Conkers are already appearing on the horse chestnut tree alongside the driveway and the leaves are beginning to lose their bright green colour. Plentiful bright orange berries can be seen on the pyracantha which acts as screening for the gas tank.
flowers
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Early signs of Autumn
horse chestnut conkers horse chestnut conkers pyracantha berries -
Flower pots and baskets
We have refreshed the flower baskets and pots which decorate the barn’s patio as shown in the photos.
patio flower pots 
patio flower baskets and pots 
patio flower baskets and pots -
Autumn flower planting
The flower pots, tubs and baskets at Rhydd Barn have been attractively replanted for the autumn and winter. Our gardener took some photos:
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Wild life at Rhydd Barn
I am keen to encourage wild life in all its forms to visit and/or live in the surroundings of the Barn. On a recent visit I managed to take a photo (see below) of a beautiful pheasant that was strutting around our field immediately in front of the Barn. It visited us all week, morning and evening! I also photographed a host of white and purple fritillaries and bright yellow primroses which are currently flowering in our small wild flower meadow.
Pheasant at Rhydd Barn 
Wild flower meadow -
Flowers and seeds
Roses and clematis are in bloom on the screen around our LPG (gas) tank brightening up the entrance drive approach to the Barn.
We have planted a new dark pink clematis in a pot on the patio to climb up the Malvern stone wall and the trellis above.
Seed heads have appeared in the wildflower paddock in front of the Barn. It’s time for the grass to be cut.
New clematis on the patio 
Seed heads in the wildflower paddock 
Roses and clematis beside the Barn driveway -
Seen around Rhydd Barn
Here are some photographs Rosemary, the owner of Rhydd Barn, took on her recent visit. They show plants growing in the small wildflower meadow and cut hay lying in the field below the barn with the Malvern Hills blue in the distance. Rosemary also managed to capture an image of a young pied woodpecker on the fence to the hay field. Click on a photo below to see a larger full version.
cut hay in field below barn 
wildflower meadow close-up 
pied woodpecker – juvenile 
clematis and roses by barn -
Recent improvements at Rhydd Barn
Flower pots on the patio We have been busy maintaining the barn over last few months. Here are some of the things we have done:
- A new Accessibility Guide has been produced with photographs and measurements added to help visitors’ understanding of accommodation at Rhydd Barn.
- The white paint of the exterior walls has been touched up where necessary and also the paintwork inside the barn.
- The flower pots, baskets, and small garden at the entrance to Rhydd Barn have been refreshed with new plants. Also, new gravel added between the plants in the entrance garden.
- There are new attractive trays in the kitchen and on the shelf in the bathroom. Also a new pan holder in the kitchen.
- There is a new mattress and new duvet cover on the bed.
- We have purchased a new ‘smart’ television (see separate post for more details).
- Three new plug-in night lights have been provided.
- The exterior lighting had been adjusted so it stays on for a longer period when going outside the barn at night.
- Antibacterial hand-wash is now supplied as standard. This may prove to be necessary in the future when are able to welcome guests to Rhydd Barn once again.
Entrance garden -
Gardening
Our wonderful gardener has been busy at Rhydd Barn refreshing our flower pots, tubs, and baskets around the barn patio—the cyclamen look good now. And the small flower bed at the entrance to the barn has been tidied up: some unsuitable shrubs were removed in favour of smaller flowering plants (eg small roses from the local nursery in Guarlford) with a backing of slate to keep it tidy. The edging along our entrance drive has been repaired or replaced where necessary so it all looks much neater, giving a positive first impression to our visitors.
edging on entrance drive 
entrance to barn flower bed 
flower baskets on pigsty 
flower pots on patio -
Landscaping around Rhydd Barn
The small garden by the side of the entrance drive to Rhydd Barn has been re-landscaped with interesting plants surrounded by wood chips on the soil to suppress weeds and retain moisture. A new clematis has been planted in a pot at the back of the patio by the converted pigsty which should climb up the wall and around the trellis above. The fields in front of the barn have been cut for hay and bales made (see photos) resulting in a change in the landscape.
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Patio flowers
Spring tubs outside the barn.
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Flowering meadow
Primroses and cowslips are flowering in the little meadow by the entrance gate to Rhydd Barn. More primroses have been planted this month.Bluebells are flowering at the bottom of the slope behind the barn in ‘the dingle’.
The small white flowers of blackthorn are appearing in the hedgerows. A lovely warm sunny day after a cold and wet winter.
I have bought an attractive set of new saucepans for the kitchen.
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Decorating
The north wall of the Rhydd Barn facing the common needed painting and this was done last week. The other walls were repaired where necessary with white paint. The iron hand rail on the steps and iron side gate have been re-painted black.
The Barn looks very smart for the new season.
The tubs on the patio are full of fresh daffodils—so spring is coming after such a wet winter.
