Autumn slips away and winter takes centre stage

In the main we have been lucky with the weather through November and December for our time off. When I look back ten and eleven years to those two awful snow laden winters, everything else pales in comparison. A sprinkling of snow seems nothing. The calm weather over the past week or so with no wind has been a little weird for here, but not complaining! I have been trying to get in lots of walks of varied lengths, catching up on nursery admin, preparing for christmas and enjoying some relaxing.

Betula utilis at Dawyck

Sunday, a walk round Dawyck Botanic Garden while David was away gliding. The weather was quite over cast but as the gardens were closing for winter at the end of November I decided to go and have a wander, using my membership card to get in free. At this time of year its all about looking for the detail.

Cotoneaster berries

Ferns and moss in abundance at Dawyck

The fronds of Mateuccia struthiopters, the shuttlecork fern

Blechnum spicant

Rosa sericea var. pteracantha

Polypodium doing what it does best

Alder catkins

Dawyck has an abundance of lichens

Picea breweriana

Trochodendron aralioides

After my wander around Dawyck, Bracken and I went for a walk. This is one of my favourite walks, along the old railway line just to the west of Peebles, to Lyne Station, across the Tweed and back through the woods, past the tower and along the river back to the car. An overcast day, but not too cold, and dry

Bracken enjoying his walk

Hawthorn berries

Birch leaves hanging on

The old railway bridge at Lyne Station

and back across the Tweed

and through the woods

past the tower

and back along the river

Dad, Dad, get the fire on quick, I'm freezing

On Monday because the borders and East Lothian are in tier two we had a walk along the river and a lovely lunch in Haddington at

Carlyle House. Bracken enjoyed his walk and lots of new sniffs to sniff along the way! We also visited the gardens at St Mary's Pleasance and we'll definitely go back in the summer. But it was interesting to see the bones of the garden in winter.

I love a good rissoto 

Love a pleached hornbeam

An impressive laburnum tunnel

A late late rose

Looking to the church from the gardens

Red and glowing, December is here already

A walk in the local forest and woodland

A simple wee decoration I put together yesterday. You need two jars, a larger one and then the smaller needs to fit inside but with room for the decoration between the two. I've used rose hips and hawthorn berries because I like the light of the candle reflecting on the red of the berries. Pop a candle in the smaller jar and job done.

First snow

Useful plants from the garden

Thyme and Za’atar Roasted Tomatoes

Makes 16 to 18 

500g baby plum tomatoes                                                       1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp za’atar                                                                           4 sprigs Thymus herba bonara

1 unwaxed lemon for grating                                                   2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp chilli flakes                                                                    freshly ground salt and pepper

Handful of grated mozzarella cheese

~ Pre heat the oven to 220C fan, gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

~ Place the tomatoes on the prepared baking tray, add the olive oil, za’atar, thyme leaves and salt and pepper and mix to coat the tomatoes well. Roast for 10 minutes or until roasted, turn the oven down and sprinkle over with some grated mozzarella.

~ remove from the oven once the cheese is melted and browining, sprinkle over the lemon zest and drizzle over some honey, leave in the switched off oven until ready to serve.

I served this with some home made curry and mango chutney bread and green beans, lemon, tahini and pinenut salad

Thymus Herba bonara

Another day, another walk, I've loved all the walking I've got done over the past month. On Saturday we took ourselves to Melrose to do the circular walk along the river, over the chain bridge, along the north side of the Tweed past Gattonside, back along the south side of the river back to Melrose. The rover was very high, over the path in places. A lovely lunch then a wander around the shops. Bracken managed the 3 mile walk no problem after his 24 hour sickness and a lovely double rainbow over the abbey.

Melrose abbey

Through the woods

Double rainbow over the abbey

It's Christmas time!

I hope you are all well and enjoying the run up to christmas, its certainly different this year, but in simple small ways hopefully we can still feel festive and joyful, take care x

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