This rose in my garden does not seem to know it is New Year's Day.
It seemed to think the New Year worth greeting. I am hoping so too, whatever happens.
Happy New Year
Richard Murphy
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It’s a sign!! (think of the those cranky worshippers in ‘The Life of Brian’).
A sign of what? I’d say confusion.
Or, maybe like in that scene where Frodo and Samwise in Lord of the Rings where they are leaving Gondor and entering Mordor, there’s a ray of light from somewhere penetrating the gloom and bringing the flowers out.
Behind the clouds, the sun still shines.
If it will cheer you, a pair of wood-pigeons was mating in our garden yesterday morning. New Year’s Eve! and 6 weeks until St Valentine’s Day…
And there was a very beautiful female sparrow-hawk on the wall near our house. Though, with wood-pigeons, we’ll need one of the Portsdown Hill or Chichester Cathedral peregrines.
And my daughter and son-in-law saw a fine red kite overflying Hinton Ampner this lunchtime.
Those pigeons had better watch the sparrow hawk!
Talking of peregrines there is an astonishing book, first published in 1967, simply called “The Peregrine” by JA Baker, recently reissued as a 50th anniversary edition. The writing is so intense, so detailed, so precise that although it is a short book it has to be read in short spells if one is not to be overwhelmed by the author’s passion, obsession, perhaps love for the bird, and although it is a top predator it is also a life-affirming narrative. It is unique, or to use Leavis’s term “a sport”.
I don’t know that
I did enjoy Hawk
I was surprised a good few years ago to discover a rose blooming on Christmas day.
It had a greenfly on it !!
What a beauty! Just enjoy its bloom, a gift from nature before January bites.
I have a few confused anemones and Welsh poppies, yes, poppies (!) here in Wales. Last night’s frost hasn’t had them yet, so I’ll enjoy them while they’re gracing us with their bloom.
The garden is otherwise quite sleepy, but on New Year’s Eve, the blackbirds and turtle doves were having a choir.
I am fortunate to live in an area with a lot of hedges – which are incredibly active right now if only you’re willing to look. I am. It’s goldfinches that are really eye-catching in my garden right now.
Do you grow teasles to encourage them ?
Apparently Goldfinches will travel miles for a teasel. I’ve never actually grown them, but I believe they grow like weeds if they like your conditions.
With your Gold finches and your hedges you just never relax do you ?
I have a reasoned free garden
I am not sure what the attraction is
Marie Thomas says:
“I have a few confused anemones and Welsh poppies, yes, poppies (!) here in Wales.”
Hmmm ?…….and where else would one expect to find Welsh poppies 🙂 Do you get red (proper 🙂 ) poppies aswell ?
Presumably they are flowering late are they, ? Not early for this year ? Has the back-end of the year been unusually mild. (I suppose I’d know if I was assiduous in listening to GQT)
Call me a stick-in-the-mud if you wish, but red poppies are so stunning I can’t see why anyone would wish for a yellow one …any more than one would wish for a yellow Ferrari.
Gonnae stoap talkin’ politics and economics!