Lucky me!

I have had some unexpected gifts just at the end of the month here...








First, I went out with the Dance teacher, to see a show by a different dance school. And lovely Karen presented me with this beautiful print from the photoshoot day with two of the girls in those pretty tutus. What a lovely and thoughtful person Karen is! I adore this picture, and it now has a temporary home in my living room, but will probable end up in the sewing room. Yes, you can see some of the Alice costumes on the wall there too.




























 Then on Friday I was presented with these gorgeous flowers, and a thank you card from one of my clients!

I was just gobsmacked! They are really beautiful!

So, I am very lucky!





And spring is busy trying to spring in the garden too... today I found these little offerings...






































We are definitely getting there!

First ladybird of the year

I spotted my first ladybird... sadly, I also spotted my first lily beetle..

 lurking amongst the dried stems of the garden geranium,

and lots of little scraps of colour, too

 double primula,












and picotee primula,

 pretty purple crocus,














dainty little dutch iris,




and the first of my scillas is also out, with promises from friends to come, too..



















and also some very strange fungi,  these black hard looking blobby things on an old field maple stump.

Edited to add, I think this is called 'King Alfreds cakes', or , more prosaically, Cramp Balls!







so, yes a good bit of today was spent in the garden, digging over one of my weed beds.. and now I am thinking what to put in to replace all those weeds I removed...

Garden Time

Yes, it is January, but a mild day today, and a dry one. So, as I am off, there is no excuse to not go out and garden.

And, 2 1/2 hours later, the green bin is full, but that is the only evidence of any work out there. That, and a few new aches round the back, and a slightly sore finger, where I tried to chop the top off it with the ratchet secateurs! Ouch! but I managed to not even break the skin, so I am just fussing really!

But I looked at the garden, and have a few plans hatching. And saw more colour than I might have expected. Ready for  a trot round my messy garden? Here goes..


This is damage from the high winds we had last back end. The trellis is completely destroyed, so we shall have to take it off, and take the opportunity to paint the fence and probably put a better quality trellis back up. There is a cute little pink rambling rose and a couple of clematis depending on the trellis in that corner.

 And how about these volunteers! snapdragons, or antirhinum if you feel posh, all  planning to provide colour later in the year! what value. I haven't planted a single one!















And these geranium are hoping for not too much frost and then they can do their thing come early summer..
 fingers crossed.

 The berberis is flowering orange. This one is also a volunteer. Or an opportunist, if you think that way. Yes, I did plant one just like this. At the other end of the garden. Self seeded? Or gardening bird!

 This is what most of my garden looks like. A good collection of all those weeds which are associated with human habitation. Bittercress, herb Robert, stinging nettle, and that variety of willowherb which pulls out so easily, but every scrap of root left behind grows into a new plant. I think it is a species of hydra!

but there is hope, too. A winter flowering clematis is starting to shoot, so maybe I will see the flowers this year? Last year they did flower, but so secretly, that I only knew by the seedheads later! Jingle Bells and Freckles are both here. Again, fingers crossed!

 The perennial poppy is staring up,

as is the Philadelphus,  and the rosemary,

 And for colour, these little hearts-ease,

and a very early anemone,

























 a very late Kaffir lily,




and a timely winter flowering honeysuckle. 
















Promises are being made by this white camellia- well it will be white, when it does flower!












and other sparks of colour by some fungi which are also volunteering..

 Now, it is not that I have been doing no sewing! But the sewing I have been doing is still top secret! so, perhaps a little sneaky preview shot! I am fairly confident my intended recipient does not usually look at this, anyway, so this is a little corner- I wonder will they like?

I shall let you know in due course!

Wonky February starts

The stash bee queen for February has called for her blocks. She wanted wonky blocks, one each of a log cabin and a star. I think I am not alone in fnding wonky difficult at times. Apart from anything else, the frugal bit of me hates to cut off that seam at an angle, and screams 'you can't waste that bit! Make it straight, it is so much more economical' .

But, as you can see, I have managed a wonky star, and most of my log cabin is wonky. Ish. Sort of. It will have to do.

 Joining in the wonky theme. An amaryllis. Yes, I know, they are not called that any more. There was a name change. But that is what it was when I was little, so I shall still call it that. But an amaryllis with a wonk!

Why is it wonky?

Normally you would suppose I had it with that bud toward the window.

But just look at the other side.

 You can just about see, the bud the other side, is trying to grow wonky the other way....


I think I got a wonky amaryllis!












 Signs of spring are starting. First primroses, and the very first snowdrops are making their presence felt in the garden.





We were out for an hour today, pruning and chopping- maybe a little early, but the day was clement, and no guarantee of another such day in the next week or so, so we filled the 'green' bin, and then some. And called a halt once that was done.











And this is for my daughters. She only wants some more food! Poor half starved little Genny cat!