Love how you and J share your love of birds and flowers by keeping track of them with these yearly lists. Quite by accident I started a modest notebook of all of the plants in my yard some 30+ years ago. At that time I just wanted to hold off on disturbing what might already be in the yard. It was a good thing to have done. I have added to that notebook with notes on spring plans and seed/plant lists. There are some very basic sketches of some plans, too. Over each winter I love going back to this notebook to remember earlier years and be mindful of how to be realistic of next springs plans. One thing that happened this year was that the sweet peas I planted in March, went dormant thru the hot very dry summer with no blooms at all, and then 'woke-up' with the cool weather of mid-October and have been blooming like it was spring!!! Love this! :-)
I’m in awe - your garden notes are 30 years in the making! I’d love to have a chance to peek into your garden notebook someday. I’ve been doing something similar, keeping rough notes and sketches about my yard digitally for about three years and that eventually led me to start a newsletter on Substack two years ago.
So interesting that you have been doing an online journal of your yard. From your many drawings and pictures on 'Meet Max the cat' here on Substack I have noticed that 'someone' has done many things around your yard to give it that all important sense of being loved and cared for! I find that is more appealing than any other thing with the yards that I am most attracted to. My journal is very humble (much like my yard) but it does serve the purpose of learning and maybe even knowing what works and what doesn't. Say Hi to Max for me! :-)
Hi Richard, another great piece of assorted interesting snippets. Were you ever successful in getting the Council to mow Maxwell Meadow a bit later in the year? We have a constant battle here in Sidmouth, Devon, in South West England, with complaints re untidiness/lack of visibility on road verges causing officials to sanction scalping of many areas. These voices always seem to carry more weight than those who are advocates for allowing nature to flourish a little more in urban spaces.
I am afraid not ... the field is owned by the town and I believe they hope to sell it to a developer and so like to keep it tidy. This is sad as otherwise the town is very nature friendly. Hopefully it will take a long time before they find a buyer.
Sidmouth - I used to play on the beach when I was very young (in the fifties) and visiting relatives who lived on Exmoor - loved the place. Red rocks.
So glad you know Sidmouth from childhood! Yes, part of the Jurassic coast, World Heritage Site. Though the red cliffs are fast disappearing into the sea in places.
My brother lives in Baie D'Urfe and I enjoyed watching the birdlife in his garden on a visit this July. Learning lots from your notes.
Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing the words by Jen Eden. Now I know what to get my grandchildren for Christmas. Apparently, John McFarlane also has a second book called The Book of Spells. I have his latest book about rivers on hold at the library.
Such a delightful and educational read, blending scientific insights with beautiful artworks.
Thank you …
Thank you …
Small world
Love how you and J share your love of birds and flowers by keeping track of them with these yearly lists. Quite by accident I started a modest notebook of all of the plants in my yard some 30+ years ago. At that time I just wanted to hold off on disturbing what might already be in the yard. It was a good thing to have done. I have added to that notebook with notes on spring plans and seed/plant lists. There are some very basic sketches of some plans, too. Over each winter I love going back to this notebook to remember earlier years and be mindful of how to be realistic of next springs plans. One thing that happened this year was that the sweet peas I planted in March, went dormant thru the hot very dry summer with no blooms at all, and then 'woke-up' with the cool weather of mid-October and have been blooming like it was spring!!! Love this! :-)
I’m in awe - your garden notes are 30 years in the making! I’d love to have a chance to peek into your garden notebook someday. I’ve been doing something similar, keeping rough notes and sketches about my yard digitally for about three years and that eventually led me to start a newsletter on Substack two years ago.
So interesting that you have been doing an online journal of your yard. From your many drawings and pictures on 'Meet Max the cat' here on Substack I have noticed that 'someone' has done many things around your yard to give it that all important sense of being loved and cared for! I find that is more appealing than any other thing with the yards that I am most attracted to. My journal is very humble (much like my yard) but it does serve the purpose of learning and maybe even knowing what works and what doesn't. Say Hi to Max for me! :-)
Hi Richard, another great piece of assorted interesting snippets. Were you ever successful in getting the Council to mow Maxwell Meadow a bit later in the year? We have a constant battle here in Sidmouth, Devon, in South West England, with complaints re untidiness/lack of visibility on road verges causing officials to sanction scalping of many areas. These voices always seem to carry more weight than those who are advocates for allowing nature to flourish a little more in urban spaces.
I am afraid not ... the field is owned by the town and I believe they hope to sell it to a developer and so like to keep it tidy. This is sad as otherwise the town is very nature friendly. Hopefully it will take a long time before they find a buyer.
Sidmouth - I used to play on the beach when I was very young (in the fifties) and visiting relatives who lived on Exmoor - loved the place. Red rocks.
Oh what a shame....
So glad you know Sidmouth from childhood! Yes, part of the Jurassic coast, World Heritage Site. Though the red cliffs are fast disappearing into the sea in places.
My brother lives in Baie D'Urfe and I enjoyed watching the birdlife in his garden on a visit this July. Learning lots from your notes.
Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing the words by Jen Eden. Now I know what to get my grandchildren for Christmas. Apparently, John McFarlane also has a second book called The Book of Spells. I have his latest book about rivers on hold at the library.
Actually the second book is called The Lost Spells.