The garden at dusk

Well, as dusk fell and when the photographers and makeup ladies and models and people waving strange sheets of plastic had finally departed after the days photo shoot and the the garden had fallen silent from the gales of laughter that had filled it for the day. then,  I finally went for a silent  walk in the garden, so still and peaceful again after its day as a star. Spud had had naturally checked out the Autumn collection of course, padding into the van full of boxes and racks of clothes with all of the confidence of a VIP Cat but as a true professional, his lips are sealed until June when we are promised some mega photos of the house and garden Oh the suspense until then but i'll just have to wait!

Leaving the shelter belt  the east of the garden

So here are a few impressions from my evening walk starting, as you can see, at the top of the new path through the shelter belt that looks down over the garden and then crossing the lawn as the last rays of sun cast long shadows with Spud cat racing at my heels.......

The Palm framed lawn in the evening light

Daisies on top of a sheltering bank

A sculpture of an Angel by local potter Annie Henry
has come back out into the garden after a winter
sheltering
in the garden room

The light was falling fast as i reached the Italian garden with its gravel paths that snake behind it always warmer hat the rest of the garden and now as neatly groomed as in the days that we used to open for the NGS although i fear our "mowing Rabbits" may have dined in a little too much style there!

One of the enclosed borders deep inside
the Italian Gardens

Spuds attention was caught as always when he gets here by the lure of an evening hunting amongst the shadowy hedges and so i left him using one of the statues pedestals as a "look out" and ready for his evening adventures.  It was such a busy day for a cat and a garden spinning from couture to horticulture, to rabbit hunts, all in one day!

The pahs that line the Italian garden suddenly open
out on to one of the lawns before plunging back into
the foliage

Spud selected his position with a good view point out to
the walk outside too

Spud finds the statue of DAvid  just perfect
 for his plans

Waiting for a cloud

St Michael's Mount with the towns of Penzance and |
Newlyn
edging Mounts Bay from Ednovean Farm

Maybe I'm just naturally impatient and on retrospection holding a camera and waiting for a cloud to move is not too arduous a task after all compared to the folks gloomily waiting at bus stops an tube stations watching the roads and tracks ready for their morning commute; the people looking at the flight delays rotating on the ever spinning airport boards incarcerated in soulless buildings before leaving an innocent water bottle emptying their pockets and the final irony the frantic flight calls for the passenger that finally strolls out of the loo with the "So" expression on their face. And so I took the photo anyway with the cloud casting St Michael's Mount into temporary darkness but with the joy of the sun sparkling on the houses on the other side of the bay the other morning as we moved about our morning routine. Big day today with a photo shoot in the garden which has been primped and preened ( well some of it) within an inch of its life so off to find the special pair of jods without holes and tie my hair neatly into a pony tail, Have a great day too and watch the clouds every now and again.

Check out our web site for more info about our B&B :- www.ednoveanfarm.co.uk

A walk in our spring Garden in Cornwall

We woke up yesterday in Cornwall to a fluttering blue day with a breeze to ruffle the leaves and a tantalising flash of blue showing out to sea in Mounts Bay. It was such a joy to see the sunshine again after a few grey days that didn't favour the camera and a week that saw Charles dislocate his shoulder in a freak accident catching a young horse. We were so lucky that there is still an emergency department in Penzance and he was quickly treated by a compassionate, experienced team - that's after we had caught all of the horses and bedded them down for the night of course - life on a farm is unrelenting. Surprisingly Charles was back pushing the wheelbarrow around again the next day

Charles bringing Hayledge down for the horses stabled by the car park
yesterday

We are still engaged in the yearly battle to tame the garden after its winter of rest and a surprise booking for photo shoot in the Italian garden has led to a major push to clear it in our spare minutes, ready for it to look pristine for Tuesday.......So far the Charles has mown the grass yesterday, poo pooing my suggestion that the rabbits had done a fairly good job - apparently they don't mow consistently!  I  have started to work my way into the gravel border that backs it, discovering some mislaid barbecue tongs and quite a few bags of debris. I find the easiest method is to pack it into ton builders bags balanced on the wheelbarrow, which at least cuts down trips to the bonfire even if they don't pack themself! But today  won't share that part of the garden with you, we'll go for a stroll around the more open stretches and look at the daffodils instead!

