Light & darkness meet evenly at the Autumn Equinox

Yesterday was our Autumn Equinox, the time when day & night shared equal lengths & from now, the night takes over & the light retreats each day, bringing with it shorter days & longer nights.

The equinox is a barely discernible difference in light but it soon will be noticeable. The air is cooler, you suddenly notice your breath in the morning air & scarves come of of the cupboard to wrap around the neck. 

The light is softer, more gentle, especially when seen against the vibrant colours of the changing leaves. 

After our hot summer, we will have impressive autumn colours of russet, chocolate brown, oxblood red, rich gold, burnt orange, soft plum, fern green, golden honey, buttery tones, muted earth, and rich jewel tones in the hedgerows - they all sit quite happily together. 

I love raking up the maple leaves from our tree. They are raked under the hedge where they breakdown to rich leaf mould but they also give homes to many over wintering creatures. Blackbirds love scattering them for bugs to eat & the visiting hedgehogs will gather them for nests.

I love walking the local woods in autumn, picking up pine cones, noticing the wonderful light through the tree canopy, finding a few conkers from horse chestnut trees. 

Spiders are supposed to avoid conkers.  I pop some in  corners at home but our spiders seem to happily ignore this & appear anyhow which is not welcome.  

I wish the spiders would find someone else to ambush & terrify. 

It is the time when cobwebs are persistent in corners of the house & garden, most evident outside with morning dew shining on them. 

My long duster is never far away in autumn, clearing the cobwebs so the house doesn't look like a Halloween  prop ... 

I notice that the shortening days brings a settling too when you want to be more cosy, have candles & books about, a fleece at hand on the sofa to tuck your feet under. Hot chocolate becomes more welcome, a warm mug to wrap your hands around while reading. 

We are busy in the garden, tidying up, final moving of any plants while the ground is still warm, cutting back & staking plants before the winds pick up and of course cutting the long stems of our honesty plants before the winds damage the much prized seed pods. More on that in another post ... 

It is also the time my thoughts turn to some crafts & indoor activities. I like to do some little sewn gifts to go in my Christmas cards & this is the time to start because they are labour intensive. 

Autumn also brings a subtle change in foods - richer foods, more root vegetables, hearty soups & generous baked puddings start making the menu. 

It is a different rhythm of life that we settle in to, preserving energy to appreciate nature more so we can tune in to the changing season. 

We hold on to the summer but gently give way to autumn to enjoy the change, the coolness, the different pace of life. 

Autumn invites us to gather our thoughts too, to be aware of what has changed - relationships, friendships, situations, experiences. We can gently release the ones that no longer serve us or match our energy. 

The change is part of life & we are part of the rhythm of nature, we just need to follow its lead. Have a blessed start to Autumn, 

Dee 🥮🍂🍁🪾🌲

The Tolpuddle Martyrs connection ...

 

During our trip around Scotland in 2024, we stopped at the New Lanark World Heritage site near Glasgow & were surprised to see reference to the Tolpuddle Martyrs. 

They were connected to Robert Owen whose mills these were. 

The site referenced his efforts to uplift his workforce through education, better working conditions & rights to be treated well. 

Hubby is connected ancestrally to the leader of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, George Loveless. Three of the six men were Wesleyan preachers  and were guided by their faith to be fair in all they say & do. 

While showing visiting family around the Dorset places of the ancestors, we stopped at the little Museum (unfortunately closed on the day we visited) and then at the Wesleyan chapel nearby set up in their memory. 

The booklet gives a really good summary of their convictions to their cause & the punishment they received. 

Their actions was the start of the Trade Union movement, fair rights for workers. 

They were all transported - taken by ship to the far flung corners of the empire, mainly Van Diemens land. 

However, they were later pardoned & returned to England. However, several then left for the Americas. 

It is an interesting story, worth researching & remembering that the rights workers enjoy today were a hard struggle & a huge cost paid to stand up. It is worth respecting the memory of those who fought for the rights.

I hope this has given you food for thought, thank you for stopping by. It is always appreciated. 

Dee 

The joy of proteas ...

Proteas are the national flower of South Africa & they have always been special to me. 

I blogged about them after a previous trip to South Africa - proteas in many guises. 

I have them at home too, a reminder of my roots. Daughter had them at her recent wedding too …

I have a generous vase of faux silk proteas in the living room, they look real with the red & silver foliage branches too. 

