Seasonal Living – October

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.
― L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

What’s your favourite thing about autumn?

I have to admit that autumn is a tough time for me.  I struggle to cope with what can only be described as a season full of dying things.  I guess that’s why Halloween occurs in this month.  And on top of that daylight is squeezed at both ends of the day and the clocks go back making the whole month feel restrictive, damp and cold.

But I’m on a quest to enjoy this month. Make the most of the change in the season.  It should really be celebrated and not, as I have been prone to do, see it as a bad time.

So the first thing to enjoy this month must be the last of the summer harvests.  I’ll be bringing in my squashes to keep on the windowsill.  Some are going to be used in some craft art at the end of the month while the rest will be roasted.

The last of the tomatoes will be picked – a final glut before they get cut down and added to the composter.  The same will go for the runner beans, the squash plants, the courgettes and any beets that have grown too big.

The cutting of the lawn will slow right down and will end up picking up more leaves than grass by the end of the month as the neighbouring trees start to shut down over winter.

While all plants will slow down to a stop and go into hibernation in October the soil will still be incredibly busy as the worms make use of the compost I’ll add to it, giving it a few months to get blended into it while adding those all-important nutrients to the soil for growing new crops next year.

My alarm clock will be moved forward to 06:30am in line with the civil twilight time mid-Oct.  However a week later the clocks will go back and I’ll gain some extra light in the mornings for a while.

Finally, I’ll endeavour to continue to eat more seasonally which will include raspberries and chillies from the garden, apples, leeks, sprouts, carrots and sweetcorn from the shops.

During Oct I’d like to spend some time collecting tree seeds to plant on and generally spend as much time outside as the weather permits. Watching out for migrating birds and enjoying the changing of the season as something to be celebrated.  Not something to fear.  Especially with cosy candles.  And time for reading books in front of warm fires to indulge in when the weather doesn’t permit outside adventures.

Thank you for reading.

Writing Achievements W/e 29th September 2019

Another seven days have passed, just like that and I ask myself as I sit down to write it – where did that time go?  Not that I’ve been in any way idle on the writing front but more about that later.  I do feel, since last week’s update, that I’v got myself organised.  I’ve spent time exploring a few writing ideas which I felt has been time well spent even though it was enough and will need more time next week.  But I managed to carve out much-needed thinking time this week and haven’t been as easily distracted.  It wasn’t easy because distractions are everywhere – especially on social media, but I’ve tuned them out in favour of doing something more constructive.

I’ve not missed one day of writing this week.  In fact, today will be day 12 of uninterrupted posting on my blog.  And while there were a couple of days I struggled to get the words out this was only because I wanted the writing to be useful (mostly to me reader) and not just filling a space with bland thoughts.

On the whole, my writing was most productive.  I managed to get ahead of posting by two days this week but alas it didn’t last long.  Although two days is better than the one day previously.  By writing my posts ahead of time it gave me the same to explore my other projects and ideas.  It also allowed me the time to research other blog posts.  But there is a part of me that was slightly disappointed with myself because I wasn’t actually “creating something” on the days I’d freed up.  Which is silly really but I guess it’s going take me a few runs at the wall before I scale it.

This week I’ve also been suitably inspired with other writers that I follow (on Twitter).  Those that post every day about plants or another who wasn’t afraid to produce multiple fanfics before getting a publishing deal for their own novel.  And of course, those that started late to writing and getting published which always gives me hope.  Not that I’m late to writing.  I’ve been writing since I was taught how to write – it’s the “taking it a step further” that I’m not trying to achieve.

What am I reading?

• Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland A.D 1803 by Dorothy Wordsworth
• Crabwalk by Günter Grass
• The Echoing Grove by Rosamond Lehmann

I’m two thirds through Dorothy Wordsworth recollection now.  It continues to be an interesting read.  Dorothy wrote clearly and to the point but without endless details.   It’s nice to understand how she and her brother got to travel about and how they were received in Scotland.  It certainly differs from how we get about today.

Crabwalk I haven’t really got into so I decided to start another novel – The Echoing Grove, another off my top 1,000 novels list.  After getting stuck on the first paragraph (I had to read it about six times to work out what was trying to be described), I’m now sailing through the pages and enjoying fairly enough.  When I finish not just one but two good books it takes me a while to get into a new storyline and I think that’s why I’m struggling slightly with these two new books.  My mind keeps taking me back to the other books so I find myself constantly having to re-read bits and wonder why these characters aren’t like the previous ones.  It’s hopeless!

