October Visit to Herefordshire - Part 1 : Hatfield, Walk, Monkland Cheese Dairy

 

Last week we finally managed to get back to the caravan for four nights and D came with us which was great as it gave me the motivation to go out with him and enjoy his company.

There are definite signs of autumn tints appearing now in the leaves on the Herefordshire Oak.

The Octopus Tree

The Constable Tree(s)

The perennial wallflower is still flowering as is the rose in a pot.

This is the view from the lounge which we will lose should the proposed development be given permission and go ahead.

D went a walk to the Hen House one morning to buy some eggs and was lucky enough to see a Red Kite. I haven't seen one there for ages so it is good news they are still around.

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*D

We arrived on the Tuesday afternoon and on Wednesday D and I went to Monkland Cheese Dairy to stock up on some of their delicious cheeses.

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*D

These were the purchases and in the box is a slice of their delicious Herefordshire Apple cake.  We do have a book of Monkland Dairy Recipes and the apple cake recipe is in there so one day I will try making one at home.

On the way back we stopped off at Morrisons to do a small food shop and D took some photos of leaves and berries in the car park.

*D

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Mistletoe growing on a tree by B and Q and a house decorated for Hallowe'en.

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A view of the lane as we drove back and were nearing Hatfield. The lanes there are very narrow and I spend most of my time praying I won't meet a tractor coming the other way!

*D

I did use the bat detector most nights but I wasn't picking up any bats and we didn't see any. The house martins have departed for the winter although I did see a few on our last visit.

On the Thursday D and I went to a pumpkin farm and then we visited a new church which I will write about in the next few posts.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 and those marked *D were taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or one of my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks ).

Mid July Visit to Herefordshire

 

Inbetween medical appointments, family birthdays, car service and mot, gas boiler service etc., we managed to get away to Herefordshire the week before last for four nights.

We arrived on the Tuesday afternoon. First task was to water the pots and garden!  The plants had suffered yet again from the dry hot weather.  I've now lost the oldest lavender plant I had there but the rose in a pot, geranium, new lavender, houseleeks, herbs, tomato and chilli plants had managed to survive.  Most of the plants in the garden and border are still more or less ok.  If we continue to have hot dry summers I may have to have a re-think as to whether it is worth bothering having pots.

Cattle sheltering from the sun under the Herefordshire Oak

The Octopus Tree in the centre of the photo.

The Constable Tree(s)

As you can see there has not been much change in the Herefordshire Trees since the last visit.

Teasel in the garden

D's chilli plant has two flowers :)

On the Wednesday we went into Leominster to do a food shop at Morrisons. 

Thursday and Friday we just stayed at the caravan and yet again I spent a lot of time reading. If I am honest it really was too hot to go out visiting places and walking although I was tempted by the thought of a church visit as they are usually so cool inside.

On the Friday I went outside and counted butterflies for Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count.

I just counted the maximum number of butterflies seen at any one time in the 15 minutes of the count.

Meadow Brown x 1

Small White x 4

Gatekeeper x 4

Large White x 2

Holly Blue x 1

Sorry no photos - the butterflies were far too active!  No sign of the Red Admirals, Peacocks or Speckled Woods we had seen on other days!

Timothy was not enjoying the heat any more than me.

Early on the Friday morning before I had woken up B saw three Green Woodpeckers on the grass in front of the caravan. One of them was a juvenile being fed by the adults.  Later in the day we saw a Linnet feeding on seeds in the grass.  I was really pleased with this sighting as I haven't seen a Linnet for years and it was a new species for the caravan site.

Linnet

I used the bat detector most nights and it is good to know the bats are still around the caravan. They weren't appearing until about 10.30 pm so it wasn't easy to see them unless they were flying against the sky.

We left early Saturday afternoon. Hopefully, it won't be too long before we return and I hope it will be a bit cooler next time! Static caravans cool down quickly at night but they heat up in the sun very quickly in the daytime :(  I am very pleased we thought to buy a tower fan last year!

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Brief Trip to Herefordshire - end of June and beginning of July

 

I thought I'd take a short break from writing about the Isle of Wight (the post on Godshill will now be the one after this!)  as we had a short visit of three nights last week to Herefordshire.  For one reason and another (heatwaves, Isle of Wight holiday, family birthday and medical appointments) we haven't been able to go for 5 weeks and I was really really worried about the plants there. I have really missed Herefordshire too!

