I forgot I’m missing the balloon fiesta, that truly IS a seasonal thing! Can’t wait for The Almanac 2024 Lia - I always get it in my stocking from *ahem* Santa. My first seasonal thing is hearing the Call to Prayer in the Atlas Mountains (Morocco) under a pale purple dusk - it can be very musical, and we were in a valley so it echoed most wonderfully, mingling with the call of the swifts swooping over head. I am an atheist but, just like overhearing choral music, the Call to Prayer makes me understand religion that bit more. Second, drinking verbena tea under a clear star spangled sky in the mountains - spotting the big dipper but failing to spot any other constellations due to my lack of knowledge. Third, here in Atlas Mountains autumn also seems to be on the way just like in the UK - we’ve seen elder trees laden with both flower and fruit, sagging under the weight of the purple berries, and fields of waving ripe apple trees supporting tangles of yellow rosehips. Sigh. I think late summer into early autumn might be my favourite season, closely followed by late spring
We stayed in a beautiful Rhiad in the old town just near the entrance to the Souk. It had all the wonderful features- a tranquil pool in the courtyard entrance with rose petals floating for example, but also a beautiful roof terrace with views of the High Atlas and the sound of the call to prayer every morning as we took breakfast. That was my favourite! We took a trip up to the Ourika Valley in the mountains - that was gorgeous too! And a few days down in Essouira on the coast - very special too. Oh and the garden Majorelle - Yves sSt Laurent’ ode to that intense blue you see there!
Lovely post this week Lia- and your ode to crumbles is very tempting. This year ours will be low carb with ground almonds and Lupin/ Flax flour! Well, the weather here has picked up again and for us, driving around these Northumbrian hills it’s all about the Heather! Purple and magnificent - it really is the icing on the seasonal cake writ very large! So very iconic of this area. Daily small harvests from the garden are still a joy but - oh dear - the tomatoes are so slow this year! Not enough sun to ripe them 😕 Its our 50th Golden wedding anniversary next week and our days at the moment are all about preparing for a week away in a big rented house with all our family and close friends staying and a garden afternoon tea party for 40 on the day - so I may not get back to you until after all that! I can promise that masses of home picked flowers, home made jam and homemade scones will feature though!
Your small garden salad sounds a treat. I have a glut of sage that has bullied all the other herbs out of the container so I shall make it into pesto with walnuts. The description of swifts in Morocco is a treat for the imagination and is lovely news of their amazing life. Congratulations on your latest publication date (funny how Amazon calls it a ‘release date’) forty years as a book designer and to hold a book after all the hard work is still a special moment. I shall buy mine from an independent book shop.
Morning! I had a lovely day in the garden on Wednesday. There were still swifts about, but I haven’t heard them since. Cutting back the lavender felt like summer rolling on. All my rocket has bolted and is in flower. I was just about to pull it up when I saw it was covered in hover-flies, so have left it alone. And finally, as a retired teacher, I still get the feeling of imminent exam results at this point in August. Good luck to everyone waiting for results (and their families)!
The declaration of crumble season was controversial in this house, though I've been longing for autumn for weeks! Edinburgh is properly into festival season now. Nothing says August like walking into the back of someone who has stopped to take a picture of something you long stopped paying any mind to. Some moments of quiet: an enormous pink lily glistening with last night's rainfall, a neat bird's-nest fallen from a tree.
BUT - later this morning I am heading out for the most seasonal thing of all... The Queensferry Burryman!!! I will report back.
My three things: Cutting plump, purple spires of gladioli; gathering seeds of Ammi, nigella and cornflowers to sow later in the month; watching the fox cubs seem nearly all grown.
Ps Hooray for the swifts! How astonishing they are.
PPS Plum and blackberry are a great crumble combo, and earlier than the apples.
Great reading all this. I had an early morning cup of tea in my garden so peaceful, enjoying the smell of phlox & what seem ever lasting agapanthas, but not complaining. I love the next two weeks in London seems everyone has left the city ...
Thank you for your lovely video on Lammas a few weeks ago. It inspired the opening for my last article in my local parish mag (I’m a unpaid volunteer writer) which was a review on what feels like my first glut ever. I’ve been dreaming of gluts for years and I went all out planting courgettes round ones and straight, crook necks, straight necks, tromboncinos,
And 3 varieties of cucumbers, together with runner beans French beans and they’ve all loved all of July’s rain! Your Lammas video inspired me to take stock of the bounty in august which I’ve never done before and I baked a sour dough loaf
The crumble debate ! Always made from spelt flour rolled oats flaked almonds honey and a touch of butter -seasonal fruits gooseberries apricots and brambles cooked with cinnamon stick and honey -baked in individual ramekins for that touch of ‘made for you ‘ .Walking this week in the city noticing yarrow in the lesser mown parks and wild carrot . Visiting the pink lotus flowers at the glasshouses always a delight to see and photograph -then drift around the gardens enjoying the dragonflies amid the water lilies -a summer song still in the warm air 🪷🌿🍃
The warm weather has returned which has been lovely, didn’t need to wear a waterproof on our walks out at least twice! We went on a new walk around Hoghton Tower which is a Tudor manor house nearby, it was a joy to see so many butterflies and swallows in the sunshine, as well as a couple of kestrels.
