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Monday 4 January 2016

Back again, and look what I found in the thyme bank

Silly season is over for another year! I didn't say Happy Crimbo because I just was not in the right frame of mind for any seasonal cheer, but I'd like to wish all my readers a very Happy New Year, and hope that 2016 will be a great year for you. I appreciate all the comments and thank those of you who have subscribed via whatever method - whether you comment or not, if you are reading this then that makes me happy.

I must admit that my Christmas day was not so bad after all. Mostly that was because my kind OH let me watch that Sound of Music Live that had been broadcast the Sunday before Christmas. Wow, I was really impressed by how incredibly professional the production was - I understand from reading about it afterwards that there was one glitch when the youngest girl tripped over a guitar case, but I didn't notice! And who knew that Kara Tointon could sing so well! All in all a brilliant few hours of viewing that got me feeling quite Christmassy after all. Stuffing my face with sweet things helped too, after eating the delicious roast beef and yorkshire pud that my OH cooked (I have to mention that or he will be upset!). Last year because things were different we decided to break from the traditional turkey and I'm glad that we did. Beef is ridiculously expensive and we eat roast chicken often, whereas a beef joint costs an arm and a leg, so it's a real treat. 

I forced myself to do some baking on Christmas Eve and made a Mincemeat Bakewell Tart, which I'd made in 2013 and is absolutely delicious. It's relatively easy too as there is no blind baking involved. I made extra pastry which is sweet with a hint of orange so I could make mince pies with the excess. Yum. Oh and I also made some Peanut Butter Fudge, although I make it with light soft brown sugar rather than dark, and no vanilla, cos I hate the stuff. I'm the only one who likes peanut butter in this house, so what a shame. The pounds are still piling on me. At some point I will have to stop this eating business. :-)  

Yummy!

Icing sugar shaker, French style :-)

Back to the wildlife - I noticed this bird hopping about in the fennel branches so grabbed my camera thinking it was probably a Chiffchaff, then saw that it was a Goldcrest which was much more exciting. But I've just now, upon checking, discovered that it is in fact a Firecrest, which are far less common. I think it's only the second time I've seen one here so despite the poor quality (I was hiding behind the curtains, and there were cobwebs over the less than clean window!) I'm really thrilled with the pictures.

A little Firecrest seen through my living room window.

A few times I have dragged myself out of my gloom and started some of the winter jobs that need doing in the garden. We've attacked and cleared a fair amount of brambles from the side of the pond up the house end, and my OH has been to the tip several times now. I'm currently tidying up the thyme bank which didn't get done last year at all so is a mess. Every year I hack back the thyme really hard and it does it no harm whatsoever. It's a job I usually do in late autumn and it allows the spring bulbs and spring flowering plants a bit of space to do their thing - also if I get around to it, I can add a bit of compost to the soil. However, as I was a-snipping and a-clipping, I noticed the soil seemed a bit dislodged beside an ornamental grass, and that there seemed to be a lot of dead grass under the thyme. Which I started to clear. And then it twitched! I'll show you what it was in pictures.... (you can click on the photos to view larger)

The patch on the right is the cleared area.

Look carefully to the right of the Festuca Glauca grass.
(By the way, look at my Euphorbia! It shouldn't be budding up for ages yet).

Uncovered..... have you guessed by now? :-)

Cropped in to show the spikes. It's a hedgehog for those who are not familiar with them.

I was really surprised to see that it had decided to hibernate here round the front of the house rather than out in the wilds of the back garden! And that it had actually dug down into the soil a bit to make its nest. What also surprised me is that it is hibernating already, given that it has been so mild with barely any frosts. Maybe it has something to do with the amount of light rather than the temperatures? It's now tucked up with loads of dead grass and moss back over it, with the unchopped thyme pulled over it. I am being very careful now to check before I snip, just in case!

Talking of things hibernating, guess what we saw flitting outside our living room window on Christmas Day? None other than a Brimstone butterfly! They are hibernators who may come out on sunny warm winter's days - not that I have ever seen any before in the middle of winter.

As for the flowers, there are still quite a number going on strong, as well as the late winter flowers blooming early. I fear it will end in tears at some point as we are bound to have a cold spell. Well I really hope we do! This is not normal. We have eaten some PSB already but when my OH was harvesting it he found a great big Large White caterpillar on one of the leaves. Ugh - that broccoli got checked over very carefully and I haven't dared eat any curly kale yet. Well it's still waiting for the frost which is supposed to make it taste better! 

The last ? flower on Zephirine Drouhin.

Oriental Hellebore flowering earlier than usual!

Have started having a revamp of the bed it is in,
so have chucked dozens of its babies!
They are dreadful for self seeding all over the place.

That's about it for now. The weather forecast shows a lot of rain over the next week so I don't know how much will get done outside, or when I'll get some new photos but I'll be back at some point when I have something to say. :-)

24 comments:

  1. I understand about not being in The Christmas Spirit this year as I was not either. Did not even post any photos of me wearing silly hats as I always have in the past. But I also would like to wish you a Very Happy New Year Mandy

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    1. Thank you my dear, you had every reason not to feel like celebrating Christmas this year. I wish you a much happier 2016. xx

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  2. Here's wishing you and OH a great 2016 Mandy. Great seeing the Firecrest.... I am really looking forward to Spring now.... hoping weather stays mild apart from the miserable and relentless rain we are getting in Yorkshire.

