There is now some confusion about whether it is acceptable here to drive to an exercise location. Today I confined myself to our garden and the footpath across Roger Cobb’s farm on Downton Lane. This was once a regular walk – before my knee surgeries.
In the garden more tulips are opening
and daffodils continue to please.
The Cryptomeria Bed also contains cyclamen.
From the Weeping Birch Bed we enjoy various views.
Camellias crop up everywhere.
This one stands beside our eastern fence;
some bushes bear both blooms now turning to parchment and new buds on the way.
Shrubs, like this tree peony, pruned in autumn, are producing new shoots.
Soon the remodelled North Breeze house will be shielded from view.
Our house, however, will remain visible from the Heligan Path.
On Downton Lane the refuse bags were piled outside houses for collection a little later.
One household clearly needed more than one bottle bin – possibly to help them through the pandemic.
Grape hyacinths stood on a bank opposite
celandines and dandelions blending with primroses on the verges
like this one alongside Old Rode House.
Roger’s five-barred gate to the footpath was locked, but the kissing gate beside it was accessible. As far as I know this pleasant farmer is the only one in the area who really respects ramblers’ rights.
The grass strip along the centre is well stocked with wild lamium;
blackberry brambles are burgeoning with new shoots in the hedges
through which houses on Christchurch Road may be glimpsed.
The footpath is mostly dry, but the fields are rutted with rainwater runnels.
I did not venture across the tractor-scoured terrain which offered another view of the Downton dwellings mentioned earlier,
and others on Downton Lane.
While I was thus gadding about, Jackie was producing culinary recycling. Her finely chopped ingredients were boiled on the hob;
mashed in the Moulinex;
decanted into ice cream tubs;
labelled and placed in the freezer.
Here are her directions for the preparation of Compost Soup Base, handwritten on one of my sheets of scrap paper from 2009.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s toothsome sausages in red wine; creamy mashed potato; firm Brussels sprouts; tender runner beans: and crunchy carrots and cauliflower, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Médoc.
Your garden looks so beautiful–and thank you for sharing your walk. I double checked our current regulations before I set out on a walk today. (We’re allowed to go out for exercise, as long as we keep our social distance.). I was wondering at first if your compost soup was for yourselves or your garden. 😀
I wondered the same thing about the compost soup!
We like to get you wondering, Merril. 🙂 Thanks very much.
Hahaha. You do!
The garden is getting beautiful day by day and you were lucky to have sunshine. It’s all gray for us this last week.
The soup idea is amazing.
Thank you very much, Rupali
My mum would heartily approve – as do I – of the compost base.
Thanks a lot, Geoff.
I’ve been thinking of making something from the veg waste for some time now so this was a timely recipe. Name could do with some work though!
Like you I am unsure if I’m allowed to drive to exercise. There is nowhere decent to walk if I don’t drive so I have just stayed at home.
Best wishes to you and Jackie.
Thanks a lot, Quercus. And to you both.
Thank you. 🙂
It was nice to have a wander around your immediate environment though Derrick. You do live in a beautiful area. Love Jackie’s compost soup base – though I agree, a better name might make the first thought not be ‘Ah that’s so nice, Jackie is boosting her compost bin.’ 😀
🙂 Thanks very much, Pauline. You know we like to keep people guessing X
Oh gosh, the garden sure looks stunning, Derrick. Thanks for sharing it with us. Yeah, I bet that soup is full of fiber! Wow! 🙂
Thanks very much, Jill
Your garden is the best view out of this group! I’m made compost soup a time or two . . . It does freeze well.
Thanks very much, Liz 🙂
You’re welcome, Derrick!
I love compost soups – my compliments to the Culinary Queen!
Thank you for the photos of your wonderful garden – much needed cheer!
I followed your suggestion, Sheree. Thank you very much.
Always a pleasure Derrick
I like the idea of compost soup but I doubt that I am organised enough to make it. I agree about the delightful daffodils.
Thank you very much, Tootlepedal.
The gardens and spring views from your area are beautiful, Derrick, especially those tulips and daffodils in the bright sun. What a beautiful day you have had there! I love Jackie’s compost soup recipe, too! 🙂
Thank you so much, Lavinia.
Such a lovely day’s worth of photographs, Derrick. And thank you for the recipe! I’ve never heard it called “compost soup,” but I have used the basic practice, before:)
Thanks very much, Becky.
You are so welcome!
Thank you Derrick, a joy to walk with you(keeping a safe distance) through your wondrous garden…
I think you are overdoing the distance, Ivor 🙂 Thank you very much.
stay safe my friend….
Ah Derrick – you are in the same position as us – our beloved forest is a 5 minute drive away and we’re not allowed in the car. We do have fields behind our house though, thank goodness. I’m definitely saving that recipe 🙂
Thanks very much, Tiny. Do you know what the authority is for not taking those short trips out for a walk? We are unsure.
I’m not sure either … it still seems rather subjective? However since I last wrote to you, the council and charities have closed all of the forests and parklands here as they said crowds of tourists from elsewhere kept turning up, so within a short drive, there wouldn’t be anywhere for us to visit if we could get out. I’m glad for the garden, and for walks around the village & fields.
Same here. We are fortunate that we no longer live in London.
Yes – I feel very sorry for those without access to nature. On the news the parks in London look busy and are being patrolled by police? It must be very hard to get any solitary time outdoors.
The Spring has sprung
The grass has ris
I wonder where the birdie is.
“The bird is on the wing.”
Don’t be absurd.
The wing is on the bird.
