Welcome February

Hello Lovelies, thank you so much for the welcome back 💓

Here's my third blog post of 2023! long may the inspiration continue. Compared to all the scrolling of Instagram it does feel like a return to gentler times. I have a huge nostalgia for my early blogging days, when the boys were all at primary school....and I wasn't so grey! 

At the beginning of the week my Amaryllis (a Christmas gift from my sister in law) really put on a spurt of growth. The lengthening days and milder temperatures must be working their magic. I was thrilled to see what looked like a second stem appearing too.

 I'm not sure why ( in a house with very few windowsills) I never thought to put plants in this landing window before. I love having my rescued orchids here and they seem very happy. This scene makes me smile. Even when the main lights are off, and the little battery sensor light illuminates the scene.

 On Wednesday we welcomed February (two words which are not spelled how you would presume!). The weather continued to be mild. As you can see on our weather monitor below, there's not much difference between the outside and inside temperatures here. That's because the sensor is in our conservatory. Gosh it's been a no go zone this winter! Every year it's pretty useless in very cold weather, but this year it's been worse as I turned down the underfloor heating due to the rising electricity costs. It faces north and at one point was so cold and damp mould was appearing everywhere. So depressing.  

It's still structurally sound and the rules around this sort of addition to houses has changed in the years since it was constructed.  We are now allowed to fit it with a well insulated solid roof ( previously it had to be glazed) ....so that's what we are organising for spring. In an ideal world I would prefer a completely new extension but funds are limited and this will hopefully be a good compromise.  It's also less wasteful and uses less resources,  so fits in with my simpler, sustainable goals. Well that's what I'm focusing on 😊.

I'm still enjoying noticing the beauty of bare branched trees like this magnificent oak.

But I'm also thankful for some green in the garden from these pots which have looked cheery all winter 👏

This is the first year I've removed the old leaves from my Hellebores and they do look better for it.

Even if you do still have to lift up the flowers to see their beauty fully.

In the little woodland there are Cyclamen and snowdrops appearing.

 

That wonky dolls house is a bug hotel 🥰

Tomorrow it's exactly a year since we welcomed this boy into our home. He's turned out to be a typical comfort seeking whippet and we indulge him....well he doesn't have much built in padding 

He's so funny, pulling all the sofa blankets and cushions into a big heap then flopping down in his homemade "nest". We then usually cover him up as well if it's chilly. I think he approves 💙

This week it's actually been mild enough for him to go out without a coat and today we noticed daffodil leaves beginning to appear.

While we were out walking (despite the grey) a load of washing pretty much dried on the line. Woohoo, I do love some clean bedding that smells of fresh air. A simple pleasure for sure.

 

Whilst I was out in the garden I noticed so many buds on my Daphne. 

And the first brave primulas beginning to flower.

I also noted the sad scene of my broken bird bath, a victim of those hard frosts. 

 

Never mind, I'll keep a look out for a second-hand one, or something else to be a feature here. Thinking about it, now my apple tree has grown I'm not sure anything is needed 🤔. We have a pond the birds use. I must remember my simplicity goal.

Ending on a happier note, today I noticed my Amaryllis has THREE stems. WOW! That's certainly a first for me 😍🌺  

I do hope your February has got off to a good start and you enjoyed my everyday seasonal moments. 

Jacquie x

Cold and Frosty

Hello Lovelies,

This week we have enjoyed a break form the grey, wet and windy weather we had last week. The high pressure has led to freezing nights and sunny days. It feels so perfectly seasonal and is certainly conducive to a nice afternoon drive with mum to take in the wintry beauty....

On Wednesday we ended up in a coffee shop with a view. This place was packed when we arrived but as lunch time was coming to an end it looked like this by the time we were leaving. 

 I love a room with a distant view.

Now we are 4 weeks since the shortest day there's that bit more light to enjoy those views. Driving home from work just after 4pm still looks rather evening like, pretty though.....

                              Bare tree silhouettes are another highlight of winter to me. 

As the month goes on I'm continuing my decluttering mission. I think I'm up to 5 bags of donations to charity so far. I'm trying to have a low spend January as I feel it fits in with my Simplicity goal this year. Less stuff means more space and less chaos. 

As you can see I have made a few considered Charity shop purchases though. I've started to write a list of things I'm wanting to find that I keep in my handbag. Otherwise it's easy to be overwhelmed or distracted by things you don't really need and just pick up because they are cheap.  

