Blissful Rain ~~~ Introducing Whilber ~~~

Gentle Reader ~~~ Are you like me ~~~ totally and completely besotted and obsessed with that most enchanting of all the seasons

~~~ Blissful Autumn ~~~ 

Are you impatient, and cannot wait for the days of heady Summer heat to cool to more bearable warmth, for the leaves to turn colour and fall from the trees, for the days of hot chocolate, mittens and scarves, and long walks in the countryside of the turning year?   

I could not wait a moment longer, and as soon as I was able to turn the page on my Susan Branch 2014 wall calendar, {I have just ordered my 2015 ones} so I have changed the background here on our little corner of The Shire to one of my lovely sunflowers pictures from previous years and the colour scheme is now more Autumnal too ~~~ soon I will put an Autumn themed header in too, but for now there is one of the corner with all the oregano and lavender in ~~~ I hope you like the changes ~~~

The sky, grey and gloomy, heavily humid for days, emptied blissful rain upon the earth, and all is glistening and fresh, the dust of weeks is washed away, the air this morning cooler, clearer, and all together very pleasant indeed, despite the sky still overcast.  The grass, dry, parched, and brown, will soon be growing green again and the Garden is cleansed and refreshed by beautiful, blissful raindrops ~~~ sometimes gentle, sometimes heavy and torrential ~~~ as you will see from the amount of water collected in Whilber {oh, I do not believe you have met Whilber, so, Gentle Reader, may I introduce Whilber?}

Whilber is one of two Welsh names for wheelbarrow ~ the other being berfa ~ so Whilber is what I have called my wheelbarrow. This one is actually Whilber III but we do not upset Whilber by adding the numbers to his name.  He is just "Whilber" ~~~ and I could not be without Whilber's help in the garden, for he carries many heavy loads for me, compost, rocks and stones, even when I have many bits and bobs to move from one spot to another, Whilber is my constant gardening companion and friend ~~~ 

The rain lashed against the windows of the cottage all night long, and this morning there was quite a depth of water in Whilber so I pulled out a measuring stick and there was just over four and a half inches since yesterday morning!  That is a lot of water in two days.  Of course, it isn't an official measurement, but it does go to show that the garden does not need watering today!

I took advantage of the Summer rain to pop some of my houseplants on the patio during the rain ~~~ the gentle raindrops wash away the dust that is impossible to do on such a fullness of growth on cacti, succulents, and ivy, leaving the plants refreshed and clean once more {in the Winter, I pop them in the shower, but the rain is so much better for them than chemically treated tap water} ~~~

Of course, dewdrops are everywhere this morning, and here are just a few more pictures of dewdrops on blooms and flowers ~~~

I love how things reflect in the droplets as they dangle from the plants ~~~ 

The rain will swell and ripen the few remaining raspberries in the berry patch ~~~ but picking is slowing down now and will soon be over ~~~ doesn't this look so tempting?

Small branches of bramble, laden with a promise of blackberries, bounce in the breezes that drift across the garden ~~~

Soon, the nurturing rain that fell will make it's way up the thirsty stems and swell the tiny fruits into plumptious purple jewels of fragrant berriliciousness ~~~

See how they are already in different stages ~~~ some swollen and darkening to ruby red and the colours of wine, others just behind but still green, and some only just starting to form as berries ~~~ all will be picked and turned into my very favourite Apple and Blackberry Crumble, served with lashings of custard ~~~ if the pick is good, then Blackberry Jelly will be made too! 

Oh, wouldn't this last one {above} make a wonderful colour scheme for a room?

Today, I must start the task of deadheading the lilies, to let the goodness that is in the leaves return to the bulbs and not waste the energy of the plant into making seed!  Sadly, the rain has washed away the Stargazers, so I hope the remaining tight buds will open after the rainy spell has passed us by ~~~ my reward for the job of deadheading is this ~~~ 

My September Country Living magazine {UK copy} just arrived through the letterbox and plopped on my doormat ~~~ it is my most favourite magazine, and right along side you see my most favourite mug ~ my Emma Bridgewater "Rose and Bee" mug {which I notice needs to be refilled!}  I just love the sofa on this cover, don't you?  Well, the weather will have to change very quickly if I am to do the deadheading, so I might just reward myself sooner rather than later! I am incorrigible ~~~

Whatever the weather, there is always work for the Gardener, so remember that ~~~ 

~~~ A Gardener's Work Is Never Done ~~~

Fairies in the Garden ~~~ When Life Gives You Raindrops ~~~

Gentle Reader ~~~ I cannot believe that it is over a week since I posted!  By now, I have picked so many boxes of soft fruit I am starting to feel like a berry!  The first batch of Raspberry Jam was made here and boxes are now stacking up in the deep freeze, full of more raspberries, blackcurrants, and gooseberries.  I hope the courgettes crop as well as the soft fruit has done!  Oh, and there are still many more raspberries and blackcurrants to pick again!  At this time of year I feel like a soft fruit picking and processing machine ~ I also know, from the arduous job of topping and tailing why companies such as Ribena make only juice drinks!

