Hello!

My poor neglected blog! It's been sitting here in the background all summer patiently waiting for me to come and pay it some attention.

So where was I? Ah, yes, flowers. Plenty of them. The glorious summer that was 2013 gave me the cutting garden that I've always dreamed of.

I have had literally vaseful after vaseful of them for the last six months. I give them away by the bucketload and I can make an impromptu gift at the snip of my scissors.

I have done barely any crafting; no quilting or sewing at all, a little crochet in an attempt to get through the stash and last week as I felt the season had changed for sure, I cast on a pair of socks. All my time has been spent outdoors, and I have loved every minute of it.

Back in July, my allotment looked relatively tidy and was just starting to give me fruit and vegetables on a regular basis.

Then it went slightly mad. This is how it looked last week:

I could be working down there and be completely hidden from view. This weekend saw the start of the big tidy up, but let's talk about that another time.

When I wasn't outside in my own patch, I managed to grab a couple of weekends away camping and a trip to the Moreton Show, where I came away dreaming of livestock and wonderful different breeds of poultry. Ok, so maybe not this splendid chap!

Other days have been spent with friends and just generally catching up.

Now the nights are drawing in and I find myself craving the cosy side of crafting again. And that is a very good thing as I have been thrilled to work on an exciting project that will be revealed at the end of the week.

Oh, did I mention my dahlias? I'm in love.

RHS Hampton Court Flower Show in 10 ...

•  A surprise message popped up on my Twitter page on Monday - with congratulations, I had won 2 tickets to the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show from Sophie Conran! There may or may not have been an excited squeal. Then I went into panic mode because my reply kept failing so I had to anxiously wait for 24 hours to see if it was actually true. Time felt as though it was ticking away as the only day I was going to be able to honour the tickets was yesterday as my week was all accounted for. In a flurry of emails on Tuesday evening, it all fell into place.  Rather aptly, considering my backyard companions (scroll down through the post!), Sophie is one of a team of designers who have created a henhouse, all of which are being auctioned, with the proceeds going to the RHS Campaign for School Gardening.

• After a journey that comprised of a car drive to my Mum's (who was my companion for the day), a bus, a tube, a train and finally a boat down the short stretch of the Thames from Hampton Court Station to the entrance of the show, we finally arrived to a gloriously sunny day. Perhaps it was the soaring temperatures that drew me to the cooler coloured plantings. This Willow Pattern garden reminded me of Alice.

• This garden won Best in Show and I loved the planting and the idea behind it. I'm thinking of adding something watery to my garden in the autumn. The agapanthus were absolutely enormous - I must read up on how to increase the flower size on mine, which has been in decline over the years.

• I think this was actually my favourite stand in the show. I love everything about it. It was by Wild Thyme Nursery in the Floral Marquee.

• I made notes and took photos of many plants I would like to add to my garden, including this dahlia from The National Dahlia Collection.

• This rose, that I will be on the look out for in the autumn to plant as a bare-root plant. So pretty.

• I think finding a spot for this climbing rose is a high priority, with its namesake patrolling the garden on an hourly basis!

• I loved the Franchi Seed stand in the Growing for Taste marquee. We arrived just after they'd had a royal visitor apparently! 

• If the mood took you, there was copious amounts of opportunity to spend, spend, spend. I could only dream ... about the greenhouse of my dreams ... maybe one day ...

• I did concede to one purchase other than a packet of seeds! I bought the 2 clematis shown here to use with the willow support I made last year. They are fabulously healthy plants and full of buds and promise. Cool spectrum colours again, and a reminder of a wonderful day out.

Ten things ...

• I have been drooling over tiny bowls in a heavenly shop. Alas, they didn't come home with me.

• I had the most amazing massage.

• No2 and I went to the zoo. Seven years. To say I was thrilled that Molly the giraffe approached the new bridge feature is an understatement. But, yes, that is a carrot on the right of the picture. Sadly not proffered by me though.

