Veiw from Ednovean Farm today

Perranuthnoe village set around the old church of St Piran and St Micheal in the valley, below the garden




The view from the Apricot room terrace tht we made to ensure each bedroom had a veiw to the Mount



St Micheal's Mount caught in sunshine - click to enlarge



A Cordyline framing the view to Perranuthnoe below the garden

Beyond the Blue room

The garden was plunged into the shadow of a scudding cloud

Occasionally there are days when you feel you could touch the far side of the Bay beyond the farm and today was such a day. Naturally by the time that Charles had grabbed the camera, the garden had been plunged into the shadow of a passing cloud but the Mount stayed bathed in sunlight and I think you could have counted the houses of Penzance, Newlyn and Mousehole across the bay if you had the time. So a special day today in West Cornwall

The Ednvoean Blue bells!

Blue bells at Ednovean Farm

This weekend could have been described as a tad damp to say the least with a vicious weather front sweeping across the country. Our guest soldiered manfully on though and apparently it was quite dry at the Lizard in the afternoon and the blue bells in the National Trust owned Godolphin woods were amazing. By Sunday, the clouds had started to break up and so I made a quick phone call to the change house at St Micheal's Mount for my guests and found that by catching the early 10.oo am boat they would be able to visit the Mount as it opened at 10.30 before catching the train back to London. What a lovely memory to pour over along with the Sunday papers as the train rattled through the countryside.

For us it was time for Sooty and Danni's Sunday outing as the first rays of sunshine gave only a ghostly impression of the warmth of the previous week, faltering and then gaining in strength upon our freshly watered world. Nature had made huge gains over the last twenty four hours though, the hedgerows now awash with blue bells in a gorgeous haze of Blue. From a horse it is always possible to see the secret forgotten places tucked unloved and forlorn, near villages where the the ferns and wild flowers grow under a tangle of branches, natures triumph of spring.

And so Charles visited the old mine heap between the fields again today and sure enough the blue bells had returned again for another year clothing the long abandoned industrial site with natures magic

Three Distress ladies rehomed (statues!)

The first of Perranlady's three statues tucked beside a European fan palm - i have since added a bromiliad to her warm feet

Lady no two coquettish beside a phormium

Lady no three slipped between a euphorbia and agapanthus, framed by a cordyline above

The power of blogger found three lovely ladies re homed to Ednovean Farm's gravel border yesterday, after a call from Perranlady. The ladies travelled well, supine in the back of a golden car but were still visibly shaken by the site of the builder advancing towards them with a sledge hammer............it was only a matter of time.

There old habitat was a more formal setting I think but they slipped seamlessly into the foliage of our gravel border without fuss, with only the black birds and the "bouncing bunnies" for company so should live out a peaceful retirement undisturbed by marauding builders far from the cement mixer and I defy any passing rabbit to as much as nibble them. At last the perfect rabbit proof addition to the garden - thank you Perranlady.

Wandering the tide line

Sea shells tossed upon the tide line at Stackhouse Cove



Limpets clinging to the smooth sea sculptured rock



The hauntingly empty boat shed that belonged to a local seaman who perished at sea



The beautifully cut sea pool for Admiral Stackhouse's wife to sea bathe




The still mysterious reflexions in the sea pools

Some days it is good just to wander the tide line in one of the hauntingly beautiful coves that lay near to Perranuthnoe beside the coastal footpath.

The coastal path, edged with the cadmium yellow of the gorse, joined now by a blur of blue from the bluebells, the air heavy with the vanilla scent of the sweet blooms. With each turn of the path lays an invitation to explore another secret cove, implicit in a narrow path disappearing into the vegetation. Sliding and scrambling down to the shore line, to discover the seas new bounty tossed on the shore line. Drifts of shells, forgotten buoys, sleek shiny new sea weed all abandoned by the tide with the scent of the sea, the mysterious world that surrounds us and temps us back that we never fully understand and can only respect, never conquer but draws us ever nearer.

