Wren Pods and Silk Bunting

 We've been waiting for snow all day. It did not come. I feel very disappointed.

But when I woke up this morning the sky was beautiful at 7 a.m.

"Red sky in the morning, Shepherds' warning."

V

Amazing sight.

We did get to the garden on Friday. I cleared an area by the big water tank ..... brambles and nettles. I would love to seed this area with wild flowers but we'll need to rid it of roots.

Before 

After.

I was very pleased when John Cooke offered us this wood from a demolition he was working on, because it is perfect for securing our wire netting.

At home I've been busy making silk bunting .... four lots for the garden this summer and some for presents.

Here is the latest halfway through.

Another idea I am trying is wren roosting pods. They are crocheted in thicker wool. I saw them on 

Winter Watch. The wrens bundle inside to keep warm.

I have another very special project on the go.

More next time.

Oh and Woody has a friend.

Floppy Woody and Zoom

The sun has been shining but the ground is very wet .

We made a visit yesterday and I completed the over-grown  hedge at the far end of the garden with help from Steve. It all went to the bonfire area.

Steve dug out yet another compost heap and we pruned two apple trees.

Oh there are plenty of jobs to be done.

At home the usual January jobs are well under way.

Having found two boxes of silk fabric in our loft, I decided to make some bright bunting for the garden for this summer.

Here are the flags arranged across the carpet.

My other project has been a floppy Woody from Toy Story.

I began with a sketch and cut out the pieces from felt ....

I filled him with plastic beads to make him floppy.

Here he is completed.

I am doing Zoom lessons for my nephew Frazer, every week day.

It is strange for me to be back teaching again but I am enjoying it especially finding things to engage him. I am trying to make it a lot of fun, whilst the lock-down continues.

Snowdrops are just showing and the pink helleborus shines bright amongst the foliage. Spring is just around the corner.

Icy Ponds

We made our first visit of the year to Freshwinds Garden. It was a cold sunny morning and glorious to be outside.

It was up-lifting.

Even more up-lifting was digging out the middle compost. The soil was lovely, after I'd taken the top layer off. We managed 5 barrowloads in the short time we were there.

They all laugh at me when I get excited about the consistency of our compost.

I think it is because I am totally gobsmacked at the way it works .... every time.

The polytunnel was the place to be .... warm and inviting. I didn't stay long, cleaning gladioli, however. 

The pond was iced over.

Anne has been measuring up for the new tortoise run and we took stock of our next jobs .....

.....an overgrown bit of hedge to cut .....

.....an apple tree to prune.

I am very happy with a newly cleared bit of path.

As we turned our faces to the warm, sun we could hear the sound of India practising her harp from the new yurt.

Lovely.

 

Of Cable Tables and Broken Butterflies Review 2020 Part 2

The lovely weather continued and at last visitors came back. Everyone was glad to have a break from the lock-downs.

July

We created a "beach" in the pond and sourced turf for the edges. The wildlife was back immediately.

Cordoned off to establish new grass

A new beach

We placed the fairy palace in a different position. Many children enjoyed peering inside.

We enhanced our outdoor seating area with potted geraniums and troughs of sedum as well as potted climbers and a fig.

The sunflowers and dahlias were totally amazing.

The cable drum fairy table became a focal point for young children.

August 

The colours in August were amazing. People came for well deserved breaks and we had our own mini-holiday in the Owl yurt. The garden and farm became even more of a paradise.

Sun King sunflower

Bunting to cheer everyone up.

 

September

In September we decided that the small apple tree was unproductive and Steve had help from Fletcher to dig it out.

Anne created this stunning butterfly on the side of the cob shed.

The wonderful weather continued.

October

We were totally bewildered and upset when the latest cobbing just dried up and peeled away including the beautiful butterfly.

During the second lock-down, my sister, Paula often walked to the garden for a cuppa and to do a few jobs. We three are in a support bubble.
 

The Michaelmus daisy was its usual flamboyant self.

November

In November a new hard road was being laid, leading down to the yurts. And there was plenty of top soil for the garden.

I began the marathon task of thinning out the flowerbeds where matted perenniels have taken over.

December

We were well ahead with jobs just before Christmas with beds cleared and dug and the herb garden having a make-over.

We had many lovely days right up until Christmas. Here we are enjoying our teabreak in the sunshine.

We have a had a great year in the garden but oh how we have missed the more regular visits from the family .... for sausage sizzles and picnics under the trees. Let`s hope we return to a more normal kind of year for 2021.

Best wishes to all who read my blog and health and happiness for the new year.

Of Ponds and Bird Boxes Review 2020 Part 1

We were doubly glad of Freshwinds in 2020. We were so grateful that we could carry on working there as we dread to think how the garden would have looked otherwise. It has been a great joy and pleasure to us, as always. No visitors were able to come until July.

January

The first job of the year was to complete the fencing at the furthest corner. We had a good clear up all around the compost heaps and I am pleased to say it stayed that way all year.

February

In February Paula and I gave one of the scarecrows a make-over. Steve made four bird boxes and I painted them in bright colours

March

In March the fairy house and caravan had a make-over.                   

 April

In April the green box became home to a family of bluetits.

May

In May Tim set up a huge new water storage tank which can be filled from rain water run-off from the barn. We used this for the garden for part of the year.

Tomatoes were well established

The pond needed work after developing a leak.

Stored plants.

       Anne began the work on the pond by getting all the plants out in the hottest weather. They were stored in an old animal water trough and any other containers we could find. The only reason we could do this very long job, was because there were no visitors at this time.

 

June

By June the garden was looking glorious but still there were no visitors.

The pond had to be shielded from the sun. There was still wildlife in the bottom.

Preparations for the newest yurt were well on the way.....

.......and by the end of the month it was ready. What a space!

Steve and I laid the pond lining.

And so came to an end the first half of the year with the most glorious weather.