Random Ramblings

Early prune for prolific bloom

2012-01-27T23:18:00.000Z

Country gardeners try to prune their roses on the last week of January. This usually ensures many more buds and flowers forming on the roses later in the year. The old saying is:

January prune for July bloom.

Bush roses are best pruned right back to within a few inches of the ground. The small buds should be appearing on the stems and to help the bush to form pretty and symmetrical shapes it is best to look for an outward facing bud then snip slightly above about half the width of a fingernail, cutting away all of last year’s growth. Check for any dead wood or branches and cut away those as well. Dead wood often allows disease to climb into the plant and leads to a weakened root system. Once the job has been completed then sprinkle some dry fertiliser around the plant either pellet or powder.

All roses appear to form into healthier plants if they are pruned back harshly and this prevents them from creating too many flimsy and weak branches which either never produce blooms or produce withering buds. Watch carefully for branches that come from below the soil line. If these produce leaves that are different to the rest of the plant then cut these right back as they are known as suckers and originate from the original wild root stock. If these are allowed to develop then the whole plant is in danger to becoming weak and eventually could revert back to its wild root stock origins.

Prune harshly, snip just above an outward facing leaf bud.

Happy Chinese New Year to you all - 恭禧發財 Gong Hey Fat Choy

2012-01-23T20:38:00.000Z

It’s the year of the Dragon …. 福壽雙全 “May your happiness and longevity be complete.”

23rd January 2012

Coeliac Disease–pronounced ‘see-lee-ack’

2012-01-20T20:38:00.000Z

Coeliac disease can occur at any time in life, from when a child is weaned, during adolescence, in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties. In fact, it can occur at any point during a person’s life time. It often runs in families and so if one person is diagnosed with the condition it makes sense for all members of the family to have a simple blood test to make sure that they are clear of the disease.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body turns against itself and begins to attack itself. This occurs when a person eats the proteins found in common grains. The proteins are often referred to as gluten and they are found in wheat, barley and rye. Often as oats are from the same family source as wheat, barley and rye there are many coeliacs who find themselves also highly sensitive to oats. Some coeliacs, however, are able to eat ‘gluten free’ oats whilst others have to rule oats completely out of their diet.

Any part of the body whether it is an organ, bone, muscle, nerve, digestive system, etc can be affected when a person eats gluten and they have become a coeliac. The body doesn’t recognise gluten as food and it produces antigens which bombard the small intestine flattening the tiny hairs that line it. Over time these become withered. These little hairs are called villi, they wave about so that items of food slowly pass over them allowing the nutrients and goodness to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Once these small hairs or villi become damaged, the whole of the body becomes malnourished and vulnerable to disease and pain.

There is no actual cure for coeliac disease but it is essential for anyone that develops it to abstain from eating any food that contains gluten for the rest of their life. Over time, the body will repair the villi in the small intestine so that it can once more absorb all of the nutrients provided in the diet.

If a person carries on eating gluten (even in small amounts) and they have coeliac disease then they will probably go on to develop very serious secondary diseases such as osteoporosis.

Symptoms that may occur to highlight the onset of coeliac disease

It is always wise for those who have recurrent irritable bowel like symptoms (IBS) to be screened with a blood test for coeliac disease.

Listed below are an array of common symptoms experienced by people with coeliac disease. A person may have no noticeable symptoms or possibly one or more of this list of symptoms:

Tiredness, poor sleep patterns, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, acidic stomach, reflux, constipation and/or diarrhoea, bloating, stomach pains, stomach cramps, ulcers and/or mouth ulcers, mouth blisters, blood blisters in the mouth, bruises on the skin, bruises in the mouth, marks on teeth similar to fluoridation markings, memory stalls, sinusitis, sciatica, neuralgia, swollen ankles, occasionally swollen legs, skin rashes, dry patches, dry eyes, itchy eyes, dry mouth, weight gain or weight loss, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, nerve pains and aches, muscle and joint pain, depression, numbness or tingling in hands and/or feet, difficulty conceiving, deficiency in any vitamin or mineral especially vitamin B12 and iron, melancholy, thyroid problems, tinnitus.

If you suspect that there may be a possibility that you or a member of your family could be suffering with coeliac disease then see a practitioner/doctor and ask for a blood test.

For more information and help with coeliac disease please visit the Coeliac Organisation Website

Priorities

Get diagnosed >> eliminate all gluten from the diet (this will include even items such as modified starch, sugar syrups, beer and wines brewed from grains or containing grains) >> make every meal nutritious and try and eat whole foods such as meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, dairy including: milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream, butter; fruit, nuts, honey, millet, quinoa, whole brown rice, basmati rice, long grain rice, short grain rice, tapioca, sago, chestnuts, coconut, teff, sorghum, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, lentils, chickpeas, buckwheat which is from the rhubarb family and not a grain, corn/maize – look for natural foodstuffs (you need to mend your body). Baking powder/soda needs to be labelled ‘gluten free’ as does mustard powder. To improve health you will need to read every packet, bottle and can, because even a minute amount of gluten introduced into the diet will cause health issues that often last for several days or weeks after it has been consumed.

Note: Vegetable roots, nuts, seeds and grains are often ground into flours offering a wide variety of flavours and nutrients that can be added in home cooking when making bread, cakes, puddings and pies – take every opportunity to introduce the widest range of food items into the diet. The aim of a good diet is to give your body the chance of optimum health so only put nutritious and natural foods into your mouth and give your digestive system a fair chance to mend itself and a reasonable chance to remain healthy.

Issues with gluten

There are many who believe that gluten itself may cause some people to experience all kinds of health problems as it often appears difficult to fully digest. At this point in time, however, there are no official guidelines to advise excluding gluten from the diet unless diagnosed with coeliac disease.

Diagram of the digestive system which includes the oesophagus or gullet, the stomach, the first part of the small intestine or duodenum followed by the remainder of the small intestine (which can vary in length from approximately 4.5 metres to 9.5 metres) and the large intestine(approximately 1.5 metres in length).

January jumble

2012-01-18T08:05:00.000Z

What a month! It is a helter-skelter, a waltzer, a ride of changes. There have been highs of double figures followed by crisp-crunch frosts and now it is warm once more.

Robins sing eerily through the night alongside distant long hoots of owls. Some nights the sky dances giddily with clouds like ladies from a Jane Austen novel floating over a dance floor. Other nights are black and bejewelled with millions of diamonds randomly scattered over a jet sky. Some days a light breeze licks at last year’s geraniums and plucks at the feathers of birds that parade along the branches of the apple trees. Whilst others are creeping with damp blankets of thick dew that cover everything. Mornings may be brittle and grey or full of bright sunshine and we toss and turn waiting to see what is on offer.

Anonymous publishing

2012-01-09T23:22:00.000Z

When we live in a country that encourages freedom of speech and it is second nature to say what we think, it is difficult to remember that in most places in the world it is hazardous to say the most innocent thing. Everything that is either written or spoken has to be carefully examined, diluted and often kept for another time which will most probably never come.

There is a programme called ‘Click’ that this week, told of an interesting website that allegedly allows anonymous publishing – so that anyone with access to the Internet, from anywhere in the world, can make a webpage and have true freedom of speech.

The website to join for true freedom of speech is http://pen.io/ … find out more here http://about.pen.io/

Why not join and create a little piece of history expressing your thoughts to the world.

See more here and also how to spread the word of your existing webpage by using the social payment system and more about pen.io here.

I appear to be growing greenfly!

2012-01-08T23:48:00.000Z

I decided to venture out into the garden today because surely I had imagined the attack of the aphids for they don’t creep and crawl about in England in Winter and in early January, do they? Apparently, they do either that or I have a completely new plant that is growing greenfly!! If this keeps up I will need to find a mountain of ladybirds and ants to reclaim the roses back.

Winter wings to Spring

2012-01-07T20:05:00.000Z

January is filling nature with confusion this year. It has begun with a mild spell which has left the geraniums in full bloom – imagine geraniums in full bloom in mid-Winter in England! Some of the rose bushes still have flowers and buds which are writhing in greenfly. At the same time, there is still no evidence of some of the deep planted perennials but others have promising shoots bright and tender green. Song birds are singing all night long although the night is pitch as clouds hide away the stars and moon. The apple trees have produced buds of soft green fur whilst still tossing away the remainder of last years leaves. The fish in the pond have taken up Latin American dancing as they wind their bodies together in a slow salsa whereas normally they tread water silent and still towards the water’s bottom. There is a permanent excitement in the air as doves call by day and owls by night and just as light cracks its way through the early morning the entire crow family descend pulling at everything that resembles any sort of food.

The last day of 2011, Hogmanay, New Year’s Eve

2011-12-31T23:59:00.000Z

This has been a strange year. Ordinary people have had their lives filled with terror, dreams have been stifled and snuffed out. Many have lost their livelihoods or their homes or both. The price of essential items has been rising week after week. Natural disasters have swirled around the world and millions have endured the pain in their wake. I do hope that 2012 will be a kinder, safer and happier year for us all.

In the meantime, here is a little to help celebrate the end of the year and the start of what is to come . . .

Happy New Year Everyone!

For those who have someone serving abroad.

A little bit of fun.

Unusual firework display .. to start 2012!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T17:18:00.001Z

My favourite cartoon of this Christmas was sent to me in an email ..

Google’s Christmas Surprise this year: type ‘LET IT SNOW’ in the Google search bar and enjoy!

Wicked weapons

2011-12-21T22:05:00.001Z

A few weeks ago my cat was attacked. I didn’t see it. The first I knew that something was wrong is when her little face swelled up like a balloon. I held her close and carefully ran my fingers softly through her cheek, for it was a one-sided balloon. I could find nothing. At first I thought that she must have inadvertently caught her cheek with her back paw whilst having a little scratch. The swelling didn’t appear to hurt her. So I waited fully expecting her cheek to return back to normal. The swelling remained and so off we went to the Vet’s surgery. The poor little puss had developed an abscess through a fine scratch that had ripped through the cheek. The abscess was both inside the mouth as well as outside on the cheek.

How wonderful are antibiotics? How marvellous are analgesics? What a difference they make when you are ill …. whether you are a human being or an animal these two things often transform the outcome of infection and illness. How grateful am I that they were both available to my little furry friend!

Cat tales

2011-12-08T13:10:00.000Z

Here are two lovely videos of cats. One shows a mother gently hugging her kitten who appears to be having a very active dream. The other is a wonderful cat who tells his owner most definitely ‘No!’ Enjoy!!!!

There’s nothing quite like a mother’s love!

A cat that knows its own mind … with a definite ‘no!’

Fairy joke

2011-12-07T12:58:00.000Z

The weather has been so unusual that when I looked out onto the front lawn I wasn’t phased one little bit by a clump of daisies brightly bobbing in the grass. Upon closer inspection the pretty little daisies were in fact frilly toadstools! What a joke that lovely flowers were, in fact, a fairy ring!

Rain

2011-12-01T23:45:00.000Z

Rain, the juice of all life …. click down below and – listen to it, celebrate it, enjoy it:

http://www.rainymood.com/

It is Spring .. in November!

2011-11-29T08:34:00.000Z

The garden always holds many surprises but this year is surpasses itself in fairy tale beauty. I feel like I have stepped into a dreamy, story book as flowers are blooming all over again and with a vigour and urgency of youthful intent, not a half-hearted end-of-season show. They are out to produce moor seeds, moor shoots, moor trailers and vines and are twisting the world into a picturesque jungle of colour.

Honeysuckle – old English name of Woodbine – pictured end of November

This variety is one of two very special types that I have in the garden supporting twin flowers. This is the more yellow variety with a deep woody perfume. The other one has red-veined leaves and pink dipped flowers with a sweet sensual perfume.

Eve of invention

2011-11-28T14:14:00.001Z

It has recently been discovered that ‘Eve,’ Homo neanderthalensis (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) known simply to most as Neanderthals extensively integrated, lived with and bred with Homo sapiens. All Homo sapiens are from Africa but when some of them began to move out of Africa they moved into the same areas where Neanderthals lived which was very extensive and included most of Eurasia. DNA tests suggest that most people who are not living in Africa and of African decent have a percentage of Neanderthal in them making those of us who are not in Africa, hybrids. The Neanderthal gene helps to strengthen us against disease and may possibly have given us the love and key to science and technology. I for one shall celebrate my inner Neanderthal ..

Female Neanderthal, picture courtesy of National Geographic

The tail end of an ice-age

2011-11-23T06:51:00.000Z

We are currently towards the end of one of the colder parts of our history. Living in the last remaining years of an ice-age should be a welcome experience as the world temperatures begin to naturally climb back up to their more normal ambient levels.

