots of lovely shops in Bath, many gearing up for the Christmas trade

We had dinner in the very atmospheric Cafe Rouge

Later we wandered down to the River Avon to have a look at the horseshoe shaped weir. The River Avon flows through both Bath and Bradford on Avon, and with all the rain we have had recently was very high! The Avon is 75 miles long, although there are just 19 miles (31 km) as the crow flies between the source and its mouth in the Severn Estuary.

Next morning, when the worst of the rain (and sleet!) had passed, we took a walk through Bradford on Avon, and it is indeed a very sweet town (although it would be better if the traffic flow through the town was somehow minimised) with some pretty narrow streets, interesting looking pubs and nice shops.

A faded old hotel sign on the back of a town wall

There was a Christmas Grotto in the grounds of the Old Tithe Barn, a spectacular 14th century monastic stone barn, 51 metres (168 feet) long, with an amazing timber cruck roof. It is one of the country’s finest examples of medieval monastic barns – rightly called ‘the cathedrals of the land’, and originally formed part of a range of farm buildings grouped around an open rectangular yard.

We walked back into Bradford and stopped at the Victorian Teashop to warm up by the fire and scoff a cream tea; rather large scones, home-made jam and cream served with Breakfast tea and coffee.

One of the serving wenches, resplendent in period costume

On the way back to the B&B we crossed the Avon again, although this time the sky was rather bluer!

 Conclusion: a lovely part of Britain, and definitely well worth a visit!