Once again it will be a difficult Christmas for many but I hope that you will find some joy and happiness, however you celebrate it.
I sincerely hope that 2022 will be a much better year for us all, and thank all the very many people who are doing all they can to keep us safe, and hope that they too remain safe.
Children bring fun and happiness at this time of year so I hope you like this little card made by lovely little girl.
Robin xx
Oh my word...my last blog was back in July.....so without actually meaning to, I've taken the summer off.
The ongoing covid pandemic still affects the lives of most of us, of course, so like everyone else we've seen less of our extended family and missed regular 'outings'.....but Hey! We've got a super garden and that's where we've been.
You might remember my moan earlier in the year about the local squirrels 'out to get me', digging up my bulbs and burying nuts - hazel, horse chestnut, almond and walnut - which they forget, so consequently sprout like mad all over the garden. A couple of weeks ago I was happily pruning (hacking back) one of the willows when I turned to find a beautiful young fox gazing at me, as bemused as I was!
We chased each other around the garden for a bit and he vanished. He obviously liked the place and came back that night to dig a humungous hole and tunnel right on the edge of my lovely wild patch.
Beautiful as he was and a delight to see, I don't want him living in my garden so I hopped to Google and found that preventative measures include lion poo, male predator urine and jeyes fluid. Not having a handy lion I resorted to used cat litter (well, while not an obvious fox predator, our cat Sammy is male...) and we had jeyes fluid in the shed. Great! That worked. So he dug another hole. Tried it all again and that worked too. So he dug another!! Then I bought some expensive anti-fox treatment and grabbed some bits of smashed up concrete from a neighbour who was conveniently digging up a path. Lobbed the concrete into the holes, sprayed it all with the posh stuff, raked back all the spoil and stood back.
So, far so good!!!! Such mad fun in gardening!
We've spent a lot of time cutting stuff down and have enough sturdy hazel poles to build several natty pergolas, and shredded lots. It gave us room to create a new wild patch and enjoy the tiny cyclamen coming out now. Our old rusty owl has moved into it, having been buried under a bush for at least a year.
.....since my last blog, but I see I'm in good company because it does seem that many of us have been taking a mini break. So I don't know about everyone else but I've been gardening - for weeks - avidly watching Wimbledon tennis and the wonderful England fotball squad....and.... well just messing about I suppose!
With nothing vaguely interesting to report - covid has meant we're all missing family and friends and trips to the cinemas and theatres, I shall fall back on the flowers that always lift my spirits. The following pictures are of the garden over the last few weeks.
And finally - Mother Nature does do it best! Hollyhocks have escaped from a nearby garden and wonderful wild Willowherb make such a beautiful combination at the back of a car park.
Thank you for looking. Stay safe in these difficult days.
Robin
I do enjoy seeing the cheeky little squirrels running around, scrambling along the fences and tight-rope walking the telephone wires.....but....I wish they'd stay out of my garden.
Early in the year we spotted, to our great surprise, three very healthy broad bean plants coming up in the front garden. It didn't take much working out to figure the squirrels had buried them as they do nuts - and forgotten them.
So I dug them up and replanted them in the back garden where we planned to plant a row, and they are thriving. In a rare moment of assisting the vegetable chief (husband) I actually planted the bean seeds alongside for him. Eventually up popped three shoots. They didn't appear to grow - someone - which had to be a pesky squirrel, had dug up the beans and left the now wilting shoots.
No more shoots appeared....because the little blighter had dug them all up!!! We've planted some spare ones in pots to plant out when they are actual plants - we'll beat them yet!
I don't have a nice patch of newly planted daffodils....or tulips either! Two years ago they robbed me of 25 new frilliary bulbs! Every time we dig we find lots and lots of walnuts, and conkers (horse chestnuts) neither of which we have in our garden. We do have little hazel nut trees - but never can never find a nut on our own tree (and small walnut and conker trees) and we have to be really quick to grab our almonds before they do. I'm told that scattering polo mints deters them - I'm not convinced.
As I say, they're fun little animals to watch but I wish they'd stay out of my garden.
Stay safe - take care.
Robin x
It occurred to me when I was planting up my Mum's old basket, pictured below, then again when the first crocus began to bloom that I don't ever remember learning about gardening...somehow or other it led me to being a really keen gardener. It got me thinking...
Back in the day when I was a girl in the 1950s/60s - SO many years ago now!!! - most families had a garden and gardened - fruit, veg and flowers...the old cottage garden principle. A little of what you fancy does you good! As a product of wartime austerity and make do and mend principles, as well as her own upbringing it was second nature to my Mother to plant seeds, take cuttings and split plants - garden centres didn't exist until well into the 1960s, although specialist nurseries did exist, and I learned grafting from my rose grower Uncle.