Unfortunately, in this instance the world has to cope with human activities on top of natural means. Vast swathes of the world are under the influences of industrial change producing large pockets of carbon dioxide and methane. At the same time forests are being torn up, plundered, raped and left barren. Trees are the lungs of the world and we have fewer now than in the history of man. Our planet has the equivalent of emphysema, it is hardly able to breath and replenish the atmosphere with fresh oxygenated air. It doesn’t need an educated person to work out what is likely to happen unless we make more of an effort to contribute to improving our atmosphere – billions of people, animals, birds, fish and plant life will die because the planet will be unable to sustain life.

The most amazing and curious thing about this problem is that there appears to be very little evidence that much is being done to stave off the inevitable. Ask yourself the following: who is monitoring the amount of de-forestation that is occurring throughout the temperate regions of the world? What is being done to off-set the amount of pine trees that have been planted in recent years that have shamefully replaced the slow growing timbers where animals, birds and insects live? How many water courses including rivers are cleaned out, dredged, and fully maintained so that they make perfect homes for native species to reside and thrive? How many farmers are changing the type of crops that they grow and why? How many new boreholes have been recently drilled, whereabouts (what countries) have they been drilled, how many will be required to be drilled to maintain the current populations? The list of things we should know and do something about is frighteningly large and there is little if any evidence that anyone is doing much about it at all. We should all be involved, taking interest and writing about it. Urging schemes to improve lives in thirty to fifty years time because the way that this ice-age is warming up it will not take long at all for everyone to be affected by the events of the near future.

Remember what happened to the mammoth .. this was before man had begun to cut down forests, build sprawling towns, create large industrial deserts .. I don’t want man to go the same way as the mammoth, do you?

Presently surprised!

2011-11-19T18:28:00.000Z

Went out shopping the other day to try and gauge what sort of things were in the shops with a view to compiling a small list, if not purchasing a few items towards Christmas. The shops were not too full, so we were able to meander through the various departments and explore the numerous offerings that were enticingly placed, often in precarious positions – so that the eye couldn’t miss every temptation.

It seems that this year, one of the cheapest and most plentiful of presents especially for females are ear-muffs. These are in every type of fabric from hand-knitted woollen animal heads, pompoms, faux fluffy sheepskin to trendy embroidered pretend designer ranges (may be some were in fact true designer ranges .. I didn’t take the time to check them all out). They do, however, offer the possibility for younger members of the family to make their own either for themselves or to hand out as presents. Next to the ear-muffs were displays of hats of all kinds many having similar effects as either a deer-stalker (Sherlock Holmes varieties) or woollen Norwegian types that had dangling plaited tassels. Then there were the half-head knitted semi-bonnets similar to ladies’ Cromwell caps embroidered with beads and looking very pretty. Rows and rows of mittens and gloves dangled and touched as we walked by. (DOES SOMEONE THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A FRIGHTENINGLY COLD WINTER THIS YEAR!) Scarves trailed down from pillars and thick flannelette pyjamas toppled over from enormous piles on shelves. The walls were decorated with thick ‘all-in-one granddad tunics’ for young ladies – they were extremely baggy and looked as though they had been cut from the design of a baby grow that intentionally or not was meant to cater for a NAPPY!!

Schooldays

2011-11-11T23:07:00.000Z

I received this in an email and it made me smile so I thought I’d share it with you:

Easter egg

2011-11-04T23:11:00.001Z

On Google’s Chrome or Firefox type in the search box the following statement: Do a barrel roll

Now isn’t that good fun?

Haunting scenes in Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon

2011-11-01T23:25:00.000Z

No matter where you venture in Shakespeare’s Warwickshire, there is beauty. Wild, wonderful, haunting sights and scenes that stay with a person forever.

Splat!!

2011-10-29T17:15:00.001+01:00

There are many wonderful, magical facts that are learnt about animals and birds over a lifetime – here is one that I recently found out about: powder down. Like moths and butterflies which have fine like powder on their wings in the form of overlapping scales, birds produce a dusting of waxy like powder over their feathers which is called powder down. In the case of birds the powder is designed to help waterproof their bodies from the rain. Occasionally, we are able to see this when a bird flies into a pane of glass usually twixt the end of one day and before the dawn of the next. A friend forwarded a picture of a bird imprint in powder down on to me when they found one on their office window.

Bird impression in powder down on a window pane

Country Quips:

Our life on Earth enables us to glimpse the beauty of Heaven.

Planting

2011-10-23T23:45:00.000+01:00

Wonder why they say that perennials are best planted in October? I have been trying to fill up some of the bare patches that developed in the garden borders due to last years extended cold and snow bound Winter. So many plants withered and died. I don’t think that we have ever lost so many at once before. So there has been a need to purchase more and hopefully find some that will weather a little better than before. This not only means they need to be able to withstand the cold but also the ever changing weather patterns – whether we are experiencing lack of rainfall, blustery winds, torrential downpours or any other unusual combination of weather conditions.

It has been very dry this year in England and trying to plant out deep rooted perennials has proved to be very difficult. Some of the roots have required not only depth but half an arms length in several directions. The easiest of the gap fillers has been some of the more common of the Spring bulbs.

I am hoping for a wonderful garden of Eden next year … I hope that these new plants all take and do not disappoint!

One plant that I have always wanted to introduce into the garden is the perennial or everlasting sweet pea. As it is known for its length of flowering time and the quantity of flowers produced it was a popular flower during Victorian times. I have bought five small plants which have been placed by two of the apple trees to hopefully eventually form a pretty backdrop to the far border … all they have to do is Winter well this first year and then they should be sturdy enough to bring years of beautiful colour … I do hope that they survive.

Perennial or Everlasting Sweet Peas

‘What a big belly you have!’

2011-10-16T22:48:00.001+01:00

As I have said before, October is a very strange month. The other day I was greeted with a large, round, female spider nearly ready to lay her eggs. This particular spider is more at home in a bush but somehow had gained access to my kitchen. Perhaps she senses that there is a very, very cold spell on the way as they are not noted for venturing indoors very often. Time will tell … I hope that it isn’t a portend to extreme weather …

Araneus quadratus - female full of eggs

Sober October

2011-10-10T21:45:00.001+01:00

It is important to be optimistic especially in the month of October. This month takes more than it gives; hates more than it loves; curses more than it nurses: it is a month that is often feared. Whether it’s the damp, the dark nights, the wet, the wind or something that is indefinable the chances are if you catch a cold or a cough in October it will last nearly up until Christmas!

Scorcher

2011-10-04T02:18:00.001+01:00

This is the most wonderful Indian Summer with temperatures soaring not only in the tail of September but the mouth of October. October 1st it is claimed has been the hottest on record and in the Midlands has nearly tipped 30º Centigrade which is around 86º Fahrenheit. Phew! It is magnificent. I am so glad that there is no air conditioning – just plain old-fashioned windows – so that I can embrace every last second of Summertime even as we are well into Autumn!

Country Quips:

The longest journey is often caused through the shortest argument.

Jersey, the ‘Tardis’ of the Channel Islands

2011-09-26T01:39:00.001+01:00

We spent some time in Jersey this Summer. It is the one place that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. It is a tiny island of some nine miles long by five miles wide and homes more than 90,000 people. It is full of country lanes and fields and so you would never guess that there are so many inhabitants. It is a true lesson on how to make the most out of space and retain wonderful raw natural beauty, eye-catching scenes, peaceful fields of cattle chewing the cud, a marvellous nature reserve, beaches and coastlines that are either free of tourism or so little that you could almost be on your own private beach. So many things to see and do that it there can only be one word to describe it all and that is ‘paradise.’

The map

The coast

The hill top views

Country Quips:

You should rest your bones when you’re coughing or you could well end up in your coffin.

Forty winks on a day of rest

2011-09-19T15:34:00.001+01:00

If memory serves me well, according to the Bible, Sunday should be a day of rest: doing absolutely nothing and recharging our batteries so that we are fit and well to tackle the forthcoming week with its many demands. When I was a child this also meant that shops and businesses remained closed; everywhere was quiet; it was even considered bad manners for washing to be displayed on clothes lines.

It appears that the only followers of this now are the animals. My cat, in particular who loves and enjoys a forty wink rest on a very lazy day!

Forty winks on a lazy Sunday

Country Quips:

You should never waste time as you can’t purchase more!

The British Isles

2011-09-16T00:10:00.000+01:00

To the people of the world, we are at times very confusing. Many Internet sites now list us as the UK, which doesn’t include many parts of our shores and leaves many users not being able to identify there whereabouts accurately.

Here are a list of the Isles (or islands) that form ‘The British Isles (all of those I have listed are inhabited):’

Great Britain (the main land mass built up of England, Wales and Scotland)

Ireland

The Isle of Wight (island off the middle of the South coast of England)

The Isles of Scilly (five main inhabited islands including St Mary’s and a further group of small rocky islands off the tip of Land’s End in Cornwall – near to the South-West coast of England) note: the ‘c’ is silent in Scilly

The Isle of Man

The Isle of Lundy

The Isle of Sheppey

The Hebrides: Lewis, Harris, Skye, Mull, Islay, North and South Uist, Jura, Tiree, Coll, Colonsay, Great Bernera, Rasaay, Benbecula, Barra, Scalpay, Ulva, Lismore – all inhabited

The Orkneys: Hoy, South Ronaldsay, Sanday, Westray, Rousay, Stronsay, Shapinsay, Eday

The Shetland Isles: Whalsay, Muckle Roe, Bressay, Yell, Fetlar

Fair Isle

The Small Isles

Walney Island

Aran Islands: Inis Mór

Anglesey, including Holy Island

Bardsey Island

Lindisfarne

The Isles of Firth of Clyde (Arran, The Cumbraes and Bute)

Mersey Island

Canvey Island

Looe Island

Thorney Island

Small Isles: Rùm, Eigg

Hayling Island

Foulness Island

The Channel Isles (Five larger islands consisting of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm with a scattering of some small rocky islands)

There are other small islands that help to make up the British Isles besides those listed above, some have bird or seal colonies on them …

In weed

2011-08-23T03:25:00.001+01:00

I can’t remember whether August is the same every year but this year there is an explosion of weeds. Many are tiny but some have managed to achieve quite a height and are beginning to suffocate even the most sturdy of perennials. To try and combat the problem I decided that I would begin pulling out a few at a time. I remembered that I had a ‘wild cowslip’ plant that had made its home in my little herb patch .. but where was it now? The sage has bushed out and begun to encroach on the chives. The mint decided to gambol all over the place with a few sprouts here and yet more sprouts there. The parsley looked very pleased with itself as its leaves curled in every direction. Some Montbretia leaves had curled gracefully pointing at the sage. I decided to tug at a few of these leaves to give the sage and chives a little more light which then led me to see a rather sad looking cowslip in need of a very long sip of water. What I also discovered under the leaves was a beautiful yellow spotted frog – it gave me such a shock and it must have been in shock itself for it stood there whilst I raced back for the camera.

Yellow Spotted Frog – Rana temporaria … 6–9 cm

Country Quips:

It is only when we appreciate how good life is, that we really see beauty in unexpected places.

Hovering about

2011-08-13T16:10:00.001+01:00

Hover-flies always remind me of my childhood. From as early as aged three, I would wander (with permission) around my next-door neighbour’s garden; where I was first introduced to Tulips, Red-hot pokers and Michaelmas daisies as well as the Tit family … from the pretty little Blue-tit, the constant calling Coal-tit to the wonderful strength of the Great-tit. The Michaelmas daisies formed a hedge around the neighbour’s garden and it was always alive with little pretty darting flies of various sizes and colours which were called Hover-flies. Despite their bright colouring and almost wasp-like or bee-like appearance they are harmless and very useful pollinators.

Hover-fly - Episyrphus balteatus

Country Quips:

True beauty is often hidden from closed minds.

Buzz hub

2011-08-10T08:50:00.001+01:00

Before the break in the weather, I was checking out the back border bank looking for spaces for a few new plants when I heard a distant noise. A fairly high-pitched hum, a cross between a dentist’s drill and a small helicopter droned in the distance. There appeared to be nothing in the sky so I took little notice and continued looking for a good space for some Penstamen flowers that had just been purchased. Suddenly, something large shot past my face and with it the sound of the drill. It headed downwards and landed in a half coconut that I had partly filled with raisins for the blackbirds. At first, I thought it must be some foreign insect because of its size .. some 30 mm. It was yellow with brown stripes and at it’s neck the brown turned into more of a brown claret. It’s mouth was placed on one of the raisins and it appeared to be sucking at the fruit which had expanded with an over-night shower. Then in a second it had buzzed up and away over the fence. Within a moment or two it arrived back with one of its comrades. Unlike other striped insects that seem to be attracted to people and fly around them, these acted as though I was completely invisible. They sucked at the raisins and I rushed into the house for the camera. I managed to take a couple of pictures of them and then set about trying to identify them in an insect book. They were listed as hornets, the largest member of the wasp family and the only one with brown stripes.