My current list includes a zipped top (as a certain puppy tends to destroy zips given half a chance) and a scarf with autumnal colours. 

I have to admit red shoes were not on my list, but last summer I did think I would like another option to open toe sandals sometimes. It seemed sensible to pick these up as they should hopefully fill that gap in my summer wardrobe.

I've had a go at modelling my purchases for you...Hi :0)

Not bad for a total of £6.50 I thought. And more importantly by not buying new I've reduced my environmental impact and donated to good causes. As Katy says "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without"

This morning was another frosty start. The primulas by my front door don't seem to mind. Aren't these simple flowers gorgeous. A real spring  favourite of mine. 

 

I'm not wishing winter away yet though, well not days like these. The frost and sunshine were beautiful today. 

Stunning ice crystals.

 

Crunchy grass underfoot...and no mud! 

This is a treasured spot of mine. It looked quite magical today.

Here is the same spot in May. Oh my, all that colour! 

For now I'm happy taking in winter's subtle palette, hard edges  and deep shadows.

The first bunch of daffodils opening on my kitchen windowsill is bringing a burst of cheery colour and a hint of the wonders of spring to come. 

What a precious Saturday. It feels so good to be back blogging again, celebrating the good things and reminding myself how much I have to be thankful for.

I hope you are getting the chance to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life lovelies. Thank you so much for reading my ramblings and for your kind comments.

Jacquie x

Snowdrop Week

Morning lovelies, I hope this finds you well?
I'm hiding from the weather today. It's rainy and windy outside. The perfect opportunity for me to write this blog post then :0)

Towards the end of February I made a solo trip to some lovely gardens I had visited before with Mum HERE. The weather was so nice that week...record breaking in fact. I think our highest temperature was 16 degrees Celsius. What an amazing treat and too good to miss.

Mum couldn't face all the walking involved with this visit so I'm happy I can show her (and you) what there was to see via this blog post.

You pay the entry fee in the tempting shop.

Then walk through the plant sales area.

The toilets are really nice and the smell of Daphne was a lovely surprise. I planted a bush in my own garden 3 years ago and this year it flowered for the first time. The scent fills the garden on a warm day, it's divine.

As I entered the garden I noticed the plant table to help visitors identify some of the blooms they could expect to see.

Here is the view back towards the gatehouse.

There is no actual house here anymore as it fell into ruins and was demolished in the Fifties. The gardens were left to go wild and it's been a huge amount to work to rescue and redevelop them.

Lawns and hedges give an idea of the footprint of the building which once stood here.

Some original garden wall I think.

The view down towards the river the house would have enjoyed.

It all looked beautiful in the Winter sunshine.

I loved this old stone trough full of alpines and masonry fragments.

And the early bulbs emerging through the lawn here were such a cheery sight after the dark winter days.

Here the flower beds were waiting for the new growing season. There is so much joy in the feeling of anticipation at this time of year...don't you think?

Oooh a winter corner.

Very pretty.

But this is what I had really come to see......

Snowdrops.

And in such a lovely natural setting. What a treat.

This first flower of the year will always be a favourite of mine.

Oh, a bird hide. Shall we take a peek through the windows?

Not easy to get a good picture, but lovely to watch Tom Tit and his friends .

A little further on I admired the ornamental bridge close up.

And read about the wildlife.

Then it was off to hunt more snowdrops by a smaller stream....

I had arrived at 10.30 am as I had seen on the web site they let visitors in half an hour before the official 11am opening time. How happy I was to have had the place mostly to myself for the beginning of my visit.

Once the Daffodils are all open it's easy to take them for granted, seeing these first ones open among the snowdrops was a special moment.

And such a delicately pale variety was perfect here.

Soon the paths began to get a bit busy with other visitors but it was nice to chat with them. Everyone was so happy on this gift of a day in a magical spot.

Yay Aconites.

and beautiful colour combinations here.

Oh I remember the stunning Giraffe Statues.

The bees were enjoying the Crocus here.

Wonderful Cyclamen.

And heavenly Hellebores.

So many lovely displays wherever I turned.

By midday I was feeling peckish. Time for a cream tea...outdoors....in February. Literally unheard of!

A little more chatting occurred and then another wizz around the garden, including a trot up these stairs.

To admire this corner from a different perspective.

Thank you for another memorable and inspiring visit Easton Walled Gardens.

So many snowdrops and so much colour in late winter. What a pleasure. I really hope that I will be able to return in the not too distant future.

Jacquie x