Starting my garden tour at our entrance gate

The line of box balls you've already seen continue down into the car park
giving a nice relaxed rhythm to our entrance planting
interspersed by spring bulbs and joy,
the white tulips have come up again

Date Palms line one side of our car park and the bench that came in from the
garden for repair has found a perfect home to bask in the
early sunshine of the year so I doubt if it will return!

Looking down from the rear raised terrace

Moving on from the car park and down into the courtyard system formed
by Ian Lowe garden designer from the old farmyard

One the smaller side courtyard that frame
the main courtyard

Passing the parterre with the fountain at is heart

The fountain Charles fell in love with so many years go
when we were planning our garden

The angle of the bushes show how strongly the wind was blowing in this
wild section of the garden

back on the main lawn under the high sheltering hedge and all is calm

Over the years the clumps of Daffodils have grown plump

Looking down over he main lawn from the eastern shelter belt and there,
 the Italian entrance waiting for intense preening over the
next couple of days

Our Cornish garden at once wild and formal
and never quite tamed!

So busy days ahead for us and more photos to share on another day, from the warm heart of the Italian garden but for now goodbye from my recalcitrant Cornish garden!

Christine and Charles at Ednovean Farm  xx

March!! A milestone of spring in the garden

March has been our latest milestone into spring in the garden and as usual I have put together an album on facebook to share our progress through the month. Do pay us a visit there to check it out or tomorrow I'll share the first tulips of spring that have appeared "Out with the daffodils in with the tulips"

Post by Ednovean Farm luxury Bed and Breakfast Cornwall.

Post by Ednovean Farm luxury Bed and Breakfast Cornwall.

I've a busy day planned clearing in the garden for today and at the moment the weather is looking kind for me! Have a wonderful day

Danni's son Archie

Archie by our Spanish stallion stallion Danilon

If you have visited us at Edovena farm you've probably been greeted by our Spanish stallion Danilon who likes to oversee the car park from his mission control in his stable "overbooking "or as he would prefer presiding over the car park. Yesterday his first son Archie came back into work after the recent gales and circled the car pak with Charles as he learns his first preliminary lessons before he can go out for hacks in the countryside. It was such  a beautiful day yesterday we spent most of the day outside  it could almost have been Danni's native Spain!

Introducing our latest staff member

Louis

Our latest staff member ( should now add to join our vibrant term in lingo speak)is still considering his contract options and may insist on a further period of probation has kindly agreed to a preliminary photograph. He was recently made redundant from a senior executive post at a fabulous manor house and at eleven thought a semi retirement post away from the traffic with good rabbiting opportunities would suit his plans.

Louis has spent a week "laying in", commandeering a quiet cupboard for a period of meditation on the change in his circumstances, to which I added a hot water bottle to make him feel at home. he is currently engaged in dialog with Spud Cat senior mouser into exact division of roles but has made is clear that he expects all lap sitting duties to fall to him. The final test will be, of course. at the end of the week, when he inspects the gardens and grounds and takes an inventory of our rabbit stocks until then we are under probation!

One small step for Louis....... out of the cupboard

Feeling the daffodils

The ribbon of Daffodils that frame the lower lawn at Ednovean farm

I hope you're feeling the daffodils again this year the bright tenacious flowers that emerge relentlessly every spring whatever the weather. i took this snp on my way to feed the brood maes at the bottom of the garden as the dew still lay bright across the lawn each droplet catching the early morning rays of the sun and spreading a nearly incandescent glow about the garden. How I love these spring mornings when the world is fresh and new and the year spreads in front of us like an unread book - some pages are interesting and of and beg to be read again and some well they are the fill ins in the chapter and need flicking over! probably ferrying the debri and prunnings out of the garden after the winters storms would count as a "flick over" while my morning daffodils are definitely pages to savour!

Our "Palm avenue" is underplanted with Daffodils

To enjoy a spring break at Ednovean Farm do give us a call we are still offering our special spring breaks that give a reduction for three days or more!

No story to tell

I've no story to tell today just a glorious sunset to share from our garden at Ednovean Farm today as the high pressure delivers the dry warm spell we've al been waiting for. At last i've set to work Outside with a paintbrush ticking some newly creosoted post and rails and our entrance gate off of my long list. i was pleased with our gate though, released from the arbitrary coat of brown stain that has lingered on from the days when we converted the barn and were allowed brown stain or white on our windows and doors as part of our planning permission. The Farrow and Ball "French Grey" looks fresh,welcoming and clean and should make a good first impression I hope! And finding the link for you I've just spotted t as a hot tip for this years colour trends Result!!