Hornet, Vespa crabro – 30 mm

Country Quips:

It is the fear of pain that often saves us from falling off the edge of cliffs.

Miracle powder–bicarbonate of soda

2011-08-03T15:35:00.001+01:00

Every year man discovers amazing things, invents complex answers to problems and yet forgets things that have been discovered by his forebears within the blink of an eye. This is probably the greatest mistake that we make as a species. We are the only species on the planet that regularly sweeps aside wondrous knowledge and throws it deep into a dusty abyss. Much of what has been learnt over time, may not have even been recorded in a book but told by word-of-mouth then lost completely forever.

The oldest form of any antiseptic known to man is in the form of various salts. Bicarbonate of soda, also called by a variety of other names from simple bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate and baking soda being the main variations is one of these salt based antiseptics, which is also an active fungicide. It should be part of everyone’s basic hygiene to include bicarbonate of soda into their daily routines.

Purchase good quality, food grade, bicarbonate and then it may be used wherever and whenever it is needed.

The first time I was really introduced to bicarbonate of soda as an antiseptic was with an eye infection. This was most probably caused by transference of germs from a keyboard, a shopping trolley, or simply a door handle to an eyelid which then became both sore and itchy and spread around the lids and the lashes of both eyes. For the next month, morning, noon and night I had to bathe my eyelids and eyelashes with one teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda stirred into boiled water then allowed to cool. After this, I began looking into medical and household uses for this forgotten ‘miracle powder.’

Here are just a few of the uses of bicarbonate of soda:

It may be used as a mouthwash to get rid of bad breath either caused through bacteria build-up in the mouth or spicy, aromatic foods. It can be made into a paste and used to clean stains off teeth. The powder may be dissolved into a little warm water and gargled to cure a sore throat. It is a quick first aid item that can be gently applied to mouths to ease symptoms of thrush whilst waiting to see a medical practitioner. It may be used as a simple exfoliator, a skin softener, a gentle hair conditioner. Items of personal use such as toothbrushes and hair combs may be soaked in a solution of it to clean them. A pinch of it may be stirred into a half-tumbler of water just before bedtime to help give a soothing night’s sleep. It reduces acid attack and is often preferable to alleviate heartburn and indigestion than traditional tablets and medicines. A tiny spot placed into the centre of the tongue will often calm down coughing attacks. It is sometimes a useful alternative medication for alleviating rashes. Over the centuries bicarbonate has been applied to both insect stings and bites for almost immediate relief. It kills off parasites and destroys their eggs. The powder may be sprinkled and used as a dry insecticide or a small amount added to water and lightly sprayed over plants. This list is almost endless and it is therefore always worth bearing in mind that it could be worth trying when all else fails.

Please do remember that it is a salt so always follow guidelines on the packet to make sure that too much isn’t consumed over a twenty-four hour period.

Sodium bicarbonate powder

Country Quips:

We are all much wiser than we are led to believe, sadly we rarely know when to use our wisdom.

Sayings, proverbs, quotes, quips

2011-07-31T23:47:00.000+01:00

Years ago when I began my very first job, computers took up the whole of a very large room. People wore special dust-proof clothing when entering it. Communications were made either using a telephone or a typewriter for both internal and external messages. Desks would often contain a ‘rip-off’ calendar (one page per day). The calendar would usually have a small quote or saying underneath that brought smiles or frowns to faces …

I have always enjoyed the little quotations that came on the bottom of the daily calendar. My father was also a font of knowledge of such sayings and would share them with me every day. This month I thought I would begin sharing some of the sayings with you. I have been placing them at the bottom of my posts entitled ‘Country Quips’ and I thought I would put July’s offerings all together to share once more. Such sayings make life and events more colourful and therefore are best repeated …

Country Quips:

If you only have your looks to trade on, your trade will be very short lived!

Even the smallest of jobs will extend to fill up the longest of days.

An evil adversary is conquered far more swiftly with a sharp mind than a steel blade.

Commitment to a job is nine parts of completion.

To hold a belief may sometimes be more dangerous than holding a weapon.

Never leave Sunday best clothes festering away at the back of the wardrobe. Air them often for they will go out of style and life is brief!

The sweetest smell on Earth is the down on the forehead of a new born baby. It is like no other; it is the greatest gift bestowed on man.

The most effective and useful weapon man can ever have is knowledge – always remember that you can never have enough!

Cat kit

2011-07-31T18:40:00.001+01:00

According to naturalists there is a danger that soon hedgehogs will die out in Britain as they have plunged in numbers year-on-year. It is a big ask of people but for those who love to see wildlife it is time to take action to protect this wonderful little mammal. It is strange to think that an animal that will eat just about anything is now under threat of extinction in this country. For those who want to help then place the following items out each evening: a small bowl of fresh water – they drink quite a lot (hedgehogs do not drink milk it makes them extremely ill and in some instances can kill them); kibble (cat kibble is ideal); tinned cat/dog/kitten/puppy food; cooked meat chopped into little portions as hedgehogs have very tiny teeth and are unable to chew large pieces; fresh peanuts that do not contain salt (salt is extremely bad for them); raisins-sultanas-currents; mild to medium cheddar cheese chopped up small; digestive biscuit, etc …… Place meat out when it is almost dark so that it will not become contaminated and dangerous.

Starting early in the evening, I had placed out some chopped nuts and cat kibble for the hedgehogs … but – too late, it was spotted by my cat …

The cat found the kibble put out for the hedgehogs

One other reason why hedgehogs are in trouble is they are as their name suggests little ‘hogs’ of the hedge. They spend quite a large proportion of their time in the bushes, trees, shrubs, long grasses and plants that are in the hedgerows. Hedgerows with all of their lovely plants are gradually being dug up and often replaced by fences or nothing at all. Fewer people have green gardens full of low covering plants, trees and bushes so … hedgehogs have nowhere to hide and keep safe. If you are able, then why not plant some bushes, and low covering plants in both your front and back gardens and make them hedgehog friendly. It would be such a shame to lose this wonderful and useful little animal. Remember hedgehogs like to feast on garden snails and slugs, millipedes, caterpillars, small rodents such as young mice – so they help to keep the garden clean and tidy of many things that you would rather not be surrounding your house!

Country Quips:

The most effective and useful weapon man can ever have is knowledge – always remember that you can never have enough!

Heaven scent

2011-07-28T08:28:00.001+01:00

Close my eyes and at last there is the heavy perfume, nectar of the gods, sweet and lingering fragrance that wraps itself around the garden – the ‘pinks’ have opened their petals and intoxicate the air.

I was introduced to pinks as a child. A name, easy to remember with a perfume hard to forget. My mother had large clumps of them, the old-fashioned double variety with twirls of one-coloured petals, slightly clove fragranced, long stemmed type. She would cut a few and place them in a vase and their perfume filled every corner of our home. I have loved them ever since but lost my original plant due to bad weather several years ago. It has been impossible in my area to purchase the same variety and over the years I have bought the single petal dianthus which are a poor substitute. Last week I called into a couple of nurseries in the hope of finding a few more plants to fill up one or two spaces in the border and found a two-tone double pink with a strong, sweet, sugary smell that is just lovely.

Dianthus: Scent First – Raspberry Sundae

Country Quips:

The sweetest smell on Earth is the down on the forehead of a new born baby. It is like no other; it is the greatest gift bestowed on man.

Trice thrice

2011-07-26T13:24:00.001+01:00

I am inquisitive, I seek out knowledge and drink it all up. This, however, often leads to conflicts of things that you learn through observation and cold hard facts on the printed pages of books. There are times when the two oppose each other but we should never be afraid to question the written word.

Wood-pigeons for example, according to bird books are to be found in fields of clover, growing crops, wild mustard, peas, staying in the fields and foraging amongst the stubble later in the year. The wood-pigeons that come into my garden eat everything – from millet, barley, rolled oats, lentils, black-eyed beans, split yellow peas, sunflower seeds, coconut and mealworms to cat kibble, digestive biscuits, bread, cakes, currants, sultanas, raisins, apple, pear, etc. In fact, the only thing that I have not seen them eat as yet is raw fish and meat.

They fly into the apple trees and begin calling if they cannot see any food on the bird table. Louder and louder they persist … and then they flap about from tree to tree to fence to roof and back ‘coooo-coo, coo-coo, coo’ first deliberate and slow then slightly faster … eventually food is found and they gather impossibly balancing on the bird table, often in threes.

Three Wood-pigeons – Columba palumbus the largest pigeon in Britain measuring 16 inches

Country Quips:

Never leave Sunday best clothes festering away at the back of the wardrobe. Air them often for they will go out of style and life is brief!

Moment in time

2011-07-25T08:44:00.001+01:00

No one knows for certain why there are hardly any butterflies to be seen in the British countryside. It may be due to climate change or it may be caused by something entirely unrelated but recently there has been a catastrophic drop in the number of all butterflies.

In Britain, over the month of July, a countrywide butterfly count is taking place and everyone is being encouraged to join in, so that accurate numbers may be gathered. Each person willing to take part, runs off a copy of the butterfly chart and does a count within fifteen minutes. If you are able to give those fifteen precious minutes then here is the link: British Butterfly Count.

Red Admiral Butterfly – Vanessa atlanta

Country Quips:

To hold a belief may sometimes be more dangerous than holding a weapon.

Crack

2011-07-22T09:01:00.001+01:00

Hazel is often passed by without a glance. At times, the Hazel leaf may look very similar to Beech. Hazel, however, produces a very nutritious nut. A free, hedgerow plant worth gathering to add to your larder. It may be dried, cracked open and eaten raw; added to cakes, cereals; slow roasted at the bottom of an oven to create a richer and crunchier nut. Some areas may be more inclined to find Filberts or Cob nuts – these are similar in flavour to Hazelnuts but look more like acorns as instead of being more of a small fat round nut, Filberts are elongated. Both, are packed full of goodness and are natures offering of a natural vitamin and mineral pill …

Hazel and Filbert nuts contain quite a few minerals but have quite fair amounts of selenium, zinc and manganese as well as calcium and potassium. They contain the following vitamins: A, B5, B6, B9 which is often called folic acid, and E. The nut is also known for its fair amounts of both Linoleic acid and Oleic acid contents. Added to all of the above it is packed full of protein.

Whilst on a walk the other day I happened to notice some green, open and cast-off shells on the floor which turned out to be Hazelnuts from the hedgerow. I’m not sure whether they had been cracked open by squirrels or birds but thought I would pick some too. Usually I wait until they are brown on the plant but temptation is a torment and Hazelnuts are delicious so I began to pick those on the lower branches and was quite surprised to find that I had a pudding basin full on returning home. I will leave these to dry out and go brown before eating them.

Hazelnuts (often found in groups of three)

Country Quips:

Commitment to a job is nine parts of completion.

Cone zone

2011-07-21T08:38:00.001+01:00

I am still struggling to try and fill up the spaces in the garden border that have been left by the heavy loss of plants over the last Winter period. It does though give me the chance of introducing some new varieties into the garden. I don’t necessarily mean new hybrid versions but a different type of plant to those that I’ve had in the past.

One new variety that I thought I would try (hopefully it will make itself at home in our heavy clay soil) is the dwarf Rudbeckia Toto Gold. These are commonly known as coneflowers or in Europe cone daisies. Their petals are usually yellows, oranges or gold and form a halo around a cone or dome of dark brown or brown-black centre.

Rudbeckia Toto Gold (dwarf) – coneflower or cone daisy

Country Quips:

An evil adversary is conquered far more swiftly with a sharp mind than a steel blade.

Days

2011-07-19T17:30:00.001+01:00

Today has had rolling rain clouds threatening to shed their load mixed with lighter patches where tiny daggers of sunshine have tried desperately to cut their way through the grey cloak. I tackled the bird table sorting out the mixtures of seeds, nuts and mealworms in the hope of enticing the robin to bob in a little closer. My little task of placing out the food for the birds was interrupted by the cat rubbing around my legs .. she wanted some more food too and was fervently reminding me of the fact that she had eaten her early breakfast an hour-and-a-half ago and was eager for more.

Where would we be without windows? When looking at animals or birds we often see more whilst being hidden behind glass than we can ever see from a front seat situation. I had placed extra bread on the lawn. A rather bedraggled and battered looking magpie crept up to a piece and pulled it back eating it hidden under one of the wooden chairs. I started to feel sorry for this elderly looking bird .. then a starling flew down and began to peck at the breadcrumbs .. it called out and all of a sudden half the lawn was covered with a flock of starlings. Like a bullet, the magpie shot out from its hiding place and put out its claws like those of an eagle. It pounced onto a starling and squeezed its claws tightly as though it were clinging onto a branch. Then it proceeded to hammer its beak into the body of the starling. Somehow, the starling wriggled free and floppily bounced backwards and forwards on the grass then it took flight up into the branches of a pear tree quickly followed by the magpie. The starling somehow got away .. I don’t know how badly it was injured. I never knew that magpies could be quite so vicious and dangerous – it left me speechless!