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    1. Thanks very much Ian. It can only get better this year. Yeah the Firecrest was a treat even though I didn't realise it at the time - when I look at the difference between them and Goldcrests they are quite different facially but it's not like I see them very often to remember! I managed about half an hour attacking brambles this afternoon before rain forced me in again. Oh well. :-)

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  3. Wow, the firecrest is amazing. Lucky to notice that.
    We also had a yellow butterfly in the garden on Christmas Eve so possibly a brimstone. It has been far too warm here but it has all changed now.
    Love the hellebore, we had to leave our lovely big plant behind which was a shame as it was my Mother's.

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    1. It was just luck and being in the right place at the right time! You have been lucky with your weather being much warmer than here these last few months, even though it's been mild here. It's always a shame having to leave plants behind when we move, especially as so many have fond memories attached. Cheers D-woman. :-)

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  4. Happy New Year MMM! It's really good to see you again :) and your beautiful garden! xx

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    1. Hello stranger! How are you? Lovely to hear from you.... I'll have to check out what you've been up to! :-) xx

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  5. Ahh your hellebores are lovely! My absolute favourite flowers, thanks for posting.

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    1. Thanks Bonnie! They are a super flower, and there have even been some bees around them a few times! :-)

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  6. Lovely post Mandy and Happy New Year to you both :)

    It must have been wonderful to see a Brimstone at Christmas and great news about the hedgehog find :) SO jealous of the Firecrest - its one of my "bogey" bird species. Several times I've visited areas locally where they have been reported and always "dipped" :(

    Your hellebore looks beautiful - I was pleased to see on New Year's Day that at least one of the two I planted last year in our garden is coming up and has buds :)

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    1. Thanks very much RR. We were really surprised by the butterfly, especially as we've had warmer sunnier days when none were to be seen! I can't say as it made me feel very Christmassy though! ;-)

      Finding the hedgehog was amazing although I felt very guilty for disturbing it! Glad your hellebores have buds on - and my first snowdrop is fully open today. Seems more like late February! :-)

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  7. Well you did more baking than me at Christmas Mandy!
    I actually watched the Sound of Music Live that you watched plus the sound of music when it was shown a few days ago. I love that film and one day I'm going to Salzburg to visit all the locations!

    Lovely that you have a hedgehog, we found one in our garage here ages ago but it left after a couple of days.

    Loads of bulbs coming up here and there are daffodils out all around the country lanes.

    Happy New Year to you and K and hope to see you soon. xx

    Philippa

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    1. I'm going to Salzburg with you, Philippa! Keith would absolutely hate that tour; ditto the Southfork Ranch tour that I'd love to do one day, haha!

      Hope your Xmas was good and still hoping to see you as still planning to come over in May - although that doesn't seem so far away now and I'm still a decrepit old biddy, never mind I will do what I can do and it will make a nice change. :-) xx

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    2. I'm up for Salzburg, not too sure about Southfork though!

      I'm sure we can get together in May even though L and J are expecting baby no 3, a boy, in mid May.

      Philippa xx

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    3. Haha! Anyway as far as England goes I was rather thinking last two weeks of May as I have to think of various things here like putting my geraniums out, and housesitters. Also maybe there will be a bit of warmth there? Here's hoping. Last time I was in England in May it wasn't very warm! I have joined the Gits forum at long last but waiting for confirmation.

      Your daughter is just trying to keep you grandparents on your toes! :-)

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    4. Don't bother to wait for confirmation of Gits MM just log in and post, I never got confirmation when I joined. You've missed lots of stuff on there by the way, some of it quite unpleasant but it's all ok now hopefully!

      This is the last baby according to Lauren but they really wanted a boy so that's good.

      Will get in touch re your England visit as you can always spend a couple of days here in lovely Lydford.

      Philippa xx

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    5. Oh I hadn't realised re Gits and see there is a thread welcoming me, but it will have to wait until I go on my desktop rather than Kindle. Thing is I am rarely in the mood for chatting, although I have looked in a couple of times. I will reply to them soon though.

      Great that Lauren and hubby are having a boy this time! xx

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  8. Well done getting the Firecrest Mandy. Super little bird and better images than I have ever managed. The Brimstone was a surprise, I was similarly surprised in December 14 with a Peacock on a sunny day. I don't know how they Magage to survive. It won't hurt to put on a few pounds, you need to build your strength and reserves up. Don't know about her singing but Tara can certainly dance.(:))

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    1. I only know Kara from Strictly, and then more recently in Mr Selfridge. Agree on her dancing ability. :-) Great that you saw a December butterfly too. Won't be too long until they wake up again..... :-) Cheers Roy.

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  9. How sweet are the Firecrest, and it's so nice to see some colour with the photos of the flowers.
    The lack of light and all this rain is going to make January and February very long months, fingers crossed I have got my mo-jo back for nature and hope to be doing a few more posts.
    Hope you are well, take care .
    Amanda xx

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    1. Hi Amanda, great to hear from you and hope your Xmas went well. Thanks very much and I look forward to seeing your posts again! xx

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  10. Great to see the Firecrest and I love your hellebore, so pretty. It's been very mild here too, but with lots of rain, though there's a bit of a frost this morning. Glad to see you're still eating well. Happy New Year! Xx

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    1. Thanks Deb. I have some other Hellebores which usually flower later than this one, but they all seem to be flowering now! Saw some daffs out in a garden we go past and they are a good 6 weeks ahead of even the earliest spring!! Still finishing off the Xmas goodies and can pinch 2 inches now, eeeks! :-) xx

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