Country house decor and a good book

On the train to Birmingham last weekend, despite having my travel-crochet with me (as in crochet that’s easy to carry about) something else was calling me, and that was reading a book I’d downloaded onto my iPad that very morning. After flicking through the paper, the book one, and it was one I kept wanting to get back to. Even to the point that I had it on my phone too, and made sure it was where I’d left off so any valuable time I could muster for reading wasn’t wasted.

The book? The Day We Met by Roxie Cooper.

It wasn’t one I’d heard much about, or an author I’d read before, but when I read the description I thought it was a book that could be read relatively quickly, and despite the subject matter had the potential to be entertaining. And I wasn’t wrong, but let me tell you a bit more.

It’s one for the romantics and chicklit fans:

Stephanie and Jamie are meant to be. The problem is they're both with other people...

Stephanie doesn’t believe in fate, true love or living happily ever after. She’s content enough being engaged to Matt. But then she meets Jamie, who understands her more than anyone else ever has.

Jamie is happily married to his childhood sweetheart Helen and believes in everything Stephanie doesn’t. So why does he have such a strong connection with Stephanie?

When Stephanie and Jamie meet one fateful weekend in 2006 it will change everything...

Ten years. Two people. One epic love story.

The main characters were likeable and believable and while the plot is, I think, well signposted it makes it no less of an enjoyable read. I believe in the kind of attraction, or strong connection that forms the basis of this story, but that doesn’t mean it’s a fairytale, or a smooth road. Life, even for these characters, is tricky and the emotions and bravery, or not, feel real - that’s what I think makes this book work.

So a good read, and good for a weekend away, though I was pleased I finished the book at home. And the photos from this post, well in my imagination, they fit with the book - you’ll just have to read it when it comes out in March 2019, to see if you agree.

Now, where’s my crochet?

Liking the Lichen

I know, I know. I’ve said that here before, but it’s a phrase that still makes me smile. Every. Single. Time.

I’m still fascinated by the lichen, and there was plenty of it at RHS Rosemoor. So that’s another reason we’ll be heading back there again. I also learnt more from the lichen covered bench, or more precisely the sign placed next to it.

The lichens on this bench were deliberately allowed to remain, and it seems I wasn’t wrong when I said there was plenty of lichen there. During a lichen survey undertaken at Rosemoor in 2005, they found a number of rare species around the garden. I’d like to claim I knew this intuitively, but I didn’t, I just liked looking at the lichen, and then I learnt more from the sign when I edited the photos. Maybe I should make more of an effort to read more of the signs at the time, or knowing me I probably won’t, I’ll just smile like a goon at the lichen…

Now onto what I learnt, from the sign.

“Lichens consist of microscopic algal cells, which photosynthesise. The fungal threads absorb moisture and provide the framework for the fungi to grow.”

So not only can I do the liking the lichen line again, I could also roll out the funghi being a fun guy quip too, but of course I won’t. Gah!

But the bench wasn’t the only place I spotted lichen. The kitchen garden also proved to be fruitful, and I was beginning to suspect it might be when I spotted these on the gate.

And then more on the fruit trees.

These really do look more wavy and individual than those on the bench. Perhaps it’s the stems, but there’s a real 3D feel to these.

So, as is becoming customary, the only question I can ask on this post is do you liken the lichen too?!

My garden in November

In a word, my garden in November, has been all about the leaves. Lots of them. But we had some time, and relatively decent weather last weekend so our job was to tackle as many as we could and to prepare the garden for winter, although with the table wet we weren’t sure if the latter would happen.

Did I mention we had a few leaves to collect?

Yes exactly. The good news is that leaves make great leaf mulch, but after filling two black sacks it was clear we’d run out of sacks much sooner than we’d make headway with the leaves. So another plan was needed. Luckily we hadn’t got rid of all the builders bags - you know the big ones with the handles on, the ones that when they’re full are almost impossible to move? Yes, one of those, which once MOH had finished was full of leaves. Whoops. But on the plus side, it’s the first time we’ve moved one of these builders bags easily!

HELP WITH COLLECTING LEAVES?

And that was just leaves from the grass, we haven’t tackled the leaves on the beds yet. Although the yucca is lending a point or two and spearing leaves as they drop. It’s just not as quick as I’d like.

There’s leaves on the greenhouse too, and the moss has gone into overdrive too - already there’s a job for Spring! Much easier to tackle though was removing the leaves covering my succulents, which have continued to grow and spread over the summer. I’ve moved them into the greenhouse for a while as the soil was quite damp, I’ll need to remember to check on them as I don’t want them to completely dry out.

I’m sure you get the idea about the leaves. Picking leaves up is the dullest job in the world. Blowing them about the place though, that’s something entirely different and much more fun. But thankfully there were other jobs to do while leaf picking up was required, and so I busied myself covering up the agapanthus with fleece and moving pots into a more sheltered position, and freeing up some space to store the table over the winter. Cunning huh?

On the patio the white rosebush is continuing its best to flower, with a few rosebuds appearing. It’s been so mild here it’s not really surprising but it’ll be interested to see how long they last.

There’s still some colour in the garden - even with all of those leaves gone - and just as we were heading in I snapped one of my favourite garden shots. There’s just something about it that makes me smile, and manages to sum up our afternoon gardening.