Country Quips:

Even the smallest of jobs will extend to fill up the longest of days.

Dental floss

2011-07-19T03:13:00.001+01:00

Dental floss is dangerous! Leading me to ask the question ‘Who needs Botox?’

A couple of days ago I accidentally nicked the corner of my mouth with a length of dental floss. I finished cleaning my teeth and went to bed. When I awoke the next morning my lips had swollen and puffed out … to say the very least it was uncomfortable and left them feeling sore … So far the ‘Botox’ look has lasted three whole days and I am quite fed-up with plastering them with Vaseline to protect them.

Years ago before dental floss was invented, I used a length of cotton or thread to clean between my teeth.

Country Quips:

If you only have your looks to trade on, your trade will be very short lived!

The hump

2011-07-17T16:19:00.001+01:00

My mother often told me that we all occasionally have ‘off’ days. Days, when we feel something – we cannot necessarily put our finger on it – but something is making us out of step with the world. For no reason that we can think of, we especially when children, become mardy. I was a very lucky child as I was usually light in spirit, laughed at the clouds and ran with the wind. Sometimes ‘the hump’ would reach out, slap me down and suck me up. It was on occasions like this that my mother would take me up and hold me tightly in her arms and recite straight out of her head, Rudyard Kipling to me. I’m not sure when she was taught it, or quite how she remembered it, but she managed to convey every syllable to me in a lovely motherly way and I always felt so much better after she said it, as it brought back the sunshine and the giggles … It should always be remembered that a little industry in the garden brings out the angel and pushes the devil away! If you have never read any Kipling before then this little poem should make you an ardent fan for it shows he knows his fellow man better than most:

The Camel's hump is an ugly lump
Which well you may see at the Zoo;
But uglier yet is the hump we get
From having too little to do.

Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo,
If we haven't enough to do-oo-oo,
We get the hump-
Cameelious hump-
The hump that is black and blue!

We climb out of bed with a frouzly head,
And a snarly-yarly voice.
We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl
At our bath and our boots and our toys;

And there ought to be a corner for me
(And I know' there is one for you)
When we get the hump-
Cameelious hump-
The hump that is black and blue!

The cure for this ill is not to sit still,
Or frowst with a book by the fire;
But to take a large hoe and a shovel also,
And dig till you gently perspire;

And then you will find that the sun and the wind,
And the Djinn of the Garden too,
Have lifted the hump-
The horrible hump-
The hump that is black and blue!

I get it as well as you-oo-oo-
If I haven't enough to do-oo-oo!
We all get hump-
Cameelious hump-
Kiddies and grown-ups too!

The birds have kindly scattered some of their bird food around the garden and this is one of the flowers that has grown from their stray peckings – a beautiful sunflower. If you look closely you can see that a sunflower is in fact many tiny flowers gathered together in a head and adorned with a halo of golden petals.

Centre of the sunflower or helianthus

Bring back the sleeves

2011-07-16T17:16:00.001+01:00

Year-after-year-after-year-after year fashion designers are leading women by the noses and taking the easy way out. For goodness sake I cannot be the only female on the planet who is fed up of seeing sleeveless dresses in every shop. Added to this, these flimsy frocks are offered only in two lengths … down to the floor like widow’s weeds or up to the thigh like a brothel’s uniform.

Where have all the T-dresses gone? We are constantly being told to cover up and protect our shoulders and tops of our arms and would like to do so whilst looking a little feminine so … designers/creators of fashion – please, please, please, please design something wearable for women. There is plenty of stuff out there for young girls in their teen and twenties …

I support the campaign … BRING BACK SLEEVES IN DRESSES .. do you? If you do please Blog/Tweet/Facebook something to spur the movement on.

Magpie meal

2011-07-13T23:30:00.000+01:00

It is something that most people love to see, birds … in their garden or outside their windows. I was pottering at the back of the garage and happened to glance out of the window. On the lawn, two magpies were busy poking their long beaks deep into the soil. They appeared to be imitating blackbirds, who regularly dip their beaks down into the soil of the lawn and pull out fat, juicy worms or grubs. I have never seen magpies search for meat this way before. Eventually, one of them hopped onto the seat of a wooden garden chair. The other magpie, jumped onto the plank of wood forming the cross piece of the chair below. The one on the seat poked its beak through the wooden slots, whilst the one beneath positioned itself directly under the bird above and began to take something out of its beak.

Magpies, appear to be mimicking other birds behaviour – no wonder they are growing in numbers and are probably now one of the most successful birds in the Midlands.

Next time that you see a magpie, take a long, careful look at it and you will not only see a bird of the future as it changes with the times – you will also see something of the creature of its past. As it walks with a purpose, sucking in its surroundings with its eyes – there is something of the dinosaur, alert and alive still within its core … biding its time and waiting for its chance to perform on the world stage of life.

Magpie eating at the bird table

Plop in the pail

2011-07-09T15:02:00.001+01:00

Over the years I have read many things regarding the attributes of water. Something that I read fairly recently has stuck in my mind and perhaps it’s time to share it.

Water is like medicine to the body, especially the heart … water helps to activate all of the body’s organs when drunk first thing in the morning. Water helps the heart and all the other organs to work more efficiently if consumed at regular intervals during the day. Water helps to protect the body from both heart attacks and strokes if drunk just before bedtime. Just one little extra note … water helps the brain to work more efficiently.

Now … go and get a glass of water and remember to sip it often it is probably the best medicine that you will ever take in your life.

There are many thoughts as to the quantity we should consume every day but many doctors advise around two litres.

Little extra fun notes on the wonders of water …

Water gives you a flat tummy

Water stops water retention and bloating

Lets be full

2011-07-05T19:04:00.000+01:00

The Leaf-cutter bees have been busy. This year they appear to be using leaves from the raspberry canes and a particular fuchsia that seems to be a favourite flavour, a very hardy perennial, gold-leaf variety called Genii. What posh little apartments they are making for their off-spring! The bees are filling up both insect homes … the established old version and the new pyramid shaped one.

The Leaf-cutter bees are making quick progress in filling up the bamboo canes with their off-spring

Plodding the beat

2011-07-04T21:41:00.001+01:00

It’s amazing how many different pieces of information a person can acquire in day-to-day routine. Sometimes a person can obtain a useful piece of a puzzle to help solve a problem. Occasionally answers to unasked questions just hang in the air. Every so often a gem of knowledge passes into the ear and gets tucked away into a corner of the brain until it is required to solve a mystery.

It came to pass that one day whilst standing in one of those queues that never appears to move, I struck up a conversation with a lady behind me. She revealed that the previous year she had developed palpitations, a sort of pounding with occasional flutters in the heart. She said that she had been advised that it was caused by stress but nothing she could do appeared to help the situation. Then one day she had a chance meeting with an old gypsy lady. As she had with me, she also told the gypsy about her problem. She told me that the elderly gypsy took her hands and looked at the palms. She pressed the palms with her thumbs then declared ‘Your problem is shortage of sugar!’ Sure enough the woman went back home and swallowed a teaspoonful of sugar as the old gypsy lady had advised … one every morning and one late afternoon. The woman told me that after four days she was cured and had never been troubled with palpitations since. ‘Surely, I said to her sugar is bad for you. Everyone tells you to cut it out of your diet.’ ‘I know,’ she said ‘but it truly did the trick. I cannot explain why but was so grateful that I tried it.’

This, I hasten to add is a hearsay cure for this stress type condition. I cannot vouch for it but it is one of those conversations that has always stuck in my head!

Please remember, it is always best to consult a medical practitioner rather than self-diagnose any kind of condition and follow very carefully your doctor’s advice.

I spy sleepy July

2011-07-03T15:55:00.001+01:00

There is something slow, sleepy and narcotic about the month of July. Full of creeping, caressing plants that grow slowly as you watch them winding and binding themselves onto other plants, up trellis and trunks, up styles and gates. Pinning themselves with glue-like ferocity to walls, stones, ledges and pathways. Yet, time is beautiful in this soft, sweet place where insects gently hum and birds call with notes of pure shrill tones and water gurgles and bubbles over stones. It is surely the month of the gods, for anyone descending onto our rough diamond home from far away would want to wallow and roll in its pure beauty. To suck in the warm sweetness of angels breath and become high with expectations of the gluttony of so much colour and sound .. we are surely in Heaven!

Honeysuckle July windings

Winding binding Tufted vetch in July – Vicia cracca, grows up to 200 cm in length and is a member of the pea family

Thirteen

2011-06-29T08:47:00.001+01:00

The cat has turned thirteen. She is doing remarkably well. We obtained her as a four month old kitten from an animal rescue centre and had been advised that she was the runt of the litter of a very young female cat of under a year old, who was herself considered to be only a kitten. All of the other brothers and sisters of the litter had died with the exception of our little runt. She was the only black and white kitten at the rescue centre. She looked so very long and thin and we were told she would never be a large cat. Here we are all these years later with a very pretty queen, supporting long, lustrous whiskers. Her eyes are bright and there are times when we see the lion in her actions and personality. She guards our garden both front and back, the drive and the nearby houses, which are all her territory. How dare any other feline put their paws anywhere on what she considers to be her land? She slaps any cat who tries to encroach on her territory on the behind with a multi-pat of paws like an animal from a pride. Strangely, I have seen male cats twice her size cower and flee at speed – and yet she is not at all nasty. She is full of purrs and rubs and loving …

Pyramid selling

2011-06-27T14:45:00.001+01:00

I have been looking for quite a long time to see if I could find an addition to the little garden home that has brought me so much pleasure and entertainment since it was attached onto my small shed. I thought about having a go at reproducing my own version but fate was kind to me and presented me with a very practical, durable and economical answer the other day – a pyramid insect dwelling.

Pyramid insect dwelling place

The Leaf-cutter bees have been back cleaning up the tubes of bamboo in the original insect house for a week or so. The protracted Winter weather had battered and bashed my original little insect house so much that after discussion we decided to take it down, do a quick repair and splash a little wood preserver on the top and sides. The bees were furiously buzzing around the holes and those that were away collecting leaf circles returned laden and very puzzled as to where their house had disappeared to. After a short while we placed the old insect house on the right-hand side nearest the fence and the new one was positioned where the old one had stood for the past four years.

The bees soon settled down carrying on with their mission but quite unexpectedly one of the larger bees and a couple of others broke away and began to take up residence in the new pyramid home. Now both insect houses are being filled …

The new and the old – home of the Leaf-cutter bees

24th, inexplicabilities

2011-06-24T15:20:00.001+01:00

Midsummer slowly gambols its way into the month of June. It is like a wraith, a ghost, a magical creature that swirls itself into every nook and cranny. It presents itself in unexpected places and as much as people have tried, over the centuries, to explain it the only answer ever offered from the wisest and knowledgeable to the eccentric and slightly touched is ‘it is the faery folk.’

Much as we like to scoff and pretend that this is an ordinary time in an ordinary month we are always proved wrong.

This morning, I awoke to a pond that had suddenly plummeted in its water depth. Yesterday it was almost to the very brim with everything freshened and re-born in the recent rainfall. Now it reminds me of the sea shore when the tide goes out.

Midsummer’s day water pond drop

My beautiful snow white floribunda Iceberg roses have suddenly changed into blood spotted nightmarish versions of the usual perfection.

Up above my Iceberg rose on Midsummer’s day with its pink and blood red spots and stripes

Iceberg rose … what it usually looks like

My Goji berry bushes have developed a Midsummer plume of mildew.

Midsummer Goji berry bush sprinkled with mildew

Of course, there are rational explanations as to why these things happen all around the same time in the middle of Summer, after all we all know that it isn’t the fairies, pixies and goblins … don’t we?

Lazy daisy

2011-06-21T19:48:00.001+01:00

A large proportion of flowers in the world are part of the daisy family. From early childhood, the daisy brings us something that is difficult to define other than perhaps a familiar, friendly reassurance with its bright, gay, smiling countenance. The daisy, in one of its many forms, is essential as part of the garden family. It is, however, one of the most difficult plants to acquire – at least in the regular common ‘dog daisy’ form. Nurseries and Garden Centres are seemingly bereft of the bright yellow eye trimmed with a wheel of sparkling white eyelashes of the common form of garden daisy. This is the ‘old fashioned’ variety that everyone’s Great Great Grandmothers had dancing below their windows that neither frost or draught could ever kill off.

