Like many others we had snow at the weekend.
Garden on Saturday
Overnight a lot more snow fell and it snowed most of Sunday morning.
It really does turn gardens into a Winter Wonderland.
Last week before the snow I went a wander round the garden looking for plants in flower.
Winter Jasmine flowers and so does Bergenia
Periwinkle
Primulas and Wild Primroses
The camellia has a few buds.
Turkey Tail fungi are forming again on an eucalyptus stump.
Books
The latest Wesley Peterson book was a good read. I do like the way Kate Ellis blends crime with archaelogy.
Murder at Redmire Hall I read very quickly. I am really enjoying this series.
When we were in Oxford a few years ago for a Tolkien Exhibition we had lunch in a canalside pub in nearby Kidlington which was full of Inspector Morse memorabilia. I've been meaning to try the Colin Dexter novels ever since (I never watched the tv series). I enjoyed the first - good old fashioned policing.
I really wanted Orchard and it was a surprise Christmas Present from D. It relates the story of a year in a traditional, organic orchard in Herefordshire. It is very well written and researched and the amount of wildlife to be found in this orchard is just astounding. A super book and highly recommended.
For my birthday last month D treated me to membership of the National Churches Trust and this book was part of the package. As it is impossible to go church crawling at the moment or even to visit churchyards unless very local this book was a bonus and thoroughly enjoyed.
This and That
With lockdown 3 E is at home again (a huge relief!!) and she made this Coffee and Praline Hazelnut sponge - a Mary Berry recipe.
D had this vegetarian cook book for his birthday. I've never really been a fan of Jamie Oliver to be honest but this book has some excellent recipes including a tasty Cauliflower, Cashew and Paneer Tikka Masala.
To try and fill the hours we have been playing family board games and completing jigsaws.
Even with the cold weather there are still not a great many birds coming to the feeders. Although one day last week a Sparrowhawk suddenly burst from behind the whitebeam tree, flew along the hedge and ended up perched on the feeding station! He was unsuccesful on that occasion. Earlier today I saw him fly into the same tree for a few minutes. I will be taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend and hope there will be more birds around! Perhaps for a change this year I will get more birds rather than the opposite!
I hope everyone is staying safe and well in these challenging and worrying times.
Tikka masala photo by D. Rest of photos by me taken with the Pansonic FZ330 bridge camera.
13 comments:
The snow changes everything. It looks lovely, but hope it's not too messy as it melts. I like the look of both Orchard and English Parish Churches books. Not a huge fan of Jamie Oliver here either, but he does make some delicious recipes. I was very disappointed with one book of his, I think it was At Home With His Gardener. The television was beautifully interspersed with delightful sketched pages of illustrations, so I bought the book expecting it to echo the show, but it was just an ordinary cook book without such illustrations. E's cake looks so delicious, and I'm glad she's able to be home again.
Stay safe!
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. Slight thaw today but not messy yet!!! Both those books are super. Orchard I shall read many times. Ben MacDonald sometimes articles in magazines I read and his writing is so well researched. I've now bought his book Rebirding on Kindle!
What a shame about the Jamie Oliver book being so disappointing. I've never been keen on him and once did a vegetarian Cmas meal of his which was far too sweet and spicy but this book is good although recipes do take a lot of ingredients some times. Yes the cake was good although as I think you know I am not a lover of butter icing!!! Stay safe and take care too :)
Interesting to read about the smaller than expected number of birds visiting the feeders. I've noticed the same here. A bit worrying really. Mainly Sparrows and Starlings with the occasional Blue or Great Tit. Not forgetting the Wood Pigeons which wait under the feeders to glean any spillage,
The book you got as part of your birthday present looks interesting.
I am not a fan of Jamie either but some of his recent cook books have been good. I have the veg one and also Take 5 ingredients and more recently Jamie 7 Ways.
I am missing being able to go out further afield and not even being able to plan something to look forward too.
Your garden looks lovely I hope all those delicate flowers are safe under the snow. Baking and reading are two good things to do, glad E is safe at home, the cake looks wonderful. I too am enjoying the JR Ellis books I think it was you who mentioned them and I've enjoyed everyone of them so far, also enjoy Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson books I'm up to date with them so I hope there is another one at some point. Both the Orchard and the Church books look interesting, the cover of the Orchard book is delightful, Take care:)
Midmarsh John - Thank you and it is interesting to see you have noticed the same re: birds. Here robin, house sparrow, wood pigeons, blackbirds and magpies. A few blue, great and coal tits and very occasionally long-tailed tits. Starlings have been coming more than usual though but dunnock and goldfinches now very occasional as are collared doves.
Cherry Pie - Thank you. Orchard is brilliant. The Vegs book is good.
I too miss going out and planning trips and days out. Life is very difficult atm. Usually I escape stress by going out to countryside but of course you can't.
Rosie - Thank you. Yes hopefully plants ok. J R Ellis is very good and I am glad you are enjoying them too :) Thankfully I still have some Wesley Peterson to read. I've just started a new Ann Cleeves book first of a new series "A Long Call" which is good. Orchard is superb! Take care too.
We are moved, and I have started feeding the birds (two feeding stations) - we have House Sparrows, Great & Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Willow Tits, Long Tail Tits, Nuthatches, Siskins, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, and on the ground, Robins, Blackbirds, Chaffinches, Wrens, Jays. They are a delight to watch and bring me great pleasure.
The snow last weekend was totally magical. I wish it had lasted a little longer :)
Great reading. May I recommend one called "West With Giraffes"- not my normal type of book but hard to put down. Set just after the Great Depression and the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and the survivors, and how two giraffes who somehow survived an horrific hurricane at sea to be taken from East to West, to a zoo in California.
P.S. Saw the first Celendine today! Made my day. You have some good winter flowers in your garden.
Lovely snow photos, I don't think i'll ever tire of seeing snow, it really does make everything look wonderful. That's a lovely birthday present. I have quite a few Jamie Oliver books though I rarely watch him on TV! Good luck for the gardenwatch, i'll be joining in too :)
Bovey Belle Thank you. So pleased you are happy in your new home and enjoying a great variety of birds by the sound of it. Snow is forecast here tomorrow but last lot has now thawed.
Thanks so much for the book recommendation - I will check it out :) I actually thought last night I could do with a bit of a break from crime.
Lovely to see the first celandine :)
Pam - thanks. Snow now thawed but possibly more tomorrow! I don't watch him on tv like quite a few others his presenting style I find irritating!! Mary Berry is one of the few I watch.
Good luck too with Garden Birdwatch :)
keep smiling RR the church book looks good !
The Quacks of Life - Thanks so much Pete. Getting harder but I still am. You would love the church book but I bet you havae visited all the churches in it!!!! :) Keep smiling!
Lovely to see your garden covered in snow, you have more flowers showing, think I have got bluebells coming through and narcissi. The Orchard book is on my Amazon list, might have to get it if you loved it.
Amanda xx
Amanda Peters - Thanks so much Amanda. Spotted snowdrops in flower today and there are plant shoots appearing - things like "Glory of the Snow" I think it is called and the clematis has leaf buds. Highly recommend that book on Orchards! A book to treasure so well worth reading!
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