The Oaks West Sussex

23/04/2024

Lovely feedback from lovely guests who really enjoyed some Spring Stay in Sussex!

22/09/2023

Late summer - how fast the last two seasons seem to have passed… and yet nature has achieved so much…

28/08/2023

Some of the lovely reviews from our Bank Holiday Guests - what perfect weather we had for Taking Time!

16/08/2023

At the weekend we held our monthly tea party for the elderly - I’m the local coordinator for Horsham and have a team of wonderful volunteer drivers who pick guests up and take them home again after the event. It’s such a special, social time and is so important - under the umbrella of the National charity who organise similar groups all over the country - well worth looking up if you can help in a driver or host role, or know anyone who may enjoy joining their local group as a guest.

30/07/2023

Blackbirds nesting under cover by the bog 🙂. We have left bushes and reeds to provide cover for wildlife, and have planted Irises which are more colourful each Spring… We now have hedgehogs, a huge resident grass snake and range of birds nests - some lined with fleece from the sheep - Nature is so resourceful!👍🌻🌼

02/07/2023

Some lovely reviews posted online from lovely weekend camping guests 🙂it’s so good to be able to watch the wildlife returning to our patch - and to be able to share the buzzing meadow with others.

04/06/2023

We treated all the sheep with Fly Strike Lotion today, to help prevent them from the debilitation condition that can so quickly prove fatal to healthy animals - it gave me the perfect excuse for a cuddle with the beautiful lambs: every one so different!

17/05/2023

A lovely message from a lovely couple - it’s always great to hear that guests have enjoyed their stay!

05/05/2023

The vivid yellow of R**e fields is just as striking as the soft blue of bluebell woods - a short but very special time - well worth a trip to the country for

01/05/2023

Happy 1st May - twins born today!

18/04/2023

The woodland strip is awakening - spring sunshine, long awaited, is gently warming the ground & encouraging the delicate woodland Anemones, Violets, Milkmaids & the carpet of bluebells where we have removed strangling brambles, allowing more light & opportunity for early spring wild blooms... The garden boarders are filling with baby blue Forget-Me-Nots, increasingly mixed with pale pink and whites… We continue work to allow more light to the woodland flowers, encouraging them to spread and their flowers to bloom - providing important early pollen for the spring bees.

12/04/2023

What a wild, windy day🙃. Oscar’s just experimenting:
“how long will it be before I take off?”
nearly there, looking at those ears! Then a bit of yoga - he has not quite got “down dog” but it’s all about the intention of the practice, not the accuracy of the movement🙂👍

04/04/2023

Here comes the Sun!
Just in time for the Easter Break… let’s hope it dries up the land - we have huge pop-up lakes in the garden - and the vegetable garden is resembling a mid bath atm… can’t wait for it to dry out so the seedlings can move on from the greenhouse and make room for more plantings! The woodland is a Happy Place, with woodland anemones, viola and bluebells amongst others coming into their own👍🌱

07/03/2023

Grandparents garden album - my parents have finally moved into a more suitable house - long overdue but sad too, after more than 50 happy years in their previous home. So I’ve made a lovely album of their garden memories - with the help of - a great company that prints exactly what you want, how you want it, speedily and very affordably! 👍🙂🌻.

02/12/2022

The guilty face of a boy who has spent a happy afternoon on a lily-pollen strewn compost heap!

21/09/2022

It's amazing to discover how hilly Horsham district is - or perhaps 'mountainous' (that's certainly what it felt like as I was pulled up the very steep hill at the start of this walk by my trusty whippet!).Along the route, late summer is the perfect time

It’s amazing to discover how hilly Horsham district is – or perhaps ‘mountainous’ (that’s certainly what it felt like as I was pulled up the very steep hill at the sta…

19/09/2022

"Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God.” Queen Elizabeth ll. Christmas broadcast, 2002.

15/09/2022

Three Wonderfully fresh, colourful salads made with home grown produce... easily adapted for vegans, and quick to assemble for lunch or dinner :-)

All either naturally or easily adapted to be wheat and dairy free, vegetarian / vegan, fresh and totally delicious! 1. Miso, Mirin, Maple Syrup & Sesame Roasted Sweet Potato. 2. French Bean, Ro…

12/09/2022

Summer Harvest Salads this weekend: 1. Roasted tomato, whole roasted garlic & green bean with balsamic drizzle. 2. Soft boiled egg, baby salad leaf & caramelised onion. 3. Sweet Potato with couscous, baby greens & a fab sesame oil, miso, mirin & maple syrup dressing. All bursting with vibrant colours, taste & textures. And all from the veg plot!

06/09/2022

This easy circular ramble begins outside St Andrew’s, Nuthurst’s pretty church then gently meanders past the old nursery site of the specialists ‘Architectural Plants’.

http://theoakswestsussex.co.uk/2022/09/06/nuthurst-woodland-3-8m-6km-circular/

Starting and ending outside the pretty Nuthurst church, with easy parking. This is an easy, pretty meander passing by exotic trees and traditional woodland, with only a couple of styles.

05/09/2022

100% recommend Amazingly friendly hosts. Peaceful and lots of wildlife including an adorable wild cat. Facilities were so clean and perfect. Highly recommend. Will be staying again for sure.

31/08/2022

Lovely reviews from lovely guests - showing 100% 5 star feedback on Airbnb this summer for Quality, Cleanliness, Accuracy, Communication, Check-in, and Value! So glad that all our guests have enjoyed their stay so much🙂👍🌻

28/08/2022

It was a year ago yesterday that we first met Oscar… thanks for being such a bit part of our family, Little Man! Xx

22/08/2022

Off to pastures new! We took 3 of our lovely boys to join their uncles who went to their forever homes in East@Sussex last year - lo lovely to see the older boys looking so happy and so much more mature - and good to see this years arrivals settling in - they started off with breakfast in a smaller pen, joined by Dipsy and stinky-Winky, two pigmy goats who they will share their huge new pastures with! Good to see them happy and in such good forever hands🙂👍

20/08/2022

In Spring I look out for any seedlings that local gardeners are throwing out - tomatoes and chilliest are most common. That “lucky dip” approach means that we always have the most amazing varieties - Black Russian is star of the show this year, but the Tiny Tim are sweeter than sweeties! Beefsteaks are yet to ripen and the heritage varieties colouring up beautifully. Our pick ‘n mix of chillies Chillies are also loving the new greenhouse… Why are they called chillies?!

15/08/2022

Lovely reviews from some lovely guests… what a fab weekend it was for simple outdoor time!

05/08/2022

Time to harvest lavender flowers and trim back plants to ensure neat growth next year. I love to save the drying flower heads before they lose their soft purple blue colour. We use them in dried flower arrangements and also dried flower bouquets to hang in wardrobes or place in clothes drawers. The lovely scent is such a treat when the wardrobe or drawer is opened - and also helps deter moths, who dislike lovely smells!

25/07/2022

Some lovely reviews from some of this weekends lovely camping guests - a good time was had by all, with firefly, hawk, owl, butterfly, rabbit and of course sheep watching taking priority - helping guests to slow down from their usual lives, and take a nature focused break!

16/07/2022

… A busy evening last night in the vegetable garden! Soldier beetles are beautiful and beneficial to plants - eating aphids and pollen ( thereby helping with bug control, & to pollinate plants they visit!👍)

12/07/2022

A look back at last month in the garden... a bit late, but this year is buzzing by faster than ever!

http://theoakswestsussex.co.uk/2022/07/12/june-2022-garden-gallery/

A look back at last month in the garden… how time flies!