Ginger Spice

Well done Tim - it is indeed part of the Ginger harvest - obvious in the pic here - never done ginger before, it didn't do much above ground but was yummy in last night's stir-fry:
Below is the start of Chateau Cumulus thanks to Kristina. 

And here we have some of the Mara des Bois which are like alpine strawberries but 2" across and are everbearers, along with some of the Badsey peaches which having lived in the same pot for the last 15 years are not 2" across any more.  I at the raspberry (there was just the one) before I took the pic.  Delicious on our morning muesli.  I think the new year plans will include a new peach so if any of the Badsey contingent are watching, please note the hopeful request...

Quiz of the day

What's this then?

Looks like something that might be crawling around somewhere nasty in Dr Who, I reckon.  Guesses?

A View to a Hill

We swapped the spectacularly good views from our holiday cottage in the Eden Valley for this also-rather-splendid view - the gaps filled in while we were away and it's starting to look like a garden rather than a number of plants plonked into mud.  The pic below doesn't really do justice to the flowers but does remind us why we bought this plot.  I haven't spotted any slow worms or lizards living in the gabions yet, but I bet the word is getting round...

The Michaelmas daisies from Pat and Judy are doing exceedingly well - this pic doesn't really convey the range of outrageous magenta hues or the buzzing of the bees, and a number of butterflies got camera-shy and vanished as I clicked the shutter.  But the daisies are definitely the current stars of the show. As are the schizostylis from Pete in the foreground above.  And the nasturtiums.  And the cheap annual seeds from LIDL.  Thank you all....

More restrained to the eye but a sumptuous feast for the nose (if indeed noses can feast) is Blush Noisette, strategically placed on the north wall so that when the bifold doors are open the house is filled with the scent of roses.  Currently only a couple of feet high, by this time next year she will probably fill that bit of wall.  Now I need to get the welding done on the obelisks so I can get the other climbing roses and clematis into position...

Hedghogs in our gutter!

Here is Alan modelling the latest fashion in drain-blockage prevention.  Why do they call this a Hedgehog when it's clearly a Boa? 

Here it is nesting safely in the gutter - we hope this will stop the gutter filling up with walnuts. Mind you, the squirrel seems to be having a fair go at dealing with the walnuts her/himself...