January tends to be wet in Sussex but this year it was seriously, I'm-not-kidding-you wet. Lying at the bottom of a valley, the garden is a convenient sump for all the run-off from the surrounding woods and fields. During and after heavy rain, water streams through the grounds and into the ponds; it races through … Continue reading A Spot Of Rain
Countryside
A Happy Ending
The day after my adventure with Cyril and The Cast Sheep, I walked up to the farm to see the new arrival. Margaret was delighted (and relieved) that the unfortunate ewe had not only made a full recovery but delivered a strapping, healthy girl-lamb too. She was less delighted to be woken at 1am by … Continue reading A Happy Ending
Cyril And The Cast Sheep
(Apologies for the poor quality of these photos. Under the circumstances, you'll understand why I used my smart phone rather than my 'proper' camera.) It was only when I befriended a farmer, that I learnt how a ewe might lie down, inadvertently roll on to her back and, tortoise-like, be unable to right herself. This … Continue reading Cyril And The Cast Sheep
The Norfolk Coast
On a cold drizzle-evening recently, I settled down with a glass of wine and my laptop. The laptop's hard drive was groaning with 45 000 (!) digital photos and it was time to make some space. After deleting a couple of hundred, and drifting off to the fridge for a refill, I grew distracted by … Continue reading The Norfolk Coast
2015 Calendar
I was reading a post on Christina's blog the other day about a calendar she made from photos of her garden and remembered that I too normally make one. I haven't for a couple of years but with that prod from Christina, I decided to leap purposefully into action. Using an online company, I uploaded … Continue reading 2015 Calendar
A Winter’s Day
After a short Christmas break, I returned to a frozen Priory. Icy, sparkling, frosted, prickly. The valley softened by cloudy breath (if you'll allow me a little purple prose) and the ponds frozen hard. As I crunched about the grounds, I pictured a favourite childhood book - the marvelous Ladybird 'What to look for in … Continue reading A Winter’s Day
Clematis
I was a little disappointed that the Priory's old and established garden only boasted one clematis. Over the last six years I have rectified that shortcoming by adding a further twenty or so and today there are almost two dozen clematis dotted about the grounds. Here are some of them. The original Priory clematis is … Continue reading Clematis
The Anxious Gardener 