Have you ever picked raspberries?  Did you notice how, as soon as you think you have picked the last one, you turn around and there are more?  They have a quaint knack of hiding themselves, to pop out and say "Boo! ~ You missed me!" ~~~ I have learned much about raspberries this summer and there is much to do so things will be more productive and easier to manage next summer!

I have picked the first tomatoes ~~ and eaten them ~~ with two more picks since.  I must go and tie up the stems too, for they have slipped a little and the branches are sagging, laden with fruits ~~

They are growing up against a south facing wall, in a Gro~bag and coming along very well, I think!

Here is a little update on other things growing and coming along ~~~ do you remember I said the Butternut Squash had found themselves on the menu for slugs, along with the runner beans?  Well, sad to say, the runner beans will not recover now, but I have managed to save two of the four lovely Butternut squash seedlings and they, so far, are recovering.  I will take photographs when they are looking better again!

The courgette plants are growing steadily, although two are eaten almost completely away by slugs, another is recovering, two are doing quite well, and two are taking off!  Such a difference in seven plants all sown and planted out together!   Here are the two strongest and most healthy ~~~ and I think you will agree that they are quite sturdy plants indeed ~~~

The carrot experiment continues in the bin ~~~ I have sown more seed in the gaps ~~~ a full conclusion will only be reached, though, once harvest is made ~~~ for only then will I know if the carrot fly failed and my plan worked ~~~

Here are just a few of the tiny seedlings of Swiss Chard that germinated ~~~ very soon they will need thinning and weeding too!  The twigs are there to protect the seedlings from birds and cats ~~~
I am looking forward to Swiss Chard in a cheese sauce this winter! ~~~ oh! and the seeds were well past their 'sow before' date by about four years or more ~~~ I always say the old, folklore adage of "one year's seeds is seven years weeds" holds true for vegetable seeds too! 

The weather has not been brilliant ~ lots of thundery showers, sticky and humid ~ you know the sort ~ and with the wind too, some of the flowers are going over more rapidly than usual.  However, always one to be on the lookout for something to snare with my lens, I took these ~~ they are my Fairies in the Garden photographs!  I hope you like them, I think they are quite fun ~~~ take a close look, see if you can guess what they are and I will tell you later on ~~ Remember ~~~ when life gives you raindrops ~~~ take photographs! ~~~

As well as Fairies, we have fairy clothing, or gloves for foxes!  They say foxgloves are so called because foxes wear them to soften the sound of their padding paws, but I rather fancy them as little hats for tiny fairies dancing in the pale moon light as it casts silvery shadows across the lawn ~~~ there are volumes of folk lore attached to these beautiful, elegant spikes that line our hedgerows and paint our gardens ~~~ freely seeding, I have never been without foxgloves in my garden ~~~

