PHOTOS & NEWS
This page contains the latest news from 'The High Orchard'. The freshest news is always at the top, so you read backwards in time (if you don't start at the bottom!).
FROM THE OLD DAYS
Ice flowers on the windows. Our first winter here. With the heat we're having now, just looking at this photo helps cool things down a bit.
In recent weeks, we have seen lots of roe deer on our property, including a mother with two fawns. This little one was already venturing out on its own; it stood grazing quietly for about fifteen minutes. They are always beautiful to see, although we prefer to keep them out of the garden.
The flowers have also suffered from the high temperatures. Only a few of the gladioli and crocosmia have survived. Fortunately, there are still enough flowers to arrange bouquets in the house and guest rooms.
It was very hot and dry for a long time. The sheep are being fed hay because the green grass has all been eaten.
Friday afternoon drinks.
In previous years, we had already found the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage several times on our property. Now we have come across this one. It also belongs to the Phallaceae family and has a foul smell that can be detected from several metres away. It resembles an octopus, hence its name: Octopus stinkhorn. But it is also known as Devil's fingers!
The annuals are going into the ground. Here, Jos is planting the borders around the terrace. The first cosmos are already blooming. When all the plants are in bloom, we will post another photo!
The porch is turning green. The hostas are looking very healthy this year.
The quince is in bloom. Its blossoms alone are worth seeing.
They're growing like weeds. Transplant them next week. More than a thousand annuals.
So far, so good. Various types of Cosmos, Zinnia and Tagetes (including one that resembles Cosmos; the same butterfly-like appearance) quickly emerged, and the Lavatera, Chinese asters, Cleome (Spider flower), Ageratum (white and yellow), Lobelia and many more are also already showing themselves. But there are some for which we will have to be patient.
We have sown again. Mainly annuals, so that we can have flowering borders all summer long, as we do every year. Given the current, sometimes very large difference between day and night temperatures, we pay close attention to whether or not we need shade cloth, a fan or additional heating.
We work in the garden all year round, even when we don't feel like it. It helps that we get help from time to time. As soon as we start gardening, this supporter starts providing mental encouragement.
The wild form of the hyacinth. All those sweet-smelling giant hyacinths are descended from this. They are just as fragrant.
Another herald of spring in the garden: the white hellebore that we received as a seedling from our friend Françoise.
FROM THE OLD DAYS
A childhood photo of Bobby. Perhaps one of our cutest sheep. In any case, it is a sheep that many of our guests absolutely love.
A special form of the cornflower: the Centaurea graminifolia. Blooms here everywhere in the wild.
It has become a modern open-front stable: light, airy and spacious. You could easily call it a sheep palace. In this photo, they are there for the first time. As if it has always been that way.
One of our to-dos for the 2024 off-season: build shelter for our sheep so they have a healthy place to hide.
