A snow Laden Week

This week has been all about snow. In the end we had 12 inches of snow, Daniel had two days off school and I managed to do an amazing amount of paperwork, planning, writing and prep for the coming year. I've ordered all th eseeds I need for this year, lots of exciting new introductions to the nursery plant list over the next two years hopefully, ordered items for the wee shop and planned more herbs to go in the herb garden. David and I managed to get over to the nursery to check everything and knock the snow off the tunnels a couple of times. We've got signs designed and off to the printer and lots more small signs written and printed off at home. It's also given me an opportunity to take some lovely photos of the snow and try out my new camera some more.

The front garden with an icing-like covering, half way through all the snow days

My favourite tree muse for photographs

We ventured up the road towards the local village, it was hard going on the icy roads

Poppy seed heads with snow hats

Although we haven't been able to get any work done at the nursery because of the snow, we've gone over every couple of days to check it all and knock the snow off the tunnels. Important to prolong the life of the tunnels, stop the covers stretching or being ripped. It is frustrating as I was getting on really well the first week back.

Happy as pigs in snow at Whitmuir

Everything has ground to a halt

Beautiful but inconvenient

Back home as well as doing nursery work at my desk I've been working through my book pile, sorry mountain, on my desk. At the beginning of December it was a teetering two feet high and dated back to books I got for christmas 2016! So I've made it my mission over winter to deal with them. They are mainly garden related and some have turned into book reviews on my blog and I am sure there will be more. Some are recipe books including two Ottolenghi books, one is now in use in the kitchen. So far there is only one I have given up on, which i dislike doing, so that's not bad.

Book review - Hummelo by Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury

Book Review - The Well Tempered Garden by Christopher Lloyd

Gardening and history, two of my passions
in one book, perfect

Our chickens have finally worked out to what to do with their Christmas present

Ottolenghi Surprise Tatin

Although the snow is inconvenient and at times dangerous, it is beautiful, it turns dull, dark and worn out winter into a silvery, shiny, sparkly, clean, monochrome, ethereal winter wonderland. The light is different, sounds softer and the sound of walking and moving is different with the crunching and creeking, sliding and slipping of our foot steps when we venture out.

Our road, snowy and slippy

Try the steep hill around the corner if you are brave enough

I didn't get my wee car out for five days,
thank goodness for David's car

Bracken usually loves the snow but this was too deep for him

David made a race track so Bracken could run about

Monochrome woodland

Sweet potato and leek pie with goats cheese

Snowy Whitmuir

The snow has quickly thawed over two days with the temperatures going up to 9C! Now we have flooded roads and very wet ground, streams running down th eroads and the lovcal rivers have all burst their banks, it will be interesting to see what the stream in the nursery is doing. I will leave you with the last of my winter wonderland photographs. Have a great week, I'm looking forward to getting back to the nursery and pushing on with all the outdoor tasks, I have five lost days to make up!