Appreciation: Out and About

I hope they're soon fully recovered, Acerholic. And you take care of yourself.

 

Thanks Wendy, Our daughter in law is a teacher, so guess where she got it !!! We are keeping our distance so hopefully all will be well..

 

Lest we forget...

 

Here is what I have in my files as Cotoneaster frigidus 'Cornubia'. My photos of the flowers show a lot of hairs on the stems and leaf backs and calyces, so I guess by winter, these disappear. I can make out some hairs on the leaf margins when I zoom in here.

 

Here are some fruits, starting with Cotoneaster horizontalis. The first photo has more accurate colour. The fruits were larger than many of the leaves. The other two are from a different location, taken more recently.


I've been looking at this Sorbus for years, finally decided to take a stab at a name. Based on the very white fruits and long drooping peduncles, I am tentatively calling this Sorbus koehneana. Of course by the time I got interested in it, it had lost all of its leaves. It's not a name I've heard except at UBC Botanical Garden, but it does seem to be written up for use in landscaping. This is in a mini-park managed by the Parks Board, so they have access to lots of stuff.


Speaking of long drooping, this is Davidia involucrata.

 

We found this slime mold this morning in our local woods. Very interesting on the end of a log, strong smell of fox in the area also.

 

This Clematis vitalba or Old man's beard looked wonderful on our walk this morning along the River Itchen. I was very pleased with my close up in photo 1 236 JPG.

 

A very cold walk this morning with that type of rain that just seems to go right through you. But this cheery little flower on a White dead nettle Lamium album everywhere, made the walk very pleasant indeed.

 

I thought I would post something very seasonal today. Viscum album 'Mistletoe'.
Don't think I've ever seen so much as this year 2020. Although parasitic it will not kill the tree but will weaken it.

 

Another seasonal look this morning whilst out walking in The Holly and the Ivy. Hedra helix and Ilex aquifolium.

 

Just 50 yards from me is a tree I knew as a very young boy. It was a substantial tree then in the 1950's, but now in 2020 in it's Winter splendour this London Plane is quite magnificent.

 

Today I thought I would show part of our walk we have been doing for over 42 years together that takes us through a medieval grave yard that is next to the River Itchen, this was originally the site of a Saxon church, so this shows it's age. It has fallen into disrepair and the little church is no more. There are some old trees that are showing the signs of age and fragility. Here is a Fagus Common Beech that although as can be seen is almost completely laying down, it is still surviving. We love the narled trunk and moss, so much character !!
Thought I would also add the picture of how the little church of St Mathew once looked, so you can imagine a little of times gone by in Southern England.

 

Tree shown is actually a willow.

 

Thankyou Ron. I was wondering if it was a Goat or Pussy Willow tbh rather than a Beech. I stand corrected.

 

Are the inscriptions on the tombstones still legible? What stories that place holds!

Watching "Downton Abbey" again lately, I recognized a tree near the 'abbey' similar to one you posted in #284 as being festooned with mistletoe . . . would never have known otherwise. This site is so informative!

Also, I discovered that the Crawley's pad (Highclere Castle) is located in Hampshire, perhaps not too far from you.

 

@Margot re Highclere I did some work there on several occasions in the past. Just wandering the grounds. Wish I could expand more but afraid I can't on here.
It is a beautiful place with many ancient trees that I got to know very well, especially the Cedars that you will see on Downton Abbey.
Regarding the graveyard, there are some names and dates just about visable on the later ones, around 1800. The Wickham's are buried there. Think Pride and prejudice!!!? Obviously Jane Austin died just a couple of miles from where we live so a local l name linked to the book perhaps and this is King Alfred's area, hence Saxon churches.
My wife and I are very lucky to have these places all around us, but we are all too often too blase about it.
Glad you enjoyed the posting.

 

At least you are better off than the willow, which really isn't standing anymore at all.

 

This mornings walk in our local woods was a crunchy affair. Don't you just love that sound in Winter, when every step is met with a sound you only hear around this time of the year.
So I had to post some frosty photos to finish off 2020.

 

Good afternoon everyone, we were walking this morning amongst the frost and this took my eye to photograph. Really does show why sitting in front of the fire with a good book ( 2021 plant catologue) is the best way to start the new year.

 

Here's a little fragrance. Sometimes I don't get anything from these, but in the past two days, the fragrance from both of these has hit me before I'm even near.
Sarcococca. I'm not guessing the species - I have photos of four species at UBCBG that look the same to me, and this is at the Parks Board meeting, so there's no reason to assume they've planted the most common one.


Viburnum x bodnantense

 

Good morning Wendy, to get scent at this time of the year in the garden is so special. It seems to hit you so much more than at any other time of the year IMO. I count the days till my Daphne Odora comes out in early February, then it's a garden full of perfume again.

 

Since my husband and I have just finished re-watching the Downton Abbey series, I've been looking up some of the locations where it was filmed such as Highclere Castle and Alnwick Castle. I know @Acerholic, you have visited many of the well-known estate gardens and I wonder if you've been to Alnwick Garden
Homepage - The Alnwick Garden and, if you have, what you thought of it. The Poison Garden alone is quite unique isn't it?

 

Good morning Margot, sadly we haven't been to Alnwick garden, we were planning to visit Northumberland last year but this virus put paid to those plans. And now we are in a lockdown yet again and only allowed out of the house for a short walk ONCE a day. This will probably go on until Easter it looks.

 

I'm sorry your life is so circumscibed just now but hopefully not for too many more months. As we have all agreed many times, thank goodness for our gardens!

 

This Silver Birch looked so cheerful on our walk this morning, even just the bare bones of Winte. A lovely blue sky beyond also does a lot to cheer you up.