Tags
All Saints church, Ash, beech, bramble, common reeds, cow parsley, Down the Garden Path by Beverley Nichols, Holly, ivy, January, muddy lanes, primrose, St Margaret South Elmham church, Suffolk, walking, white bryony, white deadnettle, Winter Heliotrope
Let me take you back to the 1st of January…….
We don’t celebrate New Year in this house; we usually (but not always) stay up till midnight on New Year’s Eve, listen to fireworks being let off in the surrounding farms and villages and then make our way to bed. We have a relaxed New Year’s Day with a late breakfast and then watch/listen to the New Year’s Day Concert from Vienna on the kitchen TV while we read, drink coffee, do the ironing, chat, think about lunch etc. Often, we go for a walk and this year yes, we went for a walk.
We left it too late to travel to a place to walk so we set off from the front door and did our usual circuit of the lanes round St. Margaret village.
Richard and I enjoy this walk as it is familiar, is only a couple of miles and gives us plenty to look at.
I enjoyed seeing the bright pink and apricot colours on this leaf while many of the other leaves were still green. The stems of bramble are grey and lavender and very prickly.
I love the muted shades of the countryside in winter.
Winter Heliotrope has the most delicious scent! On a mild winter’s day the air is filled with its sweet perfume. It is an invasive alien and takes over large areas of hedgerow to the detriment of all the native plants but…. nothing else has such bright green leaves and such flowers at this time of year. One of the books I am reading currently is ‘Down the Garden Path’ by Beverley Nichols written in 1932. He enthuses about Winter Heliotrope!
‘If you want to begin with something that is quite foolproof, you cannot do better than invest in a few roots of Petasites fragrans which has the pretty English name of winter heliotrope. Some people sneer at the winter heliotrope. They say the flower is dingy, and that the roots have abominable habits, being inclined to spread indiscriminately into the garden next door. The people next door should be grateful if the roots do spread into their garden. For the flower is not dingy at all … it is a little pale and humble … that is all. Besides, one does not grow the winter heliotrope for its beauty of form. One grows it for its beauty of scent. It has a most exquisite fragrance. If you cut it and carry it indoors it will scent a whole room.’
As many of you will have realised, I have been trying to catch-up with all of your posts. I considered missing all the posts out and just starting afresh but then I found I needed to know what you have been up to for the past few weeks. I wanted to admire all your photos and read your poems and stories. I haven’t commented very often for which I apologise, but I have definitely read all you have written and I have enjoyed it all! I am nearly caught up and I will be back to commenting regularly again.
Lisa G. said:
How nicely Richard posed for his portrait! 😀 I daresay he enjoys being famous. 😉 Your scenery looks more like early April, Clare; so beautiful, and I simply can’t imagine what it’s like to look across and see a tower with crenellations like your All Saints Church. It just struck me – such an old structure.
I do like that twisted ash – he looks like he’s reaching around for something, doesn’t he? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Lisa. I thought Richard was looking very happy in that photo. He is revelling in his fame! 😉
We had only had a few frosts when these photos were taken and living in a highly agricultural area where many crops are planted in early autumn and left to grow over winter, it usually does look quite green during the winter. The grass verges and ditches at the sides of the lanes are usually cut and tidied in the autumn and winter to make sure that, if we do get a lot of rain or snow, they don’t cause flooding by getting blocked. We get many mild days during winter when the grass and crops continue to grow and some hardy plants even flower when they can. We have had some snow and ice and temperatures have got down to -7 degrees Centigrade since the new year, which is cold for us but nothing in comparison with your winter temperatures, I know.
All of the churches in our area are medieval and though beautiful are also expensive to maintain and very cold and damp!
I can’t think how that tree got to be so twisted!
