Days off and nursery winter jobs in all the weathers

Its great to have time at home to catch up on things, all those jobs around the house I never get done, to do some painting and start all the winter admin for the nursery. The weather has been pretty bad since we came home from our holiday, a week of frost and then stormy windy weather so no out door tasks done at home plus blocked sewage pipes to deal with - yuk! Anyhoo I've been catching up indoors, painting and getting started on the nursery winter admin jobs starting with getting the stock take onto the database.

A study of Sorbus 'Pink Pagoda'

I really enjoyed painting this study of Sorbus ‘Pink Pagoda’ which I’ve planted in the back garden here at home. For a relatively young tree it had plenty of berries this autumn and lovely autumn coloured foliage.

I'm making good progress updating our database with this year's stocktake ........ helped by Maisie and an alien

Inspired by the view on our Maisie walk today, and why does it always rain when you are furthest from the house? I've put a photo of the view in the comments

I've simplified the tree but am really pleased with how the leaves turned out in the beech hedge in the foreground. Here's the view that inspired the painting.

Homemade apricot and almond bread for breakfast

That was a cold one, -6C this morning but we did get the first big winter task in the nursery, the new fence finished, Yay! Always good to tick something off the list.

Nature is beautiful every day but add some frost and it glitters so much more. Here are some of my favourites from today

Epimedium 'Zhushanense'

Matteuccia struthopteris

Euonymus europaeus

Rosa rugosa

Helianthus sunflower 'Claret'

Cephalaria gigantea

Echinacea purpurea 'Brilliant Star'

Epimedium 'Spine Tingler'

Thuya plicatum

Our nursery robin Rab

On to the next winter job today, cutting back the orchard and wildflower banks. The temperature was 10C today up from -6C yesterday! Crazy temperature changes. We got the orchard and most of the bottom bank done, so good progress. We were kept company by Rab the Robin again or is it Rabina its going to be the fattest robin around at this rate lol, but wasn't up for posing for pics today. The stock take is on the data base and all the queries sorted out too, so great progress in the nursery and behind the scenes.

I headed west last weekend to visit two thirds of my boys. On Saturday it was great to catch up with Ben and Cheryl, with an awesome lunch brunch and a christmas market at the Maritime museum, now off to Johnstone for the night with Jamie and Natasha.

Sunday with Jamie and Natasha in Johnstone, and Charlie the cat. Catching up on all the work that's being done restoring what was my Dad's land-rover and house improvements. We made a start to what was probably a fruit bed before the weeds and raspberries took over, all good progress then a straightforward drive home this evening.

It's been lovely to catch up with everyone and spend time together very very proud of all my boys

The overgrown fruit patch

A good start to clearing it

Jamie and Charlie

Myrtle berries in Jamie's greenhouse

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