• No2 now wants a lizard. Possibly a bearded one ...

• My auriclas are jostling with my love of tulips as my favourite flower. The tulips need to be careful - I am fickle.

• I have been busy sewing a wonderful custom order for some kitchen accessories. Who knew double oven gloves and simple running stitches could give me (and hopefully my customer) so much pleasure.

• There are parts of my garden that are swathed in blue - some that I have planted intentionally ...

• ... and some that I have not.

• I have been enjoying other people's gardens. It looked very different from my last visit in September.
• My own garden and new allotment are keeping me busy and this gorgeous sunshine is renewing my energy in leaps and bounds. Have a great weekend - you'll find me outside!

Unexpected memories...

A few weeks ago I went to visit the most beautiful garden on one of its open days with the National Gardening Scheme. Its owner, Philippa, had tweeted some photographs of her garden earlier on in September and I commented that it looked like the garden of my dreams. To see it for myself was a treat I couldn't resist. And so, one bright Sunday morning we set off.

My photos really don't do any justice to the garden, but here are a few of my favourites.

I adored the planting and came home brimming with inspiration for next year.

This chicken wire fox would be a welcome addition to my garden - somewhere down near the chicken coop would be perfect! Isn't he fabulous?

*******

I hadn't been in the garden very long when I realised that it had a very familiar feeling to it:

When I was young, we had family in rural Essex who we visited maybe once a year and were always told to be on our absolute best behaviour (as if two young girls could ever be on anything else!). My great-aunt lived there, with my Dad's cousin (her daughter) but I only ever remember going there when it was just my great-aunt at home. Perhaps we were too naughty to be presented to this elusive relative and her husband? There was also a second cousin (I think that's what he was to me!) but he went to boarding school and so he was also very mysterious to my sister and me at such a young age. The threat of boarding school was always present, as though it were a huge punishment.

There was lots about the house that kept us in awe. It was huge for a start and set in 27 acres of land, 26 of which were woodland that edged up to the lawn at the back of the garden and into which, we were warned NEVER to set foot in. I remember begging my Dad to take us in, but I don't think we ever went further than a few feet to collect mushrooms.

I asked my mum to dig out a few photos to see if my memory was being reliable about the similarities to Philippa's garden. I think the style of the house and the gravel drive are quite alike and probably what set the memory machine in motion.  This photo was probably taken in the late '60's.

The gardens were my aunt's pride and joy. To have the space to run around in was always such a treat; there was always a new area to discover - a kitchen garden, a greenhouse with peaches and cacti, a rose garden with a fountain. (That's me, in the anorak!) It all looks quite newly planted in these photos and I've been wondering what it would perhaps look like now. I have looked on Google Earth, but it is all a bit grainy.

The biggest thrill for my sister and I was the trampoline and climbing frame, and in later years, there was a swimming pool. (That's me, below, hanging upside down!)

We absolutely loved going there for so many reasons. It felt so far removed from our normal lives in the suburbs of London. We played croquet on the lawn and were allowed into the sitting room in the afternoon, where I started my love affair with Scrabble. My aunt was my inspiration into the world of craft and sewing and I would love to sit and sew with her. Her embroidery was a thing of beauty and I always wanted to have a sewing purse that I carried with me at all times in my (vast) handbag.

It's funny, isn't it, what will trigger a barrage of memories? Philippa, thank you so much for opening and sharing your fabulous garden. It was an absolute treat and the cake was excellent ; )

A week in pictures...

Thank you so much for leaving me such heartfelt comments on my anniversary post.  I wrote the post last week and scheduled it to publish while I was away for the weekend. What a treat to come back to lots of lovely comments!

The last seven days have been filled productively, so in the spirit of continuing with my online journal, this post will be photo heavy and short on words!

Sunset on Chesil Beach, last weekend

Fossil-hunting

Coffee at somewhere rather special in Axminster

Fishing off the beach. Check out the concentration!