LikeLike
Lisa G. said:
Clare, does the town maintain the verges and ditches, etc., or do you have to care for the areas near your home?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
In the local towns the Town Council maintains all verges and ditches unless they are owned by private landowners. Outside the towns the Parish Councils are responsible for all common land in and around the villages which includes commons, greens and verges. Many of the local farmers have grass cutting equipment on their tractors and do the work for free but any work that cannot be done that way is contracted out and the Parish Council has funds for paying for this work. One of the local farmers will have the right to gather up the hay and use it for his livestock. Sometimes the verge outside our property gets very overgrown and so Richard goes out and mows it but he is not obliged to do so. Some homeowners cut their verge too often and there is a danger that they will do more harm than good. The Parish Council then has to talk to them about it. Most ditches in villages and in the country outside villages are owned by private landowners, either farmers or homeowners and they are responsible for the maintenance of them. Some ditches that cross common land are the responsibility of the Parish Council who contract the work out when the ditches need clearing. Richard and I own quite a lot of ditch around our property and we have to clear them regularly. Most of the time this just entails cutting back the grass, weeds and tree saplings. Every few years we have to dig the ditches out and we hire someone to do this for us with a mechanical digger. A long rambling explanation, for which I apologise 🙂
LikeLike
Retirement Reflections said:
Hi, Clare – What a wonderful walk in your community. I absolutely loved your descriptions and felt like I was walking right beside you. Yes, thank you, I think I will come in for a cup of tea. That would be lovely! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thanks so much, Donna! Any time you happen to be passing by, you’d be more than welcome to come in for a cup of tea! 😀
LikeLike
Lavinia Ross said:
Good to see you back, Clare! That was a lovely new year’s day walk with so many interesting things to see. I like the idea of winter heliotrope. I wonder if it would do well here? Our hot summers might be too much for it though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Lavinia. Winter Heliotrope originally comes from Mediterranean North Africa so it could probably cope with your climate. It does like to grow in moisture-retentive soil which is why we find it growing along the tops of our ditches but it also copes with drying out completely during the summer. It has underground rhizomes which store water and is terribly invasive, so beware!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Liz said:
So lovely to join you on this journey, Clare. The perfect way to spend New Year’s Day or, indeed, any other day! X
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Liz. I hope your health is a little better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Liz said:
Thanks so much for asking, Clare. Yes things seem to have settled down a bit for now, which is great! Xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
I am glad. I hope things stay settled for as long as possible. xxxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Liz said:
thank you so much xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
xxx
LikeLike
Ali, The Mindful Gardener said:
I have been seeing winter heliotrope everywhere this winter. It does smell lovely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Ali. I thought you’d have it growing in Kent, too; I don’t think I’d want it in my garden though!
LikeLike
adruidslife said:
Hi Clare, I followed you via my old account, but I could never access it. I’m following you here now. I’m in Norfolk 😊. Have a lovely weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Hi Niki. Thank you very much for the follow. I’ve been reading your recent posts this evening – fascinating! I hope your weekend has been a good one so far 🙂
LikeLike
margaret21 said:
I’ve noticed how you have been catching up with my posts. Thank you. And thank you for sharing your early January walk. 1st of February now, and I’m about to go out and face the first snow of the year, long after many people seem to have had that experience already.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Margaret. I hope your snow hasn’t been too troublesome; ours came and went very quickly.
LikeLike
bitaboutbritain said:
I enjoyed coming along with you on your winter walk, Clare. I can’t resist commenting that if you’ve been cleaning St Margaret’s since last February it must be absolutely spotless by now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lisa G. said:
Ha! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Ha, indeed! 😀
LikeLike
Clare Pooley said:
Hmmmm…. I do clean the church quite regularly, but not continuously! 😀 Quite clearly, I could do with an editor! I have to contend with a large bat population living in the roof so it’s never clean for long!
LikeLike
susanpoozan said:
Thank you for sharing such an interesting walk, lovely to have you back blogging again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Susan.