The sea pools laying still and reflective, each with its industry of tiny fish waiting for the tide to return; an almost forgotten boat shed nearly ruined now, a sad monument to a fisherman lost at sea never to return. I climbed curiously to explore the site one day- beautifully positioned to command the cove and navigate the easiest chanel - the roof of utilitarian concrete rafters almost gone now, there remains tossed by the sea below laying trapped amongst the boulders, smoothed by the relentless action of the waves, as if almost to expunge the memory. My mind always drifts to the fisherman that left there for the last time and I shiver and move on.

We spent days idly searching the rock pools for the legendary pool, cut by Admiral Stackhouse for his wife to sea bathe, while he conducted his experiments into sea weed. It must have been a decorous affair with daintily cut steps to the depths - i imagine her with her skirts floating around her as she modestly took the waters before returning to Acton Castle above.

So the strange memories of human existence, some tangible some less so, all recorded on the sea shore but always the relentless sea marking the rhythm of our lives as satiated we drift home along the coastal footpath.

Apple blossom

The ancient crab apple tree on the village road

Every year I'm intrigued to see this old crab apple (I think!) spring into life each year lonely and forlorn or is it a determined survivor on the main village road out of Perranuthnoe - near the entrance to what is listed on some old maps as the Mining stamps ground. Did it grow from a core discarded by a miner all those years ago and how many years has it stood sentinel to the village half seen from the passing cars. But in the spring it has its fanfare triumphant as it approaches the season of new growth. later it will drop its apples into the road in a desultory fashion before slinking back into the hedgerow haft seen half not seen ,know by everyone but acknowledged by none, the very special old tree.

We planted some vintage apple trees bought from Trelewarren estate with strange names like Pigs Snout in the corner of a field here, where they have sulked quietly for a few years, bearing one then two apples that the birds all ways claim before us. We'd originally planned to keep the hens beneath them but..........it wasn't a success and the fox is very nice!

This years blossom looks quite promising though, so perhaps we may even get the odd apple all of our own - who knows. Perhaps in a hundred yeas time some one will look at a solitary old tree and wonder how it got there, just like the village Crab Apple tree!

The first apple blossom of the year for us - each tree has a slightly different flower form



Will this be the one that stays on through the centuries

The evening light

The golden light of evening is always a bonus to the day and it is then, that we like to wander around the garden and revisit small projects and finds that have combined to make a whole of our world in the garden. The light will fall tantalisingly through the foliage from a new angle as the sun dips in the sky and lend and unexpected magic for an instant, to and object that i might pass every day without a glance.

This statue was one of my first purchases for the garden long ago, strangely enough from Rosudgeon car boot sale and I soon discovered I was weaker than I though, as I attempted to take my trophy home, but I built the little niche for her and for years no amount of yogurt or dung would encourage any sort of algae or lichen to soften her form but now with time, as you can see, she has slid effortlessly into the garden - almost caught by a camera lens tonight, frozen in time. I returned to the boot sale another time ,for the next niche in the bank but alas the guy had transferred his efforts to making squashed hedgehogs complete with Tyre tracks and they were selling very well too! - Ah well the statue and I have aged together I think, although I hope not to collect too much lichen as her just yet. ........And then the light changes and the sun slides away and my lady returns to the anonymous shadows at Ednovean Farm, and we wander on around the garden of memories.

Lifes compensations

The Parterre at Ednovean Farm, under the floodlights on Monday evening

Sometimes life offers small compensations - The gloomy day yesterday, when the very sky seamed to weep, resolved into the first glimmers of the sunset, breaking through the weather front and then melted into the most balmy evening of the year. The warm evening, with the sea still stirring from the beach below and the magical ring of lights around Mounts Bay was somehow more special for my lack of expectations.

