Easter decorating in the Farmhouse

With Easter fast approaching Libby and Kate deciding to do a little decorating this afternoon.  They started with some branches taken from the contorted willow outside of Deer Park, added some hanging egg decorations and finished off with an Easter bunny Kate had made using instructions in this month's Country Living magazine. I added some of our hen's eggs along with some beautiful, blue duck eggs that a friend gave me earlier this week.  

I hope you agree it looks festive and guests enjoying breakfast in the conservatory will appreciate it.

Judith
Poltarrow Farm
Self Catering Cottages and Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast in Cornwall

Days out - Cornish Arms Beer & Mussel Festival

With mussels being one of our son Thomas' favourite things to eat he decided yesterday that he was going to visit the Cornish Arms Beer & Mussel Festival.  The Cornish Arms near St Merryn is part of the Rick Stein empire and the festival boasted cookery demonstrations, beer tasting, a pub quiz raising money for the Children's Hospice South West's Little Harbour (our own chosen charity) and Rick signing books along with an opportunity to eat mussels of course!  So Thomas went off with strict instructions to take some good photographs so I could share them with you all.

Four hours of munching mussels, sipping some of the finest Cornish beers, listening to live music and watching cookery demos plus standing right next to Rick himself and he returned with.......

Oh well, he had a lovely time and declared the mussels as "delicious" and Rick as "fatter than I thought he'd be".

Judith
Poltarrow Farm
Self Catering Cottages and Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast in Cornwall

Around the farm - Spring is Sprung!

Today has been such glorious weather that I just had to get outside so I decided to do some much needed work in the garden.  Weeding is not the most exciting of jobs but with the sun in your face and plants blooming all around there could be worse ways to spend your time  As you can see the Camellias are out in force and come in every shade of pink.

Late last year I faithfully put away most of my geraniums in the garden shed to protect them from the frosts but this one was forgotten and remained outside.  Thankfully another mild, Cornish winter meant that it is thriving and certainly looking healthier than the ones in the shed - I will wait for the predicted cold snap later this week to pass and will then bring them back out.

Daffodill's basking in the sunshine and honey bees also out and about - nature's waking up.

This Alder has a wonderful shape to it and is absolutely groaning with catkins.  It is a native British tree and the folklore goes that if you put a small branch of Alder in wooden furniture woodworm will be drawn to it rather than the wood the furniture is made from.

It's small cones still remain and remind me of little, brown, chocolate eggs - may have to bring a branch or two inside for some Easter decoration!

The Great Gardens of Cornwall are all waking up and now is a great time to visit Caerhayes Castle whose gardens specialise in Camellias, Rhodedendrens, Azaeleas and Magnolias.  The 100th Cornwall Garden Society's Spring Show takes place on the 6 and 7 April at Boconnoc Estate and is one of the earliest garden shows - it boasts it's the Cornish version of the Chelsea Flower Show!

Judith
Poltarrow Farm
Self Catering Cottages and Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast in Cornwall

Jobs at Poltarrow - New kitchen for Red Deer & doors for Fallow

One of our jobs for winter was to update the kitchen in Red Deer cottage.  This has now been completed and was unveiled to our half term guests last week.

Another job that has kept Peter busy has been the removal of the windows in the Fallow and replacing them with doors and Juliette balconies. I managed to catch Peter as the doors were going in.

Obviously the stonework under the windows had to be removed to make space for the doors.

Hope it fits!

Showing Peter how it's done - after all he's only got 50 years building experience!

Starting to "make good"

The southerly aspect means the rooms will be flooded with sunlight
as well as enjoying views of the courtyard with fields beyond

All installed and waiting for their final coat of paint, doorhandles and for the Juliette balconies to arrive

Judith
Poltarrow Farm
Self Catering Cottages and Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast in Cornwall