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Monthly Archives: March 2019

Breakfast, Jays and Nothing

We love this special breakfast!

Eggy bread with fruit, maple syrup and creme fraiche

A pair of Jays visited us briefly this morning and I managed to just catch one through the window. What beautiful birds they are!

One of the pair

One of our Cornish pre-schools sent this poem home  and it resonated with me. How many times have our kids said,”Nothing!” when asked what they’ve been up to at school? This is the same school where the children will be painting their noses red for Red Nose Day next week rather than buying lots of plastic noses – well done to the staff leading the way. I love their attitude.

The Nothing Poem

 

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A Spring Lunch, A Yellow Splash and A Gift

A bright day today with the odd hail shower found me first pruning odd shrubs and then indoors working on my glass pieces. An easy and favourite colourful lunch was what we needed.

Avocado, Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad

Between the tree trunks and through other bulbs, the splash of bright yellow seen from the kitchen window brightens up the garden.

Daffodils

I am loving playing with glass, creating pretty pieces especially using bits of earrings etc given to me by friends. Yesterday I came home to find a little bag hanging on the front door handle.

From Margaret – thank you so much!

Here are my newest pieces at the design stage. They may change before they are done.

Two pieces in the making

 

 

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Six on Saturday – Here and There

It has been quite cool and windy this last week but Spring flowers still delight us in the garden. The Crocuses are all gone but the Muscari, the Tete a Tete, other Narcissi and the Chionodoxa Pink Giant are all looking lovely.

1.  The double wall garden is full of colour. I am very pleased that I oiked out all the thuggish wild strawberry plants a few weeks ago. The bulbs have flourished since.

In the double wall

2.  The Chionodoxa have opened and look really lovely. Thank you to SOS readers who helped me to identify these last week.

Chionodoxa Pink Giant

3.  We have been thinking that two little bushes that we bought last year, Potentilla Snowflake,to go on either side of the steps, had died but yesterday noticed a tiny leaf. I shall have to keep an eye on the weather as icy storms seem to be forecast  next week and I would hate the newly emerged leaves to be killed off.

Potentilla Snowflake is waking up

4.   It’s time to plant up the edible garden in the trough that is just underneath the kitchen window. I have some herbs there all year – two Thymes and the Borage keeps going and Chives for most of the year. I suddenly noticed how well the Garlic Chives are doing already.

Garlic chives

5.  The next two are not in our garden but in the gardens of Burncoose nurseries where we went for a short walk this afternoon – Magnolia . Click on the photos to get the full picture.

6.   We heard this bush/shrub/tree before we found it! It was alive with the buzzing of bees! Neither of us know what it is so here is a close up of the flowers and a longer shot of the bush/shrub/tree to show its size. Look carefully, there is another enormous Magnolia behind.

To see what other gardeners are talking about for their Six on Saturday, visit The Propagator  and read the comments from people all over the world. You could join in too!

 

I love patterns in numbers and words –  palindromes, the 9x table for instance.  I am easily pleased – today I have 2,222 followers, a pleasing number in several ways!

 

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International Women’s day

Here’s to all the wonderful women who have been or are still in my life – my Mum who gave me the confidence to be me and to enjoy being a Mum myself, my Granny who taught me to knit, crochet and play cards, my Great Granny the Suffragette, our beautiful Daughters, our feisty Granddaughters and my wonderful friends including my dear Readers.

Here’s to strong women everywhere

And remember, all you strong and resilient women, what you are! Think positive!

Thank you to whoever wrote these words

Some flowers for you all.

In our garden

 
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Posted by on March 8, 2019 in Uncategorized

 

World Book Day, Buds and Narcissi

I love the idea of World Book Day

I would nominate The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle for littl’uns and Stig of the Dump by Clive King for 7-9 year olds.

We have buds on our Cornus. It’s looking better than in previous years so we are hoping there is no bitterly cold spell to come. They are opening rather early……

Cornus Controversa Variegata

These Narcissi are beautiful, in the walled garden just outside the kitchen, and they make me smile.

Narcissi

 

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Friendship, Daffodils and A Laugh

A dear friend turned up this lunchtime with a beautiful bunch of daffodils for me – much appreciated kindness.

Bouquet in a red jug

The daffodils in the front garden seem to be surviving the winds.

Front garden daffodil

The following came my way recently and, as a retired English teacher, it appealed to me.

Love this!  Thanks to Blazek.

 

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Victorian Tiles, Primroses and Split Peas

I visited a friend this morning and just love the colours in her hallway floor.

Victorian tiled floor

I think Primroses are my favourite flowers.

Primroses

I made Dahl this afternoon and just loved the goldenness of the just washed yellow split peas.

Golden split peas

 

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Tin, Fresh Eggs and Armandii

Today I was sent a link to an excerpt from the play The Fate of Jeremy Visick and thought you might like to see it. My review of the play was in yesterday’s blog.

I love it when our fresh eggs from friends’ chickens have straw on them!

Fresh eggs

Our Clematis Armandii is heavy with buds, the best it has ever been. We’re looking forward to the flowers.

Armandii buds

 

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A Play, A Pie and My Glass for Sale

A few weeks ago, a lovely friend saw the poster below, advertising a play that had been written from one of my Dad’s novels – The Fate of Jeremy Visick

Stage Struck and The Fate of Jeremy Visick

I saw the play last night and was moved to tears by this production. The interpretation of the story, the bringing up-to-date of elements, the cast – especially the two amazing 11 years olds who played Matthew and Jeremy – the music, the use of technology, the very cleverly designed set all combined to make an unforgettable evening and one which my dear Dad would have been so proud to know about! I sat there almost bursting with pride that all those people were there, on stage and in the audience, because my lovely Dad had written this story! Thank you to Judith Nicholls and to all involved. Let’s hope it can be put on again. It deserves a much wider audience.

I made a Turkey and Leek pie for dinner tonight.

Turkey and Leek pie

I visited the display of my glass in The Craft Collective while in town on Saturday! I’ve up-cycled  lots of the bits of sea-glass, earrings, bracelets and other beady bits that friends have given me and have lots more for the next series that I have started already.

Inside The Craft Collective

My first eight pieces

 

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Six on Saturday – Replanting and Spring Bulbs

We’ve started the work on the Suffragette Garden that needs an overhaul. The blind Narcissi in the first photo are now out and the ground ready for planting.

1.

Blind Narcissi

2.  The ground is already for planting…..

Ready

3. …… and the Hebes are in, ‘Baby Marie’  which will grow to 40 cms and I hope, in time, they will make a little hedge. The have white flowers but the buds are tinged with purple so will be perfect for this garden.

Baby Marie

4.  I was given these bulbs for Christmas a few years ago but nothing happened and I had forgotten all about them. This year, here they are in the little wall garden and I don’t know what they are called. Help, anyone?

Identity needed

5.   The Narcissi are brightening up a dark corner. I’m hoping Storm Freya, which is on its way won’t beat them down.

More Narcissi

6.   Now for something completely different!  It is St Piran’s Day here in Cornwall and our little town celebrates with a parade and hundreds of daffodils – in every shop window, in lapels, as decoration. It’s great fun!

For others in the Six on Saturday challenge, please visit the Propagator where gardeners from all over the world add links in the comments.

 

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