A small moment in the adventures of Spud

Spud on a window sill

The day starts early for Spud Cat, with the Ednovean farm, the gardens and stables to patrol AND to be home in time for second breakfast ( he eats his first before setting off on patrol of course) He hasn't yet trained us in his precise door opening requirements and so gains access (when required) by racing for the front door when we or an unsuspecting guest is about to go in, wailing on the door step or intriguingly the other night scaling across the Pink room's bathroom roof to peer in an upstairs window at us. So yesterday morning when I heard a scrabling outside our bedroom window, I assumed Spud "needed-door-open" and was just in time to watch Spud climbing up the creeper clinging on like a small monkey. he stopped by this first floor window to asses the view and just maybe contemplate how to get down again...................

The ground has gone

"What shall i do Now"

"It seemed a good idea at the time"

"Fire Brigade or ladder?"

"Just act casual"

You will be relieved to hear that by the time we were dressed Spud was down from his perch and waiting for second Breakfast!

After the storm

The view over Perranuthnoe from the Garden - that is Mousehole across the
bay

The storm clouds have cleared at last and it was almost a revelation to see the bay again after days of stormy rain - I'm sure the whole country has breathed a sigh of relief as the sun came out again!

St Micheal's Mount of course with Penzance and Newlyn

A garden arch leading to one of my hidden benches

A little courtyard lush in the sunshine

Spud prowling the Parterre - why is he looking up - read my next blog to
find out!

Dolly the riding horse!! Dear Dolly who has spent so
 long escorting walkers across her field has finally finished her
early training and starting her next adventure as a riding horse!
A horse with a proper job! (aged four)

Ednovean Farm's November garden part 3!

Through the garden gate again, this time towards the
car park beside the stables to look down over the
garden

There are ususaly cars parked just here but
today I wa able to take this view

St Micheal's Mount in the sunshine beyond our "signature"
Date palms

That is Penzance across Mounts bay - people aften ask
how  far it is to Penzance and I look out of the kitchen
window and say
"about ten minutes drive!"

climbing higher up the steps that cross the lane and looking down on the
entrance where cars park

back into the garden proper far below and our chief
rabbit lawn mower undetered by the fallen leaves

These are transformed in the autumn as they flower

The view beyond the Italian Garden from the Blue room
terrace

The terrace in front of the garden room

So this is nearly my last garden walk of the yar one more before Christmas - what a frightening thought where do the days go or even the years - a wall frshly built and painted is suddenly covered by ivy and gently settling into the ladscape, the freshly mown grass of summer is now home to a rabbit bu still new life is waiting ready to slumber for the winter and spring up agian in the err spring (no pun intended!) So i'll leave you with the ever ootomistic spud King of the garden and diligent hunter of the farm

Ivy creeping over a wall

life is wonderful for Spud prowling his new kingdom

A Welcome form Spud to the November gardens at Ednovean farm

A walk around the November Garden at Ednovean Farm

A fabulous sunset beyond the house roof the other evening

Welcome back to my walk around a Cornish garden in November - a sort of waiting room of a month on the way to spring or so I tell myself!

The ferns that grow so freely in the warmth of the banks
I'm always surprised to see these for sale in
garden centres

The sundial garden with its protective walls of green

The tall stately pampas's plumes reaching for the
iintensely blue sky

One f the little signs from the days when we opened for the NGS

The side of the old farmyard now dubbed the "courtyard" manages to
support some sizable Date Palms in its shelter despite the lack of top soil

These pretty miniature roses have decided to flower again
lured by the mild autumn Weather

The fountain that farms the centre of the parterre - you can see how the fig trees work as a dark frame for the courtyards

Hydrangeas in flower again in the car park

nearly finished and back to that glorious sunset

Ready for another day

There were just few more that I wanted to show you so cont to part three!!

The November garden at Ednovean Farm part one

November and the shadows linger low in the courtyards of Ednovean Farm

The first of the real November storms swept through Cornwall yesterday battering the land and churning the seas too a frenzy, with the wind reaching an impressive seventy miles an hour. The shelter belt in the garden was working overtime yesterday and it was a relief to step back into its warm shelter from feeding the mares across the front field - they naturally had found some good shelter under a tall bank a field away and were quite happy to picnic there after I had struggled through the storm ( they do have a nice cosy stable to help themselves to if they wish near the lane but no a tall hedge and fresh air are so much better....apparently - particularly if mum struggles through the gail with the morning oat supply!) Still, I digress from the sight of the palms bent against the wind and the staunch semi circle of blue grey hedge that makes it possible to grow anything on the natural terrace that tops the hill, overlooking the sea.

I took some photos of the garden on a sunny day and now seems a good time to reminisce about its beauty as i survey the scattered debris blown across by the storm!

The fig trees that line the boundary of the old farmyard

Beautiful but fragile

A jumble of plants led by this Agave which is
just the look i wanted

A glorious Phormium against the shade of a sunken lawn

New Echiums have sprung up their seeds
carried by the wind and birds to each perfect
spot

One of the Agave beside the warm tranquil path beside the
Italian Garden

The European fan palms are still making good growth

This path meanders on past plumes of Autumn grasses
before emerging deep in the Italian Garden

A Young Date palm in the Italian Garden - the path you have just left is beside tha neatly trimmed hedge

Even the tough humble Yucca can look glamorous in the
 low light

The low sunlight and new growth of the daisies that will
flower here next year

I think I will split this blog journey into several parts just in case i overload and slow down your computers!
To be cont in part two

Settling into Autumn

The view across to the hill beyond the garden at
Ednovean Farm yesterday

It came as a shock to me in my morning ritual of walking down through the garden to feed the waiting brood mares to see the suspicion of frost under foot. Just the smallest hint in our normally frost free garden but slightly crunchy never the less. I'd already put an extra quilted rug under the "girl's" New Zealand rugs ( big water proof rugs that stretch from their ears to beyond their tails - a sort of mobile tent for all weathers) and they were all looking happy anticipating their bowl of oats to start the day.

Later in the morning in the cool crisp sunshine I exercised Danni our Spanish Stallion and watched the orderly rows of Plough steaming in the warmth of the morning. Tracks and bridleways have become magic carpets of russet leaves cushioning Danni's feet to a soft muffled plop as he walks along and the trees of course are still dressed n their autumn fancies of russet and gold. And some days far out to sea the sky is reflected in bright Mediterranean blue but these days is it the private reserve of the surfers who make their way to the coast with carefully packaged surf boards sometimes stowed sometimes lashed to their cars.

Where are we going today Mum??

Spud is leading a Spud life racing around for hour after hour trotting behind us if we go out to the fields in touch with his inner Labrador and snoozing the day away in typical cat fashion if he just feels like it

Spud the conoseur of comfort

Just so cosy!

A change is as good as a rest

But may be this one after all!

So all in all i think I've come to enjoy the Autumn for its mellow days and restful colours and just maybe the promise of Summer just out of sight after Christmas!

Maybe a walk around the garden with the camera quite soon to see how the garden is fairing in the soft recline of the year??