No snow here ... and violets in flower

There are times, particularly when it's raining almost incessantly, that I envy those living in the east of this country with their much drier climate. However at the moment it's definitely a case of "west is best" for those needing to get about: whereas the south east is suffering heavy snow there isn't a flake in sight in the Tamar Valley. In fact we have had some brilliant sunshine with crystal clear visibility albeit that it has been bitterly cold.

Yesterday I had a brisk walk a short way down the river. Almost opposite the weir there are some patches of violets - it is a favoured spot and I normally expect to see the odd one in flower before Christmas. In fact two were visible with a bit of searching but a friend had seen them some time previously I was to subsequently learn! A little while ago winter heliotrope in flower was in evidence near the railway station: not a pretty flower in my opinion and an alien swamping any other vegetation in its vicinity but with flowers in generally short supply perhaps I shouldn't begrudge its presence!

Another import and a species much more amenable to me is the mimosa. I have written about these shrubs before and I love their smooth trunks, feathery leaves and bright yellow flowers. One or two hereabouts were totally devastated by last winter's weather. Another one though, in a courtyard in Tavistock was nipped by the frosts at that time but wasn't a total loss fortunately and a few weeks ago appeared to be in good health. I just hope that this cold spell doesn't persist and that once again we see it in flower.

Getting back to blogging

This blog has been very neglected of late and I don't have any good excuses like being laid low by the flu for instance! The weather here is now typically Cornish late autumn - mild, cloudy and with always a hint of dampness in the air. We did at least have a pleasantly sunny day on Wednesday and, although sunshine is in short supply at the moment, when we do get a rare bright day the sun is appreciated all the more. What used to be so frustrating was being stuck in an office when the weather was glorious outside and then be rained on at the weekend! I had previously written about seeing a violet in bloom in a patch of these flowers close to the river, on checking today I didn't see that same flower but did see another one out.

The cold northerly blast in the last week of October didn't last long. I expect at least one such period of weather in the late autumn but it normally occurs in November or December. I shall be interested to see if there is a repeat performance between now and Christmas.

Calendula, snapdragons ... and a violet

I have a wooden trough outside my front door kindly made by my neighbour (thank you David) and I'm pleased to say that the snapdragons and English marigolds (calendula) that are in it are still flowering nicely. These just happen to be two of my favourite species of garden flower and enjoy a long flowering period. I have remarked before that I had attempted to grow calendula from seed but quickly lost them to the slugs; the ones presently in flower together with the snapdragons were established plants and have not suffered damage from pests. They certainly give me a lot of pleasure, something which I hope those walking along my road can also enjoy.

Just before lunch we took a short stroll along the river bank and were pleased to see our first violet out. I remember last year seeing a violet in the same patch right at the start of November. The forecast for the coming week is for a blast of cold air from the Arctic with maybe some night frosts so this could well inhibit any further flowering. Going back to last year again I recall that after that one initial flower there was quite a pause before seeing any more.

Although there are plenty of leaves to scuffle through when out and about, looking across the valley it looks as if the woodland hasn't seen much in the way of leaf fall yet. I suppose it won't be long now though before the trees are in their winter garb.

Violets and a snowdrop seen on walk

The weather being reasonably settled and my needing both vegetables and eggs, obtainable from a roadside stall, led a friend and myself to go on a four to five mile walk this morning. We had another motive as this particular route would take us past a favoured spot for violets near Calstock Church and also by a garden where we normally see quite a profusion of snowdrops at the edge of the lawn. I'm pleased to say that we weren't disappointed there being several violets out but with many more to come. As to the garden with the snowdrops there were plenty of bulbs showing above ground with one of them actually in flower! Not too bad for the end of December.

Instead of coming straight home from Calstock we made a slight diversion to see how well the daffodils were coming on in the Danescombe Valley. Much too early for those to be out but we were gladdened to see many clumps of these magical flowers well above the surface. Hogweed and red campion were two species that we noticed in flower. We also had an excellent sighting of a favourite bird - the nuthatch, and heard a number of birds singing.

It's great to see signs of Spring so soon after the shortest day.