Clougha Autumn Colours

 An anti clockwise route from Little Crag car park, with a lunch stop at the Andy Goldsworthy sculptures below Grit Fell before heading on to Clougha Pike, then down to the race route and back up to Littledale Road from the River Conder.Testing out the camera on my new phone.

Ulster in Autumn 2020

My photos from a walking trip with friends during what might come to be regarded as a golden period between the first and second wave covid restrictions!

Here's a link to the photo album https://photos.app.goo.gl/mGWs8mALYkAjxcXy7

Antrim Hills Way inland from Larne

Antrim Plateau

Moyle Way

Rathlin Island

Causeway Coast

Giant's Causeway

Dunluce Castle and Portrush

Binevenagh hills

North Sperrin hills

Draperstown Autumn colours

View towards the Donegal mountains from above Newtonstewart

On the border at Pettigoe

Keenaghan Abbey,Teivelough near Belleek

Northumberland - Sea and Summits

Back from a Monday to Friday trip last week to Northumberland staying at Wooler Hostel which I last visited in May 2016 .Time flies!

This time I stayed in one of the shepherds huts which had it's own designated shower,toilet and washroom in what are normally shared facilities , the dorm rooms with ensuites having been given over to single household use during the pandemic. https://www.woolerhostel.co.uk/

I did some good walks in the Cheviot and Simonside Hills and along the coast, including a visit to  Lindisfarne on my bike.

Here's a link to the photo album https://photos.app.goo.gl/5XTSmdqsKeGHyLPq8

Whitelaw Nick

View towards The Cheviot

Cycling over to Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne Castle

Gertrude Jekyll walled garden

Belford

Bamburgh beach and castle

Spindlestone Windmill

Wooler Hostel and Shepherds Huts

Simonside Hills

Mid June plot

It's been another semi arid spring with sunny skies and some very hard frosts in May.Thermacrop covers over direct or sprouted seed sowings protected them from the cold winds but failed to keep the early Arran Pilot potatoes from suffering sever frost damage.

Chard sown over a year ago is still producing fresh spring greens and the first of this year's sowings is nearly ready to pick.

Here's a link to the photo album https://photos.app.goo.gl/A7uvfaKCecFTdux87

The former communal beds now taken over by new plot holders

Top section of the main plots from my boundary fence

My top border coming into flower

The autumn planted Longor shallot sets are nearly ready to harvest

Bunyards Exhibition broad beans direct sown under cover in mid to late March - much better than transplanting leggy module plants

Marvel of 4 Seasons lettuce - Madeiran seed at 96 euro cents a packet with enough for a small field -tried to sow thinly but every one germinated so more thinning needed as I go along - a butterhead variety with a lovely texture and flavour

Cledor garlic planted mid March

Pre sprouted Cobra, Borlotto beans and Golden Zucchini sown in trays and planted out in late May to avoid damaging winds after the warm spell

Gooseberries bulking up

Had initial problems with cheap module sown Telephone tall peas.Started too early? A later mid May attempt with pre-sprouted and direct sown seed has been ok though.

May garden with the Aquilegia at their best

Link to photo album https://photos.app.goo.gl/T5Uiu8qj1snjmpHW7