I recently sewed two cloths with proteas, as well as doing them as my glass painting design. 

In this blog post, I shared buying some unique wire & bead proteas I bought at a craft market in Howick, Natal, South Africa. I had previously visited the same market with both my parents & revisiting brought back memories of my parents choosing a hand crafted picnic basket there that I still use. My now late Dad chose the beaded proteas with me & they are a reminder of that shared experience. 

The 2 vases are in the same space, the beaded ones on a side table next in the corner by the clock, the faux ones on a console table along with the assorted drinks etc. 

My good friend Ellie messaged to say she had been out browsing & had found 3 large wire proteas like the ones I have & she immediately bought them as a gift for me. 

It is special when friends know your home well enough to know your likes. She came by for tea this week & brought them over. 

They are a perfect match to mine - slightly larger but perfect. 

I am naturally delighted but then realised the vase I have for them will not be able to take another 3 stems because the beaded ones have chunky stems. 

I switched the faux & beaded ones vases but that did not work out either. 

On my travels today around a local market town chunky vases were on my list to keep an eye out for. 

I struck lucky when I spied a generous vase in passing one of the charity shops. It was not as heavy as the ones I have but a more generous size & at only £4, I had to have it. 

Once home, it was washed & then I tried out the vases - the heavy jug shape vase that had the faux proteas could hold all the beaded ones - now a weighty 10 stems. 

The charity shop vase could hold the 9 faux protea stems as well as the red & silver foliage too because the neck was wide enough. 

It will need some weighting down with pebbles in time, but that is a minor adjustment to this elegant new vase. 

The previous narrow necked vase (left) is replaced by the heavy jug shaped vase to hold the 10 stems.

 

After faffing with the various protea stems in the two vases, they could be returned to their 2 spots in the living room & they look impressive with their generous stems.

What a thoughtful gift that goes well in my space. The curtains will soon change from the neutral creams to heavy berry coloured ones for winter to keep out the chills & the proteas will hold court with their elegant ways. 

Am I the only one inclined towards certain flowers & colours. Tell all. Thank you for stopping by, it is appreciated. 

Dee 

A much needed tidy of the Auricular theatre plants

In 2020, during lockdown, I made an auricular theatre for my small collection of those sweet plants.

We used materials we had & a piece of reclaimed wood we were gifted. 

It was painted in our shed paint because that was all we had & everything was shut in lockdown. 

It is against the house on the patio where they can be enjoyed for their tiny flowers in summer. 

However, they do not like to be too wet in winter & I cover the whole theatre with a sheet of horticulture fleece to keep off too much rain. They do not mind the cold, just not being too wet. 

This works well & is an easy solution.

In summer, they do not like scorching heat directly on their leaves so I pop a small garden umbrella over them to keep off the midday heat. 

They do like their specific growing conditions - not too hot, not too wet, just right, like goldilocks.

After a very hot summer, they were not looking their best so I bought some new terracotta pots to repot them ahead of winter. 

The soil needs to be gritty / light to stop waterlogged roots so I mixed in some perlite. I always use some of our leaf mould in the bottom of the pots to cover the drainage 

After clearing the theatre, the plants were re potted, some split & then a light covering of gritty soil on top because they don't like their leaves to sit on wet soil. I will have to buy a bag of small stones for the surface when I pass the garden centre. 

However, it is much improved & they are looking neat & tidy again ahead of winter. 

I look forward to their tiny flowers next year. Once they flower, I will know which I have & will buy in a few more. 

This was their flowers the past summer - delicate, tiny, little pops of perfect colour. 

Does anyone else grow them & what advice would you give? Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated.

Dee 

The scheduled ancient monument of Shrawardine castle

While out on a jaunt in the Shropshire countryside, we stopped at St Mary's church in the village of Shrawardine. 

It was unfortunately locked but there was a brochure in the porch for the Shrawardine castle ruins just opposite. 

I had a quick browse of the brochure then we did the short walk to the castle remains - which is not very much. 

The Shropshire council website has this info about it. 

The village's landmarks include Shrawardine Castle and St Mary's Church. The castle, known as Castell Isabella by the Anglo-Normans, was built in the reign of Henry I of England, and dismantled during the English Civil War in 1645.^[1] It had been held since 1644 by the Royalist commander Sir William Vaughan, whose aggressive tactics earned him the nickname "the Devil of Shrawardine".

