Happy New year!!

Happy New year!!

Well the year has snarled until the end, with yesterdays fairly balmy day, giving way to cold winds again,  sending the young horses scuttling this way and that when they should have been coming in for their supper. Although the squally shower cleared as quickly as it came this evening and left behind a fabulous rainbow arching across the sky and the fields were bathed in a warm golden sunshine just for an instant and the colts condescended to come in for their bright shiny oats.

I managed to stop for an instant at Marazion Beach yesterday and stood for a moment of the sea shore instantly mesmerized by the sheer power and beauty of the relentless rollers that filled the bay but more - the wonderful scent of the the salty sea that can almost hypnotize you in a moment so seductive and rodulent in its charm.

How many feet had padded along the water line that day
already - how I wished I'd the time to join them!

Marazion beach with St Micheal's Mount  off shore

I've a feeling that our house loves Christmas absorbing as many frou frou fantasies as i can dream up with good grace - here's a few shots of our Christmas days at Ednovean to finish the year - Ah you should see the garden - just as I was congratulating myself on keeping up with the palm fronds this year the gales have left more than ever in a thick covering across the lawn but like Spud i'm planning a quite warm evening to finish the year and a little mental rehearsal before starting to pick them all up!!

The sun stole across the flagstones on Christmas day
to bathe the hall in light

The Christmas Tree has a new corner this year and this was the
first year that Charles and I stood in front of the trees and chose
the same one - lets see we were married in 1991 and.....!

A little cabbage patch angel hanging on the stairs

The decoration for our guest sitting room were a little bit more
sophisticated using one of my fig prunings decked with cherubs to swirl
around the branches and a couple of gorgeous baubles that I thought
looked quite "Liberty" but shhh came from B&Q!

My fig Tree

Spud has already stolen my spot under a warm snuggly throw ready to see in the new year.

Spud Cat is going to have to share that particular spot!

And so good night and wishing you all the very best of years for 2014 and thank you for reading and dropping by throughout the year! Christine, Charles xx and Spud cat of course!

Find us www.ednoveanfarm.co.uk

Happy Christmas

All is quiet and calm today after yesterdays gales that robbed us of electricity for quite a long time so all that remains is to wish you all a very happy and special Christmas and thank you for popping in the read the blog over the year.

I think I cracked the supermarket challenge this year by getting up early and after trying to creep passed the stables without alerting the horses to the Breakfast gong, setting off in the darkness to Penzance. The roads were empty and the shelves were already being stacked when I got there so fairly painless!

The windy weather has been a bit of a challenge over the last few days but the swag I wove for the gate seems to have "held up" with its base of sturdy baler twine. My amateur method if you would like to try it. is take a length of twine and twist it around long stands of Ivy for the base and then push other foliage into the loops picking up at least two twists fr each peace of foliage. I used fragrant bay and Rosemary, with a scattering of semi dried Hydrangea flowers harvested from around the garden. Then taking no chances I lashed the swag to the gate before finally twisting a circlet of foliage for the centre

You may remember seeing a couple of fig prunings leaning against the bench that I said I was keeping to make into alternative trees - well one is finally installed upstairs decked with vintage baubles and huge gold feux fruit

Of course Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without the scent of the real tree and I'm still in love with my velvet and hessian drums and hearts that I bought from RJ Supplies just after we were married, so some things never changed.......although you'll notice the tree has moved this year to beside the arch in the hall!

Have a wonderful Christmas with lots of Love from Christina Charles Spud cat and Danni and all of our furry friends at Ednovean Farm xx

December in the garden

The winter casts long shadows across our garden now
as we approach the shortest day

December seems to bring a permanent twilight to our days, seldom allowing the long shadows to move very far, before plunging once more into the long, long nights.