I love the green caps that hold the glove to the stem ~~~

I love how close the gloves are to each other ~~~

~~~ and I love the spots inside and the tiny hairs that point the way for bees to gather honey ~~~

For those of you who are fans of Tasha Tudor {as am I, she is a particular heroine of mine} you may know that she had much of this in her garden ~~~ Rose Bay Willow Herb or Fireweed ~~~ and I have much of it too!

I am pleased to say that the Evening Primrose is still seeding around my garden, and I found some growing on the old stone hedge ~~~

I took this for reference, because I love how the colours and textures all work together ~ well, I think they do ~ I love the frothy white oregano flowers, the purple lavender spikes, and the bright acid yellow of the oregano leaves {Alchemilla Mollis would work well in this group also} It is important, when planning, to keep a record of things you like, things that work well together, and, very importantly ~~~ things that thrive in your soil and situation ~~~

I love this purple Clematis bloom, softly moistened with early morning dew ~~~

I have dead headed pots and tubs of flowers on so many evenings this past week ~~~ an arduous task but must be done ~~~ put your portable radio on with some good music and switch your mind off from the job ~~ then set to work with your tiny snips removing all the spent blooms before they set seed ~~~ for soon you will be rewarded with more flowers and fragrance ~~~ the trick is to fool the plant into thinking it still needs to make seed ~~~ it will make more flowers if the already fertilised flowers are taken away ~~~

Here is the view from my cottage, across the early morning fields, bathed in a swaddling mist of night ~~~

Here is the same angle, with those fields in the distance, showing the Elizabeth roses that bloom in profusion outside my window ~~~ what a sight to wake up to each Summer's morn ~~~

Am I blessed, or am I blessed?  I am very blessed indeed, and I give thanks for this each day when I look out across The Shire ~~~

Did you guess what those Fairy photographs were of yet?  Well, here they were just a few days before ~ the seed heads of a tiny Willow Herb that I captured as it broke open ~~~ quite feathery looking with that row of black seeds just waiting for the right moment to fling themselves into the wind ~~~

Unfortunately for them, they picked the wrong day!  They sprung forth from their spring~loaded pods straight into a nearby spider web and then it rained!  I just happened to notice the fluffy, dew~covered web and put my camera to work immediately!  Seren~dipity~do~dah!  ~~~

Then, the sun came out again and left them high and dry ~~~ still trapped, forever, in a spider's web of doom! {shudders} See how different it looks ~ yet you can see exactly what it is too ~~~

Finally, here is a little hover fly drinking nectar from a purple Verbena Bonariensis ~~~ a nectar rich plant which does well in the Garden, seeding everywhere, standing up to the winds as it bends on whippy, elegantly long stems, providing colour, structure, and nectar for the butterflies and bees ~~~

~~~A Gardener's Work Is Never Done~~~

Berry Picking in The Garden and The Best Brownies this Side of The Pond ~~~

Gentle Reader ~~~ Welcome to the Garden on a beautiful Summer's afternoon ~~~ we have had some "rain stops play" weather this week, but it gave the garden, fruit, and vegetables some much needed watering and, of course, I had a most welcomed rest from lugging heavy watering cans! {big, smiley face icon here}  Mists swirled across the Shire and, as a friend said of this picture, "it is very Brigadoon~ish" I love that film!  Remember, it is Wimbledon so we must have rain ~~~

 {apologies ~ I could not resist making this photograph very large as I wanted you to see the land rising like islands out of the mists but just scroll along sideways and you can see it all}

As the rain fell the dust of weeks was washed away and the ground turned dark once again and leaves glowed brightly and appreciatively in the golden sun when it finally broke through the heavy, thundery rain clouds ~~~ and I watched ~~~ my eyes glittering ~~~ and I found magic ~~~

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”  {Roald Dahl}

Glittering silver and golden raindrops ~~~ full of magic ~~~ sprinkled and strewn across the garden ~~~ I looked and and I found that which is hidden in the most unlikely places ~~~

 

