Three of my favourite things in the same place, Jez: Martin Shaw, your wonderful words, and images of the wild place that is Pomona! Thank you for continuing to show up and for sharing your beholding of place! You’ve inspired me to reconnect with some of my favourite sit spots, and venture a little further to find some new ones too. Blessings 💚💚
Time for another earl grey, I like the willows, when I was a boy, my favourite place to fish was the osier beds most of the trees in the woods behind the river were willows and the trees that hung into the river were also willow, we used to fish in the gaps between the trees, I would spend weeks in the summer fishing there every day, I'd mostly go on my own and would sit all day, I rarely caught anything, I wanted a tench as my dad had caught them there before he gave up fishing as he had begun to find it cruel, I never caught one there but could see the streams of tiny bubbles they make moving around in my swim following the feeding fish. I really did love those trees.
I don’t know the right English word, but if I translate it from Dutch, we call the curly leaves one ‘curly willow’. We had one in my childhood garden. And a ‘pollard?’ Willow close by home near a creek I could sit in. And a ‘weeping willow’ near the lake in our village. Good memories! & will forever love willow trees of all sorts!
Weeping willows, definitely. I know there's also goat willow and scarlet willow at Pomona. I think there's many other kinds, but I don't know the names, sorry!
This is such beautiful writing, and what gorgeous photos. Thank you! My most recent noticing has been the self-seeded evening primrose in our garden. I have never lived with an evening primrose before and, during it's incredibly long flowering, it filled me with wonder and the garden with tiny nectar seeking moths. We have left it in its place for the winter; a brown, seemingly dead, 6ft high stick of seed pods. But I noticed a few days ago that it has sprouted tiny bright green leaves! I will continue to watch with some awe.
Thank you for your kindness Jacqueline. I'm delighted to share Pomona with any who will hear and see her!
Evening primroses are extraordinary - I'm always amazed at how far into winter their huge, delicate yellow blooms offer their light. I'm delighted for you that those in your garden have self seeded, bringing the promise of joy next summer / autumn / winter 💛
Wild edge spaces are the most sacred spaces I know!
I've also published photo diaries from Pomona in October and November - the October one includes a brief history of Pomona if you're interested in knowing some context (and features a pic of an evening primrose!)
Three of my favourite things in the same place, Jez: Martin Shaw, your wonderful words, and images of the wild place that is Pomona! Thank you for continuing to show up and for sharing your beholding of place! You’ve inspired me to reconnect with some of my favourite sit spots, and venture a little further to find some new ones too. Blessings 💚💚
Wonderful stuff Will! It looks like you had a magnificent morning out in the wilds today 😊💚
Time for another earl grey, I like the willows, when I was a boy, my favourite place to fish was the osier beds most of the trees in the woods behind the river were willows and the trees that hung into the river were also willow, we used to fish in the gaps between the trees, I would spend weeks in the summer fishing there every day, I'd mostly go on my own and would sit all day, I rarely caught anything, I wanted a tench as my dad had caught them there before he gave up fishing as he had begun to find it cruel, I never caught one there but could see the streams of tiny bubbles they make moving around in my swim following the feeding fish. I really did love those trees.
Beautiful memories Nick, thanks for sharing them. Willows are certainly a wonder!
I don’t know the right English word, but if I translate it from Dutch, we call the curly leaves one ‘curly willow’. We had one in my childhood garden. And a ‘pollard?’ Willow close by home near a creek I could sit in. And a ‘weeping willow’ near the lake in our village. Good memories! & will forever love willow trees of all sorts!
Willows are wonderful friends! 💚
Feel free to tell me the right kind of English willow tree names if you know them! I have always wondered about them 😄
Weeping willows, definitely. I know there's also goat willow and scarlet willow at Pomona. I think there's many other kinds, but I don't know the names, sorry!
Never heard of "sit spot" and it's variations before very useful phrase thanking you!
😊😊😊
This is such beautiful writing, and what gorgeous photos. Thank you! My most recent noticing has been the self-seeded evening primrose in our garden. I have never lived with an evening primrose before and, during it's incredibly long flowering, it filled me with wonder and the garden with tiny nectar seeking moths. We have left it in its place for the winter; a brown, seemingly dead, 6ft high stick of seed pods. But I noticed a few days ago that it has sprouted tiny bright green leaves! I will continue to watch with some awe.
Thank you for your kindness Jacqueline. I'm delighted to share Pomona with any who will hear and see her!
Evening primroses are extraordinary - I'm always amazed at how far into winter their huge, delicate yellow blooms offer their light. I'm delighted for you that those in your garden have self seeded, bringing the promise of joy next summer / autumn / winter 💛
Thank you! I love edge places like Pomona. They truly are holy ground. I am looking forward to seeing/learning more.
And yes, I am really quite staggered by evening primroses and how they flower. I am so looking forward to the spring to see what happens then!
Wild edge spaces are the most sacred spaces I know!
I've also published photo diaries from Pomona in October and November - the October one includes a brief history of Pomona if you're interested in knowing some context (and features a pic of an evening primrose!)
Thank you! I will definitely scroll back for those.