"............the warm sweet air of the night"

Certainly Olly, with the wisdom of a cat, had wrapped himself in his tail and settled down to sleep until the weather had improved on a cosy sofa in our sitting room. My course was planned however, my day was set -the Supermarket called for life's little essentials but even there, as I plodded damply back to the car, the sweet smell of the sea, just beyond the Penzance railway line was a reward for the senses.

The day wore on and Olley finally stirred as the sunset signalled that now to his sure feline instinct, was the time and Olley set out purposefully on his daily cat business of the dusk and we breathed the warm sweet air of the night.

Happy Easter

The Ednovean Easter Bunnies at Breakfast this morning waiting for their new owners

Happy Easter from Charles and Christine at Ednovean Farm. For once the weather has been perfect with clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine and my guests have spent their holidays walking the coastal footpath to Porthleven on one day and to Marazion to visit St Micheal's Mount today.

Once our guests had strolled off we buffed and polished the house before taking Sootty and Danni for their Easter outing at lunch time. The lanes garlanded are with flowers the white May still frothing, still magical, overhead and the white garlic rolling seamlessly away along the country paths. Sootty's mane, that usually collects the tiny May flowers as they fall, developed a passable sample of insects, on the lush bridle paths today, although I flicked the one off with the yellow and black striped tail off!

Our perfect Easter afternoon was spent in the Italian garden tucked out of the breeze, with the sound of the sea telling me that the wind had turned and it may well rain tomorrow. But for today, I couldn't decide which was louder, the sea or the unmistakable buzzing of the bees busy on the Rosemary flowers beside me.

I hope that yours was a good one too. (and you didn't listen to the weather forecast)

The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny is alive and well and waiting in the Ednovean Farm Dining room! and just for now they are mine so I couldn't resist this picture of them until they decorate our breakfast table tomorrow morning and find new homes the Ednovean Easter Bunny and Associates of course.

Happy Easter

A strange trick of our camera today but dressage can be like that too sometimes. i just had time for a quick ride on Danilon our Spanish Stallion after our guest departed and before departing for the supermarket in pursuit of chocolate rabbits for the dining table for Easter Sunday. I can't think why as some of our fields are full and by that I mean about forty odd rabbits but a table is never dressed without the odd chocolate bunny or two - so Happy Easter - the last remaining stock was in Tesco's.

An artist in residence

Sample portrait - please click to enlarge

We were approached a few days ago by a successful local artist - Mike Hindle with the idea of providing portraits of our guests at Ednovean Farm. After some thought we agreed, as very often our guests would like to take some art home from Cornwall and don't quite find the "right" picture. What better compensation than to relax for an hour in the comfort of your bedroom, one of our terraces or the garden for a gentle portrait with still an incisive insight of your character. So Mike will be available to the guests at Ednovean Farm for commissions in the afternoon at the very reasonable rate of £80 for a very personal holiday souvenir ( or perfect pressie for Mum!)

I visited his site at www.mikehindle.com and particularly enjoyed his almost impressionistic sea scapes that were almost ethereal but do visit and decide for yourself. Below is a list of his forthcoming exhibitions should you miss the opportunity of staying at Ednovean Farm.

Future Exhibitions

March 6th to April 3rd 2009'Paintings For Sylvie'Chalk Hill Contemporary, Guildford

March 30th to May 4th 2009'St Michael's Way'National Trust GalleryTrelissick

July 2009'Walks Around Penwith'Lighthouse Gallery, Penzance

August 16th to August 30th 2009'Hall's Way, Paintings Around Fowey'Fowey River Gallery

The first bluebells at Ednovean Farm this year

I spotted the first Blue bells at Ednovean this morning

This morning as we led the brood mares out to their paddock before Breakfast I spotted the first Blue Bells in Ednoveran Lane - we are lucky here that the Spanish variety haven't crept in and we have the ancient strain.



