The assistant gardener

Spud Cat Gardening assistant extraordiniare 

The first assault of the garden went pretty well really, ably assisted or should I say supervised by Spud Cat. Of course a cat shouldn't leave these serious matters to chance and so while we laboured and clipped in the afternoons sunshine, Spud leapt and twirled and came perilously close to the shears. All in all we moved four builders ton bags of debris and trimmings and Spud slept very well that night after his efforts and I do believe it really is starting to look a lot like #Spring in #Cornwall at last!!

I like to start to trim the box topiary at this time of year because
I don't have so much time later in the summer for the fiddly jobs

So on with the roller coaster of Spring and looking forward to balmy summer evenings!!

Signs of spring in the garden in #Cornwall

The first early daffodils at Ednovean Farm

Each day now I look for the first signs of spring in the garden as I go about my daily tasks and this week I've stolen an hour here and there to start to big clear up from winter. Pride had come come before a fall of here course -  as I'd congratulated myself that the we'd kept the lawn quite clear of debris from the palms - that was until the gales of course and now - well lets just say we've got a bit to do!

Cordyline leaves raked into heaps ready for collection
on the lower lawn

The garden has survived quite well so far tough (hope that isn't another pride before a fall statement!) We've only had a suspicion of  a frost on a couple of mornings ad so the majority of damage amounts to wind scorch and scattered leaves and so this morning "once more into the breach" before launching the "Is the lawn dry enough to mow campaign! At the moment the rabbits are doing a sterling service small brown automated devices that hop discreetly away at my approach, the animal version of one of those impossible robotic vacuum cleaners that pop in and out. Mind you they do have a problem discerning GRASS from PLANTS at times!

Early morning sunshine on the lower terrace below the Italian Garden

So to finish this morning,  here are a few of the flowers i found walking around the garden the other evening - the first exciting signs that spring is really here in Cornwall

Hyacinths replanted in the garden after flowering in the house make
a welcome appearance in the garden this year

Tiny miniature Daffodils set amongst the box balls

Fabulous Helabores but why of why do the relentlessly
 look down!

Fresh new flowers to admire and faded to collect

Tough and dependable shining brightly after on of our heavy showers this
week

A final crocus bright with rain drops

Find us at www.ednoveanfarm.co.uk

Painted days

This time of the year leads to my "painted days" the days when I spruce up the furniture and tweak the looks and moods of the bedrooms ready for the year. This year I started three pieces with a base coat of a moody Farrow and Ball deep Grey called "Down Pipe" and then I followed it up with a top coat of new White. The other afternoon I was able to put my work out to dry in the courtyard and start to gently rub it back with 0! steel wool to expose some of the previous layers and by the following day it was ready for a protective coat of wax.

The finished peices

Rubbing back to gently distress

Not a tidy worker!

At the moment though,  I'm torn between my original idea of having the chair re upholstered in a chic broad strippey fabric in creams and greys, to tread the path between vintage and modern and keeping the original but slightly work cover, after Patti asked on our Facebook page if there was a picture of a man and a woman on the seat...........Decisions decisions What would you do?!

and briefly for our garden lovers signs of spring as the garden starts to fill with splashes of colour with the early flowers ( but till officially a disaster zone out there!)

Crocus's bright with rain drops after a shower

We live at Ednovean Farm just outside of Perranutnoe, in Cornwall find out more about us here :- www.ednoveanfarm.co.uk

A day in two parts!

I watched the sun setting across the bay from us

It was a day of two halves yesterday, starting with unexpectedly heavy rain and finishing in brilliant sunshine. At least in the morning I caught up on my "paint anything that doesn't move" programme and the horses enjoyed working in the afternoon sunshine. We finished the day with a pretty sunset across the bay and at the moment, the courtyard gate to the main garden is the perfect spot to watch the seasons progress. As I share our sunsets throughout the Summer you''l see the track of the sun moving far to the right along the horizon in a strange movable feast that always makes the day a little bit special for me.

Baby rabbit season has started and alas Spud proudly carried in his first trophy (I managed to rescue it) so spring really is here in Cornwall.