The origin of the name daisy, at least in the English language most likely arose from two early Anglo Saxon words ‘daes eage’ which translates into ‘day’s eye.’ People would notice how the daisy flowers would close up their petals tightly when twilight fell only to open them the following day just as dawn arose.

When a person gives a person either a daisy, a bunch of daisies or a daisy plant it holds special meanings … new beginnings, loyalty, purity, trust and dependability. This is probably the reason why years ago many brides chose daisies for a wedding posy as they instantly showed her intensions of becoming a good wife.

Cottage garden – Dog daisy

The Dog daisy … common Cottage garden daisy

My original daisy, which was a dwarf variety died off during the long very cold Winter that we had. After searching and searching I came across the above daisy which I am hoping is a traditional ‘Dog daisy,’ this week. I purchased two out of the remaining four plants which sat on the shop shelves and now I have my fingers well and truly crossed hoping that this is indeed the sturdy, hardy, traditional daisy that withstands everything that Nature can throw at it! Only time will tell but optimistically I am calling it ‘Dog daisy’ after the daisy that dwelt in my mother’s garden for well over forty years and for all I know is residing there still.

Strife

2011-06-20T08:42:00.001+01:00

There is nothing quite like tall, elegant border plants to attract the bees. I have had Purple Loosestrife in my garden for years but this year one plant has changed into a beautiful champagne pink … it began to toast the bees as soon as the flowers opened. I have neither heard of nor seen this colour variation before and wonder whether it could be a new variety that nature has suddenly presented me with.

There are a few types of Loosestrife, those that belong to the Loosestrife family and those that belong to the Primrose family. Loosestrife, the purple variety is known as Lythrum salicaria. If mine, is in fact a new variety then I shall name it Lythrum pollykloggers. Lythrum means loostrife and of course pollykloggers would indicate the new variety.

I think it is very pretty …

Loosestrife – champagne pink … (possibly a new variety and if it is then I shall name it: Lythrum pollykloggers)

Lunar

2011-06-16T08:38:00.001+01:00

Last night there was a lunar eclipse and in many areas of the world a deep red alien moon, peered down upon the Earth. Here in Worcestershire our sky was covered in cloud … our moon wasn’t even ‘tossed upon cloudy seas!’

It will be December before having the chance at such a moon gaze once again.

Potted ladybird

2011-06-15T08:46:00.001+01:00

Ladybirds are probably the only beetle that children instantly fall in love with. Avidly pursued on flowers and leaves and gently placing tips of fingers up to the fronts of this lovely spotted beetle to have it race up hands and onto arms. Feeling the pitter-patter of tiny, tickling black feet which brings out squeals of joy just as it has done for generation after generation. So with such nostalgia how could I resist the temptation of a pottery ladybird?

Potted ladybird

Pigeon pie

2011-06-14T08:48:00.000+01:00

There is something of the majestic about the Wood Pigeon. Its feathers are always smoothed down, well groomed with an elegant soft sheen to them. It holds its head high with discrete awareness and has the look of a ‘dowager duchess about to perch a pair of spectacles at the end of its beak’ about it. The eye is sharp, a bright gold, slightly green tinged ring around a jet black centre. It is the largest of the pigeon family and measures some 40 Centimetres in length. It’s song, which is a roo-ku-koo … roo-roo-ku-koo, whether distant or near is very haunting but at the same time reassuring like a persistent nursery rhyme that is lulling, especially on a hot Summer’s day.

Wood Pigeon – Columba palumbus

Weekend rains

2011-06-13T10:00:00.000+01:00

Spring has been very, very dry. The heavy clay soil of Worcestershire formed tiny crumbs, almost sand-like in appearance in places whilst parts of the garden borders separated into deep fissures and cracks. The leaves of soft stemmed plants have been softly flopping in the middle of the day.

The weekend brought showers followed by steady rainfall and for the first time in my life I felt an inner joy as the rain washed over everything. It was a deep primitive feeling that swelled up from within – as sort of relief as the ground quenched its thirst. Never have I known such a dry Springtime!

I noticed a spider sheltering under a rose umbrella …

Red rose and the spider umbrella

Siamese poker

2011-06-12T21:03:00.001+01:00

The fiery red hot spice flowers of the ‘Red Hot Poker’ plants are now in full bloom. Magnificent, magical, bright and exotic in appearance – they have always been one of my most favourite of garden plants. Spikey, green, pointed leaves that fall in every direction but are razor sharp to the touch like well-sharpened scythes they form a nest around the thick stems that hold the vibrant red and yellow flowers.

On one of my poker plants there is a magnificent Siamese topped flower. These dual versions happen every so often and help to create the illusion of yet more flowers on each plant.

Siamese Red Hot Poker Flowers

Red Hot Poker flower with bottom dew tips

To create more Red Hot Poker plants – simply ease up one of the small circle of leaves in either late Autumn or preferable early Spring. There should be a few small white roots showing … simply dig a medium size hole the size of a mug. If possible place a handful of sand and a little fresh compost in the hole before firming in the new poker plant. Water well in and leave. These are fairly resilient plants that take two to three years to reach maturity. Flowers usually appear on either the second or third year after planting.

Rosewater

2011-06-06T08:47:00.001+01:00

Splashing a shower of water over some new plants that I purchased the other day, left me with a pleasant surprise on an old favourite, my rose cutting. This has now formed into a most beautiful floribunda bush.

Red rose floribunda produced from a cutting without any grafting

Rose cuttings

For those brave enough to try to grow their own roses from a rose plant cutting, never be put off by what the text books say which is usually along the following lines: ‘Roses require grafting onto wild root stock.’ Roses are one of the easiest plants to root, however it is wise to take up to ten cuttings of a favourite rose as it is not guaranteed that the rooted rose will produce offspring identical to the parent plant each time. There is a chance that some of the cuttings will become single petal flowering plants. Always find a fairly long stem and use either secateurs or sharp scissors to cut the stem below a new forming shoot (these are the small knobbles that appear along each stem usually half a finger length apart). Gently strip off the bottom leaves so that you have a clean bottomed stem. Dip the stem into a little water then into either hormone rooting powder or if none is available a little sand or fine grit. Make a hole with either a long wooden stick or dibber or fine ended trowel as deep as possible. Push the rose stem in as far as you can a good two to three inches (5 – 7.5 cm) in depth then firm the soil around using your hands or feet so that the cutting is cemented into the soil. This should be watered frequently for the first three months during which time new shoots and roots will form. In early spring, cut off the top leaves and give the young plant some dry fertiliser pellets or add fresh compost around where the roots are forming. My plant above is far more healthier than the parent plant has ever been. It is strong, sturdy and even in growth and produces blooms identical to the ‘mother’ plant. As it is a cutting and is not grafted onto wild root stock, it is free from ‘suckers.’

Da Vinci code

2011-06-03T08:51:00.001+01:00

Leonardo Da Vinci was born illegitimately to a peasant woman called Caterina in a province of Florence, in Italy, called Vinci. His father, Piero Da Vinci, was trained in the law. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of this humble background he developed into a genius in every quarter. Eager to learn, he built up a knowledge in maths, science, biology and art. His mind was electric and he allowed it to wander unfenced into every domain which gave him the freedom to become an inventor and an artist of the utmost perfection.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s portrait in red chalk of ‘The Bearded Man’ an unknown character that years ago was believed to be a self-portrait of Leonardo but has since been dismissed as not being a replica of the artist’s facial features.

The Da Vinci Code

Most of what Leonardo Da Vinci knew was self-taught … he was an inspiration to us all and his legacy lives on as though he has left part of his very core, part of his spirit, behind. Leonardo, if he were alive today, would most likely think that we waste so much of our time when we could be learning, creating, developing and achieving so much more as we all have had greater advantages than he ever had. So …

‘Try and learn at least one new thing every day and then pass on your knowledge to someone else – do not keep it to yourself; do not waste it; knowledge is information and information is power – it takes us to new horizons and makes the world a better place to live.’

Hawthorn–family Rosaceae

2011-06-01T15:55:00.001+01:00

There are several varieties of Hawthorn in England, all of which will happily cross-pollinate and create a large amount of variations of the parent plants. Midland hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) grows to no more than 10 metres in height, thus making it more sort after as a garden plant with its tidy and even growth in either a tree form or, if lopped, it will form a perfect bush. Its flowers also come in a wide variety of shades from deep cherry red through to blancmange pink and on to pink cream and white or white tinged with pink. These flowers also vary from single petal, double petal and tightly formed rosettes. This hawthorn therefore makes a perfect candidate for creating a bonsai. The next variety is slightly more untidy and is known as the Common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and grows to a height of approximately 15 metres on either a single, sturdy, stem bole or from a crown of thick branches. There is an Oriental hawthorn (Crataegus laciniata) 10 metres tall with an encroaching habit spreading in all directions. The smallest of the family is an Azarole hawthorn (Crataegus azarolus), which at the most grows to an 8 metre tall plant that tends to have twisting branches with a habit of spreading and lastly, a Various-leaved hawthorn (Crataegus heterophylla), which is usually around 10 metres in height. When all of these varieties are found in close proximity to each other, all kinds of variations occur. The haws or hips are gathered by birds and especially loved by doves and pigeons and so the seeds are dropped and scattered over a very wide area and readily germinate.

These are a few hawthorn leaves gathered locally ranging from Common, Midland, Azarole and various hybrid species

Hawthorn comes under the name Crataugus all having thorns and all bearing similarities. This particular grouping of small trees and shrubs all will form good stock-proof hedging which can be shaped by cutting out all of the dead wood during the Winter months. The hedge layer will then usually hammer Hazel sourced from a coppice at intervals to steak out the hedge. Once this has been done a cut is made at the base of the trunk of each stem just enough to allow the rest of the stem or branch to bend. The idea being that the whole branch will thrive and produce more leaves and branches making the hedge more dense. The bottoms of the trunks or stems are known as pleachers these are folded so that they are supported by the Hazel stakes. The top parts of each pleacher may then be pulled through to one side or crossed either side this is then held in place in neat rolls with strips of wood, which are sometimes known as hethers. This is a wide-spread method of safely keeping boisterous and robust animals from breaking through from fields into open country lanes especially in England.

Semi-cut and plaited hedge laid down during the cold Winter months before the sap has begun to rise

Hawthorn or May blossom

Old Hawthorn saying: ‘Don’t cast a clout until May is out’

Meaning: Never cast off your Winter clothing until the Hawthorn blossom is open on the boughs.

Slim code of life

2011-05-31T09:06:00.000+01:00

Many years ago, I knew a lovely young woman. She was independent, happy and very slim. At the time it was very rare to see anyone obese but most women dieted from time-to-time to maintain a reasonable weight. One day we were discussing both weight and diet. She looked at me very profoundly and said:

“The difference between you and me is – that I eat to live, whereas you live to eat.”

She explained that she would never have a problem with weight, no matter what age or what circumstance because she never had enjoyment of food. She was neither anorexic nor ill and ate three meals every day but she never thought about food, lusted after food or saw someone eating food and thought that might be nice I wonder what it tastes like? Therefore, she was right – she was slim and she would always be thin!

I have heard this statement many many times since and it surely has a ring of truth in it; those people who eat to maintain life will always be more slender than the rest of the population!

Cats’ whiskers

2011-05-29T16:01:00.001+01:00

Every animal has secrets. Probably one of the most intriguing of a cat are its whiskers. The purpose of a cat’s whiskers is for the cat to determine whether the rest of its body can safely climb through a space. However, this is only relevant if the cat is of normal weight. A vet may, therefore, use the width of its whiskers as a useful guideline to determine whether the cat is of a healthy weight, prior to placing it on the scales.

Although a cat has very sharp eyesight whilst looking for objects (especially those of potential prey – in other words creatures that move), it has difficulty focussing on anything that is close by and is heavily reliant on its whiskers to see if it is in bumping range of things. Its whiskers are therefore essential and should never be cut – they are as necessary to a cat as a blind person’s stick in order for the cat to feel relatively safe. Whiskers, like all forms of hair on mammals, are made up of keratin but are set deep within the face of the cat and close to bunches of nerve endings making them both useful and sensitive to movement.

Domestic short-haired cat, DSH, Felis catus

My cat, is now thirteen years old. She has not lost any weight which according to my vet is a good sign as many cats may become thin and struggle with health issues once they have lost weight. She has a varied diet: she enjoys fresh, roast chicken and jelly, canned tuna, Felix senior (as good as it looks dinners), Sheba delicious morsels with chicken & turkey, Iams adult light 1+ years sterilised proactive nutrition – roast chicken flavour (these are biscuit like and very tiny and easy to digest) I have tried her on other dried foods and find that they are too difficult for her to chew. She also enjoys an occasional two or three Thomas treats … Apart from the treats and the roast chicken, the other items in her diet are eaten by her every day …… yes, she eats more than me!! She gains a little weight during the Winter months and loses it when the warmer weather arrives … the ideal scenario for any living creature.