LikeLike
derrickjknight said:
A lovely tour. I liked the lichen coated post box, and the advocacy for winter heliotrope. Your catch-up is much appreciated
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
You’re very kind; thank you very much, Derrick. I’m sure Jackie knows not to plant winter heliotrope in your beautiful garden, or if she does, to keep it in confinement!
LikeLiked by 1 person
derrickjknight said:
That may be why we don’t have any 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Hehe! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
derrickjknight said:
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jill Weatherholt said:
Such a beautiful walk, Clare. I especially loved the photo of Richard…he looks so happy. Enjoy your weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Jill! I thought the photo of Richard an especially good one, too. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! xx
LikeLike
KerryCan said:
Hi, Clare! What a nice post to find writing for me–you picked a great way to celebrate the new year and I liked going along on the walk. Richard looks happy and handsome–next time, let him take a photo of you to include!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Kerry; I also thought Richard’s photo a good one. He is fortunate in being able to look relaxed in front of the camera, which I rarely am!
LikeLike
Laurie Graves said:
Wonderful, wonderful to go on a walk with you! How I loved going down the lanes, seeing the plants, churches, and houses. Glad you stopped to smell the heliotrope. 😉 Terrific picture of Richard.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Laurie. It is a good picture of Richard, though I say so myself! He can relax in front of the camera; something I have never been able to do. 🙂
LikeLike
markspitzerdesigns said:
Out the door for a walk – and back 100 years
Refreshing !
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thanks so much, Mark!
LikeLike
Peter Klopp said:
Thank for taking me on this pleasant walk? The photos do not leave the impression of winter. Is this kind of green landscape typical for your area in January?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Peter. Yes, this is a typical view of early winter in my area. We hadn’t had many frosts at that time though we have had more since then as well as ice and snow. Because of our temperate climate we are never too cold for too long and the grass continues to grow during the winter if the temperature gets above 5 degrees Centigrade. I live in an intensively farmed area, where many crops are planted in early autumn and left to grow over winter which makes most of the fields very green. The verges and ditches at the side of the lanes are cleared of all the dead grasses and tidied so that, if we do get a lot of rain and snow they won’t cause the drains to block and flood the roads. Thank you for your interesting question.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Peter Klopp said:
Thank you very much for the detailed explanation, Clare! I appreciate that you were taking the time to answer my question.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
My pleasure, Peter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
How nice it must be to see colorful leaves, flowers and mushrooms in January! You would never find any of it here. Though I have seen flowers in January it’s a rare event.
I love the countryside where you live. It seems like it would be just my kind of place with plenty to explore!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Allen. There is less to see now after another month of winter with more frosts, ice and a little snow. However, we are never too cold for too long and the plants are very resilient and do their best to keep going! I love this part of the world though I wasn’t born and brought up here. It is intensively farmed and that means that there are fewer wild flowers and insects than there used to be; even I remember more insects 15 years ago than now. Years of pesticide and insecticide use have destroyed much wildlife.We are fortunate that the local farmer has begun to think more of the environment and his doing his best to make his land more wildlife-friendly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
I hope your cold hasn’t been anything like ours. It was -10F here this morning.
I’m glad the farmer (s) have come around to a more ecologically aware way of farming. Nature has tremendous healing power if given a chance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Yes, you’re right. In time the natural world heals itself. Our cold has been nothing like yours, I am glad to say! Our news programmes have been featuring the terrible weather you have been suffering in the US. I have never experienced cold as cold as -10F!