The old mine shaft - Perranuthnoe can just be seen in the distance (click picture to enlarge to see the church)

The morning was bright and sharp this morning, after the weather front that swept through last night, so I excitedly dragged poor Charles and his camera up to the old capped mine shaft that lays between the fields higher up the farm - sure there would be a feast of Blue bells to find.................No! we were a bit too early I'm afraid although the sun sparkled through the still bare branches here picking the smooth trunks out of the trees that have formed a tiny spinney, under which is a foxes earth. At the summers end it is always a good spot to find the cubs playing, flirting through the hay field below, this once industrial site, reclaimed by nature, that was one part of the tunnel system of East Wheel Neptune marching across Perranuthnoe.



The bright green leaves of the newly erupted bluebells



Walking back across the field the May framed the sea beyond




The magic froth of white against the brilliant blue sky this morning



The tide was out exposing the causeway to the mount and you could almost touch Penzance and Newlyn across Mounts Bay




Look closely and you can just see our discarded Hen house that will be erected again one day beside the vintage varieties of Apple trees that I bought from Trelewarren Estate Plant centre. Haven't our foxes chosen the best location for their Earth - a narrow fox trail leads down the field, telling of their nightly patrols, now unsuplemented by the Ednovean hens - come to think of it the foxes are less trouble that the chickens!

Summer illusions

The promise of summer for a fleeting second

We had our morning coffee looking out over the bay this morning with clouds already starting to scud in, across the almost perfectly blue sky. Almost indiscernible, a first, the sound of the sea on the beach, below Perranuthnoe drifting towards us now only a whisper and swirling around the arc of the lawn, and unconscious part of our daily lives, the throbbing echo that rises and falls as the wind changes direction. We watched the white horses starting to break in the bay beyond the Mount told of the weather front already traveling towards us as we basked in the spring sunshine.

".......the sharp morning light cast a perfect shadow......."

On the way back thorough the courtyard I noticed one of my treasured collection of terracotta pots, empty as yet, as we wait for the early promise of summer to come nearer to us, as each day the sun rises higher in the sky. The sharp morning light cast a perfect shadow on an overhanging leaf of the Mediterranean Fan palm starkly on to its voluptuous form, a transitory promise of summer, soon gone as the sun climbed higher in the sky - but for a moment - just for a moment I dreamed of the summer to come.

The view from the garden at Ednovean Farm this morning

The world in lime green

A flash of lime green tinges the Parterre at Ednovean Farm

I'll take the world in lime green today is not a thought that you would normally entertain. But today on what the Irish may describe as a soft morning, we were wrapped not by desultory enveloping rain but a soft veil of water which created an intense awakening of the garden. The vivid lime green that flushed the Parterre in the most vibrant hue, flowing over the symmetry of the shape in bursting optimism - giving a new flamboyance to the normally discreetly, restrained Box. Moving on around the courtyard the Loquat has suddenly burst into candle likenew foliage, freed from the constraint of winter, that somehow it survived.

The Loquat tha sits behind the little herb garden

Our guests who had all sat in the teak steamer chairs on the terrace to soak up the sun overlooking the bay yesterday, departed cheerfully for the Eden project with its ever reinvention, of artful mystery.

Poor Sooty probably didn't enjoy his outing today as much as yesterday, as he spooked and skittered around the village, the last vestiges of his winter coat sticking damply to the inside of his leather reins. As he arched his neck, ears tightly pricked at each new horror in his path. a crane! a sandwich wrapper! a car in a turpoline, all the same to Sootty as things that WEREN'T THERE YESTERDAY! I sometimes think he must have been a traffic warden or similar in a past life such is his attention to detail. And the air was soft and alive and the world was recast in lime green, today so I didn't mind the rain at all. And goodness I must go the sun has just broken through!

