Veg Plotting

We're just back from a fortnight's cottage holiday in North Yorkshire, where the weather was a bit iffy but we still found plenty of places to enjoy ourselves with new discoveries amongst those already familiar to us. It also meant we could spend time with the Yorkshire branches of our family - now plural as our niece has settled down into her new home in Leeds. It wasn't all rain, there was still lots of sunshine and we often found rainbows gracing the valleys seen from our higher viewpoints. I feel my photo sums up quite a lot of the Yorkshire we found this time: dramatic skies with rainbows and pools of sunshine; brooding stone walls; and vegetation sliding into its more Autumnal clothes. This was the roadside scene close to Stump Cross Caverns, a welcome venue on a rainy day which we explored with UV light torches. There was space and time to breathe deeply and ponder recent dramatic turns in life, then return home refreshed and ready to face what's to come.

We're back from a tour of the middle Rhine area, having travelled there by train and then making a base for ourselves at Boppard, just south of Koblenz. We had a lovely time exploring the beauty of the area, thanks to the local tourist tax of 1.50 Euros per night giving us the freedom of local buses and trains, plus free entry to the informative local museum. On our final day we headed upstream to the small town of Bacharach, a former capital of the region and full of old timber framed houses like those you can see in the above photo. It was also festival time, with the streets bedecked with colourful flags and other decorations, the central one giving a clue to us being in the heart of the wine making area, with vineyards stretching impossibly steeply up the valleys either side of the river. No wonder wine production continues to be mainly by hand in this area. We could see the first hints of autumn* along the river valley, though daytime temperatures and sunlight were distinctly ...

We're just back from a fabulous time in France and Italy in celebration of significant birthdays and anniversaries. We particularly loved the higgledy hillside clinging buildings we discovered in Genoa and its surrounding coastal villages of Camogli, Portofino , Nervi and the Cinque Terre . I've chosen a photo I took in Camogli to illustrate the perfect combination of bright ice cream coloured buildings, bobbing boats and Mediterranean vegetation we found in many of the villages. Look closer and you'll see many of the buildings have designs painted on them in a technique called sgraffito - one layer of paint or plaster scratched through to reveal a second colour below. Talking of ice cream, the rich dark chocolate fondant flavour was declared our holiday winner. You're probably familiar with pesto and focaccia already - some of the typical regional (Ligurian) cuisine we sampled along the way. Homemade and freshly made that day took them to another level. It's be...

We've spent the past few weeks taking advantage of the current small gathering allowance to catch up at last with friends and family after many months; well over a year in some cases. It means I've been out and about instead of writing bloggage, but I'm happy to say I've still managed to fit in a few garden visits along the way. The highlight from this time was a visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park , and thanks to a trip to my BIL's I've fulfilled my wish to do so at long last. We managed an afternoon visit in welcome sunshine between showers and it soon became clear it's possible to spend days there.  The wide open spaces of the original landscape means huge sculptures can be accommodated without overwhelming their surroundings. All kinds of artists and tastes can be found there, which prompted many a discussion along the lines of 'but is it art ?' It was a thought provoking visit alongside a decent walk and plenty of art we liked as well as what ...

I'm back from a few days in Dorset where we combined some clearance of NAH's aunt's house with using it as a Covid-safe holiday cottage for some much needed rest and relaxation. We both agreed it worked better than expected and plan to return again in a few weeks. It was a bittersweet time, especially on our final day when I set off to walk around the Holes Bay part of Poole Harbour and realised I was reprising the walk my aunt-in-law and I had undertaken over 30 years ago to Upton House , when she was around the same age as I am now. It made for a thoughtful and mindful walk. I love the relationship between sky, plants and water Poole Harbour provides - summed up in this postcard - and how easy it is to leave the centre of Old Poole behind in this particular walk, which started from the back door. It's a special place.

I'm back from a long weekend in Slovenia , thanks to my friend F from WI who organised a girls' weekend for four of us after she fell in love with the country on her summer holidays this year. The view is of Lake Bled with its island and castle. We decided to take the local bus there from the capital Ljubljana, which was an adventure as it wound its way through tiny Alpine-like villages to get there. As you can see we had perfect weather for our walk around the lake, before retiring to a cafe for a delicious lunch. The Slovenian people are welcoming and convivial, with a quiet confidence born out of their love for this recently formed country. The food and wine are fantastic, and there is so much to see and do, whether you prefer cultural exploits, exploring the natural world, an active or sporty holiday, or a mix of all three. Our time there was a perfect antidote to the winter blues. I'll be back in a few days time to show you some the festive delights and gree...