Which reminds me – I must get that Gentleman Jack review done.  Now that is going to be a good one.

Thank you for reading.

Writing Today

A little writing today.  Not much but just enough.  I’ve been engrossed with housework today and once that was finally out of the way I headed out into the fields for the afternoon.

After a rather wet start, the weather cleared and left with it a blustery wind from the west that filled the sky with sculptured clouds that gently flowed from one side of a field to the other.  The footpaths were less crowded than they had been these last few months.  The ditches have been cleared and cut back ready for the winter. Everything looks bare again against the crop stubble left over from the harvests.  The grass is beginning to die back as it turns from lush green to a golden brown.

The tractor lines created deep ruts along a footpath that left huge puddles and slippery mud patches that had me slipping and sliding all over the place.

As I got up and onto the riverbank, the wind whipped up into my face.  The silence of the fields was replaced with the bashing of the wind interjected with a gaggle of geese taking off into the sky.  The seagulls gathered on the foreshore of the wide river heckling to one another and getting a last good meal before the rains started again.

Nothing is better for me than spending some time out in the fields.  I feel at ease, a place to think and ponder through those thoughts that creep about my head without having time to really expand on them.  It also gives me a sense of wonder, a chance to see the changing seasons up close.  And today was noce exception.  There was a riot of colour if you just get the chance to stop and look carefully.  Reds, blues, yellows and pinks as well as the rusty hues, the greys and browns alike.

Colour is easier to spot in autumn as it’s not crowded out by the greens of summer.  And the light is less bright so those colours have a chance to shine and be spotted readily.

I feel rather humble and lucky that I get to spend time in nature.  After a good walk, I am now nicely weary and ready for a nice cup of tea.

Thank you for reading.

A Few Questions That Have Been Raised – Part Four

Here we go again.  More questions that people have asked that need proper answers.   And why not, it’s Friday, it’s the weekend and I’m once again flexing my writing muscles.

How do I get sweeter and more flavorful small tomatoes?

So many tomato questions.  It helps to have small tomatoes as you’d hope it would contain the flavour well but this isn’t always the case.  Tasty tomatoes are actually more elusive than you think.  They tend to hide away in a fantasy land, far away that also holds winning lottery numbers and answers to questions like “can crop circles be square”.

Therefore you need to go on a journey, one that may take many internet tabs and tasting competitions to find that sweet, sweet candy tomato.

How can I prevent deer from eating my garden pumpkins?

I think if you stop leaving them lying about you might find the deer move on.  Keep them in the cupboard like normal folk.

What makes pickles a good choice for dieters?

Could it be that you can eat a whole jar without ever hitting double calories?  Or the fact that after eating a whole jar you still feel remarkably hungry. Or wonder at the after taste in your mouth and the fact that it reminds you of the bottom of a shoe that has stepped in cow manure that you never want to eat again?

What’s the best way to organise garden storage?

I’d suggest getting yourself over to Ikea, picking up a few billy bookcases and adding them to your garden.  You could really go the whole hog and get a filling cabinet as well for all those seed packets.  Organising a garden has never been so easy.

If you had to skip a meal once per week, which day will you choose?

The day I have to eat salad leaves, quinoa and drink mint-infused smoothies.

What is a good name for a pet cactus?

When choosing a name for your pet cactus it’s a good idea to run any ideas through a checking list before deciding on one.  Such as;

1. Create a poem and make sure the name doesn’t rhyme with anything bad…
   “Standing spikey,
   Guarding the outer window,
   Deserted [insert name here]”
2. See if the name translates to anything interesting
3. Consider the longevity of the name – cactus live a long time and you wouldn’t want the name to create new meaning after 50yrs
4. Sing happy birthday and insert said name.  Does it sound lyrical?  Easy to pronounce within the melody?  Think of how it will sound to all friends of the cactus when they came around to wish your cactus happy returns.
5. How popular is the name right now?  How many other pet cacti are also referred by the same name?  You don’t want to end up with any issues at local indoor plant shows.

Thank you for reading.