PS. I didn’t see a little redbreast!
Nugget and Ron are Bothe about, but neither of these hangs about – we think they are otherwise occupied. Thanks very much, John.
You two certainly have beautiful surroundings in which to enjoy your social distancing.
Thanks a lot for this, Leslie.
Such beautiful flowers
And lovely land to walk around and sight see
Thank you very much, More
You’re welcome
I’m so glad we’re still able to drive to various locations for hiking and such, and that the refuges are open. I’m glad for my work, but I’m looking forward to getting out and about this weekend.
Yesterday I took a couple hours to go revisit some flowers I wanted to photograph, and ran into the game warden on the road. His advice was that I should have a good day, and enjoy myself. Of course, we’ve run into each other before, and he knows that social distancing is my standard operating procedure.
We are still not sure that we can continue to use your sensible approach, Linda. Thank you very much.
Yay for composting and recycling! I love leftovers! The yellow tulips are delightful.
Thank you very much, JoAnne
All these pictures are so beautiful
Thank you very much, Muntazir
Ah, a kissing gate! I never knew they were called that! British, perhaps? So charming… like “compost soup!” 😆 Yes, one can tell whose recycle bin owner is enjoying quarantine a bit too much. 🍷🍻🍹
Cheers, my friend, Rose
I am glad you are still able to move around in that beautiful place. Both flowers and landscapes are equally refreshing. That sounds like an energising potion for the humanity!
Thank you very much, Uma.
There is confusion here too about whether or not one can drive somewhere to exercise. The answer seems to be yes, provided it is not too far.🙂
That’s what we thought, Sylvie. Thank you very much.
🙂
I enjoyed the view today.
I was hoping to nip over the lane to take pictures of the horses, but there are more people coming up from the village in the hope of a quiet walk . So I best limit my walk to the top of the drive.
Compost Soup – what a great name. We used to make a similar mix for our hens, they loved it. I might try Jackie’s recipe for myself.
Thanks very much, Sue. I think you will enjoy the soup. I believe it is going to be the stock for a chicken soup this evening.
You set me off wanting soup! I have veg on last legs and ham left over from Monday so I think I’ll be making soup for lunch!
I notice over 70s have supermarket shopping slots at Tesco, so perhaps going somewhere quiet for exercise is okay.
I’m staying put at home so my photos will no doubt be the same each day!
I’m sure you’ll find some variety. “Oh, jolly good” says Jackie about your soup.
Oh, Jackie! Thank you for the compost soup recipe! It is still cold here and we have been eating some soups and stews…they are hot and comforting.
Your burgeoning blackberry brambles are beautiful! And I can envision AND taste the coming blackberries! 🙂
A kissing gate! Woo whee, that made me smile! 😀
(((HUGS))) for you and Jackie!!! 🙂
Thank you very much, Carolyn X
When I saw the title of your post, I thought “Crikey, I’d better get a food parcel together for those folks, they musn’t be able to get to the shops!”
Just the response to please, Yvonne. Thanks very much.
Again confusion due to mixed government messages. Normally from our PM when he waffles. Our area the police are doing roadblocks to ask drivers if it’s an essential journey. Apparently exercise isn’t here.
Thanks for this, Gary
That ragged-edged tulip is my favorite. Your garden provides a new adventure everyday!
Thank you very much, GP. Jackie is very pleased with that one.
What beautiful pictures! A real treat for the spirit. And I must say that I think Jackie’s compost soup is a brilliant. I might just give it a try myself.
Thanks very much, Laurie. She uses it as a stock to which almost anything can be added.
I bet it is a very tasty stock indeed.
A lovely day Derrick. Those celandines are a real nuisance, they have taken a hold in front garden and we spent two days rooting them up!
🙂 Thanks a lot, Andrew.
It’s when the alcohol runs out that the real panic will set in …. that double crate of empties did make me smile 😊
Thanks very much, Osyth 🙂
Love the recipe. Before we had large lidded bottle bins, we had ones like yours. Hubby used to walk the streets returning to proudly announce who the drinkers were. Like minded spirits I guess.
In London there was an advertising campaign featuring photographs of bottle bins asking if the depositors needed help. Thanks very much, Lindsey
😂😂
I was so curious about what compost soup was..not realizing it is soup made out of compost!!
🙂 Thanks very much, Judy.
Gorgeous pictures Derrick as always! Spring is there 🌸🌸 So beautiful! And that compost soup base…a pure load of veggies 😉
Thank you very much, Ribana.
Your garden is coming right along. And of course, your pictures of it make me envious. We are all gray, beige and straw colored here … dreary! The daffodil shoots are just starting to pop up. I appreciated the recipe, Derrick. But ” boiled on the hob”?? That’s a new word for me. What’s the difference between a hob and a pot?
The hob is the cooking surface, e.g. gas or electric rings. Thanks very much, Jan
Interesting! Thank you, Derrick, for my vocabulary lesson.
🙂
Those dried muddy tracks made my knees wince just looking at them. 🙂
Mine, too 🙂 Thanks very much, Widders.
The “head cook” is doing well, we should think more about the small vegetable waste that can still be used perfectly (the soup is so good)
Well done to her
Thank you very much from us both, Yoshimi.
All my compost goes to the chickens. They don’t eat it all (they especially do not like onions, and I sent them heaps of onion scraps), but I guess it gives them something new to scratch at. The soup base is a great idea, and saving ice cream tubs to hold it is also a great idea. This whole post was filled with ways to responsibly care for the planet and ourselves.
Thank you so much, Crystal.