I'm back from a wonderful week in Switzerland - my first time there - based in traffic-free Wengen where the only way to get in and out of the village is by rack railway or cable car. Most civilised! This is the view on day one when we took the cable car to Stechelberg then walked to Mürren . The photo is from that walk looking towards the Eiger and Mönch mountains, with the Jungfrau just out of sight. There is a railway through the Eiger mountain itself to Jungfraujoch , which markets itself as 'The top of Europe' hence the catchy title for my post. This has the highest railway station in Europe as its claim to fame and the views are spectacular from there, stretching towards France, Germany and Italy on a clear day. We took a tiny railway or cable car to the top of various mountains almost every day, except those when we steamed along the turquoise coloured lakes either side of Interlaken and looked up into the mountains instead. We also spent a day in Bern , the...

I had a delightful day at Chelsea Flower Show yesterday. My head is still processing which stories to tell you, but in the meantime here's Paul Hervey-Brookes' exquisite 'The Art of Viking Garden' to enjoy from the Space to Grow category. One of the questions most asked about Chelsea is 'what is this year's colour?' As usual purples and greens are in abundance as befits the time of year, but the colour for me this time is yellow. Paul used deft touches in his design to add highlights and ensure they stuck in my mind. I had a lovely surprise whilst I admired this effect. Paul turned round to me and said 'Michelle, just go and have a good look around' and I was delighted to skip onto his garden. Whilst we've known each other for a while, I had no idea he'd remembered my name. Update: the awards are out and the garden has deservedly won gold. Many, many congratulations Paul.

Big birthdays and anniversaries demand big holidays, and so NAH and I found ourselves touring the delights of Vienna, Bohemia and Prague for ten days recently. The weather on the whole was more March lamb-like for us compared with you and Storm Gareth . However, packing was still a bit tricky as we knew the forecast held both snow and temperatures in the low 70s Fahrenheit for us. And surprisingly it all came true. The above photo summarises that packing dilemma as it depicts the plentiful catkins we saw, along with chilly, snowy peaks in the distance. In the woods I was delighted to see wild cyclamen and hellebores in bloom; the latter are called 'Snow roses' in Austria. Being Lent, we found many places decorate their homes and businesses with flowers and greenery in a similar way we do for Christmas. More of those delights to come, along with some unusual public planting and an international edition of The Great Green Wall Hunt ...

I'm back from a weekend in Fishguard , where the place and weather provided the perfect winter pick me up. This is the view across the bay from the hotel. It was clear that despite the stiff breeze, this corner of Pembrokeshire has had a relatively benign winter. I was greeted by a long ribbon of blackthorn trees in full bloom as I crossed over the border from Carmarthenshire. Then in Fishguard itself a massed planting of purple crocus a few feet from the beach made a welcome feature. Along the breakwater gorse was in full bloom and masses of wild angelica were already sporting their flower heads. It was a good spot for birding too. Owls hooted me to sleep each night and on my walks I spotted cormorant, oystercatchers, and curlew amongst the more usual sea birds. At the end of my walk I heard an incessant chattering in the pine trees on the shoreline and discovered a flock of 20-30 goldfinches having a loud conversation amongst themselves. Dodgy wi-fi at the hotel meant it...

Unusually for NAH, he took holiday destiny into his own hands and booked us in for a last minute week away in the Welsh border* just after Christmas. This is the view from our cottage door complete with frost, rolling hills, farm buildings, sheep and architectural trees. I was a bit grumpy when NAH suggested it, convinced nothing would be open. I was proved wrong... there was just enough, plus the draw of a friend to catch up with who has recently moved back home after many years of living in Seattle. We visited NAH's beloved Tal y Llyn railway and for me there were the gigglesome yews of Powis Castle decked out in twinkly lights beneath their green skirts. We partook of the world's slowest pub crawl in Bishop's Castle, where I taught everyone the delights of windmill dominoes. We found the canal at Welshpool and revisited the marvellous lost-in-time Bunners hardware store in Montgomery. There were frosted walks for us all, plus mountain biking for NAH to complete ...

Driving home across Wiltshire last Saturday towards sunset and nearly blinded by the light, it was well worth my discomfort to come across this misty autumnal scene across the fields near Charlcutt . For once I've decided to crop the photo, so the result obeys the rule of thirds . I don't usually have much luck with misty photos as mine usually look quite dull and nothing like the scene I saw. Whilst there's still room for improvement, I'm happy with this one. The lower sun in the sky and the time of day (about an hour before sunset) must have helped 😊

Sunday's Apple Day post delayed my customary postcard on return from holiday, but I think it's worth the wait. We've concentrated mainly on the eastern side 'oop north on previous cottage holidays, and the western side - namely Lancashire - proved just as rewarding last week. Storm Callum didn't prevent us from having a great time at Moseley Old Hall in Staffordshire on the way up (and down - I think I've become addicted to the National Trust's cheese scones as a result), then we found ourselves staying at a mere 5 metres above sea level in the 'lettuce capital of England' (my words) where we were surrounded by hundreds of acres of lettuces, cabbages, glasshouses, and other market gardening activities. Elsewhere in the village, the West Lancashire Light Railway was the friendliest heritage railway we've ever visited, and I've fallen in love again with Booths, the northern based supermarket. We had time to see family and friends;...

