A surprise delivery for Christmas Eve came in a long promising looking box: which Bella found very exciting: Well so did I actually. This was my long awaited second pear tree, bought with some birthday money a few months ago … Continue reading Pigeons in a pear tree – Happy Christmas
We woke up to a winter wonderland this morning. The first thing that struck me was the animal tracks in the snow. A tiny mouse had walked across the patio to the pond: A fox, I think, had wandered all … Continue reading Tracks in the snow
After all the unseasonalness of the last couple of weeks, today felt proper Novembery. The forecast is for the temperature to dip below freezing tonight so I got out in the garden to do some tidying up and harvest a few bits and pieces. The Wonder of Four Seasons lettuces are living up to their name, with a few juicy looking plants still growing nicely: I harvested one and covered the others with some plastic sheeting in the hope that this will keep them going for a bit longer. the lettuces were already covered with freezer baskets to keep Bella … Continue reading Novembery
I’m quite good at multitasking but this weekend I have failed to do all the things I needed to do: tidy up the garden, visit my mother, celebrate 5 family October birthdays that all fall within a fortnight, go to … Continue reading Multitasking
It’s been a bit of a week (a bit of a month actually) but it was a lovely evening so we had our tea in the garden – we had ‘leftover delight’, which is basically ‘what’s in the fridge? Let’s just heat it up’. Tonight that meant leftover vegetable curry with some rather aged microwaveable rice. It all tasted fine. What was really delightful though was the complete mess of self-seeded and other flowers, waving around in the wind, and Bella walking purposefully past on her way to check out any leftovers under the garden table. The garden has gone … Continue reading Friday night delight
Yes, pears, not bears. The baby pear tree which has done nothing very much for the last three and a half years, has blossom. I’m very excited but also a little worried. This little tree has chosen to have it’s blossom debut in the middle of a cold snap, just after a mini heatwave. I covered it with some ‘may come in handy some time’ plastic from the shed during the very cold nights last week and it seems to have survived Just as well. We had ice on the pond on a couple of mornings. Bella likes to check … Continue reading There may be pears
It’s been a day of contrasts – frost and ice first thing in the morning followed by glorious sunshine. Bella went out to check the ice on the pond, which was surrounded by frosty grass. Meanwhile, at the back of the garden the sun was shining on the first daffodils. Everything was glorious and I should have spent the day in the garden, or the allotment, or at the very least, sowing seeds indoors. Instead I made a trip to an out of town garden centre. I had a choice between going to one where I can get a bus … Continue reading A day of contrasts
We come to the end of another year. What is there to say about 2021? Too much really but here on Reclaiming Paradise it is time to celebrate all that has been good, surprising or downright disappointing in the garden and allotment. Wonderful weather The winter brought some wonderful frost, snow and ice The cowometer came back into use – for a view of its highest reading since records began, see here We also had impressive thunderstorms and flooding in July (no photos) but the award goes to the ice on the pond in February which enabled Bella to perfect … Continue reading Reclaiming Paradise Awards 2021
I usually try and capture the light on the shortest day of the year. Yesterday I wasn’t convinced there was any, there certainly wasn’t any sunshine. I lit this candle at breakfast time as the ‘sun was rising’ but the sun hid behind fog and clouds all day. Oh well, at least it’s getting lighter now in theory and the sun will no doubt emerge some time over the holiday period. Advent calendar update: we’ve had Bella, sprouts, redcurrants, tomatoes, pink peas and some festive holly I’ve fallen behind a bit with the small moments of wildness and wonder, but … Continue reading Solstice
It has taken me a wee while to write this post but it is with great sadness that I am writing in memory of our beautiful Chelsea, who arrived in our lives in November 2014, as the autumn leaves were falling. We found her in a cat rescue and fell in love with her astonishing colouring and her friendly nature. To begin with she lived with my mother, providing companionship as my mother adapted to living on her own after my father died. Chelsea was always an outdoor cat, never happier than chasing leaves and exploring my mother’s increasingly neglected … Continue reading When autumn leaves start to fall
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