• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Alex Milway - Official Website

Children's author, illustrator, screenwriter

  • About
    • School events
    • Screenwriting
  • Books
  • Freebies
  • News
  • Shop
    • Basket
    • Your account
  • Hotel Flamingo
  • Pigsticks and Harold
  • All Books
  • Big Sky Mountain
  • Mythical 9th Division
  • Mousehunter
You are here: Home / Archives for oak trees

oak trees

Little doors in the woods

6 June, 2012 by Alex

We spent a rainy weekend in our woods, de-brambling, tidying and making our log cabin livable. As much as camping is spoiled by rain, there is something magical about the sound of it falling onto trees. And you can’t beat the glisteningly moist conditions that shine at you when you first step out into the woods of a morning.

After seeing tiny pixie doors in trees at the Chelsea Flower Show (can’t remember which garden,) I thought placing some in the nooks of our many beautiful oaks would be a way of engaging my 2yr-old daughter. They need door knobs, and a few details, but you get the idea from these photos.

In the few years that we’ve been managing our wood, and thinning the dense trees, we’ve really noticed a difference. This year we’ve got two new species of tiny wild flowers, and the moss and grass is now stretching out over the open ground. Wildlife is also on the increase, and we’re seeing far more birds and butterflies than ever before. This thing is a life’s work, a twenty-year plan at least, but seeing these little victories warms the cockles of your heart!

Here’s the barebones of one of the pixie doors…

Filed Under: News Tagged With: oak trees, pixie doors, woods

Primary Sidebar

I send out a (very irregular) newsletter to all my subscribers. You’ll get exclusive little tidbits, competitions and freebies. Unsubscribe at any time

Subscribe to Milway Mail for my irrregular newsetter of freebies, news and giveaways

Latest book out now!

Big Sky Mountain

By Alex Milway

Welcome to Big Sky Mountain: a home for everyone!

Rosa has come from the city to live with Grandma Nan in the wilds of Big Sky Mountain. And what surprises are in store for her! Grandma Nan is not exactly an ordinary grandma, and Big Sky Mountain is like nowhere Rosa has dreamed about before. Grandma Nan lives in an old wooden cabin with Albert the moose and Little Pig the pygmy owl, and spends every day out on adventures. From canoeing down rapids to making friends with the local animals, life never stays still for long on Big Sky Mountain!

An exhilarating new series set in the great outdoors, from HOTEL FLAMINGO author Alex Milway.

An excellent early reader book for children aged 4-8

Funny and charming; Alex Milway has made me want to fly right into Big Sky Mountain myself. – Andy Shepherd, author of The Boy Who Grew Dragons

I want to go to Big Sky Mountain! It’s the rugged wilderness, but much softened by a comfy bear who’s a travelling salesman, a moody architect hare and some busy builder beavers who still have to learn about how to get along with the rest of the community. – Sarah McIntyre, illustrator of Pugs of the Frozen North

This is a perfect, big-hearted adventure story, with pictures and laughs on every page and an environmental message delivered with the lightest touch. Once you have met the wonderful cast of talking animals, warmed to Nan’s peculiar ways and found your feet in the wilderness, like Rosa you’ll never want to leave Big Sky Mountain. – Clara Vulliamy

As a HUGE fan of feisty grandmothers I LOVED Grandma Nan in Big Sky Mountain! Wise, capable and fearless, she is the perfect role model for her granddaughter Rosa. A wild adventure with an important message, bravo! – Sophy Henn, author and illustrator of Bad Nana

The perfect adventure to rewild young readers – Benji Davies, author and illustrator of Grandad’s Island

Out now!

Available in all good book shops.

Bookshop.org

Waterstones

Amazon

Read more about it here

View Book

Categories

Search

Footer

  • Books
  • School events
  • About
  • Shop
  • Screenwriting
  • Big Sky Mountain
  • Pigsticks and Harold
  • Hotel Flamingo
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Get my newsletter!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · Author Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in