I have picked a lot of raspberries in the last two days and I think this evening I might be making jam, if not today then definitely by tomorrow or Tuesday.  The picking is good but a constant battle against Mamma Blackbird who seems to think I've gone to all this effort for her dining pleasure!  I do not begrudge her some and I reckon I'm happy to allow up to a ten percent loss on my crop for the birds and mice ~~~ as long as I have enough for my Winter table then I am happy ~~~

~~~ I do wish, though, she wouldn't dive at me all the time ~~~

Right now there are bowls of freshly picked berries lined up on my kitchen counter top ~~~ raspberries ~ loganberries ~ blackcurrants ~ and gooseberries ~ oh! yummilicious things will be a jammin' and a pie~in' and a freezin' and a bakin' ~~~

Monty Don said, on BBC Two's Gardener's World programme aired last Friday that it is not too late to sow a wide variety of seeds, and he dug in and planted several courgettes that are at about the same stage as my left over plants still in their pots, so I am now in the process of digging in four more courgettes!  I reckon I will have a really good supply now ~~~ plenty for my plate, sharing, and chutney too ~~~ oh! yummy!  I will be happy if they grow for the space will be otherwise empty this summer ~~~

I have noticed that the planted into the ground earlier are much smaller but have more leaves, whereas the ones I have planted out today have fewer leaves but they are much bigger and stronger looking ~~~ so now the comparison begins!

This is the big leap of faith day too ~~~ the courgettes I planted out earlier, and my leaves are now too big for their night time 'slug and snail' protective cloches so from tonight they, and the runner beans, are on their own.  Of course I am afraid for them but they need their freedom now to grow and flourish if they are left alone ~~~ so, this morning I put the canes in and loosely tied the runner beans on using a "figure of eight" loop so as not to damage the delicate stems ~~~ oh! and the carrots have germinated ~ and a lot earlier than I thought.  It is not worth a photograph at present for they are mere specks of green on the surface of the compost but they are there!

Now, Gentle Reader ~~~ you know as well as anybody else that I love my cake and tea ~~~ and this week I have made a discovery and have decided to share it with you ~~~ I have discovered Sugar Moon Brownies that come to you by mail order ~~~ I have waxed lyrical over these delectable, home baked morsels of deliciousness on my Facebook page and now I will tell you about them here.  I ordered them on Monday and they were here on Wednesday ~~ so that is a BIG B~Z to Royal Mail {as well as to Sugar Moon for baking them on Tuesday} ~~ I did feel for the poor postie afterwards though, I think I have scarred him for life, for I confess to lying in wait for him and accosting him as he got to my door ~~~ but it was worth it {although he might not agree!}

This is the lovely brown box in which they arrived ~~ see, that is my name on the label and sweet Alice is on the sticker in the corner ~~ this is as close as you can get these days to a 'brown paper package tied up with string' {one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite films}

Open the box to a lovely card on top ~~ and a personalised Thank You from Rachel {the owner and baker} of Sugar Moon Brownies ~~

and through the layers of protective packaging to the first brown paper package tied up with a ribbon ~~

and to the second layer ~~ can you see me smiling?

oh, boy! do you see me smile now??? 

and if those weren't enough ~~~

Now, I've eaten some brownies in my time but I'm telling you these are the best I've ever had ~~~ these are perfect brownies.  Deliciously rich and decadent, perfectly moist and fudgey, slightly crumbly, and choc full of chunky chocolate pieces in milk, white, and dark that just melt in the mouth ~~ I had three sorts: Chocolate, Chocolate and Orange, and Walnut Fudge ~~~ each as delicious as the next ~~~ they are perfect {there's that word again} with coffee, or tea, or with vanilla Haagen Dazs {warming the brownie first is optional} or just on their own.  I slowly savoured each delicious mouthful, carefully picking up the crumbs on my fingers so as not to waste a single nibble ~~~ oh, there is my Emma Bridgewater mug hiding in this photograph too ~ more smiles!

All I can say is try them ~ if you love brownies you will not be disappointed.  I think they are the best brownies this side of The Pond.  Just get yourself settled in your comfy chair, make a pot of tea, grab a copy of your favourite magazine or a good book, take the phone off the hook {very important that} and curl up and enjoy yourself ~~~ next time I'm chasing the Salted Caramel ones as I have a bit of a thing going on with anything salted caramel at the moment ~~~

On that note, I am off to warm up a Chocolate Brownie and serve it in a limited edition Emma Bridgewater bowl with a scoop or two of Vanilla Haagen Dazs ice cream ~~~ after all I've worked hard in the garden today and I've earned it!  Remember ~~~

~~~A Gardener's Work Is Never Done~~~

Raindrops, Sunbeams, a Mystery, and a Find ~~~

Gentle Reader ~~~ how I wish I could share with you, not only the fragrances that scent the air but the sounds of The Shire ~~~ for this very morn I awoke to golden sunlight streaming through my window and when I opened it wide to let in those sweet scents of the rambling rose and pinks just outside, the sounds of The Shire tumbled in too ~~~ the bees are a buzzin' in the buds that are blooming and burgeoning with pollen for them to make honey for tea ~~~ the birds are a twittering and a tweeting their songs ~~~ and the most joyful sound of church bells pealing out across the valley and the parish on this blissful Sunday morning in The Shire ~~~

Today there are raindrops and sunbeams, a mystery and a find ~~~

Over on Facebook, where some of us are Friends, I have been taking part in a "One Hundred Days of Things that Make me Happy" ~~~ right now we are up to day 31 ~~~ but yesterday I said that one of the things that makes me happy is looking at things differently ~~~ so here is the underneath of one of the cream Oriental lilies that opened this week, and we are looking at it differently ~~~ one thing that stands out to my eye is that it is anything but cream!  Look at all those colours within the petals ~~~ from the normal view it would be more or less just cream but from underneath there are the most vibrant and delicious deep purpley~reds ~~~

