Tree Appreciation Tuesday - Growing up between the lines

I do like Birch Trees and planted a lovely specimen in a previous garden.  Here this multistemmed plant probably starting its life from a blown in seed, and  taking root around the time the Railway Station at Winscombe closed down in 1963/64.  This tree around 60 years old probably got cut down several times in the very early days as waggons passed into the siding. Since the station was closed to both passenger and good traffic,  it has grown up into a fine multi stemmed specimen gracing the heritage walk.

Yesterday the Short and Easy walkers from Wells WI drove over to Winscombe where we walked part of the Strawberry line.  It is a stretch which affords extensive views with a tree lined walk along the track bed.  I didn't have to go far before I found what may have been 'the tree of the day'.  For sure we passed many possible contenders, but on our way back, I become certain that this tree would be the tree for this week's post.

These weekly  Tree Appreciation Tuesday Posts are ongoing.   Do leave comments perhaps with mention of a tree you appreciation. 

In a Vase on Monday - Sticks

 I wasn't going to post a vase today. Having sat down at 6 p,m, to view and comment on Cathy and friends' vases, I read that Cathy would even admit that given the hard frost we experienced a few days ago even sticks would do!

The vase is a new one not shown up till now.  I bought it from an art gallery where it was being sold as something in which one would put a plant pot and possibly a succulent or cactus.  Before using it I checked it for water proofness.  Although I had paid a reasonable sum for it, I love the design and decided to use it for dried arrangements.  These sticks came from my friend's very large Magnolia growing against her large Georgian house.  She was quite bemused when I asked for a few of the obviously dead twigs and I said they reminded me of deer antlers.  In front is a piece of bark and large seeds I picked up over two years ago.  I love that orange lichen on it.

Do look out for my post tomorrow on the Tree Appreciation theme, here is last week's. Now that winter has come, I am enjoying the trees all the more.  Do feel free to join me each week and post a tree you may have enjoyed. 

Six on Saturday - 25 November 2023

Not much gardening has been possible this week, but when the rain stopped, and yesterday a little sun came out, it did raise my spirits.  When does winter start in the garden?  Is it some date, or is it when all the deciduous have fallen?  I appreciate that it is after Christmas than the real hard winter can come and cause havoc.  I am starting to feel that I need to garden in such a way that I am not worrying about moving heavy pots around or cover things to evade frosts etc.  The great thing is that each season we can review what went well and find new and different plantings that fit one's plans.  Last Saturday at the Somerset HPS our speaker was Timothy Walker and the talk called 'Bordering on Insanity'.  Timothy is a truly knowledgeable, entertaining and excellent communicator. This after I am going sit down with my notes and the plant list from his talk, and just see if there are plants I need to add to my plant list.  I will also no doubt gain insights and inspiration from this weekly get together that Jim hosts over on his blog 'Garden Ruminations', failing that it is just great to read about what other home gardeners are getting up through their comments and links.

1. There has definitely been a frost, this morning the nasturtiums were overtaken by the frost, even after lunch after they have had a little sun on them, they have not recovered. As it was getting dark yesterday and I went out to gather some parsley, I cut a few nasturtiums flowers and they are now on the window sill in the kitchen along with some Alstromeria which is growing in a large pot under the overhang by our front door.

2. The Salvia 'African Sky' is flowering again after a good cut back, and even this afternoon there are bumble bees visiting, which means they find nectar on the flowers still.

3. Just before we had our seating circle reset, I had to move a rather fetching Helianthemum.  For now it is growing in a spare corner, where I also planted some heel cuttings straight in the ground.  It will be interesting to see whether they will root there.  I also put some cuttings to root in a small circular pan, and I am happy to say almost all of them have taken.  Next Spring I'll position them around the garden.

Helianthemum Golden Queen rooted cuttings

4.  Since I believe they are frost hardy, I am placing the Auriculas out on the table.  I think they had suffered from far too much rain over the last few weeks, with some growing shoots rotting through the middle.  I've cut those back, and hopefully they will sprout again.  I've not done this before and I hope this pot will be O.K. I have two other large pots of the same variety, and I think next spring after flowering it will be time to divide down and get rid of the older plants since they are about six years old now.

5, The colour on Pear Beth looked lovely this morning, I'm enjoying this whilst it lasts as I think by Monday all the leaves will have fallen.

Bright leaves on Pear Beth

6.  The order from the Cyclamen Society came in this week, they must have been short on the coums this year, but I have instead received doubling up on No 50 and 117.  It may have been a slip of the hand by the packers or  a harvest failure, but by working out that it will be two less pots, who am I to raise a query? 

I can't remember how soon I sowed last year's seed but I have been able to grow them on all through this year, and they are doing well.

Who knows if I will have six to show next week.  I really didn't think I would have enough to show this week, but ideas and thoughts have been going through my head this week although not much has been happening gardening wise.

To Eschew

 It all comes to one at some time, and now I am mid way between a temporary crown and the final one, which is in about two weeks.  There are so many of usual delicious foods that it is best to avoid.  Nuts, granary bread, crackling etc need to be eschewed, i.e. they must not be chewed!  It tickled me the use of the word eschew which means to avoid something deliberately is so appropriate when I need to avoid chewing!

As I have recovered my baking mojo what better than to make a ham, cheese and onion quiche.  It is ages since I had a spell of making those: before, for and after the coronation.

I have a dear friend Mandy and either on our posts or on Facebook, talk, discuss, share, tips on good food, sometimes frugal food, and very often luxurious food.  Here all three come together.  I bought a half cheese from our local cheesemaker and goat dairy woman.  It was a mature Burcott at a fraction of the price compared to if it had been portioned and separately packaged. Mr S and I saw this when we went up to say hello at our Wells Food Festival a few weeks ago.  Fellow punters glanced over and when I gave a cast-iron recommendation, there was a queue to buy up the rest of the full or part cheeses. 

When I got home I cut up the cheese, grated a whole lot, and put them into the freezer to use as and when we needed without filling up the fridge.  This went into the quiche.  Having ready grated cheese as good as any Manchego in the freezer, means that each time I wish to add some as a topping or within a dish, there is no need to get out the grater.

The ham was made up of some of the meat that I removed from a ham hock I had cooked with various herbs, and spices  for soup in the pressure cooker.  There was sufficient meat for two quiches, and three batches of soup, and one portion in a salad yesterday.  

Tree Appreciation Tuesday

 It has continued to rain more than usual and the ground is now saturated, with water trickling from the banks each side of the road, forming shallow streams and gathering volume till it reaches ditches and rhynes which are currently overflowing onto the levels.  

Yesterday we went for our customary walk and it would have been damaging to the land to walk along the path that cuts through this field to get up closer to the wonder old oak tree.  I had taken this picture on the 6th of November the day I posted about the old Ash Tree.  Yesterday it was still holding its leaves through the colours were more autumnal.  I shall try to get a picture again in a few days time.  The sheep have been moved higher up the slope.

This wonderful old open grown English Oak is the first tree on our circular walk that always draws me to stop to admire it and the view beyond,  Less than five minutes walk from the house it stands in a corner of a field, and from this side of the hedge and back along the outer left hand hedge is a bank of beautiful wild flowers in the spring. Sadly the tree just this side of the large oak is now just a standing dead tree, hopefully it will be left there to form a habitat of beetles and other insects.

I ought to have made this the first of the trees in my Tree Appreciation series, as it was the first tree I appreciated the evening we moved to our new home a number of years ago.