Losing track of time in a pleasant state of flow while navigating brambles to avoid thorns and pick only the ripest blackberries; enjoying a temporary shift in climate broUght on by the remnants of the first tropical storm of the season; gathering ingredients to make a crumble that could either be a salute to summer or a harbinger of fall
This week we enjoyed one last hurrah at our local splash pad before school starts, enjoyed s’mores twice! and picked delicious, ripe cantaloupe in grandpas garden and ate it fresh while we watched the sunset. Swallows and cardinals galore. August is my absolute favorite.
It is too hot to do anything here in NC, so today I brought a group to a shady forested creekside for a plant walk. We enjoyed the lovely ferns, lizard tails, white passion flowers, ground nuts in bloom (looking like wisteria, surprisingly), and the knobby bald cypress knees poking up through the swampy earth. I’m feeling thankful for both air conditioning in my home and access to deep, shady woodlands on a hot day.
I was walking with one of my hounds and my feet were aching after a long days work, and the wind was buffeting us around and I was feeling disgruntled by the whiplash summer, when we rounded a corner and the wind stopped-there is one area of the churchyard that is so sheltered that it is like stepping into an oasis
I was just celebrating how peaceful it was when I caught the smell of a cigars- which was being smoked by someone sitting in their car-often people meet at the gate and sit in their cars and pass the time of day
The smell of the cigar transported me back to the time when I was on holiday as a kid in Spain and my mum and dad used to take me around the shops in the evenings to pick up postcards to send home-now that shows how long ago it is. Amazing how a smell can do that!
I forgot I’m missing the balloon fiesta, that truly IS a seasonal thing! Can’t wait for The Almanac 2024 Lia - I always get it in my stocking from *ahem* Santa. My first seasonal thing is hearing the Call to Prayer in the Atlas Mountains (Morocco) under a pale purple dusk - it can be very musical, and we were in a valley so it echoed most wonderfully, mingling with the call of the swifts swooping over head. I am an atheist but, just like overhearing choral music, the Call to Prayer makes me understand religion that bit more. Second, drinking verbena tea under a clear star spangled sky in the mountains - spotting the big dipper but failing to spot any other constellations due to my lack of knowledge. Third, here in Atlas Mountains autumn also seems to be on the way just like in the UK - we’ve seen elder trees laden with both flower and fruit, sagging under the weight of the purple berries, and fields of waving ripe apple trees supporting tangles of yellow rosehips. Sigh. I think late summer into early autumn might be my favourite season, closely followed by late spring
Oh that sounds so beautiful!
Wow Ella - you paint such amazing word pictures! That’s magnificent. I often treasure up my memories of Morocco - truly such a fest for the senses.
Thank you Sue that’s so kind ☺️ I saw you said you’d been to Marrakech! What was your favourite bit?
We stayed in a beautiful Rhiad in the old town just near the entrance to the Souk. It had all the wonderful features- a tranquil pool in the courtyard entrance with rose petals floating for example, but also a beautiful roof terrace with views of the High Atlas and the sound of the call to prayer every morning as we took breakfast. That was my favourite! We took a trip up to the Ourika Valley in the mountains - that was gorgeous too! And a few days down in Essouira on the coast - very special too. Oh and the garden Majorelle - Yves sSt Laurent’ ode to that intense blue you see there!
Lovely post this week Lia- and your ode to crumbles is very tempting. This year ours will be low carb with ground almonds and Lupin/ Flax flour! Well, the weather here has picked up again and for us, driving around these Northumbrian hills it’s all about the Heather! Purple and magnificent - it really is the icing on the seasonal cake writ very large! So very iconic of this area. Daily small harvests from the garden are still a joy but - oh dear - the tomatoes are so slow this year! Not enough sun to ripe them 😕 Its our 50th Golden wedding anniversary next week and our days at the moment are all about preparing for a week away in a big rented house with all our family and close friends staying and a garden afternoon tea party for 40 on the day - so I may not get back to you until after all that! I can promise that masses of home picked flowers, home made jam and homemade scones will feature though!
Happy golden anniversary to you! Wishing you a joyous occasion ✨💫💛
That’s going to be a great party! 😀 We’re on our way to Aberystwyth this morning, already enjoying the heather in the Peak District.
Congratulations, enjoy your family celebrations xx
I hope you have a wonderful time Sue!
Your small garden salad sounds a treat. I have a glut of sage that has bullied all the other herbs out of the container so I shall make it into pesto with walnuts. The description of swifts in Morocco is a treat for the imagination and is lovely news of their amazing life. Congratulations on your latest publication date (funny how Amazon calls it a ‘release date’) forty years as a book designer and to hold a book after all the hard work is still a special moment. I shall buy mine from an independent book shop.
