Still Standing

During our week away Anne looked after the polytunnel for us. Unfortunately there were strong winds. Our own garden lost most of the sunflowers and hollyhocks, some in full flower but at Freshwinds Garden they have survived, almost.

 I did come home with a huge bunch.

But the poor dahlias had been flattened in places and looked very sorry for themselves.

Some paths were inpassable with bright yellow helianthus bowed down to the ground and nevertheless covered in bees, self-seeded borage going wild and deep orange tithonia leaning at 45 degrees. So that was a priority, but not before a long chat with Anne in the warm sunshine. 

 

The Michaelmus daisy was beautiful as always attracting so many insects, including a tatty Peacock butterfly.

 

As we assessed the damage, a group of campers came through on their way home, complimenting us on the beautiful garden and saying it was a lovely place to be. Sometimes we need to heed these comments and look with different eyes.

 

The pirate scarecrow was indoors. He must have fallen in the high winds. But two remain. It won`t be long before they go inside for the winter months.

 

We enjoyed a very warm teabreak as I tied more colourful bunches of statice and laid helichrysum flowers to dry.

 

We were loaded up with tomatoes, courgettes, red peppers and beans. 

 

 

It was inevitable that we had stuffed red peppers for dinner.

 

These early autumn days are a total bonus and to be savoured to the last minute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink Sunrises and Rickety Rails

At long long last we have returned to the Greek Islands, Lefkada to be precise, after a four year break. We couldn`t have asked for a better week. It was hot hot hot. We were mightily glad of our lovely shaded areas.

The villa was truly beautiful with views of Nidri town and the further islands, once owned by the Onassis family. From our hilltop home we could watch the pink sunrise.

And the sparkling seas.

We watched the ferry to Meganissi and the smaller boats going in and out as well as white-sailed yachts. In the afternoon we could watch parasailing around the bays.

 We had a warm, turquoise pool and my sister and I stepped up the lengths throughout the week, with her beating me by a long chalk!!! 

 

We had a wonderful shower to wash off the chlorine. And it had a great view.

 
Our exploration of the nearest beaches turned up one not very good and one just up our street; the latter reached by steep concrete steps, very narrow, backed by vegetation and with sea like a millpond. The water was very clear and it was possible to see the many tiny fish, some of which gave a nip every now and again.It certainly encouraged plenty of movement in the water, adding to our swimming targets.

 

We had lovely simple lunches on our terrific terrace.

 

Then we lazed the afternoons away, crafting, reading interspersed with bouts of swimming.

 

  I always love to craft on holiday and I made up a pack of felt llamas. Here is the finished result, hung on a cycad.

 

 

In the evenings we walked down the hill to the restaurants enjoying shrubs which I have never seen before .... 

 

 

 

 ...... Duranta Repens.

 

..... and encountering a horse and rider galloping along the main road accompanied by a moped!!

Past the scrawny blond dog who barked at us the first nght but thereafter wagged its tail whenever we spoke to it. After our first interaction, which must have been observed, a sign appeared next day saying in English, "Do not feed the dog."

 

 The walk was 25 minutes each way. On the first evening I wondered how I I was going to do this for seven days and it would be true to say that I had aching calves for two days. I felt like an old lady (well I suppose I am!!!) hobbling up the steps and hanging on to the rickety rail.

 

But then it began to get easier. By the end of the week we weren`t exactly running up the hill but we did find our fitness levels improving.

 

Oh how I love the Greek food. 

The ambience of the restaurants, so hard to describe.

The lovely waiters, friendly, happy in their work, sharing their glee when the young and beautiful come to eat. Saving the blue Indian wrap left behind the night before. The warmth of the evening, the savouring of the aromas, the sea lapping nearby and the Scops owl calling in the pine trees above.

This is stuffed red peppers. The filling ..... crumbly feta cheese.

One had gone before I remembered to take a photo.