It would be interesting to see an overview from a drone which might show the castle outline better than at ground level. 

There is little information on wiki on it too. 

We walked up the slope towards to high point, there is little left except a few remaining sections but from the top it offers lovely views across the countryside. 

I always find it sobering that centuries of history lies in a field in a small village. The small castle fought over during times of tumultuous history. History really is all around us, & it all fills in little gaps. 

I hope this unplanned stop was interesting to you too, 

Dee 

Melverley St Peter's Church - 1000 years of history ...

I do not venture to these northern Welsh border towns as often as I visit the south Shropshire towns. 

One of my delightful Instagram contacts that I have been to some of her talks at Tanners  Wine & on folklore & customs,  mentioned visiting St Peter's Church in the village of Melverley. 

It is one of those border towns, close to Oswestry. 

It straddles the confluences of the river Severn & Vyrnw & highlights Shropshire's closeness to our Welsh neighbours as well as the history of the conflicts this closeness brought in times past. 

However, there has been a place of Christian worship at Melverley for almost 1000 years. The time period is just staggering, it is difficult to comprehend a millennium of worship at this site. 

The comprehensive church guides note that the ancient manor of Melverley was once held by a family headed by Ealric but after the Norman conquest, it passed in to the hands of Rainault, who was deputy to Roger de Montgomery, the first Earl of Shrewsbury & a kinsman of William the Conqueror. 

Much of English history references William the Conqueror - 1066, a defining period of history.  

We learn that in 1141 Ordericus Vitalis mentions a 'wooden chapel on the banks of the river above Shrewsbury' & this is likely to be this wooden church. Ordericus was born at Atcham, on the banks of the River Severn near Shrewsbury on 16 February 1075. His life was fascinating, pop over to read about it here ... 

However, in 1401, the Welsh Chieftain Owain Glyndwr burnt the chapel to the ground during the Welsh uprising. Much of the current church was the one rebuilt after this event.

The church is a rare example of early British churches constructed of timber, wattle & daub. The white sections are narrower than the timbers, a sign of early construction. It was made of Melverley oak, local oak & it is entirely pegged with wooden pegs throughout. These pegs are still visible on the walls inside & out. 

Because the church stands alongside where the river Vyrnwy joins the River Severn, it has flooded several times in its long history, the most recent being in 1990. In 1990-2, the riverbank was reinforced with a 100foot steel wall that is 30 foot deep to protect this grade 1 listed church.

The church is entered via small wooden porch which opens via a wooden screen to the impressive nave. 

The wooden beams against the white plasterwork is very striking, considering the huge oak beams are only held in place with wooden pegs. 

How did workmen raise this huge oak beams in to place hundreds of years ago, while pegging them with such accuracy? 

Some of the pews in the nave are early 1700's, sobering to think how many have sat on them while in church. 

On some of the wooden pew rails, there is very old markings, graffiti from legions of people who left their mark - literally. 

I can imagine the young having to sit through very long sermons on a Sunday & to keep occupied, they carved out these shapes, probably with a pen knife that everyone carried in those days. 

I wonder what those shapes represent? 

The pews are solid without decoration or ornamentation & they have served church people for hundreds of years.

One of the wooden supports has the year 1700 carved in it.

The font is almost certainly Saxon, a survivor from the original pre-1401 church that was burnt down. 

The font cover is dated 1718. How many babies have been Christened in this space. 

It is not a showy font, it is solid with cut marks visible from when stonemasons carved it centuries ago. 

The altar table is early Jacobean (1603-1625). It is deceptively simple but solid. 

It is the sort of table that does not date so I did not immediately realise its age.

The Pulpit is also Jacobean, accessed by some steps up to it.

A very interesting feature is the lectern with its 2 candle holders & a massive chained Bible dating from 1727. 

How fascinating that it was available to be read, but not taken away. 

I wonder how many of the congregation were actually literate, able to read, write of even sign their own names? 

I know from family research that few ordinary people were literate even in to the 1850's. They signed their names with a cross. 

It is fascinating to think that some folk would have stood at the lectern to read this massive tome of the Bible, some might have stopped by to just gaze at the writing, unable to read much of it but knowing its importance.

