Well, first of all pardon the rather crude title of this entry, but it is addressed to the deer that seem so fond of nibbling on our roses and then do this:
I mean, I’m all for getting some free deer manure (well, “free” is an exaggeration; I pay it with perennials, rose buds and whatever else the pretty things like to munch on through the year), but couldn’t they at least be trained to leave their droppings where they have eaten?
If they’re going to stop and smell taste the roses, couldn’t they also leave their droppings there so they return the feeding favour to the plants? Rather than leaving the droppings on the lawn…
Speaking of the lawn… Now that all the snow has disappeared again I’m really happy I got around to giving it that last trim just before frost and snow set in; it somehow makes the garden look “tidy enough” with the cut lawn, even if there are twigs here and there and some leaves that have blown about. And yes, deer droppings.
The garden does look rather drab today, though, doesn’t it? Compared to the glory of what it looked like last week, it certainly is less bright and festive, but there are still a few highlights.
I love how the goldenrods provide winter interest with their fluffy seed heads that seem to retain their fluffiness in spite of snow and rain; there’s a lightness to them that seem to contradict all the other down-heartened perennials that have given up the will to live – well, at least that’s how they look, though of course they will be back next year – and I love how they move in the wind and somehow look like a black and white version of their old, flowering self.
(Some might even say that their seed heads are more tasteful than the rather garish yellow bloom, but I love that, too.)
I’ll end this with a rather special treat: One of our fir trees is sporting the most stunningly beautiful cones at the moment!
Okay, the more botanically minded of you might remark that fir trees don’t normally suspend their cones from ribbons – and you’d be absolutely right, of course. Yesterday I did what one does when unemployed; I went for lunch in the Tivoli Gardens in central Copenhagen with my mother-in-law, and she stopped by one of the stalls and bought these two un-glazed porcelain cones that I think are absolutely gorgeous; I love un-glazed porcelain, though it can be quite a hassle to keep clean. However, for Christmas baubles I think it is okay as they are unlikely to get very dirty ever. (Well, unless you play around with them in the garden, of course, in which case you really have to be careful not to drop them.
Now, the reason they ended up in the garden was that while my mother-in-law was carrying quite a generously sized handbag at the time she asked me if I’d have room for the small package in my bag, so apparently they are a present. I think they will look lovely on our tree on Christmas Eve – when my mother-in-law will obviously also be there to enjoy them – and they somehow seem like a very beautiful modern take on the old-fashioned glass fir cones that we also have two of, inherited from my mother-in-law’s mother.
I do like them a lot, though obviously new ornaments will never be as cherished as the heirlooms – but ornaments bought at special occasions (like the handpainted baubles the Flâneur Husband and I bought in Pitlochry last year, including the yellow one above that somewhat incongruously features a pineapple and grapes) or given as presents will still rank highly and will definitely find a spot on my tree.
So there, an entry encompassing crap, garden, baubles and family. I wonder what sort of Google search people have to make to end up on this page…
I had a great laugh with that opening libe .. I usually find what I call “Bunny Beans” from winter when it comes to Spring clean up .. and I totally loved those stark white cones against that gorgeous dark rich green .. perfect!
Joy : )
The matt porcelain will take on a golden hue once the candles on the tree are light, and I think they will complement the mix of shining glass ornaments and matt paper ornaments that we use. (Also, unglazed porcelain has a slightly sparkling quality to it; like frosty snow that seems to be strewn with glitter.)
And the deer droppings have now been scooped up and dumped on the roses who – by all definitions of fairness – deserve them!
Love the new ornaments! I have some cherished heirloom ornaments from my mothers side, Sweden. Whenever I put out a tree (which is not to often these days) these are the ornaments I enjoy seeing the most.
Happy holidays to you and yours!
It’s not Christmas without a tree… And to me, the tree always has to be tall enough for me to have to look up to see the top star! (So in our apartment with 8ft ceilings it has to be a 7-footer – JUST enough room for the star, but otherwise as tall as possible. It means that I – at 5’10” – have to get up on a chair to attach the top star and to light the top-most candles, but that’s part of the charm.)
And I think we have at least 4 generations of Christmas ornaments for our tree; I like having that history with me. My favourite pieces are actually some woven paper cones I’ve made myself. When my mother first saw them she claimed never to have seen anything like them, but since it was my grandfather who taught me to make them I dare say this is unlikely. They are just a very uncommon thing in a country where woven paper hearts is a standard item on any Christmas tree. They might not be old, but just the fact that my grandfather taught me how to make them, makes them very special to me.
I’m wondering what searches will find your blog too !!!
People seem to use very sober and fitting search terms when stumbling upon this blog; the most used search term is the Danish for “Bring her flowers”, which leads to an entry where I had bought flowers for my mother-in-law… Aparently I’m just not sexy enough for people to find this blog when looking for obscure niche porn!
Maybe I could attract more visitors by deliberately being a bit “Nigella Lawson” about gardening? “I penetrated the ground with my trowel, buring my bulbous … well… bulb deep in the dark, moist soil under the blackcurrant bush. FUCK it was hard, digging through the frosty crust down to the slippery wet clay beneath.” Nah, I don’t think I can make gardening sound sexy. I’d more likely get the “worst gardening porn” award. I can do geeky, nerdy, grandfatherly and many other -ys, but probably not sexy.
Oh dear, (sorry, really bad pun). Deer aren’t a problem for us, although neighbours’ cats are. It drives me to distraction so you have my sympathy. I’m loving your pine cone decorations, they’re stunning and your other baubles. Gorgeous. Our tree has been up for a few weeks now. The lights make the house look nice in the gloom of winter. Would love to get some photos of them but the light levels are so low now it’s difficult to take a photo in the house without the photo looking all blurry. Ah the old festive pineapple and grapes decoration! Inspired 😉
I don’t know if pineapples and grapes are a Scottish Christmas tradition, but I somehow doubt it… But the bauble is so pretty, so who cares, right? (Also, the pattern is painted on the inside of the glass, which is just impossibly amazing…)
Our tree hasn’t been bought yet; that will happen Saturday and Sunday and then we’ll decorate in Sunday or Monday so it’s ready for the Christmas celebrations on Monday evening, Christmas Eve. When I was a child the tree was felled on the last Sunday before Christmas and only brought into the house on the morning of the 24th so we could decorate it while we awaited the excitement of the evening. And of course the candles aren’t light until dinner is finished and tidied away…
I do love the deer, but it would just be more practical if they could take care of their business in the borders, rather than on the lawn. I wonder if one could enroll in a “deer training for beginners” class?
I have often said the same thing to our deer who are still sneaking over the fence late to nibble…we just got snow today and they say we may get a foot by the time it is over…Merry Christmas and I love the your pine cones!!
And a merry Christmas to you!
(In Denmark we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, so the duck has been eaten, the candles on the tree have burned out and the guests have left. Another Christmas successfully hosted, even if the snow that fell on the 23rd had all but melted by Christmas Eve…)
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