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Tag Archives: rosemary

Herb Garden, Chimneys and Book No 5

It’s my Mum’s birthday today and, of course, she has been in my mind especially today. I was thinking about what I had learned from her – about gardening, cooking, being forgiving, being kind and above all, finding the good in everyone and the beauty in everything. Mum always had a herb garden close to the kitchen as we do too.

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

Mum also collected old chimneys to plant up and I have inherited them. You can see just a few in the next photo.

Some of Mum’s chimneys, this front one with Heliotrope still in flower on 5th November and planted every year to remember Mum

Mum’s father was Welsh, she was half Welsh and I am one quarter Welsh. My book today is Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. When I was very young we used to listen to this fabulous confection of words and magical imagination on two vinyl records and I heard it often. Later I was bought the tapes and later still, I chose to teach it as part of the GCSE English literature course. I know it almost by heart.

Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas on vinyl

Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas on cassette tapes

Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 5, 2018 in books, environment, family, garden, Photography, poetry, Postaday2018

Tags: rosemary, sage, thyme, Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas

Yellow, A Surprise and A Bee

13 Apr

Cornwall is very beautifully yellow at this time of year – Primroses in the hedgerows, Daffodils along the verges, Forsythia in gardens, Dandelions, Celandines and Gorse just everywhere, down every lane we travel along.

Forsythia

Daffodils

Dandelion

Primroses

Celandines

We bought the magazine Cornwall Today yesterday because there is a feature on Port Isaac where family will be staying this summer. Imagine my delight to find a short article about me and my Suffragette Great Granny! I had completely forgotten the phone call some months ago!

Article in Cornwall Today, April

Bees have arrived in our garden. They love the Rosemary flowers.

A bee on the Rosemary

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 13, 2018 in Beauty, environment, family history, garden, nature, Photography, Postaday2018, Suffragettes

Tags: Holloway Prison, primroses in Cornish hedges, rosemary, suffragette diary.wordpress.com

Minton Tiles, Lettuces and Spring Flowers

30 Mar

It has been a glorious sunny Spring day and I have spent much of it in the garden, tidying up and doing a bit of planting as the lovely Mr S continues to get the boat ready for launch next week. I have cleared out the veg trug and collected several old tiles from around the garden, all of which were my Mum’s and I have decorated the trug with the Minton tiles. I’ll show you the others another day.

Scattering seeds

Knife sharpening

I have planted some herbs and half a dozen lettuces. I buy ‘living lettuce’ plants from the super-market and plant them as we don’t have a greenhouse to raise our own baby plants from seed. They have been very successful in the past.

Lettuces

I picked a lovely little bunch of Spring flowers for Easter weekend.

My Easter flowers

A sad P.S. Our friend J was right in his thoughts that our little Bullfinch might be poorly. I checked on the RSPB website and discovered the problem. They advise removing all sources of food and water for three weeks so that the infection won’t be passed on and sterilising the feeders (which we do clean regularly). So, there won’t be any bird photos for a while. Thanks to J for pointing us in the right direction.

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on March 30, 2018 in antiques, art, Beauty, ceramics, environment, garden, nature, Photography, Postaday2018

Tags: antique Minton tiles, Muscari, primroses, rosemary

Bluebell, Clematis and Bombylius Major

24 Apr

1 Our first Bluebell is just about to open. I love bluebells.

Our first Bluebell

2 There are lots of pretty blue and white Clematis Macropetala flowers in the front garden.

Clematis Macropetala

3 While taking more photos for the Weekly Photo Challenge, I could hear buzzing so set off to find the bumblebee. I had never seen a bee like this with such a long proboscis so came to look it up and discovered that it may be beautiful to look at, it is not beautiful in its behaviour and it isn’t actually a bee but a Bee Fly.

Bombylius Major on the Lithodora, Heavenly Blue

Another view – Bombylius Major on the Rosemary, showing the wings

According to Wikipedia, The large bee fly, Bombylius major, is a bee mimic. The eggs are flicked by the adult female toward the entrance of the underground nests of solitary bees and wasps. After hatching, the larvae find their way into the nests to feed on the grubs.^[1]

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 24, 2013 in environment, flowers, garden, insects, nature, photography, Postaday2013

Tags: bluebell, Bombylius Major, bumble bee, clematis macropetala, Lithodora Heavenly Blue, rosemary

Suffragette Garden, ‘The Lion and Albert’ and Rosemary

05 Dec

1 Just look at these beautiful narcissi coming into flower in my garden to honour Suffragettes, all in purple, white and green. The Hebes are doing well too.

Early Narcissi

Hebe

2 I was talking about this very entertaining poem with a good friend the other day. If you don’t know it, do listen to this recording by Stanley Holloway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3jXMsfLxhI This edition, illustrated by Caroline Holden, done as a photograph album, is a delight.

The Lion and Albert by Marriot Edgar

3 I love being able to go out into the garden to get my herbs. Tonight I need Rosemary to finish off the Sweet Potato and Chestnut Roast that I have made for our lovely friends who are coming for dinner.

Rosemary in the garden

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 5, 2012 in books, children's, flowers, Food, garden, growing, nature, photography, picture story books, postaday2012

Tags: Caroline Holden, Marriott Edgar, monologue, Postaday, postaday2012, rosemary, Suffragette Garden, Sweet Potato and Chestnut Roast., The Lion and Albert

Network Cornwall, Spring Flowers and Namche Bazaar to Khumjung

16 Feb

1 Been listening to my lovely Dad’s beautiful voice today! When, in 2004, he was given a terminal diagnosis, we spent time together recording some of the life stories he used to tell us. I haven’t listened to them before and I have now asked for help on Network Cornwall to get them transcribed. As usual, NC has come up trumps. Thank you.

2 In our garden today – miniature daffodils, tiny iris, delicate snowdrops and beautiful blue rosemary already in flower.

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3 Lucy’s itinerary tells us that today she will have trekked from Namche Bazaar to Khumjung and they are now at 12,434ft .