Recent Reading, Garden flowers and This and That

Recent Reading

Horrors of Horrors! I seem to have reached the last in the Nikki Galena series. I enjoyed this book as much as the rest of the series. I do hope Joy Ellis writes more but in the meantime I will try some of her other books.

I treated myself to the hardback version of this book because I do love Mark Cocker's books. This is a collection of short essays on nature mainly in the area around Claxton in Norfolk. The author has a way of making you observe nature more closely and seeing the magic and wonder of every wildlife encounter.

A friend bought me this book for my birthday. It is the story of a year on the island of Easedale where the authors live. The illustrations are just beautiful and if you loved "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady" you would enjoy this. A book to keep and treasure.

A second hand purchase on the village of Water Orton, North Warwickshire bought from "Books Revisited", Coleshill. I will explain below why I picked this out of my pile of books to read.

Good to see Maisie Dobbs back on form in this super book. Sadly, I think I have only a few more in this wonderful series to read.

I bought this little book in view of our static caravan purchase in Herefordshire. There are some lovely walks many not too far from where we will be based. The walks range in length from a few miles to around 6 or 7 and there are details given of churches, houses, castles, viewpoints etc on each walk. Not sure if I could manage the longer walks these days but there are plenty of shorter ones to choose from.

Flowering in the Garden


I spotted this wildflower growing in the front garden last year and now another one has appeared in the back garden. I think it is probably Canadian Fleabane

Sowthistle also sprouting up on the patio!

Bergenia

Callicarpa berries - I bought this shrub because I had read that Blackcaps love the berries. I haven't seen a Blackcap yet but live in hope!

This is one of those mystery plants that I bought at some stage last year and never planted out. I have a feeling it may be a clematis - perhaps "Winter Beauty"???

Winter Jasmine flowers always brighten the garden at this time of year

Pot Marigold or Calendula

I was late planting this cardoon out last summer and it never flowered. Sometimes they overwinter successfully and flower in the second year and thankfully this plant looks quite healthy at the moment.

Primulas

Wild Primroses are also flowering

Buds on the white Camellia

Some of you may recall that B, at D's request, took some cuttings from a rose in mum's front garden last November. The good news is that out of the five, three are sprouting little shoots so fingers crossed they have rooted.

This is particularly good news as last week I did what I said I wouldn't and drove past mum and dad's old house. The estate agent had said the buyers who have not moved in yet were planning to gut the house and rebuild and massively extend. Not much sign of the rebuilding apart from two double glazed windows being installed upstairs but the front garden has been flattened. So mum's rose and all her valerian and lavender plants which were full of butterflies, bees and hoverflies in the summer have gone. I do not now intend to drive past again!



My son and I went a drive out to Water Orton last weekend to check out the exterior of a couple of houses for sale I had spotted on websites. As you may recall I have talked of moving but it is problematic at the moment with both D and E still living at home. I have stopped looking further afield such as Isle of Wight but still keep an eye on houses for sale fairly local. Sadly, the house with a tower has now disappeared completely so I assume the sale went through.

The houses for sale were located in the older part of Water Orton which was originally called "Overton" of "Settlement on the Tun". As we drove along Old Church Road I spotted in a churchyard this old preaching cross known locally as "The Old Rugged Cross". An Old Chapel was built nearby in 1346 followed by a Chapel of Ease in the 18th century. However, the chapel has now been demolished and a new church was built in the late 19th century on a new site.

This is one of the houses I had gone to have a quick look at. Not sure if we will ask for an internal viewing as B who is the one pushing for a local move has not mentioned he wants to see more.

On Saturday D and I went in search of a Cheese and Ale Barn which used to be based in the courtyard at Middleton Hall but moved a few years ago to Lichfield - the Curborugh Countryside Centre which is a collection of renovated barns full of independent shops. I spotted this Purple Emperor badge in the Antiques Centre and could not resist buying it!

For the last couple of years I have been collecting replica pilgrim's badges and this St Thomas Becket token was a Christmas present bought from the Canterbury Cathedral online shop.

A pomander orange I made for Christmas - a simple idea but it fills the room with Christmassy scents.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera