Time for a walk........

Come on Nella, time for a walk..........

Chilly and damp, with a north westerly wind.....scarf and gloves I think......

The lanes are looking pretty......the trees still have their canopy but are losing leaves slowly.......

There are lots of birds in the hedgerows but they are illusive.......although I did see several Goldcrest today.....what a joy....they are such tiny birds.......

I live in an area which has a lot of farmers.........I like to see the sheep in the fields.......

Edible or not, I am never quite sure................

Robins pincushion........the bright colours of summer slowly disappearing......

The odd wildflower........as pretty as a picture.............

Gosh a molehill........I havn't seen many this year, and that is unusual ................normally they will be in the fields, also in gardens........perhaps the moles are having a hard time this year..........

Come look at this in the hedgerow....isn't that beautiful....I haven't a clue what it is........any ideas???

We have two rivers in this area.........they are looking good..........

Living in a low lying area we have plenty of these natural ponds........they rarely dry out, even in the driest summers. They are wonderful wildlife habitats.............

Gosh think I should start heading back, don't like the look of those clouds.....come on Nella.............

Time to think...............

My day always begins with a walk around the garden..............

I need this time to get my mind focused for the day ahead...........

I take time to notice the little things...............

which often hold much beauty..................

For me it is a time for reflection and quiet contemplation...........

How do you start your day?

Digging...............

It rained all day yesterday.........there were water droplets everywhere when I walked the garden this morning.............

But today is cold, bright and sunny.............but we have a cold snap coming........daytime temperatures will drop to 8C ..........and it could last for a while...............

so after taking the parents out to get their weekly groceries, and giving Nella a nice long walk.............time to put my faithful old (very old) welligogs on and start lifting turf and preparing the soil for my trees........they should arrive Nov/Dec..............

While working I caught the fragrance of Mahonia Charity on the breeze......it kept teasing me with its beautiful scent...... coming and going as I worked.............

I noticed that the birds have started to eat the hips............a robin and dunnock kept me company while I beavered away........

This little pansy has just opened........sunny little blooms..........

I could see two other happy faces................I have started to prepare the garden for a little family get together on Saturday........Guy Fawkes........I will not have the traditional bonfire or fireworks.....when you garden for wildlife it is not on your agenda............but there will be a treasure hunt in the dark and lots of games............and of course supper around the table..........and then lots of special treats..............

Well three hours digging is quite enough for one day............shall do some more another time..............I hear the teapot calling...........and a nice piece of farmhouse fruit cake...........

Butterflies and whimsy.........

A small Comma visits most days at the moment.......

she loves the Dogwoods and the berries................

she passes the time sitting in the sun..............and sipping from the fruits.........her days are numbered I am sure........I must enjoy her for as long as I can.........

Doesn't the garden look different at night.............I have bought a mystical hare to gaze at the moon.................

Heavy frost............

Last night we had a really heavy frost.............the gunnera leaves have now turned brown....time to put some hay over her crown and then eventually the leaves will collapse and cover her for the winter.....no doubt some little creature will find shelter there to.......

seedheads were frosted.....my mind went back to the summer when the bumbles enjoyed the lilac blooms......now the goldfinch will enjoy the seeds..........

the grasses were frozen in time.........they really do add something special to a garden and make wonderful hiding places for insects........
the cardoon stands upright as if frozen............I wonder what is hiding in these large seedheads.............couldn't you just stand all day and think about the wonders of nature.....I could........

frosted grapes................wouldn't they just look perfect on an iced cake..........

but the star of the garden at the moment is this maple just outside the conservatory door.............the colours are beautiful................

every leaf was frozen this morning..............time had almost stood still.......

and then the sun slowly came up and started to warm the garden, tiny droplets appeared and made the garden look quite magical...........

It is going to be a lovely day...............

I know that some of you out there would like to know how I got on at the awards ceremony yesterday...............I had a wonderful time.....meeting children and adults all interested in the wildlife of Kent and doing their bit to help and support them.......It was so refreshing to talk to people as passionate as I am about working with nature and making a difference......I have invitations to visit other peoples space and to see how they work..............the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells presented the awards on behalf of the Kent Wildlife Trust and I am so pleased to tell you that I got a Gold Award for my garden and work with wildlife......I am also pleased to tell you that my blog was mentioned.......the afternoon ended with tea and cake (all homemade and absolutely yummy).........

I have lots to think about today.......there were short talks by the Kent Wildlife Trust and there are some things that were mentioned that I need to follow.............I am loving this journey and I know in my heart that it is going to take me where I have always wanted to be..........deep in the heart of Kent........with the wildlife that I love.........

Fading blooms and little creatures.......

Although the days are bright, they are quite chilly....jumper and jacket weather.......the nights are cold dropping to 3C sometimes.......

Blooms are fading but the autumn sunlight gives them a pretty glow and the odd hoverfly...........

and carder bee can be found on them.........

I do like the way the sun softens the whole garden at this time of year..........

Found this young hedgehog stumbling around the garden today....they are nocturnal creatures and should be thinking of hibernating now.......I took him into the shed...........gave him something to eat and drink........

then took him into the copse and snuggled him down into one of the hedgehog homes..................he has plenty of fresh warm bedding in there and I have left food and water outside for him..........hopefully he will be fine....he looked fit and well but just a little disorientated.....

Hope you all had a good weekend.........

Magical Places.......

Do you like to follow stepping stones..............

that take you to unknown places............

somewhere that holds just a little bit of mystery........

where nature has no regular preening........and is allowed to do her own thing.................

Do you like to see places where small creatures can hide........undisturbed by humans...........

where you can indulge your childhood fantasies.................
and get lost in the moment...........

Do you like to sit beneath the trees...............

and listen to small creatures scurrying around............and birds singing..............somewhere that your troubles and worries just drift away................welcome to the copse..........my secret garden........