LikeLiked by 1 person
New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
-10 is bearable for a short time but much below that begins to burn and gets painful, and I hope you never have to experience it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Allen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
H.J. for avian101 said:
You have a lovely house Clare. I’m glad to know that you are okay. I guess that I miss sweet comments about the birds I photograph. Thank you for the tour. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
You’re very welcome, HJ and thank you. I will soon be back to commenting on your beautiful blog 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
germac4 said:
A very enjoyable January walk along laneways & farms and a very impressive church. You must be very busy if you have been cleaning the church on a regular basis. Don’t worry about replying to all blogs I often find I din’t have time to reply to all, but like you I do enjoy reading them. Best wishes for the New Year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Gerrie. The church does take some cleaning, especially in the summer when the bats that live in the roof are at their most active! Best wishes to you, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
germac4 said:
Oh dear no…. bats…. Good luck!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Yes! I’m afraid so 😮
LikeLike
Richard Sutton said:
A delightful stroll around your local Suffolk lanes Clare. I like the way you notice the small details in the hedgerows and lane verges. There is so much to see even near at hand.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Richard. It is surprising how much there is to be seen even in the depths of winter.
LikeLike
Jane Sturgeon said:
How lovely to walk with you both, Clare. I love your pictures and the loving peace that comes from them and your words. It’s like stepping into a place that time forgot. Hugs and much ❤ always. ❤ Xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
How very kind, Jane – thank you so much xx ❤ xx Hugs and love to you, too ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Annika Perry said:
Clare, thank you for sharing your beautiful walk and I can see why it is one of your favourites! I reckon your Richard has to be as patient as my hubby when we head out on walks/visit places … I’m always stopping to take photos. It was interesting to learn about the Winter Heliotrope and I loved reading the effusive extract from ‘Down the Garden Path’. Hope you’re having a lovely weekend and the weather is good enough for another walk today! 😀🌺
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Annika! Yes, Richard does wait for me sometimes; other times I have to run to catch up!
I am enjoying reading ‘Down the Garden Path’ mainly because it is so effusive and also very amusing. I hope your weekend is a lovely one! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Helen said:
What a lovely walk Clare; I love your botanical knowledge and your long January shadows. Great pictures too, especially your posing husband waiting at the gate with a smile. Here the snow gives my little garden the edible look of an iced cake with little jewels of orange and purple crocus catching the sun as they poke though the glistening cold. I’ve missed your blogs and hope that you can find time in the busy upcoming spring to tell us about your garden and the surrounding countryside. With love xxx
LikeLike
Clare Pooley said:
What a gorgeous description of your garden! I can picture it now looking like a confectioner’s delight! Thank you so much for commenting, Helen! xx
LikeLike
quercuscommunity said:
Good to see you back in the game. Looks like a lovely walk – particularly the extremely well-cleaned church. Conservatory is looking good too. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Simon. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
dobetteralways said:
Once again your post has transported me off to a lovely break from the brown and white landscape that surrounds me. If only that picture of the heliotrope was a scratch and sniff 🙂 Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you! I would love to be able to produce a scratch and sniff Heliotrope for you! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Helen said:
I was amazed to see the nettles. I thought they died back in winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Not much upsets a nettle! The growth slows down as it gets colder and long-term cold with ice and snow-cover will cause them to die back but they spring back rejuvenated as soon as the temperatures rise again! We have had some snow and ice with regular frosts during January but the nettles are still looking fine! 😀
LikeLike
Helen said:
Definitely better than the ones in my garden 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
😀
LikeLike
tootlepedal said:
Welcome back. That was a lovely portrait of Richard.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Tom.
LikeLike
Elizabeth Melton Parsons said:
Wow, you had flowers blooming in January? Or did I read that wrong? Lovely photos, Clare. I always enjoy tagging along on your walks, ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Elizabeth. Yes! Flowers in January!
LikeLiked by 1 person
kutukamus said:
[The post box] I kind of miss that thing. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you for commenting on this post.
LikeLike
Andrea Stephenson said:
You have a lovely neighbourhood for your regular walks Clare, I enjoyed re-visiting the beginning of the year with you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Andrea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Resa said:
You have a very lovely home, Clare. It’s such a rustic place, it’s hard not to fall in love with the cottages along the way, and the lichen growing post box.
I have never smelled heliotrope, and now you have me very curious.
Take care! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, dear Resa ❤ 🙂
LikeLike