Book Review – The Bumblebee Flies Anyway

The Bumblebee Flies Away by Kate Bradbury 

Published in 2018

I boil water for night-time tea and clear a space on the floor – move the rug out of the way and pile two cushions in front of the settee.  I make my tea and carry it over with the hollow-stem hotel.  I tease out the stems and then gently pull the occupied ones apart, releasing the cocoons.  There are woodlice everywhere, spiders; the floor is alive.  But there are forty-seven bee cocoons, forty-seven parcels, each containing an adult bee sitting out winter, ready to emerge in spring.

I’ve been delaying writing this review because every time I have a go at writing it, it’s simply not good enough.  I’m not even sure this version will do the book justice but I’ve got to try.

Having been a Twitter follower of Kate Bradbury for some time now I’ve often marvelled at her ability to convey the delights of wildlife gardening in what used to be just 120 characters.  I’ve read articles in the various papers and magazines that she covers and just recently Kate has also been on the BBC showing how a wildlife garden can be created from scratch, which in itself was fantastic viewing.

So it wasn’t really too much of a jump to finally nab a second-hand copy of her biographical book.  I knew it would be good because her love of nature shines through everything she does but I wasn’t prepared for how raw and emotional and engaging this book would be.

I started to read it on the train and I hadn’t gotten through the first three pages before it stopped me in my tracks.  Kate was like me.  That person, who when younger wanted nothing else but to mess about in gardens. Who loved writing.  Who gets claustrophobic staying indoors too long and could bore everyone about what they’d seen or learnt about the garden on any given day.  There had been others out there like me all along and I felt so elated.

Kate had the tenacity to pursue her dreams and I am so pleased she has because otherwise, I’d not be able to read about them now and be thoroughly inspired by her work.

The story focusses on her small garden in Brighton as she takes it from a barren land of decking to one that ends up with 24 identified bee species visiting the garden in just over a year.  That is some feat.  Along that journey, we read how Kate made that happen.  Adding plants, building a pond and tweaking things in the garden as she went along.

Her explanations of developing her garden were seamlessly intertwined with everyday life including a rather traumatic life event for her mum.  And in-between you read glimpses into past times as well, which again I could certainly relate to including those odd memories you collect from the house you grew up in as a child.

This book was passionate from beginning to end in such a humble way.  It’s the only way I can describe it.

Kate, a seemingly ordinary (although I think we can all agree after reading the book that isn’t the case) individual creates incredible feats. (Strapline!) And in a time where climate change is top of the agenda and the world is constantly in crisis, where everyone is running around not knowing where to start or how to make an impact Kate is showing you what we can do.

She has created the number one solution that we can all take part in.  Instead of fumbling around we can take these words written and create our own little wildlife spaces that will have a hugely positive effect on local ecology, bee species and insects which in turn will help to save bird species and mammals.  And if the more us that do it the bigger the save for nature and ourselves.

It’s not rocket science and it isn’t expensive.  It’s a garden.  Gardens can quite actually save the world.  And they can save us as well.

As Kate details her story you can see the garden is her anchor.  It monitors time like no other and is a constantly changing stage of seasons from which to sit down quietly and observe it from a corner. When life gets tough it’ll still be there growing, evolving.  The worms will plough the soil, the seeds will germinate and the bees will come and hibernate.  You can feel the pull of survival of which we can all hold on to.

Of all the books I’ve read these last few years, this one will stay with me.  I’ve already started to read bits of it again.  I read it too quickly and I didn’t want it to finish.  I smooth the cover because I don’t want it to become damaged in my bag as I carry it about to and from work.  It’s precious this story and one that needs sharing far and wide.

I feel like I’ve come back home to my own personal cares and messages about gardening and wildlife where I had lost the way a bit over the years.  Kate has reaffirmed that it’s okay to bore people about birds and plants, to sit in the garden and be still or to help an insect in need.  In fact, if anything we should be doing more of all that.

There is something terrible about feeling so emotional about a book (or any media for that matter) because I simply can’t be objective.  And neither do I feel any need to be because there is nothing to counter the solid goodness and simple kindness that this book brings.  I’m just 100% all-in.  I relate to it all and so will many others.  Full stop.

So, if you see a crazy 40yr old waving a book about while mumbling about bees and plants, don’t fear – it’ll just be me.  I’ll happily lend you my copy.  Or even better yet just buy one.  You won’t regret one penny.

Thank you for reading.