As soon we were judged safe in charge of an old kitchen fork we would be pricking out seedlings and planting them into wooden trays cadged from the greengrocer or market and lined with newspaper (plastic mushroom boxes are a wonderful modern equivalent). When they became too ancient they went on the compost heap or provided kindling for the fire. I suppose we must have just been talked through the names of the plants, and wild ones when we went for walks, and it has stayed with me.
I have to say I am amused to be 'lectured' on recycling, upcycling etc.....it's second nature and I'd hazard a guess our generation have probably always done it quite automatically. Plastic pots were 'new' - then we used and still use clay pots, some of mine must be 90 years old - because we were making our own from old tin cans, cut down plastic bottles and newspaper twisted round a wooden block. It would also have been a heinous crime to throw a sweet paper onto the street!
So - from an 'unconscious gardener' to a full time miniaturist - but we are all doing the same aren't we? Thinking 'outside the box'...how can I turn this into that? How can I make a chair/bed/washbasin out of....all these bits and pieces?
If you don't have much of a garden how about making your own miniature version (it will never need weeding) or a greehouse or a conservatory?
With a little imagination and practice, super flowers and plants can be made from paper or the many great kits available and it is surprising how much dried real plant material can be used. Of course as we all know, tea leaves and coffee grounds make great soil and cardboard, paving stones - polystyrene packaging can be carved or indented for walls and all sorts of small containers covered in glue and sand to make authentic looking planters.
The following pic. is part of the back wall of my mini conservatory. The wall itself is simply polystyrene indented to make 'stone' and liberally painted. Most of the plants are paper, some printed and some real leaves copied and reduced. There is some dried plant material in there too...and the pots are purchased, home-made from paper and clay, as well as beads and even a cartridge case. Following is the conservatory itself. Everything is possible!
At last I feel that Spring is coming - the garden, emerging from its frozen weeks, is waking up at last and it's a delight to walk up there each morning and see what else is flowering. It has even been possible to start a little proper gardening again - although it remains very soggy.
The miniature iris (Katherine's Gold) are just lovely as are the purple Reticulata just beginning to emerge in another pan, alongside is a pot of tiny hoop daffodils which I've planted in with Ophiopogon (Black Lily Grass) which still looks good with tiny purple flowers and then black berries, when the daffodils die back.
In the wild patch snowdrops are finally flowering and more primroses are out. The little 'wild' crocus are spreading all over the garden which is wonderful. Some plants are naturally promiscuous, seed and spread like mad - miniature cyclamen are another also hellebores which, when they eventually flower are full of surprises as the colours and markings vary so much.
The Primroses, ferns and ivy are all made from paper and of course I'd lots of bits and pieces to make the bank and hole.
Does anybody else remember Tommy Steele in Half a Sixpence....or am I just the oldest? Anyway, that phrase from the song in the musical of the same name, came to mind at crack of sparrow when my lovely other half woke me up to see the most stunning sunrise! It was worth it!!
Every once in a while, something truly exceptional comes along. This story is just such a one and has been researched and written by Celia Thomas who we all know as both a talented miniaturist and expert in vintage and antique dolls houses and artefacts, with the unique help and co-operation of Bertha and Ralph's familes. Enjoy!
Bertha Wright was an accomplished artist and sculptor on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group and, it seems, an extraordinary lady who together with her husband Ralph led a most interesting life so their story brings annecdotes and memories from 1918 onwards. Clearly their work as miniaturists was well regarded; most fascinating of all perhaps are the most unusual and detailed picture boxes which were exhibited as well as being commissioned from 1930s.
The story for Celia began back in 2016 when she acquired some unusual miniature dolls and furniture which set her off on her quest to learn more. Her research over the years has, with the generous help of Bertha and Ralph's families and others, drawn many strands together and provided a wonderful readable story about the life and times of 'Bad Aunt Bertha' and fantastic details and pictures which have never been seen before, of the exciting miniature treasures.
I've been lucky enough to hear snippets of the story while Celia has been researching so I was over the moon to see it finally published on her latest blog.
http://ktminiatures.blogspot.com/2021/01/part-onethe-story-of-bertha-ralph.html
So if you're looking for a lovely distraction from the covid pandemic or the miserable weather - put the kettle on, make a cuppa, settle down and enjoy!
Thank you for looking - Stay safe
Robin x
.....what little thing can start the day well. In these rather difficult and sad times it is hard to avoid the latest news but often something quite small can banish gloomy thoughts and just start the day well.
I must admit my best start to the day is throwing open the back door taking a gulp of fresh air (or rain) and deciding how soon I can have a wander round the garden, seeing how many primroses and snowdrops are out and check out the bulbs popping through.
Sadly, as we're mostly at home and not shopping, managing to get an online grocery delivery slot is a GREAT start to my day. Yes that is truly pathetic I know!
Reading your blogs would be a good start to the day, but I try to leave that till later, or the washing up and ironing would never get done. So Blogger friends - what are some of yours?
Thank you for looking - Happy New Year.
Robin x
