A time for cosy fires, mulled cider and contemplation, winter in the Huon Valley brings snow-capped mountain views (though often hidden behind a dense fog bank round my way), muddy soils and a chance to raid the pantry for the spoils of summer.
This winter (now almost past) marks the third year anniversary of my house purchase, and I celebrated in true Tassie style by installing a long overdue and most welcome woodburner. Fitted into an old boarded up fireplace, my home’s new heart is helping to keep the edge off the winter chill, keep my formerly freezing kitchen/dining room nice and toasty and bumping up the ambient overnight lows which could dip below 10 degrees indoors. Brrr…It’s also comforting to know I’m no longer 100% reliant on the grid for warmth – and I’ve even been lucky enough to source a good supply of free firewood that will keep me going for a few years.
Spring is now well and truly on its way however – with the usual tug of war between warm and dry and cold and wet weather. The almond, apricot and blood plum have all started to pop with flowers, the broad beans are a few short weeks from harvesting and the peas are starting to push up through the soil. There’s been a lot of spells of remarkably mild weather, and I’ve been able to get a huge chunk of work done. Top of the list was removing a few unwanted trees and their stumps – this included a large, rotting and straggly rhododendron that was probably planted in the 50s, when the house was built. I wish I could say I feel any kind of guilt about it…but ugh…I’m really not a fan of the rhododendron. This work cleared the way to make a start on a new ornamental front garden (largely native plants in a cottage garden style). The hardest part is of course waiting the 3+ years it will take for it to start looking like the vision in my mind, they’ve got a lot of growing to do!
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