A relaxing (I hope!) ten minutes in the Winter Gardens of the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum. This has been a bit of a year, hasn't it? Wishing you all a much happier 2021!   ..read more

It's a strange year right to the end. Here are some thoughts on these particular 2020 Solstice days - and (as always!) a look around the garden as She rests and the year turns.     ..read more

A little outing to one of my favourite places - and what I brought home with me!     ..read more

It's a dank and foggy November day here - so I kept myself warm by turning the compost heap! Hard work now gives a rich food for the garden in just a few months, with the added bonus that nothing goes to waste here. Recycling at its best!     ..read more

A little tour around, inside and outside Autumn Cottage as the weather closes in.   ..read more

Well - here we are again, on the threshold of Samhain 2020, and it's so different to any marking of the end of the Celtic/Pagan festival year than I have experienced before. It's normally a time of peaceful reflection, when I sit in the summer house, set up an Ofrenda for my beloved Ancestors and Loved Ones, light the candles, remember and honour them in tranquility. Not this year - This year, the year of COVID-19, the year of confusion, of the unknown, of the unexpected, of the unwelcome - this year is different. From the death of my dear cat Pip back in February, to the alien world of Lockd ..read more

I thought the crunching of the gravel on the drive early this morning heralded an early delivery of a book that I had ordered…but when I looked, there was no parcel – but an envelope. Hmm – hand delivered? - must be someone handing out flyers for a local event? No such thing; I was greeted by the delightful card below – and inside – good wishes for the Autumn Equinox – from An Admirer of Autumn Cottage (and the garden!). Out of the blue – a little package of love, an unexpected surprise to make my heart soar, and feel that suddenly, a Monday was a much nicer day than usual! Dear friends – n ..read more

We have recently been blessed with some of those glorious, golden autumn days that often occur around this time of the year - days when everything seems to stand still, when not a leaf moves or a bird flies by; days that have the remnants of sultry summer days, but also a component of change - subtle ripening that builds to the rosy abundance of harvest time . We took some time on Monday to get out and about to enjoy the countryside while the weather is still good. As an inveterate church crawler, I often put an itinerary together as a ‘steeple chase’,  creating a navigation pathway amon ..read more

Just a week since I wrote my last ‘Month in the Country’ post and it has seemed strange everyday since to not be writing every day; but I enjoyed getting back into the blogging habit again, so hopefully you'll enjoy reading these updates on a more regular basis. The autumn is well and truly with us, but at the moment we are enjoying some very pleasant autumn days - that is, apart from the one day we chose to make a family outing last week, to the Cotswold wildlife park, when we were treated to a heavy downpour from midday onwards; Sods law in all its glory! I still enjoyed myself with my came ..read more

Three weeks ago, we were wilting in temperatures of 34C here in North Hampshire – tonight, I have a thick wool poncho cosily wrapped around my shoulders, and just for the evening, the central heating has been clicked on. The bees are thrilled to find the Sedums flowering, there are windfall apples falling frequently under the old tree now, (time to make chutney!) and leaves are starting to carpet the pond (time to get the net on). During this lovely month that I have spent with you all, my friends, the season has truly turned – and we have, I think, also tried to turn towards the future, tryi ..read more