New paintings and regular art updates.
Mid November and the snow is falling. Not deep, but palpably real. Very early for this time of year, it usually doesn’t happen till January if at all. I’ve had the central heating on for three days now and it might keep going till the weekend. I’m waiting for the morning as it is forecast to get worse before it gets better. Sorry it’s not a more exiting view!
Begonias, still in flower, In our hanging baskets….In November! I think its because their stems are a bit more robust. The fushias, with woody stems have also survived. There are also lots of green leaves because this area is a bit of a microclimate and things just survive round there. It’s enclosed so it holds the heat. Also the plants all shelter each other holding the warmth in x
There’s still leaves on the trees and we are almost half way through November! The air hasn’t been very cold so the leaves are only gradually turning autumnal. And we have not had too much strong wind here so they haven’t blown off yet. This was the view from the car park at the garden centre today. A lovely blue sky, bright sunlight from a dazzlingly low sun, trees still in leaf. Feels like summer except it was quite cold.
Looking out the window in All Saints church hall. The pale washed blue of a showery November day. Frosted panes to stop people looking in or out. What events took place here? White elephant stalls at Fete’s? Sunday School meetings? Choir rehearsal and huge pots of tea? A tea urn or a hot water boiler in the corner gently heating, brown Bessie teapots on a draining board? The main room is partitioned off, a kitchen and perhaps an office at the rear. The windows make the rooms very bright. It’s interesting to speculate how it would have been used.
The really spectacular window is in the church next door, I’ll see if it’s clear enough to post?
I drove up into fog
Cloud coming down to greet me
November fog and mist banks.
Cold dank cloud
Overall grim and frightening
One huge hound
At the side of the road
Waiting to pounce
If you slow down…..
On a tomato plant at the back of the yard. Eight tomatoes in November. We have eaten four but we are waiting for the rest to ripen. But it’s NOVEMBER! How on earth have they lasted this long.
Tomorrow the weather forecast is for temperatures of 19°C. That’s about 8°C above normal. The COP 27 Climate change conference just discussed trying to keep temperatures from going above 1.5°C higher than before the industrial revolution. Only a small rise, but enough to cause damage and disaster. So what? Flooding in costal cities across the world, dangerous increases in the ferocity of hurricanes, tornados and typhoons. Melting icecaps and glaciers. We must all try and do something about it.
A few shots of the snow outside in the garden. The snow is only a couple of centimetres deep but is continuing to fall. I don’t think this weather will last long, but it does seem strange that it’s falling in November. Most years we don’t get anything even at Christmas. It sometimes snows in the new year and can last a couple of weeks but generally it’s been mild for most winters. What does worry me is the cost of heating our house. Gas and electricity bills are skyrocketing. Ah well, that’s life.
Finally the temperature is plummeting. Warm days this November are fading as the Jet Stream of wind changes position and cold air tumbles down from the Arctic. Some parts of Britain might see wintery showers soon. Then my garden plants will be hit by the chill. In the meantime I can only think of the glorious plants that bloomed in the spring and summer and the seasons ahead of us. Looking forward to the future again.
What is going on? Begonias and Lobelia in November! I know some gardeners cut everything back and compost things after the summer. But I can’t do it. I love seeing things grow. The baskets will eventually die back. The tops of them are already looking a bit scrappy, but any sleepy and cold bee or hover fly can maybe sneak a sip of nectar. Our back yard is sheltered by the house, large bushes and a fence, I suppose the plants huddle together forming a microclimate. We also live towards the bottom of the hill so we don’t get hit by winds sweeping down from the north. It’s a haven. Looking forward to next summer. X
Mid November and there are still yellow daisy flowers growing. They may be a weed plant but I don’t care, its just good to see nature breaking through the old tarmac and concrete.
Taken near Etruria Industrial Museum, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent. Photograph taken on my smartphone.
Mallaband-Brown