Ooh I have loads of sage too - will maybe try pesto now that you mention it!
Thank you Rosamund x
Morning! I had a lovely day in the garden on Wednesday. There were still swifts about, but I haven’t heard them since. Cutting back the lavender felt like summer rolling on. All my rocket has bolted and is in flower. I was just about to pull it up when I saw it was covered in hover-flies, so have left it alone. And finally, as a retired teacher, I still get the feeling of imminent exam results at this point in August. Good luck to everyone waiting for results (and their families)!
We are waiting on GCSE results here, I will gladly take that luck for my daughter!
It’s a tough time - hope everything goes well!
The declaration of crumble season was controversial in this house, though I've been longing for autumn for weeks! Edinburgh is properly into festival season now. Nothing says August like walking into the back of someone who has stopped to take a picture of something you long stopped paying any mind to. Some moments of quiet: an enormous pink lily glistening with last night's rainfall, a neat bird's-nest fallen from a tree.
BUT - later this morning I am heading out for the most seasonal thing of all... The Queensferry Burryman!!! I will report back.
Thank you for your brilliant pic in the chat!
My three things: Cutting plump, purple spires of gladioli; gathering seeds of Ammi, nigella and cornflowers to sow later in the month; watching the fox cubs seem nearly all grown.
Ps Hooray for the swifts! How astonishing they are.
PPS Plum and blackberry are a great crumble combo, and earlier than the apples.
Ooh I havent tried that - I must x
* Incoming smile * - pre-ordered the book! Really want to get my garden sorted so I'm hoping this year's almanac will motivate me 😁
Thank you! It's got everything you need x
Huzzah!
Great reading all this. I had an early morning cup of tea in my garden so peaceful, enjoying the smell of phlox & what seem ever lasting agapanthas, but not complaining. I love the next two weeks in London seems everyone has left the city ...
Thank you for your lovely video on Lammas a few weeks ago. It inspired the opening for my last article in my local parish mag (I’m a unpaid volunteer writer) which was a review on what feels like my first glut ever. I’ve been dreaming of gluts for years and I went all out planting courgettes round ones and straight, crook necks, straight necks, tromboncinos,
And 3 varieties of cucumbers, together with runner beans French beans and they’ve all loved all of July’s rain! Your Lammas video inspired me to take stock of the bounty in august which I’ve never done before and I baked a sour dough loaf
Love this and we made bread too!
This is really lovely to hear! And congratulations on first glut x
The crumble debate ! Always made from spelt flour rolled oats flaked almonds honey and a touch of butter -seasonal fruits gooseberries apricots and brambles cooked with cinnamon stick and honey -baked in individual ramekins for that touch of ‘made for you ‘ .Walking this week in the city noticing yarrow in the lesser mown parks and wild carrot . Visiting the pink lotus flowers at the glasshouses always a delight to see and photograph -then drift around the gardens enjoying the dragonflies amid the water lilies -a summer song still in the warm air 🪷🌿🍃
The warm weather has returned which has been lovely, didn’t need to wear a waterproof on our walks out at least twice! We went on a new walk around Hoghton Tower which is a Tudor manor house nearby, it was a joy to see so many butterflies and swallows in the sunshine, as well as a couple of kestrels.
🌞
Watching my daughter pull up beetroot, then steaming and munching on wonderful home grown flavours.
Losing track of time in a pleasant state of flow while navigating brambles to avoid thorns and pick only the ripest blackberries; enjoying a temporary shift in climate broUght on by the remnants of the first tropical storm of the season; gathering ingredients to make a crumble that could either be a salute to summer or a harbinger of fall
This week we enjoyed one last hurrah at our local splash pad before school starts, enjoyed s’mores twice! and picked delicious, ripe cantaloupe in grandpas garden and ate it fresh while we watched the sunset. Swallows and cardinals galore. August is my absolute favorite.
It is too hot to do anything here in NC, so today I brought a group to a shady forested creekside for a plant walk. We enjoyed the lovely ferns, lizard tails, white passion flowers, ground nuts in bloom (looking like wisteria, surprisingly), and the knobby bald cypress knees poking up through the swampy earth. I’m feeling thankful for both air conditioning in my home and access to deep, shady woodlands on a hot day.
I love cypress knees!! We don’t get many where I am in Ohio, but there’s one local botanical garden where I can visit them. They always make me smile.
I was walking with one of my hounds and my feet were aching after a long days work, and the wind was buffeting us around and I was feeling disgruntled by the whiplash summer, when we rounded a corner and the wind stopped-there is one area of the churchyard that is so sheltered that it is like stepping into an oasis
I was just celebrating how peaceful it was when I caught the smell of a cigars- which was being smoked by someone sitting in their car-often people meet at the gate and sit in their cars and pass the time of day
The smell of the cigar transported me back to the time when I was on holiday as a kid in Spain and my mum and dad used to take me around the shops in the evenings to pick up postcards to send home-now that shows how long ago it is. Amazing how a smell can do that!
Wow I can really imagine it!