Off for the day now but another moment from our sunset on Monday evening - brace yourself for the inevitable "Gate photo"!

Mounts bay again from the same spot I chose on sunday evening
 but a totally different mood of brooding tranquility

Find us at www.ednoveanfarm.co.uk

Sky larks and sunsets

I heard the sky larks sing for the first time yesterday, as I cantered with Danni along a by way that threads up through one of the estate farms. To my right, the fields I had watched the tractors work the day before lay neatly turned with rich deep soil exposed and as i emerged on the top of the ridge the fields swept away into the distance across the valley, newly clothed with the warm fuzz of the new corns growth and in the far distance the tiny dots of cars on the A30 and lazily turning white wind mills with the hills behind St ives on the horizon. Such a beautiful day to share with a horse it was a shame to turn for home!

I've asked Charles to take a picture of Danni's Spanish walk that we practise assiduously every day when we get home so who know one day he may grace the blog again!

I lingered outside yesterday evening working with some dead hedging up near the lane and I was rewarded by a fabulous sunset from my eerie with the light glowing across the water and gleaming on our barn roofs

Looking down over our garden and out over
 Mounts bay

Alas, I can only share the pictures of the sunset with you,  not the dusk still warmed from the days sun, with the last melancholy notes of the black birds song hanging in the air accompanied by the rhythm of the waves rolling up  from Perranuthnoe's beach. Spud Cat had already gone inside when I collected the camera - well Charles was roasting a chicken after all and so I had this special moment with only the munching  and soft snorts of the horse as they too settled down for the evening as I put the last of my tools in the wheelbarrow.

Well I hope you all had a good weekend and remember you can find us iat www.ednoveanfarm.co.uk if Cornwall calls you!

A spring day!

Spring is writ large in the shadows now and sparkling in the morning dew Our  days are full of bird song and sea has settle from an angry roar to a more gentle rhythm.

Charles at work in the courtyard garden

As i exercised Danni yesterday I was passed by cars full of surf boards heading to the beach and builders lorries full of fencing panels heading for local gardens as the damage from the gales is finally put right. Here at Ednovean we've been lucky with a few slates here and there, some guttering from the back stables and a lost tree and now we've started our spring offensive still working in the house courtyard but getting closer to the ate to the main garden for sure!

Spud cat has declared spring and taken to his
favorite sunning bench!

"Well somebody has to supervise!"

We were tired but happy by the end of the afternoon and in the final moments of the day we had the first glimmering sunset for a while as the temperature dropped for nightfall. I hear Cornwall will be hotter than the Greek Islands this weekend but shh dont tell anyone!!

That's all from me this morning, time to go to work but you can find us at www.ednoveanfarm.co.uk

Hello March!! Lets start to work in the garden!

I wonder if Spud said "rabbits" as he leapt out of bed yesterday morning to celebrate the start of the month and what the weather man described as the meteorological first day of Spring.

We could certainly do with a little help with the rabbits, although their contribution to lawn mowing is greatly appreciated at this time of the year. At the moment they've mown the Italian garden to a fine sward and have just moved out onto the main lawn. On the other hand I've started gardening at our entrance gate and I'm working my way down through the courtyard gardens and should reach the main garden this week - well in theory anyway! It is a sort of pincer movement with ton bags of garden debris being ferried away on the one hand and plump bunnies returning to their borrows on the other.

A sudden and unexpected gale on Friday tore through the garden again and even tossed some of the little pots down in our sheltered courtyards. Charles went off to check the statues in the Italian Garden because after the last 90 mile and hour gust one of the big statues was teetering on the edge of its plinth but Fridays mere 74 hardly stirred us and it was sunny again by the afternoon.

The straggly old lavender plants have sadly been removed
to make way for fresh new plants later in the year

So an we go ready to celebrate spring with every warm moment of sun and emerging new shoot - don't forget if you plan a spring holiday here in Cornwall that the big open gardens are especially stunning now - mostly planted on acidic soils, that support a stunning display of Azaleas,Camellias Rhododendrons and Magnolias, in a kaleidoscope of colour that you may only dream of and a  visit are a real pick-me-up after long dull winter months When planning your tour you should definitely put Trewidden, Trengwaiton  both near to Penzance and then a little bit further afield Trebah garden is one of my favourites or for something new fresh and unique, a newly emerging garden I would recommend is Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens  ....I wonder if they have rabbits!?