A mite tiny

2011-05-25T09:00:00.001+01:00

Life is fascinating. The fact that we are built up of millions of cells, each having their own purpose and lifespan - and miraculously those cells are held together to form us … a unique individual, is magnificent. We in turn, are little planets that supply nourishment to a series of creatures most of which are not visible to the naked eye. One of the most intriguing is a tiny, thin creature that is called a follicle mite or Demodex follicarum. These often live at the base of our eyelashes. In measurements that we can understand this tiny mite is approximately one hundredth of an inch in length. It has a fierce mouth with needle sharp cutting devices and minute clasping claws. It uses its claws and mouth to bury itself deep inside a hair follicle and remains there its entire life for it can only move in one direction and that is forwards. It is, however, one of the most efficient creatures on the planet as it makes use of the entirety of its food supply (us) and has no need of an anus as it produces no waste. When it eventually dies it harmlessly dissolves and leaves the hair follicle remarkably clean. Not everyone will home this little creature and as yet it appears there is little knowledge on how it travels from one person to another … but if you do have them they are it is alleged, entirely harmless.

Follicle mite, Demodex follicarum

Head and legs of the Follicle mite, Demodex follicarum

The sun daisy

2011-05-21T04:03:00.001+01:00

One of my most favourite of daisies is the Dandelion. Round, soft, golden yellow, a spit of petals that is in fact a composition of tiny flower heads, which eventually all create their own separate seed head and feathery parachute which forms a delightful round, white, silky pompom. The flower head often faces towards the sun and usually closes as evening approaches keeping the many flowers safe in the darkness. There is wonderful advice in a saying about dandelions ~

‘Blow the clocks near fields of crops.’

It has long been known that dandelions are the gold mines of the garden; they help other plants to crop more heavily and if allowed to grow around orchards and berry bushes, the fruits are said to generally ripen more quickly.

Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale

Dandelion clock or seed head

Dandelions have always been used as an extra salad vegetable. Their leaves (the youngest and most tender) make a wonderful addition tossed in a salad. The flower heads are often used in the making of wines and soft drinks. The roots are sometimes roasted and crushed – hot water is then poured on to the root to make a type of coffee. They help to clear the body of extra water but should never be eaten or drunk whilst taking medicines.

The haunting

2011-05-19T15:13:00.001+01:00

As a child, I lived in a hamlet. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a hamlet is a small village, especially one without a church. Everyone in our hamlet without exception waved, smiled and greeted everyone else. We all had to be patient as despite there being very little in the form of shops, garages and buses there was always a queue and often a long wait. In the Summer one of the local houses sold ice-cream. They had a long, white, crunchy drive and you could smell the vanilla for at least half-a-mile away. The corner shop sold most essentials. There was goat’s milk for which you needed to produce your own jug; bacon and ham, some of which was grown at the back of the shop in the form of three beautiful lop-eared and very friendly pigs that were housed in a stone walled sty; eggs that contained both feathers, mud, straw and poo on their shells; potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips and swedes that were all covered with the local clay from the fields; spring cabbage, cauliflower, peas and beans when in season; cans of several varieties on the back shelves; tea, sugar and other dried essentials; biscuits some of which were sold loosely; chocolates, sweets and ice lollies – milk lollies being my favourite. I was allowed to choose a milk lolly on grocery day, which was always a Friday.

We had a village hall, sturdily built of stone; a church annex which most would call a chapel it was set off the road and secluded in a small wooded area that contained several pine trees the smell of which crept through the open door along with the sunshine. The vicar wore a large round smile and white floating smock that flapped in the breeze like a field poppy.

Now as a youngster, I was encouraged the same as all other children at that time – ‘to be seen and not heard.’ We would sit on walls and make daisy chains whilst adults talked and talked and talked. We would climb the small thick boughs of trees and straddle our legs either side swinging them backward and forwards as though we were driving a donkey to market. If no other children were about we would eavesdrop on what was being discussed.

On one occasion whilst waiting in a queue I happened to be standing next to a lady who appeared quite elderly to me but she was probably still short of fifty. Passing the time of day I asked her if she went to church. A twinkle came into her eye and a smile teased her bright red lips and she answered in words something like this: “Goodness me no, I gave up doing wicked things a long time ago and so don’t have the need of visiting a church any more!” ………. haunting conversation.

Lilac

2011-05-18T15:59:00.001+01:00

Lilac - Syringa vulgaris

‘Of all the flowers that I see, the sweetest is the lay-luck tree.’ Anon

Usually pronounced lie-lc, lie-lek. The Lilac tree is both fragrant and is said to bring good luck to a household when it is planted in the garden. The purple is known for its strongest fragrance but all varieties are popular. This is a picture of my white Lilac as yet my purple variety has not flowered this year.

To hear the pronunciation of Lilac please click the link and then the following symbol:

Cockchafer, May-bug or Melolontha melolontha

2011-05-15T19:50:00.001+01:00

The other night I came face-to-face with a Cockchafer. It is the first time that I have seen one of these large beetles. They are night time flyers and make quite a lot of noise during flight. They grow from between 20 mm to 30 mm and are easily recognisable by their pointed backs. The adult beetles eat leaves from trees and shrubs whilst their young, a large – fat, juicy ‘C’ shaped grub feed on roots of all different kinds. The Cockchafer is very common in England, Wales, the lower parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eire.

This one I carried gently and placed safely in the garden on an Iris flower.

Cockchafer, May-bug – Melolontha melolontha

Oxlip, cowslip, primrose and false oxlip

2011-05-09T15:52:00.001+01:00

A simple guide on how to tell the difference between the Spring primula family is as follows …

The Primrose, Primula vulgaris – is the shortest of the plants with pale yellow flowers with slightly darker centres growing singularly on short stems. It likes to grow in shady places. Its leaves are oval, crinkly-edged and fairly even.

Primrose – Primula vulgaris

The Cowslip, Primula veris – is long-stemmed, up to 25 cm. The flowers form in groups on the top of the stems. The petals are small and a deep golden yellow.

Cowslip – Primula veris

The Oxlip, Primula elatior – is usually shorter than the cowslip, growing up to 20 cm. It is quite rare and is mostly resident in South East England. It is easy to spot as its flowers, which sit on the top of the stem, all face the same direction.

Oxlip – Primula elatior

The False oxlip, Primula veris x vulgaris as its Latin name suggests, is in fact, a hybrid formed from the close proximity of a cowslip and primrose producing seedlings of sturdy flowers. These grow the same height as the Oxlip but their umbels fall in all directions similar to its cowslip parent.

False oxlip – Primula veris x vulgaris

These beautiful False oxlips suddenly appeared in my garden. It was a lovely surprise as I have had both primroses and cowslips for many years and it is the first time that they have produced a mixed off-spring and what wonderful plants they are.

Ingrowing toenails

2011-05-04T16:36:00.001+01:00

The most common cause of ingrowing toenails is damp feet. With trends of modern shoes being manufactured out of man-made materials, the foot especially around the toe area, often becomes over-heated and damp. When toenails are damp or wet they expand in all directions as they mop up water like a sponge. This causes them to become misshapen and often they dig into the surrounding skin. So if you are prone to ingrowing toenails – keep your feet dry.

Wash feet - thoroughly dry them, firstly with a cotton towel then using a hair dryer set to cool, blow them dry to make sure that there is no moisture left anywhere near to the toes.
Wear comfortable, loose fitting leather shoes, preferably sandals so that fresh air can get to the feet. Avoid trainers or anything similar.
Choose cotton or cotton/wool mixture socks and change them regularly two or three times each day.
Make sure that toenails are kept fairly short, straight and neat and always use a good quality nail file rather than scissors or clippers.
Finally, if too much damage has been done and the ingrowing toenail does not go back to normal then seek a doctor’s advice on possible surgery. Surgery usually involves a small slither of nail being removed from each side of the toenail completely down to the nail bed. The extra width of nail will never grow back and so this is often the option that many consider if they participate in sports and suffer with the pain of ingrowing toenails.

2011 and it’s May

2011-05-02T21:29:00.001+01:00

The end of April was hot and sunny with temperatures hitting 27°C. Rather than April it was more like August and Spring flowers began to wilt. May began with bright sunshine and blue skies but the temperature dropped to 16 °C with a cool breeze. The flowers and even some of the bushes are beginning to wilt with lack of rainfall. For the first time ever it has become necessary to freshen up some areas of the garden with the watering can …

Domesticated bluebell growing in May

Columbine also known as Aquilegia

Columbine is often sold in Garden Centres and Nurseries but it is probably the easiest of all plants to grow from seed. The seeds are large and black and will grow just about anywhere … simply scatter them wherever you would like them to flower and you should never be disappointed. They will come up year after year flowering throughout the Spring and Summer and often into early Autumn. Do watch out though as they are inclined to be prolific in multiplying their numbers around the garden. They even make themselves at home in gravel, sand and between slabs and cracks in concrete.

MI Spy

2011-04-29T14:22:00.001+01:00

Magnificent insect spied in the garden. It is the very first hover-fly that I have seen this year. It is to be seen throughout April and on until the end of October and so is a useful pollinator to late Spring and Summer crops.

Helophilus pendulus hover-fly - 12mm

Water wake

2011-04-26T02:34:00.001+01:00

It’s Easter holiday Monday, unexpectedly warm, dry and sunny. A blue, blue sky and a soft, ticklish breeze – unbelievably perfect – like a day in a dream. The frogspawn had hatched several days ago and so the ever curious tadpoles endlessly wriggle eager for their legs to grow. Along the sides of the pond the algae clung thickly and somewhere near the middle floated a pale, golden fish, motionless. Scooping it out with a net it was apparent that one of the Golden Orfe had suddenly died … there was no movement of the gills, the mouth, the eyes … it was simply stiff. The underbelly was slightly red but apart from that there was not one mark on the body. No indication of disease or ill health. Such a sad end for a perfect, pale fish.

Golden Orfe alive and swimming

Land of Hope and Glory

2011-04-23T23:33:00.000+01:00

Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still, and wider, shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!
Truth and Right and Freedom, each a holy gem,
Stars of solemn brightness, weave thy diadem.
Tho' thy way be darkened, still in splendour drest,
As the star that trembles o'er the liquid West.
Throned amid the billows, throned inviolate,
Thou hast reigned victorious, thou has smiled at fate.
Land of Hope and Glory, fortress of the Free,
How may we extol thee, praise thee, honour thee?
Hark, a mighty nation maketh glad reply;
Lo, our lips are thankful, lo, our hearts are high!
Hearts in hope uplifted, loyal lips that sing;
Strong in faith and freedom, we have crowned our King!

Music by Sir Edward Elgar and known as the Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 written in 1902. Although Elgar preferred his work without being accompanied by words, it is usually sung nowadays though often only the chorus is sung. There are two versions the one above and the original words which were written by Arthur Christopher Benson in the form of a poem. The original poem was as follows:

Dear Land of Hope, thy hope is crowned.
God make thee mightier yet!
On Sov'ran brows, beloved, renowned,
Once more thy crown is set.
Thine equal laws, by Freedom gained,
Thine equal laws, by Freedom gained,
By Freedom gained, by Truth maintained,
Thine Empire shall be strong.

Land of Hope and Glory,
Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee,
Who are born of thee?
Wider still and wider
Shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty,
Make thee mightier yet.

Thy fame is ancient as the days,
As Ocean large and wide:
A pride that dares, and heeds not praise,
A stern and silent pride:
Not that false joy that dreams content
With what our sires have won;
The blood a hero sire hath spent
Still nerves a hero son.

Today is St George’s Day – 23rd April (a day to be patriotic and think of one’s home and country) and many people in England are longing for an English National Anthem. Some prefer Elgar’s ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ the words above. Some would welcome ‘Jerusalem,’ as below:

Jerusalem

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic Mills?
Bring me my Bow of burning gold!
Bring me my Arrows of desire!
Bring me my Spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!
I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

The Jerusalem tune was written by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry with words by William Blake. This was a hymn that was originally used in the movement of ‘votes for women’ and is still the official song sung by the Women’s Institute today.

Whilst the final choice is ‘I vow to thee my Country’ which is probably the most beautiful with wonderful words:

I Vow To Thee, My Country

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul, and silently, her shining bounds increase;
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

The words to ‘I Vow To Thee, My Country’ were originally written in 1918 by Sir Cecil Spring Rice. The words were later put to music by Gustav Holst.

Which should be the National Anthem of England … I do hope that it is the last of the three choices, don’t you?