A window in the weather

We sat in the garden on Sunday afternoon and enjoyed
a window in the weather

After Fridays infamous "Valentines Gale" we enjoyed a window in the weather for the weekend giving Cornwall a welcome chance to take stock and start to clear up after the storms of late. By Sunday we woke up to china blue skies, with cool clear air and just maybe a hint of frost on the dew laden grass. Our world was still filled by the sound of the waves but less angry now and the nearest hint of the taste of sea salt in the air.

On my morning ride with Danni who was in more than a hurry to get going when he saw the warm sunshine waiting for him I passed photographers with back packs full of equipment and cars laden with canoes all heading for the beach, as I made my way in land to the country lanes around us.

By the afternoon it was still far too lovely to be indoors and so we set off into the garden to rake and clip in a first brave effort to reclaim this domain from winters wrath and then after a happy hour of "meuwselling" we sat with a pot of tea and some delicious home made cake from the local Farm shop, a short walk away across the fields just to enjoy the warmth of the afternoon.

Our quiet tea time corner tucked just outside of
the courtyard garden

I've spent my spare minutes sheltering from the weather decorating and renovating the furniture ready for 2014. This set has just had a coat of Farrow and Ball Down Pipe in dead flat oil and now I'm off to rub it back with )! steel wool before applying a muted creamy white top coat , rubbing back again and finally finishing with clear wax.

I'll leave you with Spud rabbit watching in the late afternoon this week - I think the distance between him and the Rabbit can be measured as his ambition don't you!! have a good week

Christine and Charles xx

Spud on Mousing HQ

Happy Valentines

Happy Valentines 

Well if you are not at Ednovean Farm maybe you could leave your browser open at this picture as a small hint for next year but wherever you are I hope you find a little romance in your day. I must say that I'm celebrating too after putting four coats of paint on the blue room bathroom walls, I think I've cracked it!!

The Blue room has a big double ended roll top bath
and a double shower if that's not quite right!

We've put Roll top, Slipper and Batau baths in all of en suite bathrooms, I wanted to make them a place to relax and enjoy for couples used to the frantic quick shower and race out of the door in the mornings - bathrooms to take you time and savoir a long soak after a brisk walk along the Cornish cliffs, in short to make your stay a Valentines!

The blue room en suite bathroom at Ednovean Farm

Find us @ Ednovean Farm

Living in a gale

Spud Cat's take on living through the gales

Yesterday morning we disturbed a fox eating a rabbit as we went to feed the horses in the back fields, I think he must have been one of this years cubs because I saw him again in the afternoon and he scuttled off but he likes to stay near to the back stables and like all of the wild life he's struggling in the wild weather we are having at the moment. A few minutes later I was struggling too to take food across to the mares in the front field, who had abandoned the shelter of their "help yourself stable" at the top of the farm and instead elected to shelter beside the footpath down near the village. I think this must be the equine equivalent of standing on the terraces for a football fan, with added advantage of passing walkers to give them sympathy and treats. The other day when the gale was strong I put the food in the Landrover and drove it down to them but today to make sure their tummies were full,  I had no option but to try to push a laden wheel barrow across the field in what was reported as a seventy eight miles and hour wind while the Landrover enjoyed pampering in the local garage in pursuit of her yearly MOT.

Leaving the comparative shelter of the garden I was immediately it by the storm force wind that felt like a real animal tapping and pulling at my clothing as I slipped and slithered down the hill with the horses cavorting around me with no sound of their hooves to tell me where they were as hurtled soundlessly into sight, muffled by the gales roar. At last I left them happily munching at the bottom of the hill  and struggled back up buffeted by the wind that pushed by sideways as i slipped across the rutted mud that was once the grass. I must say that after our breakfast my legs felt slightly like jelly - you know, that feeling you had when you'd failed to elude an over enthusiastic sports mistress on sports day and ended up in three races!

Still, generally we try to keep to our daily routine, with a few new added options - the box of matches with their position noted ready for a power cut, a flask of boiling water left to one side and all restlessly rechecked at the first flicker in the electricity

A sunny afternoon and a welcome respite from the storm in the courtyard
yesterday afternoon and look - new bulbs emerging

Ednovean Farm in February weathering the storms