Fresh mackerel for dinner

I managed to squeeze in one last camping weekend, in Dorset. The mackerel went from sea to plate in less than an hour. Hugh would've been proud of me!  We had two sunny days and a final day of persistent rain, but hey-ho! I got a very soggy tent dried at home eventually.

Getting dressed up on Wednesday...

... to attend a luncheon at Wadham College, Oxford University for Women of the Year, raising awareness for The Mulberry Bush School

I was thrilled to have been nominated for this fund-raising lunch. I thoroughly lapped up the experience and tradition of the day and was entertained afterwards by Emma Bridgewater and Dame Catherine Wybourne. I'm struggling to describe how it felt to be sat amongst 160 women. I felt very honoured, yet hugely welcomed.


There has also been a meeting of minds from a friend who I 'met' on Twitter, a bit of cooking, a bit of coping with decreasing pain medication but not a lot of crafting. Yet. I'm dying to get back to my sewing machine or knitting needles. This weekend, though, the garden is calling to me to finish off some jobs and do some general tidying after the wild and windy weather of the last week.  Have a good one, whatever you may be doing.

Whichford Pottery...

One of my favourite jobs in September is planning what bulbs to buy for some eagerly awaited spring colour. It is no secret that tulips are my all time favourite flower although this year they have had a run for their money with some of the wonderful cut flowers that I have grown.

I have learnt so much about growing this year from the people I have 'met' on Twitter and so I couldn't wait to go to the bulb sale at Whichford Pottery that Harriet had given me the heads up on earlier in the summer.

In a serendipitous moment, I realised that the pottery was just a few miles away from my bestest friend and so I booked myself a room with her for the weekend and armed with my list, off we went.

Whichford is a slice of terracotta heaven. I think I have in excess of fifty or so pots/crate/containers in my garden but I came away thinking I could never have enough. The entrance to the pottery lures you in immediately with its archway of pots and I was instantly in love with Harriet's planting. Why on earth have I never thought of planting dahlias in pots?

The courtyard garden was fabulous. I particularly liked the display with succulents in tiny pots surrounded by gravel. The planting was so different from the usual suspects that I always feel uninspired with at the garden centres and nurseries that I visit. It was an absolute feast for the eyes.

 

Having ooh-ed and aah-ed in the courtyard, we made our way into the yard that housed the pots. I was literally like a kid in a sweet shop. The studios were open and we had a nosy around and a chat with one of the potters who talked to us at length about the process of making pots using moulds and then hand-finishing the designs. I said she must have the best job in the world and her face lit up as she agreed!

After having purchased our bulbs in the marquee we had time for tea and cake - always a Very Good Thing.  My thoughts on some things have done a complete u-turn: I would normally say that I couldn't stand begonias, but look at that beauty in the cake photo. Next year I will definitely have a couple of them somewhere on my deck.

 

I have pinned all the bulbs that I am planting for next spring to keep me going through the dark days of winter ahead. I will be looking forward to some other bulbs that I have not grown before too. For now they are all tucked away in the cool of my garage until I plant them in November.

It's not all about looking ahead though. My garden is still supplying me with just the right amount of cut flowers and I hope it will continue for quite a few more weeks until it is ready to be put to bed for the winter.

Six years...

Today is Tom's sixth Angel Anniversary.

This photo was taken on his first day of nursery at Big School. He was so excited and wanted to wear his favourite train sweatshirt.

No2 and I went to the zoo today, as we usually do to mark the day. Our ZSL membership includes Whipsnade so we decided it might be a drier option because at least we would have the car to shelter in. A wise decision as the rain and wind were foul.

This year's favourites? The bears, hands down. They reminded me of one of Tom's favourite books from nursery.

Brown bear,

brown bear,

what do you see?

I see...

a hippo, yawning at me.*

Or it could have been an elephant who had decided, in her wisdom, that hay was more stylish to wear rather than eat!

*keeping it topical and hoping Eric Carle doesn't mind.