The flag of England – St George’s flag

Strong nails

2011-04-23T20:52:00.001+01:00

Years ago a lovely lady told me that the one thing a woman should never run out of was brewer’s yeast tablets. I confess I was intrigued by her statement … she went on to tell me that a little while before she had been to see a specialist. I was too young to enquire what sort of a specialist or why she had felt the need to see one. She told me that brewer’s yeast had brought back her nails from broken, ragged, jagged, weak and split to – beautiful, long, strong, smooth and bright white. Amazingly, not only does brewers’ yeast make finger and toe nails grow extremely quickly – the results are visible after a few short days.

For best results take two brewer’s yeast tablets three times each day after meals …

Brewer’s yeast

Weekend flights

2011-04-17T16:48:00.001+01:00

I am doing a little bit of detective work at the moment … not the usual kind that you see glorified at the cinema or on the television. I am simply trying to establish where my bird containers are going to. This mystery began a few short weeks ago and I am determined to crack the case! So with a bit of help and a motion sensor I am hoping to find which little rascal is carrying off bird containers full of food. Apparently, so strong that not one so far has either been dropped or discarded. I have not yet discovered either which animal or bird is the culprit but I have obtained some rather nice pictures whilst waiting …

Perfect poise pigeon

Crow and pigeon

Pigeon from the rear

Pigeon about to land

King of the magpies

Magical magpie

Marvellous magpie

Magpie mischief

Pigeon … forwards landing

Sparrow

So far these are the contenders of the bird container thief …… I think I can at least rule out the sparrow!

Moon

2011-04-12T15:18:00.001+01:00

The sun was shining and the sky embroidered with fluffy white clouds. Directly above in the blue, blue, sky was a watery moon. Although it seemed almost pointless I took a couple of photographs but when I looked at them more closely I am pleased that I did. Who would have thought that so much would be visible of a satellite that looked as though it had been painted in a watery pale poster paint?

The Moon on a warm Worcestershire day, in April

Moon Facts: Sadly, every site that you may visit will show quite large variations in any measurement concerning the Moon. So, having looked through several books and visiting countless sites the measurements that I have here appear to be a best guess. The Moon is approximately 238,897 miles (384,467 kilometres) distance from the Earth but is gradually pulling away from Earth’s gravity. Every year it succeeds in becoming a little further away and eventually, it will tug itself free. The Moon has an approximate diameter of 2,159 miles (3,476 kilometres). It is made up of a large outer crust which covers a hard mantle then a partially melted inner mantle and lastly an outer iron core which is fluid and finally a hard inner core.

April eventually brings forth her showers

2011-04-12T02:20:00.001+01:00

After a parched March and a weekend of temperatures which have rivalled many of the more sunny climes we now have thirst quenching showers. How beautiful and refreshed everything looks …

April showers showing Muscari which are also known as Grape hyacinths

It bloats and fattens …

2011-04-10T18:24:00.001+01:00

We have all read current reports on the main food items that are causing obesity, addiction, and depression in recent times: namely sugars, refined carbohydrates and processed foods. What is astonishing though, is what appears never to be mentioned. Allegedly, one of the most fattening things that can ever pass your lips is caffeine! Surprisingly, it is not the coffee with the lashings of full-fat milk or cream, but the caffeine it contains that tricks the body into manufacturing high amounts of insulin. A very simplistic explanation of why we make insulin and what it does is: insulin is a hormone that is made in the body to help convert sugars and carbohydrates and store them as fat. So if we eat or drink foods that create insulin then we will get fatter. So perhaps it’s time to avoid such caffeine stacked drinks as: coffee, cola, ‘innocuous sounding – high energy drinks,' and lastly with not quite so much caffeine is tea.

Wet look

2011-04-05T08:41:00.001+01:00

March was probably the driest we have ever had, at least on record. April nudged its way in with the ground parched. For once it was easy to mow the lawn and even that hadn’t grown with its usual burst of Springtime urgence. We need the April showers … the pepper shaker sprinkles of water to ensure the wellbeing of the remainder of plants that made it through the razor cold frosts of last Winter.

Spring mix of Muscari, fondly known as Grape hyacinths, Bluebell leaves, Foxglove leaves, bright lime-green Feverfew leaves and one odd stray Dandelion leaves – not spotted until now!

Muscari – Grape hyacinth

Lesser celandine and the leaves of wild garlic

Slow, sloe, quick, quick, sloe

2011-03-28T14:58:00.001+01:00

Hedgerow lace and hedgerow elegance as it is embroidered with blackthorn white petal blossoms hides a dark, dark secret. Despite being first in line to adorn the earth with the promise of Spring, sometimes even as early as the end of January and beginning of February, its wood was prized as a weapon in mediaeval times. A branch would be quickly hacked off and stripped of the lower thorns to make a comfortable handle whilst the top part would be left as knobbly as possible so when used, it would crack and tear at flesh and bone causing maximum damage. This early weapon was called a cudgel. Since those times the wood of the blackthorn or sloe as it is often called in Autumn has been used for making handsome walking sticks. Weathered branches that have been cleaned of their thorns make excellent garden canes for peas and dwarf beans.

Stick of the blackthorn or sloe made into a cudgel for attacking or defending persons or property

Blackthorn blossom – Autumn sloe late afternoon facing west

Close up of blackthorn blossom or sloe blossom

Little extra note: as you can see by the flowers of the blackthorn, it is related to the rose family. It has the Latin name of Prunus spinosa. Blackthorn is often used for hedging as it forms thick impenetrable walls to keep farm stock safely in the fields. The Chaffinch often nest in its branches which reach around six metres tall and it homes Hairstreak butterflies which are now quite rare.

Mineral maintenance, luxury laxative

2011-03-21T15:14:00.001Z

I have always read … mostly factual – and so, it feels that I have always known about the wonders of cocoa. Dark, dark, chocolate bars are worth consuming as they are a food source that is full of nourishment. It is not worth having light-weight chocolate as it is just full of sugar but the heady, sultry black chocolate bars enrich the body with life-giving minerals for health and strength.

Dark, dark, chocolate bars contain magnesium, which helps with regular movement of the bowels; iron, which enriches the red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body; phosphorous, which not only helps to strengthen bones, teeth, cells and membranes but also helps to destroy feelings of anxiety, stress, general weakness and irritability; copper, which is also a multi-use mineral, it helps maintain hair colour, skin youthfulness, it maintains bones, heart and brain tissue, production of red blood cells, basic energy, fights infections, skin healing; calcium, which helps to strengthen bones and teeth, acts as natural pain relief, relaxes muscles, (people who are short of calcium are apt to be bad tempered, get irritated and sometimes become violent); Zinc, which is surely the saviour of mankind as it has the propensity of destroying viruses and keeping the body safe, it also helps the nurturing of the white warrior cells or T cells in the blood stream, it is essential for the healing of wounds … So never feel guilty about eating the dark, black, chocolate that holds so much abundance of goodness. It is best to try and eat chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa solids and with little sugar and never any sweetener. Munch on one or two squares each day and enjoy this nourishing food.

Dark, dark chocolate … is surely not only good for the body but good for the soul

Little extra titbits about dark, dark, black chocolate:

Firstly, chocolate is produced from the cocoa bean (cacao, kakaw or cacaua), which is a herb. The cocoa bean and in fact dark, dark, black chocolate contains vitamin P. This is the magic vitamin that many will refer to using the term flavonoid. There are approximately 5000 flavonoids to be found in natural fresh foods. Flavonoids are known for their antioxidant properties. They are widely believed to give us longevity (long life), they protect us from free radicals (these are the little electrons that storm through our bodies pillaging our cells like pirates, they damage our organs, bones, joints, cartilage, in fact wherever there are cells in the body free radicals travel and attack). By eating foods that contain antioxidants we equip our bodies with armies that defend, protect and enable us to mend and rebuild ourselves. So besides dark, dark, black chocolate keep an army within by eating the best possible nourishing foods that you can: fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, seeds and avoid those that inhibit health such as processed, manufactured foods, sugars and starches.

Daffodil or Lent lily

2011-03-18T20:21:00.001Z

It will soon be the equinox, the time of equal day and night, and to celebrate the daffodils are all coming into bloom. The wonderful deep scented, soulful, smell that is often the magic extra ingredient to expensive perfumes, wafts its way in bursts of heady, breezy, draughts. The daffodil family are within the genus of Narcissus. The term refers to the whole of the daffodil family. The standard yellow daffodil is often referred to as jonquil, which means yellow coloured or the colour of yellow.

There are forty days, not including Sundays that precede the time before Easter which make up the period of Lent. This is the period when the daffodil looks at its best.

Daffodils are the flowers of friendship and are given as friendship posies. Cut flowers are best purchased whilst in bud, they have an average vase life of ten days. Place one tear drop of house-hold bleach into the bottom of a medium size vase and fill with fresh water – this prevents the water from discolouration and keeps it fresh and clear. Daffodils are usually placed in clear glass vases as they have regimented and standard width stems.

Daffodil fondly called Lent lily

Lambs tails, fur catkins

2011-03-15T19:28:00.001Z

So many of our trees produce catkin flowers and this year they have all appeared to be full-stretched a few weeks earlier than usual. The main varieties are Alder, Birch, Hornbeam and Hazel all of which have several varieties within their families. Whilst walking around the lake I came across a most unusual catkin. It was fat, long, grey and fluffy. I have since been researching trying to find out the name of the tree with this beautiful lamb tail … You would think with all of the reference books available and the ever growing resource of the Internet that finding the name of something would take but a few moments. Wherever I looked there was not one reference to this catkin. I am not one for giving up and so ventured into book shops where I looked through further books and then I found one picture reference with the identical catkin with the exception that it wasn’t grey.

The detective in me continued searching and although I have now found what I believe could be the name of the tree that produces the ‘fat furry catkin.’ What is surprising is that tree specialists list different facts and descriptions for this tree and its flowers (the male long catkins and the female short catkins).

The tree that produces ‘fat furry catkins’ is the Downy Birch, Latin name: Betula pubescens. It is native to both Europe and North Asia – height is listed from 21 to 25 metres depending upon source. Bark is smooth and grey, may be brown or white and peeling like paper also depending upon source. Leaves are similar to the Silver Birch but have rounded bottoms towards the stems. This tree does very well and spreads rapidly in areas of woods or forests that have been cut back or burnt. As with other birch the Downy Birch provides a home to many insects and is especially occupied by moths.

Downy Birch with soft furry grey male catkins

Cardboard–recycled packaging health risks

2011-03-11T14:48:00.001Z

Warning

The world is recycling more and more of its waste products which is only a good and right thing to do. It is only wise to look at what these recycled products contain and where they are best used. Apparently, this is being done – but only after the stable door has been opened!

There is now a worry that recycled cardboard containing mineral oil toxic chemicals from old newspapers has been leeching into food products. Items affected have been listed as cereal boxes and other food containers. According to reports, the quantities of toxins have been allegedly recorded as being from 10 to 100 times greater than agreed safety limits.

The poison is alleged to cause internal organ inflammation and cancer.

The cardboard needs to be checked at the point of use as many cardboard items increase the amount of toxins they contain because they themselves are transported in recycled corrugated boxes which are also made of recycled and contaminated toxic material.

Good hiding

2011-03-10T08:16:00.001Z

As the bristles of cold begin to melt into Spring, the cat finds it much easier to fall deeper into heavier slumbers. For the first time she starts to roll onto her back in the wicker hide and not even the sound of her dinner being spooned onto her dish wake her from her ever lingering slumbers…

Good hiding place

Lake lustre

2011-03-09T08:34:00.001Z

The sun was still shining. The sky was distant, clear and blue. The late afternoon or early evening air had a cool punch to it. The weather was ideal for a stroll and somehow we ended up at the lake.

The water birds noisily chatted amongst themselves and most had paired off in courtship. Gulls circled tightly over the tall copse, like raptors in the plains during a drought. Trees clapped their thin, twiglet branches politely in the breeze. The sun began painting the surface of the water, licking into the ripples … it was beautiful.

The lake, early evening in March

Skeleton models

2011-03-02T17:45:00.001Z

Have I just opened my eyes? Have models always looked like a cross between a zombie and a skeleton? So very grey, so sadly thin, so drastically unhappy, so seriously ill?

Are we all demented applauding the fashion industry for churning out clothes that only fit dead bones? For goodness sake – enough!! I was so appalled when looking through some magazines at the emaciated, shapeless, skinny sacks of bones that are being allegedly paraded in the name of designer labels; I have concluded that perhaps all of these ‘so-called’ designers no longer know how to design for the normal, the balanced, the whole, the healthy human.

How sad that they appear to be so fearful of clothes designs looking dreadful, shapeless, uninteresting and quite frankly bad that they cannot use the normal shapes of women. Why are there not normal sizes ranging from a minimum of size 10 and blossoming ever upward, certainly never downward from that quite skinny size. These designers cannot be confident enough to put their creations on real, healthy women – why not? Are they so bad that no-one would ever buy these designs?