I'm back from a wonderful week in Austin where the Garden Bloggers Fling was held this year. We saw plenty of amazing gardens, and a few extra days plus our downtown location meant there was plenty of time to see what else the city has to offer. It's the Fling's 10th anniversary this year, and it was apt to return to where it all began, though in quite a different format to the first time. I was struck by the incredible hospitality of our hosts, who opened their homes to us pre, during and post Fling. Pam deserves a special mention as she not only had 90 Flingers visit her garden, she also broke away from her preparations to take Barbara and I on a tour of some of the key sights of the city. It was great to see Austin through her eyes and here's her take on our trip together. The photo shows a view from Mount Bonnell , Austin's highest point with great views over the city, Lake Austin and the surrounding hills. I chose this photo because it shows some of ...

Holiday postcards are sometimes received after the sender comes home, and so it is with my virtual one from Hampshire. My immediate return was taken up with # mygardenrightnow *, but I didn't want to ignore last week's much needed break. We rented a cottage in Milford on Sea and fulfilled my dream of living in a place where there are marvellous walks to be had simply by stepping out of the door. The sea looms large in this dream, just like it does in the above view of The Needles . This scene is from the only duff day we had weatherwise, and shows scenery can still look good even on a grey day. The rest of the week was bracing and sunny, not bad for the end of November. I relished the coastal scenery and the quite different wildlife on view to that of home. Milford borders the National Nature Reserve at Keyhaven and there were plenty of wading birds to spot, plus egrets and huge numbers of overwintering Brent geese. This was combined with an energy sapping** but welcom...

I'm back from an amazing couple of weeks in the USA and the Garden Bloggers Fling , which this year was based in the Washington DC area, taking in gardens in Maryland and Virginia along the way. NAH came with me, so we spent a few days exploring the States' capital before I headed off for the Fling. I'd always wanted to see the Lincoln Memorial, and it was an emotional time for me there, despite the hordes of tourists all vying to take their photographs and selfies. To the side of Lincoln's statue are some of his iconic speeches, which give great cause for thought. Post-Fling we had a week exploring what Virginia and West Virginia have to offer, particularly in the mountains of Shenandoah National Park and the George Washington / Monongahela National Forests. We discovered some early US national history too, including sites from the Civil War . A visit to Monticello - Thomas Jefferson's Virginia plantation home - was especially timely as we were there on...

I'm just about back from a few days in France with Naomi , where we visited 15 gardens in 5 days - 18 if you include those at our accommodation and a restaurant. The gardens of Normandy and the Loire are so varied it's proved too difficult to select one scene for my customary postcard, so I've chosen a photograph of Notre Dame cathedral at Chartres instead, where we visited the astonishing Chartres en Lumières half way through our stay. This festival of light has 24 walkable sites in the city, with three of them at the cathedral. This one tells the story of the cathedral builders and was an animation which lasted about 10 minutes. I'll reveal more from this amazing light show once I've edited the video I took. Now in its 14th year, Chartres en Lumières takes place nightly until 8th October 2017, with free entry. Chartres is a beautiful city, with lots to see and do . You can see the towers of the cathedral from many miles away, and this plus our approach...

Some of my favourite highlights of 2016. Here's to a wonderful 2017 for you and yours :)

The view from our B&B over the Otter Valley at Newton Poppleford   We've just come back from an idyllic few days away in Devon near Sidmouth . We had the benefit of local knowledge as Barrie, a fellow volunteer with NAH at at Midsomer Norton lives nearby. He recommended the B&B which not only has the pictured wonderful view, the owners also provided a decanter of sherry in our summerhouse accommodation. All future B&B stays will be measured against this benchmark. We wove our time away around Reg Meuross 's concert at Sidmouth Folk Festival. Little did we know that when we saw him accompany Jess Vincent at Westonbirt's Tree Fest 3 years ago, we would find ourselves sponsoring the vinyl version of his latest album, which was launched at Sidmouth. Westonbirt proved to be a pivotal moment in our lives, just as finding the Erigeron steps in my last post was a pivotal moment for my gardening. The concert was magical, followed by beach side fish and chi...