This Chancel space was lit by candles held high in the Flemish candle chandelier that  is still in place. 

These are some of the many features that caught my eye during my visit. There is so much to take in, the wooden beams lending a sense of history to the space. 

There is a pretty wooden gallery above the porch & nave. 

It is accessed via a set of steep turning stairs that are quite tight & uneven. 

However, the view over the church from the creaky gallery is rather lovely - up in the rafters, the solid oak beams,  the screen between the nave & the chancel cuts across nicely. 

 The whole space is very peaceful. It is a compact church but with so much to just sit & take in. 

From up high, the wooden beam screens are very evident, their solid shape giving the structure support. 

I speculated in my head who would have used the gallery - additional parishioners at Christmas & Easter, the wealthy who wanted to be separated from their workers, or was it for choirs & musicians?  We will not know for certain but it affords a lovely view over the church. 

It is still used weekly for worship, as it has done for a millennia & that history is very special. 

You feel that you are part of something much larger than just your part. I signed the visitors book, popped a donation in the box & reluctantly took my leave of this peaceful space. 

We walked around the church outside, noticing the many wooden building pegs still visible & you can see the wonkiness of the walls between the beams. A lovely peaceful spot. 

I hope you have enjoyed the visit with me. Heads-up from contacts about beautiful local spaces is the best of the internet & social media. 

Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 

‘Tis time, ‘Tis time …

 

Our nights are drawing in & there is a gentle transition to Autumn.

Our hot dry summer has given way to some very welcome rain. Our two waterbutts are filled again & we can use watering cans to refresh our plant pots again. 

I love lighting a candle at night, the flickering light makes the home cosy & it gives time to relax & contemplate the year that is flitting by. 

I keep my pretty glass candle sticks / candle holders on the kitchen’s windowsill where they are out of the way but close enough to enjoy. The advantage of having them close by is that we use them more often. 

However, in summer the hot sun bends the candles so I take the candles out & store them in a cool place.

Today I decided ‘tis time, ‘tis time” as one of the spirits in Macbeth proclaimed. 

The candles are back, their glass candlesticks glinting in the light & it is a timely reminder of the shortening days. 

Do you reach for a candle to bring light & warmth in during the changing seasons? 

Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 🕯️🪔🍁🍂

Using gifted windfall apples

 

I used to bring back windfall apples from the family home in Dorset to use over the winter. An apple cake is especially good for using up apples & Olive used to make the most delicious Dorset apple cake for a treat. 

I sometimes add apples to my standard Victorian sponge recipe to use as a quick pudding, or have made an applesauce cake too from this recipe with windfall apples. 

While in Dorset, Ms M offered some fallen apples & I selected some that were not bruised or already enjoyed by the birds. 

Once home, I peeled & diced some. With the better ones, I peeled, carefully cored then cut them in to rings. These were briefly brought to the boil with a cinnamon stick, removed with a slotted spoon & open frozen on wax paper in the freezer. They are stored ready for a cake in winter when rings look good on the top. 

The diced ones were lightly cooked with a cinnamon stick & a little sugar, then frozen in 4 foil containers to use in cakes or as apple sauce with pork over the winter.

A good way to save gifted apples to use later on. 

How do you use up apples? Any good recipes to share please? 

Thanks for stopping by, it is always appreciated

Dee 🍎🍏🧃

Falling for an Enchanted Tree ...

 

While browsing the market stalls in Dorset, I always look out for interesting china items. 

I spied this set from across the path & had to head over. 

It is a set I have looked at online, Portmeirion's Enchanted Tree pattern with its cute forest animals & delicate woodland pattern. 

The deer, rabbit & birds are set around a tree of life motif which is very pretty. 

I bought the 2 plates, salad & cereal bowls he had & have decided they will become my everyday set I use at home instead of the white ones we use.  

There are no extras on the Portmeirion website so it is a set that was a limited production & it is no longer produced. 

However, I am not pleased that it is made abroad (China) instead of in our own potteries at Stoke on Trent. 

I imagine it is a financial decision as production is cheaper abroad which really puts our pottery industry at a disadvantage.  

I will use & enjoy them daily - much nicer than a plain set. 

Do you have a specific pattern you use & enjoy? Tell all ... 