The farmers have been making hay while the sun shines ~~~ at the end of last week these fields were cut and already they are starting to show signs of greening up again for the next cut of hay or silage ~~~ I love the patchwork effect, all the different textures and colours too ~~~ and the old, red clay ridge tiles of a chapel abandoned long ago and now turned into an art gallery ~~~

I told you there is a find and here it is ~~~ are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin ~~~ a long time ago my dear Aunt gave my mother a clematis as a birthday gift. With all honesty I cannot tell you exactly how long ago this gift was given, but it is at least eighteen years, maybe more, for it was in the ground a long while before I came to live in the cottage in The Shire ~~~

The plant did not thrive and eventually did not return and so was proclaimed lost, never to be seen again ~~~ until this very afternoon when the bad weather suddenly lifted, the grey clouds disappeared, the sun started to shine brightly, and my eye was drawn to something purple~pink in the middle of a very large patch of Japanese Wind Anemones ~~~ I went to see what it was {for curiosity always gets the better of this enquiring mind} and Oh! My Giddy Aunt ~~~ if it isn't a clematis flower ~~~ I began pushing back the anemones and carefully tracing as many of the multitude of spirally tendrils and stems as I could unravel and could hardly believe my eyes as they traced right back to the very spot where my late father planted the clematis all those years ago ~~~ indeed it must be the very same plant given to my mother all those years past and that has not been seen in the garden for nigh on twelve years. It has either lain dormant until the conditions were right, or it has grown in the deep shade underneath the planting of the border, not coming into the light until this year. It is a miracle ~~~

The climbing frame that supported it has long since rusted and been thrown out, so with nothing to hand but a few bits and pieces and my imagination I have rigged up an emergency support from two shorter supports and a few iron poles that were lying around ~~~ I have twisted the fragile and spirally growth around and will shortly {after my tea and cake} go and tie it on to the support for added stability ~~~ a small piece snapped off so I shall pot that up too and see if it takes ~~~ I do love free plants ~ what gardener doesn't?  Here are some photographs and it looks in a very healthy condition to me, despite the adventure ~~~

 

Now to the mystery ~~~ isn't this a lovely blue flower?  Well ~~~ this was found in my 'waiting to be composted' corner ~~~ I knew it came from a packet of Seeds of Italy Radicchio seeds and had been overlooked and run to seed, but had no idea what it is.  It was correctly identified by one of  my Facebook friends who follows A Garden In The Shire page as a chicory flower!  How amazing is that? Now I want to grow these just for the pretty blue flowers ~~~

One of my favourite things in the garden are my herbs and this corner is alive with busy buzzy bees all day long ~~~ with lavender, oregano, rosemary, and more to attract them in ~~~

The fennel blooms are tight and ready to unfurl ~~~

The borage, brightly blue against the feverfew, will make a lovely garnish on a Pimm's or G&T

Do you remember just last week I showed you this?  These are the tiny transplanted mixed leaves I sowed a few weeks ago ~~~

Well, less than a week later here they are! My goodness they are growing well ~~~ I will harvest some today for a small garnish which will encourage them to grow more quickly ~~~ soon I will have a salad bowl a day ~~~

Bees love the verbena bonariensis and they are now opening up with another source of pollen and nectar ~~~ I started with just three plants about twelve years ago and now they grow, self seeded, throughout the garden ~~~

The poor verbascum carries on blooming beautifully despite being denuded of leaves ~~~

The Nigella has started going over into these magical seed pods ~~~

and something is growing in a discarded pot ~~~ I know not what so it will have a chance to prove it's worth and then I will decide to keep it or not ~~~

Looking at things differently again ~~~ the reflection of my garden and deer antlers in a shiny silver orb ~~~

and never despair when it rains, for we need the rain, and then it gives us rainbows ~~~ or in this case ~~~ some bright clouds and raindrops on a window pane ~~~

When the sun comes out after a long, cloudy, grey day over The Shire it does it in style ~~~ how magical is this ~~~ the radial rays of sun through the cloud ~~~ like some old master painting or an Art Deco pattern ~~~

Finally ~~~ when life gives you raindrops ~~~ take photographs!  More of the garden from a very different angle again ~~~ upside down and back to front ~~~

Until next time Gentle Reader ~~~ remember that ~~~

 ~~~A Gardener's Work Is Never Done~~~