Well hello 2025 and off to a wintry start with snow on New Years Day, it didn't lie much here in the town, but we weren't going far as we're still very much under the flu bug, so tiresome, what a waste of a holiday. I suppose its slowed me down and I haven't felt like eating so I haven't put on the extra weight I usually do over winter, lol!
Just to prove mother nature always does it best, from black and white with the snow to spectacular colours in the evening with a New year northern light display.
What a way to start the new year, so special to see them again from the back garden and strong enough to see by eye. Can't do it better than mother nature, beats fire works any day 
Happy new year 
-3.jpg) |
| First painting of 2025 - a line and wash painting of Bowden Kirk from our walk there last week. |
First time I’ve been out the house in a week, this flu has been awful and I’m still not great and David is two or three days behind so its been a very rubbish new year. I took Maisie for a walk along the river to get some fresh air and stretch my legs and hers, I think she and I are getting cabin fever. A lovely day to be out if you’ve the energy.
It’s time! Let’s delve into a hidden side of Edinburgh, where all is not as we think it is. My wonderful husband has launched his debut novel 'Touchpaper', an exciting adventure in Edinburgh as you've never seen it before.
‘A bloodcap, an angelus and a Jack Russell terrier. They’re all I had by me to face mortal combat with the Queen of the Ælves.
I’d be dead in minutes…’
Drew Macleod is caught in the middle. Someone, somewhere is hunting him. But why? Delving deeper into this parallel realm, Drew finds allies in a feisty herbalist, an ancient creature in disguise and an old clock-maker - but are any of them really who they seem to be?
‘Touchpaper’ is now available in paperback and ebook formats (exciting!) If you want to support local bookshops (please do) they should be able to order it in for you. Otherwise, both formats are available on Amazon or wherever you usually buy your books. I would be very grateful if you can leave a review once you’ve read it.
Please do sign up for the newsletter for snippets, fun facts, exclusive short stories and more. You can sign up on his website, www.DavidDoddsAuthor.com
.jpg)
We popped up to the nursery on Friday to check its still there, been floored by the flu since boxing day, so it was good to get out and check all was ok. There's been quite a bit of snow and all looking very pretty! I knocked the snow off the new tunnel and shade tunnel so they don't get too weighed down and misshapen. Back to admin for now.
 |
Pretty scenes driving home
Frozen beauties in the back garden, Cyclamen coum and pieris flowers.
 |
| Winter sunset on the river |
A snowy walk along to the viaduct and back, a bit further every day.
Supposed to be back at work on Monday but given the snow forecast overnight that's unlikely 
 |
| David with a physical copy of his book |
Plants with Provenance and history
Actaea rubra
This isn’t a plant I have from the very start of my career, as some I've talked about before in this album, but it’s a fav and I’ve had it for nearly 20 years. I first bought this plant for my last garden in 2006, having a large woodland area where I created a woodland garden I was looking for unusual and interesting but most importantly hardy shade lovers. This garden was, like the nursery at 850 feet above sea level and very exposed. The Actaea genus fill this brief very well and I hade several varieties in that garden as I do in the nursery gardens now. Any way Actea rubra is one of the shorter varieties and its moment of glory is its glossy berries in autumn. It grows fairly quickly and by the time I had to leave that garden I had a sizeable plant I could liberate and pot a bit of to take with me. It sat in a pot for years as we moved around, as did a lot of my plant collection, its amazing how resilient plants are. Now I have it planted at home in the front garden under a huge weigelia that was already in the garden and in our woodland garden at the nursery where it produced a plentiful display of berries this year, which of course I harvested for sowing, because its such a great plant to be able to offer to customers in time.
A fairly un-assuming shade loving plant…. until it bears its berries in autumn. Preceded by deeply cut, soft mid green leaves and short spikes of creamy white flowers from April to July. The large trusses of glossy bright red berries stay on the plant until late autumn when they drop off or an excited gardener harvest them to propagate. A choice plant for cool shade and will tolerate dry conditions. H 60cm, S 40cm.
This isn’t a plant I have from the very start of my career, as some I've talked about before in this album, but it’s a fav and I’ve had it for nearly 20 years. I first bought this plant for my last garden in 2006, having a large woodland area where I created a woodland garden I was looking for unusual and interesting but most importantly hardy shade lovers. This garden was, like the nursery at 850 feet above sea level and very exposed. The Actaea genus fill this brief very well and I hade several varieties in that garden as I do in the nursery gardens now. Any way Actea rubra is one of the shorter varieties and its moment of glory is its glossy berries in autumn. It grows fairly quickly and by the time I had to leave that garden I had a sizeable plant I could liberate and pot a bit of to take with me. It sat in a pot for years as we moved around, as did a lot of my plant collection, its amazing how resilient plants are. Now I have it planted at home in the front garden under a huge weigelia that was already in the garden and in our woodland garden at the nursery where it produced a plentiful display of berries this year, which of course I harvested for sowing, because its such a great plant to be able to offer to customers in time.
A fairly un-assuming shade loving plant…. until it bears its berries in autumn. Preceded by deeply cut, soft mid green leaves and short spikes of creamy white flowers from April to July. The large trusses of glossy bright red berries stay on the plant until late autumn when they drop off or an excited gardener harvest them to propagate. A choice plant for cool shade and will tolerate dry conditions. H 60cm, S 40cm.
.jpg)
#rural #countrylife #countryliving #cottagelife #antiquecottagescenes #interiors #scottishborders #independantretailer #smallbusiness #localbusiness #independantplantnursery #uniqueplantnursery #hardyscottishplants #scottishgarden #gardeningontheedge #scottishborders If you to see what's new and looking good at the nursery like our Facebook Find out more about the nursery here - our web site: www.quercusgardenplants.co.uk Follow us on Instagram @ quirkybirdgardener and Quercus Garden Plants |
Oooh, congratulations to your husband on his first book! Sounds very exciting!
ReplyDeleteLooking lovely with the snow and sun. The UK snowstorm hit even our news here in Finland (whereas our snowstorms rarely do, lol). I hope everything is ok. A day later the same weather came here too but was reduced to just regular snow. But now, after it, the south-westerly wind persists and we have it lovely and mild!
I hope you are already much better.