 20 March 2025 (Thursday)
A fabulous day, even early on feeling more like summer than spring, let alone winter! As today was forecast to be the best day of the week, and with other commitments this week and next, we’d decided to get down to Avebury and have a wander… until Richard realised today is the Spring Equinox and therefore Wiltshire, Glastonbury and Avebury would likely be awash with people, which we’re not fans of! So, instead we popped off to Kew Gardens. The sun shone, and it was warm… and of course, that meant there were rather a lot of people - and especially those who seem to want to visit a fabulously peace-filled outside space on a glorious day and chat loudly about everything apart from the place they’re visiting, or those that call someone to speak loudly on their phone, with the speaker on so that all can hear both sides of the conversation… I guess it’s best to not say what I’d do to these people if it was legal! Have I mentioned we’re not fans of places awash with people! After we'd started on a path to our Kew quiet places - where few people go, apart from those who know - the people thinned out and the joy of Kew Gardens lay before us, with its open spaces and tranquil peace (despite the often regularity of planes flying over on the landing path to Heathrow!). The light was that light that shows everything to its best, the fresh spring greens were jumping out, daisies were quietly dancing in the wide stretches of mown grass, and the sky was that bright wholesome blue that lends a backdrop to a spectacular view. It was whilst we were at the southern head of Kew’s lake that I saw the view above, and thought of mum, and smiled. Mum was always a fan of trees, and woods in particular. She’d love to spend time out in nature, with dad, walking wooded walkways at Pleinmont, watching the sea glistening in sunshine or subdued by grey cloud through the needles of the pines trees she sheltered under at Albecq, and walking down the giant avenues of oaks and firs and pines and redwoods that add such grandeur here at Kew Gardens. In her later years, it wasn't possible for her to get out and visit woods, or many trees; the mobility and accessibility just wasn’t there. So, she’d sit in her chair at the window of her room of the care home where she spent her last year and a half, and watch the trees up the driveway blowing in the wind or just grandly standing there. These trees were mentioned during every call we had. “Oh, it's really windy today and the trees are really blowing”, or “Oh, there's hardly any wind, not even a breeze and the trees are as still as soldiers on guard”, or, “It rained before, and the trees are now glistening in the sun”, or very occasionally “oh, it’s so foggy today I can’t even see the trees. I hope they’re OK”. This tiny view of three willowy firs sustained mum's love of trees through till the day she died. A view like this above, of grass and trees and the bright blue sky would just lift mum's heart, just as it did for me standing amidst the daisies on this glorious Spring Equinox. We carried on wandering… eventually sitting down near Queen Charlotte's Cottage, where she used to picnic and have Afternoon Tea. We had our own sustenance of rice crackers with yeast extract and a thin sliver of cheese, and a cup of tea, black with a little honey - the way Richard likes it. After restoring ourselves, we carried on walking, losing time and getting back to Fenella almost three hours after we'd left her - she didn’t mind, and was herself warm and snugly to get back into. In the afternoon, with the warmth continuing, I needed to get to the plot and water the broad beans that are hardening off on an outside bench. They're growing pretty well, so the compost needs to be kept moist; I really don't want them being stressed at any point during their growing period, if I can help it. There’s also a few other things to water, and I notice a little bit more germination in our Portuguese cabbage cross. Happy Days! A Chilli Concoction Supper is a chilli concoction - we’ve leftover veggie Shepherd's pie mix, sans potato. In a saucepan add a rounded tablespoon of miso paste, two rounded teaspoons of cocoa powder (or four small square blocks from a bar of dark chocolate), two rounded teaspoons of ground cumin, a flat teaspoon of ground coriander, a level tablespoon of dried coriander leaf, and half a teaspoon of chipotle paste (use more if you prefer your chilli with more heat) - give this all a good mix. Then add a tin of chilli beans (including the sauce, do not drain) and a drained tin of kidney beans. Slowly bring this to a simmer, stirring regularly - be careful as the mixture is thick and gloopy and could splatter. With a lid on, let simmer on a low heat until all is fully heated through. Serve with rice, or pitta, pasta, poppadoms, tortilla chips, bread or whatever your choice of starch is. A bit of grated cheese always hits the spot. Weather: Very sunny and warm - hitting 19° and likely to just nudge below 10° overnight. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, prunes and sliced banana Lunch: Butterbean Squish Wraps (butter beans, miso, red onion, celery, mayo, yeast flakes, soy sauce) in Lidl wraps. Supper: Chilli Concoction - remaining mix from Richard’s Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with added spices and beans. Had with brown rice cooked in the Instant Pot.