The fact that women who do not have one ounce of flesh on their bones are being used in this way is ultimate contempt for every situation where people have had no choice in becoming walking skeletons through starvation by event … To try and look like concentration camp victims and for the rest of us to find this acceptable is quite simply wrong!

Skeleton model – catwalk model

Hay fever?

2011-02-28T15:11:00.001Z

It is so early in the year and yet even though we are still in February the trees are pretty, powder puffs of pollen which is sent dancing in the wind to tickle our noses and bring on the sneezes. So if you haven’t already felt the tickle of tree pollen provocatively teasing the hairs and membranes of your nose, then you may very shortly do so. More and more adults are becoming susceptible to the twitching of noses and the watery eyes of this unpleasant malady.

Catkins shedding powdery pollen

Penny-pinching

2011-02-22T17:20:00.002Z

I have noticed over recent years that bed linen appears to be shrinking … because no matter how many times I measure beds their size remains constant.

I often wonder whether it has something to do with European measuring. For instance windows are now all purchased/measured/installed/replaced in metric whereas curtains, whose sizes appear to have remained constant since the 1930’s or thereabouts, not only remain in inches but also in the sizes of yesteryear. Although windows have changed in width and depth over the years, curtains can only be purchased in their original drops of 36 inches/48 inches/54 inches/72 inches/90 inches …

After shock

2011-02-08T08:45:00.001Z

Not through an earthquake, landslide, tsunami or solar flare but the aftershock of the garden after the snow and ice have receded. I am still not absolutely sure of the amount of plants that have been lost due to the double minus figures of hot knife to butter-cutting frosts that permeated the depths of the top soil. I probably will have to wait until Spring is well under way before reaching for the garden fork to pull up the dead stock.

The one plant that has surprised me is one that doesn’t originate from this part of the world. It is already thick and green and calling for the year to unfold before it. It is my bamboo. What a lovely surprise it brings to the garden with its bright green leaves shaped like spears and pointing in all directions with increasing enthusiasm.

I remember years ago after being enthralled with tales from Toby Twirl and the excitement of China, reading about the uses of bamboo from the wrist-wide to the very narrowest of drinking-straw stems. At the time, I had no idea that there were so many different varieties. Then on a trip to Devon, near to some water it stood growing wild, thick and tall and I was drew to it.

Many years later I purchased a small pot of bamboo. Naively, I assumed that as the plant matured the stems would increase in width size but of course, they do not. My plant is now well established and produces the finest of bamboo canes. I am still left wondering about the shoots … and need to read up to find whether all bamboo is edible …

Bamboo

Tongue twister tale

2011-02-06T18:53:00.001Z

Timothy Tate turned the tollgate

Twenty-two times each Tuesday;

Titania Teeton tossed her tuppence

Tiptoed pecking timid Tim's countenance!

I spy . . .

2011-02-03T15:49:00.005Z

February has arrived. The first day of the month has been lovely. A blue sky and soft watery clouds drifting up above. Time to look around the garden to see if anything is stirring. We have had such a cold Winter so far that it wouldn’t surprise anyone if there were just dun soil everywhere. Nature, however, is always full of surprise and hope – if you look for it. No matter how bleak the day, nature will shock, surprise and present us with optimism.

February bulbs pushing their way from under the earth

Dreams

2011-01-30T18:17:00.002Z

When I was a girl there was a saying that was both haunting and exciting …

‘Dream on a Saturday, told on a Sunday – come true on a Monday!’

Now this is all very well if the dream is good, desirable and happy but what if it is not? If it is unpleasant, frightening or even horrifying, what then? Then dissecting the saying what if the dream was so very bad that it remained unforgotten, lurking in the very depths of the mind and by chance the dreamer repeated it years later on a Sunday … what then? Of course, if a dream is wonderful then to repeat it any Sunday in the hope of it coming to fruition on any following Monday is a better conclusion.

I hope that your Saturday dreams are good and if they are, well why not give this little saying a try – you never know, your dreams just may come true.

Five a day– LIE (allegedly)

2011-01-26T16:47:00.001Z

The radio was on. It was station Radio Five Live with Parry and Graham. It is a sporting channel but these two often have a wide variety of topics in their banter mixed in with the sport.

Suddenly my ears pricked up – like a prize racehorse awaiting to commit to the track. The two men were discussing ‘the healthy diet and eating five portions of vegetables and fruit daily’ they asked for callers to give their opinions. Amongst the callers was a woman. She introduced herself as Zoe Harcombe, and said most of the information out there was not proven. Allegedly, there is no track record for any of it. She said that she works with obese people. She is gradually going through each theory one-by-one and busting the myths that we have all come to believe to be fact. Apparently, the information put out and advised to us all is not making any of us thinner, especially the clinically obese. It was suggested that the five a day policy would be best as eating one portion of meat, preferably liver; one portion of fish, preferably sardines (they are available fresh); one portion of dairy, preferably an egg; one portion of dark leafy greens; seeds or grains, preferably pumpkin.

Fruit apparently is best avoided if you are very over-weight as with its naturally high sugar content, it is almost certain to be converted into fat and be distributed to the very areas that you are trying to make leaner.

‘Portions usually measured should be no bigger than the palm of the hand of the person that eats them.’

For those who may be interested here is a link to her site:

http://www.zoeharcombe.com/

Pushy pus

2011-01-25T17:17:00.001Z

The cat has just discovered the oven! Where has she been these past twelve years? Suddenly, soon approaching her thirteenth birthday, she now gazes at the oven as a person might look at a piece of art. Appreciation lingers in her eyes as she sits and stares at the oven door with the occasional fidget of her front paws, determined and rooted to the spot where food comes out, full of aroma.

At one time, she would not ever go near a piece of fresh chicken. In fact, she treated it with such distain it almost left me wondering if there could be something wrong with it. Now she has come to think that the oven has been created just to cook chicken for her and no matter what it contains, whether it be a cake, casserole, rice pudding, fish … she is determined that when I open the door, chicken will come out. Now you would think that a cat would be also interested in other things particularly perhaps – white fish … but not our pus … it has to be chicken or else!!

The cat waiting for chicken

Frightening fact of the century …

2011-01-24T08:45:00.001Z

The population of the world is increasing at a rate of over FIVE MILLION per month. This means that within the next twenty years our requirement for FOOD, WATER, and FUEL will be around 50% more than we are currently using.

Every country in the world needs to address this problem because if it doesn’t the consequences for us all will be far worse than we could ever imagine.

Easy loaf–quick dough–no yeast

2011-01-21T16:26:00.005Z

Here is a recipe that anyone can make whether they have experience in baking or have never cracked an egg in their life. It is for a simple and easy quick make and bake loaf of bread that tastes as good as any loaf that a master baker is able to produce. I bake this bread nearly every day and have never had a loaf go wrong either in its flavour or appearance.

Equipment you will need

A jug or bowl for mixing; a fork; a ramekin dish or similar; a teaspoon; a desert spoon or similar.

Ingredients

1 egg per person or mini loaf; half a teaspoon of baking soda/powder; choice of any of the following grains some of which you may well have in the store cupboard: rolled oats, oat bran, ground flax seed, ground almonds, toasted soya bran. These could be substituted with wheat flour, barley flour, spelt, rice flour, corn meal, gram, etc. It is the chance to bake a loaf using the flavours that you most enjoy! You may also add a pinch of spice such as ginger or may be a drizzle of honey or perhaps a few seeds such as caraway, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy, etc.

Method

Crack the egg into the jug or bowl and roughly beat it with a fork. Slowly add whichever of the dry ingredients that you want, a little at a time beating roughly with a fork as you go. The mixture is ready when it is soft and firm enough to drop into a buttered dish.

Bake

Place on the top shelf of a warm oven and turn the heat to Gas Mark 4 – 180°C – 350°F for around 20 minutes or until the top is quite firm – this will depend on individual ovens. Remove from oven – allow to cool slightly, then remove from the dish. Place onto plate, slice in half and either spread with butter or perhaps use fresh curd cheese and may be a small dollop of fruit compote.

I hope that you enjoy your quick and easy loaf as much as I do. My favourite ingredients for making this loaf are oats, oat bran , ground almonds, toasted soya bran and ground flax seed. I rarely use any type of flour and still find the loaf quite light and very nourishing.

Here is a picture of today’s loaf:

Rabbit reactions

2011-01-19T18:02:00.009Z

During the last few years of my senior school the biology teacher arranged for the purchase of several rabbits, a hutch and a run. That year every child learnt much about rabbits. One of the many lessons taught was food and digestion and the knowledge I gained stayed with me. Though, in truth, the impact of it didn't really make its mark until recent years.

Rabbits cannot digest lettuce!

Lettuce is one of the hardest foods for creatures to digest. It was never given to the school rabbits. It was forbidden fruit for the tortoise. Yet man punishes his body by adding it to salad dish after salad dish. Will we ever learn from the animals?

It is alleged that the population of the world, year-on-year is getting fatter. Dieticians and nutritionists tend to come up with the same format for all of mankind to lose the excess pounds and yet it is obvious that it simply doesn't work as many people remain over-weight, others yo-yo - shedding pounds then piling them all back on again often with several others in-toe.

Many people who hang onto excess weight suffer with high amounts of stomach acidity which leads to all sorts of inconvenience from heartburn to indigestion. Diets that are given out to these people will never work as the dieter is not only trying to cut down on their eating they are fighting the pain of tummy acid. Indigestion cures add to the problem but no-one wakes up and sorts out a diet for people with this predicament.

For people who suffer from excess tummy acid it is best to avoid raw foods unless you know that your body can process them without any problems. Before venturing on any diet plan it is best to start a food diary. From the moment you get up in the morning until you go to bed, write down every morsel of food and every drink that you have - in fact, everything that passes through your lips including water. Make notes if you have felt unwell during the day to see if a pattern occurs so that you can hopefully narrow down particular food types that cause your body to experience problems. Indigestion and related problems can strike in many different ways. In some people it attacks as a stabbing pain high in the back, others get surges of pain in the shoulder blades, some feel queasy, others feel dull pains in the middle of their backs quite low down, some will experience headaches, others get a bloating, uncomfortable feeling throughout their stomach and intestines. To lose weight and feel healthy it is important to get to know your body. It is surprising that many people never try to get to know their bodies both inside and out. It is well worth the effort of trying as we have to live with our bodies all our life.

It may come as a surprise to know but it only takes one extra spoonful (a teaspoonful) of food or drink each day to add on a mountain of weight over a short space of time. Sadly, once the weight is there it takes considerably longer to shed it back off again. For those who suffer from acidity it often becomes almost impossible. They will happily stick to a diet and then find that they have to eat something extra that is probably fatty or oily to take away the stomach pains - a small chunk of cheese, a handful of nuts, a digestive biscuit ... all of which undermine any effort they may have put in to lose weight. It is often easier for those who do suffer with this problem to work out how many spoonfuls they eat at each meal time and to reduce the number of spoonfuls gradually until weight begins to come off. Never make the mistake of eating a large breakfast as this stretches the stomach and often brings about excessive acid at lunchtimes. Commercial cereals contain high amounts of sugar and salt so by using them in a diet it is wise never to exceed a teacup of loose cereal and half-a-teacup of milk. Lunches should include oily fish at least twice each week to help to make the skin nice and supple as it struggles to recapture its previous form. Remember that back in early times it was common for people to only eat two meals each day - a mid-morning meal and an evening meal ... so if more meals are required they should really be a portion of these two main meals.

January's journal

2011-01-17T15:29:00.006Z

This month has provided its usual challenge of Winter's offerings with ice, snow, rain and wind. At the moment, it is overcast but the plants are forever reaching into the new year. There are thick lustrous leaves on the bamboo, which although is not of natural origin in England has made its home in so many areas. Sometimes it is even now found wild.

There are probably very few natural plants here now as so many have been introduced over the years. In fact, if it hadn't been for the Romans we would have a very different diet than the one we enjoy today.

Besides their armies, their culture and their habits they brought over members of the onion family. These included garlic, leeks, shallots and onions. There were beautiful varieties of apples to add to the wild crab apple. Various roots including radish and turnips were all planted along with peas, plump celery which replaced the wild variety, asparagus, etc. They transported animal stocks such as rabbits, hares, chickens, pheasants and guinea fowl. They brought over varieties of herbs, cherry trees, mulberries and probably the very first grape vines.

Since these early times more and more plants, animals, birds and fish have extended the natural country stocks sometimes their introduction has been welcomed but occasionally a new species has caused problems and very often once introduced they cannot be eradicated.

Perhaps the old saying 'think on' is well suited to this rather than romanticising a land that can incorporate all plants and animals without any consequences.