The architectural elements of the garden move more
towards centre stage now

the fronds of the black bamboo are framing this shot of the car park

Lichens and mosses caver the stones as time goes by

Slightly tender but still thriving at the moment Melianthus Major

Rain drops travelling along a Phormium
leaf deep in the border

Now maybe i should have pulled up the very healthy
looking weed instead of taking the photo but I loved
the dappled sunshine just creeping into this  little
 group of  plants beside a path!

in fact I've learnt to enjoy the small pleasures of the winter garden a fence
post finial nestling in the ivy perhaps

The lofty Cordylines against the evening sunset

and settle down on the long dark evenings to make the most of the
 houses warm warm heart

Brief morning sunshine waking up the Italian Garden from it dreams of
Summer

and just enjoy the gorgeous sunsets far beyond the village across the sea

Find us at always at Ednovean Farm on our Facebook page for daily local news and excitingly at our new Google address https://www.google.com/+EdnoveanFarmPerranuthnoe

A few minutes from the day in Cornwall

Mellow December sunshine casting surprising shadows in the courtyard
at Ednovean Farm

Yesterday felt a little bit special with a mild southerly wind blowing up from the Azores all seemed well with the day and my flirtations with the sunsets continue unabated - just caught on my way out to do some shopping (or there would be no milk for a cup of tea!!)

Peeking through the Blue room side window towards the french doors

A jumble of plants framing the Church Tower
in Perranuthnoe

Tonight's sunset was fierce and bright

The sun was a huge glowing red ball for a few moments 

A few moments from my day at Ednovean Farm in West Cornwall

Life's surprises

Sunset over Perranuthnoe and Mounts Bay viewed from Ednovean Farm

The glorious sunset last night was one of life's little surprises after a week of measuring the sky against my expectations I was surprised by the intensity of the glow and as the outer view finder on the camera isn't working at the moment.  I aimed in hope, by pointing in the general direction and squinting nervously at the little aperture from a "safe" distance.  I was doubly surprised to find sunsets over Perranuthnoe, more or less in focus for me and with the added bonus of a flight of sea gulls floating across the shot on their evening migration back to their nesting grounds!

The final moment as the village settles down for the evening

A moment from the end of the day taken from the garden of Ednovean Farm Find us  Too special to wait until next week to share!

A quiet week

April waiting for her breakfast at the bottom
of our garden

It has been a quiet week here this week, it has had  a feeling of waiting about it somehow, of a pndulum abut to swing. The angry dark grey skies wrap themselves around us with non discript days but  every now and again I look up to the sky and see a sudden burst of clear blue and watch a closely group flock of birds about their daily business. As i feed the horses on the strict daily routine that they like to keep I watch the sudden flash and whirl of  small brown birds swirl across the pasture the whirl of their wings alerting me to their presence more than the sight - suddenly they will turn in unionism the light catching their wings before vanishing almost as they settle again.

The moment of glorious sunlight are almost ephemeral
slipping away just as suddenly as
my little flocks of birds

The garden is sitting quietly waiting now hoarding her seed heads with an almost complacent smile until the moment is right to spring back into life. The Agapanthus have seeded themselves freely around in the gravel paths along with the Echiums and when the magic day arrives that "I have time" i must move a few to better spots

Agapanthus seeds just about ready to burst

The terrace just outside of the garden room softened now by  Agapanthus

So where does the short day go to - well mostly taken with mucking out stables and catching up with the horses training - I've a chest infection this week so i worked with Danni "in hand" and have high hopes that the doctors  antibiotics will start to work very soon!!

Our Spanish Stallion Danilon in a sort of Piaffe - think running
 on the spot

So I must leave you now, my invalid leave only stretches to a couple of hours off in the morning but next week I must tell you about the Christmas lights and lantern parades that are starting to take place around Cornwall

A mini adventure with Spud cat

Hello there Love Spud!

Spud is my constant escort, galloping beside me as I cross the garden, keeping Charles and I company when we turn the horses in and out.... for which read spooking the horses by emerging at the worst possible moment as a small white furry flash. And yesterday he decide to supervise me as I took my last few shots of the garden for my November Facebook album, erupting out of the bushes and hurtling up the nearest tree to nestle coquettishly in the branches occasionally batting a Pampass seed head now tantalizingly within reach or losing his grip and swinging briefly by one paw

Now that's a fine view for a cat

with just the right opportunity for mischief

just the right opportunity to pose

high in the branches

back to work!!

Love Spud Cat xx


and the garden photo - well a measly one after all of the this sunny Saturday afternoon what what a fabulous blue sky and happy cat!

Peeking through the foliage on the side of the courtyard