A Bit More Of The Same....

This is a bit of a catch-up blog - catching up with the spring 'wild meadow' under my fruit trees, and finally filling my very last type-setting tray - the little terracotta pot the inspiration to do that. As promised a picture of the delightful little Koala Bear I purchased a week or two ago.

 
Isn't he just gorgeous!! My little Koala by the brilliant Shoebutton Bears is a happy addition to my small collection of their delightful animals. I especially love the quirky characters and the perfect detail.

My chum Celia aka KT Miniatures gave me this super hand-thrown terracotta pot - sorry I don't know the maker, but it looks perfect on my shelves and spurred me on to fill up the last one.  I'm sure she'll spot a few items that came from her....

This poor old case languished in the shed for several years, and then took a couple more to refurbish, and yet another to actually hang up and start to fill. Not everything on here 'special' so I can replace individual items when I find a piece that is. I had to wobble about on a bed to get this shot of it, so apologies for less than perfect pictures.....

There's the pot at the bottom - alongside one of our 1/48th scale Coombe Crafts rocking horses  - and a 'Celia' stripey vintage glass vase.

There are lots of special items on this section.....my Victorian china  doll, an old photo of my Mum as a young woman, nappy pins from my 'boys' (practically antique now!), a tiny broken carved wooden angel, vintage brooch, a lovely pair of wired vintage dolls - poor little girl hasn't photographed well - and she's lost her feet.  I had to rescue them for 50p.

Last one. More broken angels, a wonderful doll by my chum Sandra Morris aka Tower House Dolls, wonderful antique lustre glass teaset (yep that's Celia again), ancient (maybe 100 years old) Indian match boxes given to me by an Uncle and a younger couple to remind me of special holidays a long time ago. The bagpipes are another of my efforts and the 1/24th rocking horse is ours too.  Other items remind me of special artisan friends and colleagues. This is my last case  - no more wall space!!

My wild 'meadow' is so tiny it's a bit of a joke really, but we love it and it does show that even the tiniest scrap of grass can be encouraged to go wild! It's about seven years old now and gets better every year providing we cut back and mow it off in September after seeds have dropped, to reduce the vigour of the grass.

This cowslip is for Illona - they are seeding happily just like the primroses.

I think this is an oxlip - a natural cross between a cowslip and primrose, and the first time we've seen it.  Lovely!

Oh this is my gorgeous double cowslip....it isn't fertile so I am safe to plant it in the wild garden, as I wouldn't want it to cross with  the wild plants....but I love it.  No cuckoo pint flowers so far this year, I hope they haven't disappeared for ever.

Elsewhere.....Imperial Fritillary which I've waited FOR EVER to flower, and fabulous Japonica, a lovely double version.

Thank you for looking
Robin,

Blue Skies...what to do next?

It stopped raining at last - the snow missed us again - and we managed to get outside to do some very necessary and thoroughly satisfying pruning.  Underfoot it's pretty soggy, but it does look as if Spring might be here to stay.

Our lovely Almond tree is reaching for a blue sky and in my 'wild patch' under the fruit trees Spring has properly sprung with anenome, primrose and fritillaries, with cowslip and bluebells to come before the summer rush of colour.

Elsewhere the Jerusalem Cowslip (Lungwort) is a pretty picture with pale blue flowers that will turn a gentle pink in the coming days.

The Ipheon struggles a little as the bulbs are probably over-crowded now, but still puts on a dainty show. Elsewhere, in the borders bluebells are in bud, fighting everything else and will look wonderful - the celandines too with their shiny yellow faces. 
I've spent many years trying to restrain the bluebells and celandines as they are very beautiful thugs which take over. They do disappear back underground in due course so finally I've mostly given up.  I'm told that centuries ago this was a wooded area so I suppose they were here first!

I've been given a super hand-thrown terracotta pot for my type-setting shelves as I'm filling my newest at the moment.
I must stop....no more wall space! Shoebutton Bears -  a delightful miniaturist - were in Thame at a Makers and Artisan Fair today so I purchased a cute little Koala who may go there too. I'll show you both next time.

So now I'm in a miniature quandry regarding another project.....lots of 1/12th scale tiny toys that need a permanent home and/or children to play with them and a vintage barrel organ that has been looking for someone to turn the handle for several years.....my mojo isn't working at the moment.

Thanks for looking
Robin