DECEMBER - RHS Harlow Carr Gardens ' Flame Red Cornus and a Bit of Weather?'
Who says there's little to see in the garden in winter?? There was plenty to see this month including the glorious Cornuses in red's, golds and blacks even ! Here is a little snippet of my days there in December.
People wonder why I paint outside in cold weather and don't just stick to the summer months. That's because I love seeking out the beauty of the landscape and nature at all times of year. I am sure it says a lot about me, that I will never be thwarted by bad weather. Billy Connolly's words always ring in my ears " there is no such things as bad weather just inappropriate clothing.' When the kids were young we took them out in all weathers and developed our own series of family saying such as when it rained 'its always good for the plants!' Lets face it if you let the weather bother you in the UK you're probably going to have to accept that you'll be inside for 9 months of the year. Then you'll be vitamin D deficient, which I gather most of us are now evidently even New Zealanders now have to take vitamin D everyday in order to maintain healthy levels due to the effects of very efficient sun cream, yep that is my monthly Radio 4 'Factoid' as they are now affectionately known as in our house. I seem to utter the phrase ' On the radio today I heard......' most days, like some middle aged long playing advert for the BBC.
Well it's now January and we have Polly's birthday to go on friday and then we have done another years worth of celebrations and all those decorations will be going back in the loft. Like so many there is that feeling of what to try to achieve this year, and what to also stop doing possibly! So my NEW YEARS RESOLUTION which I make each year BUT am writing it here on order some how shame myself into actually doing it for once is to read more. It's rather ironic that Dave and I who are both dyslexic to a degree are related to Mark who has literally thousands of books. I learn or am inspired more generally by what I see and hear. But when I do read on holiday usually I do love it. So I am aiming for a very very modest 10 books this year in the hope that having made more time in my day that that total will rise each year. I would love to hear your New Years resolutions so do post them below and lets all try to keep them. HAPPY NEW YEAR