mists and mellow fruitfulness

You can never get enough of the Mournes! No matter what, there is spectacle. Today is a beautiful October morning, calm, a bit warm with mist and a pale pink dawn leading to glorious sunshine.

We are open today as we are every weekend, and we have a thrill of anticipation for guests who will come to sample our craft, the food, and the wonderful scenery. What could be better?

We picked up some nice organic asparagus yesterday, so today's soup is cream of asparagus - a favourite!

misty morning, Mournes

the gallery in brilliant sunlight

portents of a great day ahead

autumnal colours, Slievenaboley and cows - against the horizon

fruitfulness!

Bernagh looms out of the dawn mist

sunlight catching the dew

one of our rescued chickens has found a new place to lay her eggs - definitely free range now!

Asparagus soup - lunch with a view

Flood!

After  a night's (usual) heavy rain, this morning we had about an hour of torrential downpour - complete with hailstones.

The drains on the road, which had been reasonably OK coping with the heavier than average downpours this year  gave up the ghost, and we were inundated, with some never-before-seen-sights in our new garden:

off the fields and on to the road

at our gate - the drain just can't take it

and in!

down into the garden

and on down the yard

in through the front gate....

the side gate ...

and over the front step

down to the garden

we have a lake!

and in the 'vegetable' garden

paddy fields!

here there are newly planted cauliflowers - it said keep them well watered!

a new water feature beside the green beans - there's rhubarb there somewhere

our placid little river

now a raging torrent

 Meanwhile back in the house:

Furby surveys the front garden/river

the kitchen is awash

thank goodness for wellies

the Turnip House Courtyard

still, at least all our new works are nice and dry

a touch of Venice! not that bad!

A Year Ago Today

Another in our occasional series showing how things have moved on at the Turnip house.

October 8th 2011, the 'Gallery' - A roofless shell that had once been a cow byre

10th October 2012 - Our new home - a delight!

only the window opening gives a clue!

October: Sunshine & Colour

It's less than two years since we started on the garden  and yesterday evening  perfect for a stroll around our creation, taking in the vibrant colours

our birch trees - now as tall as us, leaves turning

Gladioli at the gallery door - past their best, but still great

violas - thanks to Julie, container - thanks to Caroline and Paul!

wild sage, a present from Mary & Daniel

the cherry tree

purples

bronze fennel in the Turnip House Courtyard

a glimpse of pink hollyhock

solitary sunflower; last of a great vintage

agyranthemum - still giving a fantastic display

fuchsia on the lawn - and chickens

Tom's Stone

Day Lily - only just flowered

orange crocosmiae

Sweet peas. All summer these have kept us in table decoration for the gallery

brilliant hawthorn berries in the hedge

our first cabbages coming on 

fantastic array of green beans, but alas we fear too late to ripen before the winter

out favourite fuchsia

looking out from the gallery

sunflowers