Thank you for stopping by, please visit again soon,

Dee 

Taming the house plant jungle

An abundance of greenery makes a house feel comfortable & homely. Many of our larger plants used to live in our inglenook fireplace but had to move when we installed a wood burner some years back. The smaller plants live happily on either side of the fireplace in raised stands. However, our conservatory has been home to the very large ones; they are usually on the console table but because of their size & height, they regularly tip over & the mess is unwelcome. 

My myriad of large houseplants have spent the summer outdoors, partially shaded by a large laurel bush & a fatsia japonica. It is an annual thing, easier to maintain but also easier to wash down their leaves properly & give them air. 

With a busy fortnight ahead, I thought it time to bring them in. However, because some have grown rather large, they are prone to tipping over on the conservatory console table so a solution was needed.

While out at the local garden centre, I had a thought - perhaps they need to be grouped en masse in a trough. At first the idea was for a trough on the console table but there were none that was suitable and the reality was if one tipped, they would all fall over in a domino effect. 

A black Elho trough caught my eye - quite substantial with built in wheels. The trough could sit on the floor where it can be wheeled away for cleaning yet the plants would be more stable at ground level. It was nice enough to be an indoor planter too. 

I measured it, checked back home & then returned to buy it. My 3 outdoor raised planters with the clear lids are ehlo & I love their quality.

I filled the bottom of the new trough with some of our lovely leaf mould (made with our leaves that are raked under the corner hedge to break down) and then added a generous layer of fresh compost. 

With the new trough in the conservatory door, it was good working height & I could gather the plants that have spent the summer on the outdoor patio. I started with the biggest ones & gently potted them in to the trough, moving them around to fit in, then put the smaller ones in between & gently filled all the spaces with additional compost. A variegated spider plant and an arrow head plant had grown rather prolifically over the summer so it was added for interest too. 

A messy job as compost flicked about on the leaves but once I was happy that all the plants were in one place, it was time to test out the inbuilt wheels. They really surprised me by gliding smoothly & the trough could be wheeled in to place quite easily. That is a massive bonus for cleaning.

I tidied up the plants by adding supports & some twine to keep the branches where I wanted, then under planted with coloured tradescantia's. A pleasing change that will be easier to manage. 

How do you deal with all your houseplants? Are you temped to mass them together or do you prefer them dotted about? Tell all. Thank you for stopping by, it is appreciated, 

Dee 🪴🪏🏡👩‍🌾

Successful summer plant propagation ...

 I love the challenge of growing some things every summer. We do salad leaves in the planters & 5-6 tomato plants in a grow bag along the sheltered side of the conservatory. 

The tomatoes have loved the hot sunny weather & we have had a reasonable crop this year - red  & so tasty, a big change from the largely tasteless supermarket ones. 

You really appreciate the flavour & effort when you grow them yourself. 

I always cut some herbs for the conservatory vase in summer - it highlights the fact that herbs are flowers too & you get the delicate scent when at the table. 

The bonus is always that some of them grow while in water which is a welcome bonus to add to the herb planters. 

I cut thyme (did not root in water), mint (of course it did), sage (a success) and my favourite lemon verbena that I have NOT had success with in the past. 

I am amazed that all 4 lemon verbena cuttings rooted & I am delighted to have 4 new plants. 

I have planted the herbs in 3 pots that will stay indoors in the cool conservatory over winter to establish themselves. 

I also took cuttings of  my pink mophead hydrangea. They have not had a happy summer because it has been hot & dry & at times have looked very down cast with their heads & leaves drooping. 

The cuttings were in water for ages & have developed leaves along the stem where I cleared the leaves from, a sign there is life. 

They have been potted up in soil, the mophead flower alongside them so I remember which cuttings are which.

I took cuttings from daughters hydrangea up north. It is a prolific bloomer with gorgeous white heads. 

The first cuttings taken more than a month ago did not look well so I recut them a few weeks ago & kept them in water. 

One has now rooted in a line along the stem - not at the nodule. That has been transferred to a pot with soil & will be carefully tended indoors over winter. 

Some of the other cuttings from that white hydrangea show signs of rooting & they will stay in water a little longer. Fingers crossed for a few more successful cuttings. 

It is a personal challenge to get these things right & it is one I enjoy. Who else likes a gardening challenge? Tell all please. 

Thank you for stopping by, I appreciate all the visits & the comments even more.

Dee 🪴🤞💐🌺