We didn't do a lot to be honest apart from some gardening and a trip to Morrisons Leominster to stock up on food.  D didn't come this time and I do miss his company as he always motivates me to go out although I had also developed yet another bout of cellulitis so it wasn't easy walking very far. I spent a lot of time watching the birds and butterflies and reading a very good book published by Logaston Press on the Ludlow Castle Heraldic Roll

Timothy at the front of the caravan.

There hasn't really been any change in the Herefordshire Trees

Herefordshire Oak

Constable Tree

Octopus Tree

Unbelievably most of the plants in the border and garden had survived.  The main casualties were those planted in pots even though we leave an upside down wine bottle filled with water with a small hole in the lid in them.  It does somewhat ruin the photos but usually if we are only away from Hatfield for a few weeks it keeps the plants watered.

I lost my orange dahlia bought earlier this year which I was upset about as D had repotted it for me.  The rosemary looks less than healthy but hopefully will recover.  The thyme has died although to be honest the plants needed replacing anyway.

The rose has suffered but at least it is still alive and perked up when it was watered well and deadheaded after this photo was taken!

The pink geranium I also bought earlier this year and also repotted by D had survived  and was full of flowers.

The succulents are doing well but to be honest they don't need much water. In fact, they probably prefer it to be dryer!

The mini alliums, mint, new lavender and a chilli plant D took there last visit were all fine.

Only one nasturtium came up from the nasturtium and pot marigold seeds planted which is a shame.

Unfortunately the apple tree in the garden which had a lot of fruit this year has lost a lot of apples.  I am not sure if this is due to the dry weather, or the fact that I think they do sometimes shed apples or a combination of both!

B wasn't happy that two teasels had regrown in the garden.  When we first planted them they took over the small garden and self seeded everywhere even in the gravel! They are great for pollinators when they flower though and goldfinches love the seeds.

The perennial wall flower is still flowering and my favourite hollyhock in the border is now in flower.

Red (or rather yellow) hot cross pokers.

Timothy relaxing on the sofa.

We arrived on the Tuesday and came back Friday evening for a family birthday.  We thought travelling in the evening would mean less traffic but as it happened it took over an hour longer to get home than usual.  The M5 was closed between Droitwich and the M42 juction which created havoc!!!

Next post I will return to the Isle of Wight holiday and Godshill!

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

May Visit to Herefordshire

 

The week before last after visiting Brueton Park LNR on the Tuesday with D, B and I went to the static caravan in Herefordshire just for three nights as the weather forecast didn't seem too good. As it turned out it was dry and sunny most of the time!

Since our April visits the Herefordshire Trees are now in leaf.

Herefordshire Oak

Octopus Tree

Constable Tree

The rose in a pot we bought last year has developed lots of new growth.

The bay tree is doing well.

Both brooms in one of the borders are flowering really well.

The apple tree has blossom. We had a really good crop of cooking apples last year from this tree.

D planted this sage which he had grown from seed and it is doing really well. This year it is flowering.

I planted just one Fox and Cubs and it is spreading!

Periwinkle and Hawthorn

The perennial wallflower I planted is growing really well.

Forget-me-Nots

Leaf Mining Bees are using the bee hotel again this year.

Thursday we went into Tenbury Wells to do a food shop at Tesco. The hedgerows and grass verges are looking wonderful full of hawthorn flowers, buttercups, dandelions, cow parsley and red campion. I do love the month of May.

We didn't go anywhere on the Friday as B wanted to garden. At tea time there were showers and a rainbow.

The field in front of the caravan is full of dandelions - so good for pollinating insects.

Hawthorn

Last month B and D put some mistletoe berries into one of the branches on the apple tree and we were thrilled to see one was sprouting although I think it can take several years before the mistletoe plant starts to appear.

I used the bat detector on the Friday evening and it was picking up calls although it was too dark to see the bats.  I am really pleased that there are still hedgehogs on the site as there were droppings on the grass.  I will start putting food out for them again when we next visit. I was worried last year that they had suffered from the dry weather as the food just wasn't getting eaten. House Martins are back on the site too.

We came home on the Saturday lunchtime. Hopefully, we will return soon and stay for longer.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).