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 6 February (Thursday)
The day started as well as forecast, maybe with a harder frost than I’d expected, and as we were on a mission (well, doing something at a definite time!) we were both up earlyish. You see, Richard had booked a time slot for us to visit Kew Gardens’ Orchid Festival; a members’ timeslot of 10am, though Richard had read an advisement to ensure arrival ten minutes prior AT the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which itself is a decent walk from any of Kew’s public entrances. Now, as per our usual routine we’d be parking Fenella at the Brentford Gate entrance which I was sure didn’t open before 10am; Richard, somewhat understandably, was positive there wouldn’t be advice to arrive early if it wasn’t required, so off we went… to find Brentford Gate didn’t open prior to 10am. Anyway, ‘rules is rules’ and I’m all in favour of that, so after an ‘on time’ opening and a quick trot along pathways, at 10.08am we got to the PoWC where the Orchid Festival is held each year. By the time we got to the festival’s entrance a shortish queue had already developed, which of course we joined at the end, about fifteen members back, thankfully soon moving our way along as the line was swiftly scanned in to the event one by one; though not before a requisite security bag check which itself seemed to be over before it had begun, which is a good thing in one way, though very much not in another! Now, when it comes to orchids I'm a bit of a “pretty colours, and?” type of guy. I appreciate the colour and the beauty and the bottony, though they don't really do it for me. I'm not quite sure why this is. For sure some I find a bit too blousy and show off, but of course that's what they do do and what many people love them for. Others, which I seem to like a little more, are much less “look at me” and far more subtle in their visual gifting. However, seeing the happy faces of thronging people there's no doubt about it, the Orchid Festival is popular and a much anticipated and enjoyed event in Kew’s calendar, and my feelings on these colourful gems of petals and foliage from far flung continents are in the minority. When we came out after about an hour of wandering the prescribed route, I noticed the queue was sizable and ever growing. I wondered what they’d all make of it. Most, I was sure, would love it. For me? To be honest I’d been more intrigued by the size of some leaves of other tropical plants housed in the same glasshouse, and the sheer spikiness of the myriad cacti rather than the orchids themselves. Each to their own, which again is fine by me! Now, when we went to Kew a few weeks back it was for the astounding Expressions in Blue exhibition of the work of Felicity Aylieff, monumentally large hand-crafted porcelain pieces which in some cases are twice my height or more. The day was quiet and grey and damp, the preciousness of the finely shaped fired pottery bringing a veritable shine to our visit… and then of course the walking and ambling and watching and looking which all brought a calm, relaxing and restorative healing. Today, it was somewhat different… everything seemed vibrant and pacey and moving with many people enjoying the various elements Kew Gardens always has to offer, and those regular and irregular events that are extras and the more precious for it… like the Orchid Festival. So, leaving the growing queue well behind and wandering on our way it seemed the entire gardens was awash with visitors, them bustling about the paths and glasshouses in many groups of ones and twos and threes and fours and larger… a gaggle of school girls (is that the collective noun?) mobiles in hand completing their tasks sheets by taking photos of plants whose shape from this angle or that resembled letters of the alphabet; laughter from an Italian couple chattering away unaware as they stylishly walked tarmacadam paths as if on the runway of a Milan fashion show; a Japanese tourist TikTok’ing her way from the dragon encrusted pagoda to the snakelike Sackler crossing; and an elderly couple all bent around and swaddled in wool holding each other physically, emotionally and lovingly. The entirety of the gardens felt alive and appreciated, and that can only be a good thing. And of course, unless you're a member you have to pay not only the usual entrance fee to Kew Gardens itself but also for the Orchid Festival on top, so it's a good money earner too. Weather: Gorgeous start to the day, sunny and blue sky. Around 9°, feeling cooler when not in the sun. The afternoon got a tad greyer. Breakfast: Bran Sticks, yogurt, oat milk, a few freeze-dried strawberries Lunch: Lidl Minestrone Soup, Rice Cakes (two leftover from our walk as a sandwich of yeast extract), Hummus, Carrot Batons Supper: Butterbean, Caramelised Red Onion & Carrot Stew, Baked Potato, Braised Red Cabbage (recipes will be another day…) |
Paul SavidentFollowing on from A Guernsey Gardener in London, I've decided to try and write a regular blog, and we'll see how it AND 2025 go! Archives
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