Menooching; Fyvie Gardens

Last week, I introduced you to the history and building of Fyvie Castle and estate. Now, a little look at what's around it - mainly the quite delightful walled garden. 

This is a bit different from many castle gardens, which tend to the intensely floral. Here, they are renewing it as the original kitchen garden would have been. This place was still a little early in the season, but was clearly flourishing. 

There were neat rows of beets, radishes, potatoes, beans, peas, currants, raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, onions... then there were interplantings of herbs and edgings of chives. Lots of chives. In the warmth of that day, they could be smelled quite easily. Up against the north wall, where the sun would favour them best, were the decorative, though still useful, flowers. Useful in that many could be put in salads, but also as healing plants and to encourage the pollinators, which were much in evidence.

Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera)

Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa Atalanta)

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus Terrestris)

I took some videos, too, but I will hold those for a Nature Friday post!

Of course, I took a lot of floral shots, some of which will show up in next Tuesday's Views post, but again, I'm keeping some by for NF! I also need to keep moving on this one, so after the walled garden, it was out to the greater estate. However, before leaving the garden completely, what do you think of these fruit tree trainers?

You read last week how two of the incumbents did much to improve the grounds around, mainly by planting trees but also by forming good farmlands and a new 'lochan' from the River Ythan. That's pronounced with a long EE with a hint of the y as in 'eye', then 'thun'. As a minor point of interest directly related to that river, it once had thriving freshwater oyster beds, and the large pearl in the Scottish Crown was taken from there! Anyway, here's a view of the rolling pastures...

Then a view out over Fyvie Lochan... Had I not already used up a fair bit of energy concentrating on the house and garden, I would have taken the three-mile walk which is laid out around it. That will just have to await another visit! Aside from the ducks, I was kept company with a Heron (rather distant), a Chaffinch (a little camera shy) and a slightly dishevelled but 'look at me' poser of a Great Tit.

To say that I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Fyvie would almost underrate it. The welcome at the foyer and the accommodation of an inquisitive ol' wummin asking all kinds of questions was second to none. The cheese scone from the cafe was worth every penny of its three quid. The garden and surrounding areas were enchanting, and I would definitely visit them again. Mainly to walk around the water, but also to soak up the intense sense of pure tranquillity that exudes from the entire place. 

In many places, one can appreciate the history on an intellectual level, or feel a gut connection in others. This place, though, one truly felt the connection and the weight of the history - there's a real sense of it still living. That, I believe, is something rare and special. Stability in a time of turmoil...

Menoizikul; Midweek Musicalisms

Doing a search for tunes related to the month of July proved rather futile. So, instead, I opted to request which composers were born in this month. That threw up a list with some familiar, and some not-so-familiar, names. Wagner, Bloch, Respighi, Gluck and Janacek were all there. However, it was the ones I didn't know which attracted me to go on a listening spree. I found five items of some variety, and although I may only seek out a couple of these composers to listen to more of their works, all these particular pieces have merit worth sharing.

The next conundrum was in which order to present them, for there is little to connect them, per se. Thus, you are going to receive them in the order of the day of birth of each composer, working through the month. I will tell you almost nothing about the composers, beyond their name, country of origin, and birthday. I leave it up to the listener to follow their own warrens this month! I will say a little more about the music itself.

Thus, we begin with Antony Arensky, Russian, 12th of July. Having listened to three items, this shone out like a piece of gold among the coal. Yes, I found the other two items, both orchestral, rather heavy going. They were not unpleasant, but they lacked the sparkle this delightful duet has. 

Me-Now-Views; Less Speak More Peek

Some out-takes from the Fyvie Castle visit.