The vibrant green

The new world of Spring

Today was a magic day of clear blue skies striped of the chilly breeze and warmed by the sun at last. As our guest settled down after breakfast we took Dani and Sootty out for their morning hack around the Penwith lanes in a glimpse of paradise. The countryside was flushed with the white flowers of the hawthorn silhouetted against the brilliant blue of the skies then merging seamlessly into the brilliant yellow of the gorse with the heady smell of vanilla. Natures art work at its best humble banks that have enclosed the fields for centuries now sweeping across the hillsides in a kaleidoscope of colour and still tucked beneath the banks, the early daffodils and primroses.

We met Jolly Roger driving his taxi and he usually winds the window down fr a chat - I commented on the beauty of the hawthorn this year "Yes" he said "and we've got the earliest Blue bells this year over here too - usually Lamorna has the first" and we went our separate ways apparently working but really wrapped in the beauty of the natural landscape of West Penwith.

Back to work for us busy in the house and the stables for a few more hours but happy to have spent those precious hours just soaking up the countryside and the majic of spring.

Ednovean farm this evening

Wilbur getting nearer



Olley on "his" side of the courtyard



Wilbur

Returning to the house this evening we nearly walked passed Olley and Wilbur discreetly hanging out together in the Spring sunshine in the shelter of the courtyard. One day i think we'll find them sharing a seat but for now it is separate benches please. Wilbur is getting more confident by the day so i think there is hope we can temp him in!

Charles took these snaps of two of our brood mares dear old Lizzie and April who are Ladies in waiting for a big event - Dani our Spanish stallions first foal. By great persuasion we managed to temp them to look away from their tea and "watch the birdie"

Lizzie due to foal in May

Lizzies best friend April not due until July but expanding nicely - she tells me she will have the best foal ever!

The Apricot room saga

Part of the new apricot en suite bathroom at Ednovean Farm - that's apparently a click clack waste!



It's been a hectic few day at Ednovean Farm and only hard work by my two plumbers, artisan joiner Paul and tiler Mike salvaged the situation. A planned renovation of the Apricot room had to be speeded up by a cracked loo. .........And when the loo came out, so did the pipe boxing and when the sink came out, so did the tiles.



When I got back from Penzance our gardener was leaning over a man hole in the lane grasping a walky talkie - not a good sign, although it is a long way from the bathroom to the stop cock. It proved quite a nifty system really, as my plumber said "it saved a lot of walking" The days plumbing job took a day and a half though, delaying the poor carpenter - by five o'clock the tiler arrived................ the plumber and carpenter reached a gentleman's agreement over control of the space and the tiling was rescheduled for the next evening.



I made my first trip to the dump with the redundant loo and basin and was told to put it in the skip over there pointing to a mammoth vessel about fifty yards away. OK I wasn't going to weaken surrounded by about twenty men - builders in mufti, persnickety householders and re cyclers. So i picked up the offending Loo, assuring myself they were thoroughly cleaned every day and staggered off to the skip. It was mercifully lower on one side and with only a mild medical condition resulting i heaved the *** think in. Returning the next day with a bed base in an effort to Feng sui my life a charming Young man opened the back door and carried it away - I must have just been unlucky!...............and I'd been planning how to get the thing from A to B all the time i was driving there.








Pauls new pipe boxing is a discreet work of art that has now blended seamlessly into the building

The tiles are Travetine

Mike of Stonemoor Tiling suggested an asymmetrical design to complement the position of the basin and correct the proportions

Mike suggested an offset design for the mosaic border to balance the asymmetric placement of the basin. Poor mike had to tile and grout all in one go to meet our schedule but by dint of my repainting the bathroom in the afternoon between people. all was prepared. By six o clock of the morning of the new guest arrival i crept along to take a look and start clearing away and by lunch time Charles was able to take these photos ( he did lots of cleaning too!) And when our German guest arrived all was sparkling serenely without a hint of the turmoil of the last forty eight hours

"Ah it is beautiful" the lady said........... Thank you everyone



Our Spanish Stallion Danilon he has his own blog http://danilonpuraraza.blogspot.com/ for the rest of our time!

And the plumbers number is my secret!!