 

Here is Paula`s salad which she shared with me.

 

 

On the way home an orange tinged moon accompanying us. The sky so clear I managed to get a fairly good picture.

Passing the tall white eremurus, glowing in our torchlight. And the old ruined windmill with its gaping doorway.

 

And so back to the villa for a nightcap .... ouzo!! And to enjoy the nightime views.

 

We are home now but what memories we have made.

 

 

Sunflower Heaven

This post is all about late colour. And what a range of colour we still have. Summer has continued with baking hot days, delightful swims in the sea for 6 days running and birthday parties in the garden. And long may it last.

Monty Don said that Tithonia haven`t done so well this year but ours have been fine though they took a while to get going.

 

The sunflowers are amazing. Many have seeded themselves. We just let them do their own thing. You never know what you are going to get. But many I have grown from seed.
 

Some of these plants have about 50 heads on them.

I am worried about wind in the forecast and for that reason I try to deadhead to keep the weight down. But it is impossible to reach some of them (the polytunnel is 8 feet so you can work that out) 

Some are tall and some are small. But what ever size they are, they have been superb this year.

The green manure phacelia is about to flower. This can be dug back into the ground. Some rogue rapeseed is flowering even earlier.

Here is an early flower. 

Annuals are making a last minute show. I am still picking bunches of beautiful statice and bright helichrysum flowers .... all drying in the polytunnel. Some bunches are for sale on the craft stall, to cheer you up in the winter months. They hold their colour well.

This incredible rose is having a very welcome second showing.

Cooker and eating apples. When I am picking the apples I have to be careful not to tread on the guinea pigs which run free in the mini-orchard. They like to nibble on the fallen fruit.

 

I am pleased to report that the sedum plant I raised from a cutting has taken away really well.

 

The fabulous frogs are active in the rather over-grown pond. They plop into the depths as soon as they see my shadow. The secret is to creep up as low as possible.

If you are quiet and unseen you may catch a tantalising glimpse.

 

 

Happy happy days.

A Morning Ride

Oh I had a treat and a half today. I was invited to go for a ride with Hollie and Anne, Willow the Shire horse and the carriage. They picked me up outside the house.

And off we went up the lane at a very stately pace. 

Willow has been training for 6 weeks and Hollie has been taking her out each day. We often hear her clip clopping by. My sister Paula said she could hear us from her garden which is just across the field.

Well it was pretty high up and we got a good view into everyone`s gardens and across the fields and hedges.

It was a perfect day. Lots of people calling from their cars as they passed .... "what a pleasure to see" etc and lots of greetings from villagers.

The carriage definitely has a feel-good factor.

We picked up a passenger, another Anne, for a short ride .... she was striding off to Pett Level for a swim. We dropped her off at Pannel Lane.

 

In the lane the blackberries were hanging thick and ripe, the chestnuts were pale green and the hawthorn was a rich red. We passed the tall willow trees being grown to make cricket bats and Hollie executed a perfect turn near the stream.

The pace was restful, the sound of the hooves mesmerising and the early autumn countryside glorious in baking sunshine.

It was particularly lovely in the shady parts of the lane where Willow made a sterling effort up the hills.

After a bit of a haul, where Anne nobly alighted and pushed, in order to help Willow, we stopped for very welcome refreshments which was a lovely surprise .... juice and fruit cake. Perfect.

We came back along the Pett Road, past the Two Sawyers and so back into our own Watermill Lane and on down to the farm.

 

 

Steve met us on the drive and hopped on for the last bit.

 

Here they are back in the main yard.

 

It was a totally delightful experience  and put me in mind of ancient memories.

This is me at about one year old in my special seat with my Dad, delivering logs to customers in Fairlight, with our horse Jim and the cart. I remember it well and the giggling between me and Dad when the horse did a pooh. I was pretty close to the tail.

Thank you Hollie, Anne and of course Willow for a lovely morning ride.