Quixote

Don Quioxote is a long way from La Mancha seen here in Clearbeck gardens on his old horse Rosinante.  Described as an 'eye catcher' the metal sculpture can be seen from many directions or glimpsed through greenery

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I'm behind the Gunnera, a plant I'm attracted by because they always look spectacular in a  landscape garden and if I see one its usually accompanied by a click of my camera.  This one is just started its journey to  look like a giant rhubarb.  There are about 50 different species and the largest can be 8 ft high with leaves 4 ft across living up to its nickname of dinosaur food.. I don't know what species this one is , who knows it could even be Gunnera Quitoensis from South America. The Gunnera species like moist boggy ground so its quids in here high in the Tatham fells

Don Quixote can't find any windmills to tilt at so he will have to make do with a tree. The owners say the sculpture like his namesake is "ever ready to charge over the grass bridge at the sheep grazing nearby. He sets the mood for the garden as a slightly crazy quest"  Clearbeck is sometimes called the "Artists Garden" and indeed one could call it quixotic. The two dimensional steel creation is by Andy Kay and I wonder if over time it will rust like our poor gentleman of La Mancha's acquired rusty armour in Carvantes famous story.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a quest to blog every letter of the alphabet this week sojourning at Q here 

 

Venus de Frog

This old stone byre once a home for cows and goats now becomes an artist's hideaway at Clearbeck House gardens. Located amongst the Tatham Fells in north Lancashire the land was once a farm but the Osborne family have over the decades changed it from dereliction to a mix of formal garden and wilderness with follies and sculptures.  Lets take a walk around the corner of this old byre

As you can see from the ferns and mossy tree trunk this is a  damp and shaded corner.  No need to squint at the sign I'll go closer

and here it is "Venus de Frog",

and here she is, keeping an eye on the frogs,  The byre had been built with a stone arched niche to contain the Victorian plaster cast  of the Venus de Milo.  It has to be kept dry, as must all plaster, and she watches the flow of Clear Beck at her feet.

I would love to know about the Victorian farmer who dreamt up this idea and it does rather typify the wonderful Victorian mindset.  Why have a plain structure when there is an opportunity to embellish.   The original Hellenic Venus de Milo was discovered in the 1820s and became a sensation so perhaps that might have been something to do with the choice of sculpture.  Alternatively as she is Aphrodite (Venus in Roman mythology) who is not only goddess of love but also purity and one would hope the high fell spring water would be pure. I imagine in past times the beck would be the only source of water.  

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at V here

Tiny Tadpoles

Taking a stroll last week on the sandy path between sand dunes and sea the brackish pools lying amongst the small section of salt marsh near Haverigg on the Cumbrian coast looked so tranquil.

But something caught my eye. A seething black mass at the edge.

It was thousands of tadpoles.

 The more adventurous were swimming all over the pool

and I concentrated on trying to get a photograph of their tails wiggling.  Suddenly there was a quiver and an explosion of sand

 as a little Goby fish broke cover and swam across the pool.  I wondered what these tadpoles would turn into. 

This distinctive double string gave a clue

Lets take a closer look.

Some of these eggs will eventually turn into Natterjack toads. It is a protected species in the British Isles and only present in a handful of coastal sites.  Their preference for shallow, warm pools has the disadvantage that these can dry out but they overcome the problem by an extended period of mating from April to July and eggs are produced throughout this season,  normally 3000 to 4000 at a time.  This nocturnal toad's distinctive calls will be heard in the dunes in the night.

I think a warm winter and early spring this year may mean a productive year for all our amphibians whether by the coast or

inland. As part of the National Garden Scheme when private gardens are opened to the public to raise money for charity the owners of Clearbeck opened up their 4+ acre garden for two days this weekend and we made the trip inland into north Lancashire yesterday. I ramped up my tadpole spotting for the year at the edge of their lake

I managed to throw these little fellows into a mild panic as my shadow fell across water and they scattered.  I will not see what happens to these tadpoles, which I suspect are the offspring of the Common Frog, but will be be keeping an eye on my local pools. When I revisited the brackish pools this week there was even more life there, damselflies clinging on the reeds while little water boatmen skimmed the surface in the sunshine and the tadpoles had been joined by new ones, their small size distinguishing them from those who had spent longer in the pool.

 As Arnie says "I'll Be Back" and hopefully see their life journey as they metamorphose into toads .

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet this week sojourning at T here