Friday flowers: welcome to Delft

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Delft, dianthus, flowers and wine, the best combination, the Netherlands

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Friday frou-frou: 4 May 2018

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Colour, May, ornamental cherry blossom, pink, Sakura, Spring, Thank goodness it's Friday

Pink blossom, hopelessly romantic?

Or sickly sweet like candy floss?

Whatever you think, and I find them far too frou-frou, I reckon we all cannot fail but to be impressed by this sight against a blue sky.

Finally a fine weekend is forecast, which will make a pleasant change, especially for a bank holiday weekend. Be sure to spend as much time as possible outside, that’s certainly my plan. D.

Friday: news flash💛

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gardens open for charity, news flash, NGS, Thank goodness it's Friday, yellow book scheme

The National Garden Scheme have announced that in 2017 they raised a record £3.1million for charity. Crikey. 💛

Beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Carer’s Trust, Queens Nursing Institution, Parkinson’s UK, Perennial and MS society.

As someone who is opening her garden for the first time I feel proud to be part of this extraordinarily brilliant fund raiser.

By heck £3.1million that’s a lot of people looking at gardens, quaffing coffee and cake.

I hope any local readers will join me on August 12th. Those of you who are further afield, do try to visit at least one garden in your local area.

Look for the Yellow Book. D.

Flowering wood

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blossom, in a vase on Monday, lichens, sticks, Thank goodness it's Friday, twigs

On Monday I planned to join Cathy with a vase of flowers but I could not find anything suitable. I had pruned a plum tree and decided to bring a few twigs in the house. Daughter Dorris demanded an explanation for the ‘sticks’ in the kitchen. Not wishing to be a laughing stock or accused of the kings new clothes I kept my sticks to myself.

Now on Friday these sticks have rewarded me with their rather understated blossom.

On closer inspection each blossom is a cluster of individual flowers

And the twigs are covered in tiny lichens

These are so much more than sticks and I like how the colour blends with the jug they are plonked in.

Have a super day. D.

Friday faffing: orchid

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friday flowers, house plants, Liberty Rose Vintage, orchid, Thank goodness it's Friday, Wendover

Orchids, once the preserve of the connoisseur, the eccentric or the rich are now positively commonplace thanks to the supermarkets. As a consequence I feel a little nonplussed about them yet really I should be delighted as they have become readily available and relatively affordable.

Perhaps it is because they are available with the baked beans and the cornflakes, just stick it in the trolley with the weekly shop that Orchids no longer feel “special”. Or maybe it is because they are available in every conceivable colour, including vivid blue, that they no longer seem special or exquisite.

This one has been in the house for a couple or three weeks. It was a gift from cousin Julie and I really am enjoying it. I think perhaps it is the stripes which are visible on both sides of the petal and the rather interesting colour combination that is holding my interest.

The roots are usually in clear plastic pots as they need some natural light. I found this rather nice, clear glass, fat (jam pot shaped) vessel, which I think suits it rather well. Should you find yourself in Wendover, pop into the courtyard to see Liberty Rose Vintage. Failing that look at her Instagram page of the same name.

So what do you think about orchids? Love them or loathe them? D.

A fistful on Friday

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Amy Ireland, Covent Garden, Floral street, JamJar Flowers, Melissa Richardson, Rakes Progress, Thank goodness it's Friday

How wonderful is this? Wallpaper? Art installation? It is as if the flowers were flattened as the paper was rolled up.

This beauty was hanging in the Rakes Progress pop up shop in Floral (yes really) street, Covent Garden.

If you are in the area take a look at their website as they are running a number of displays, workshops and talks but be quick, the pop up shop ends on 26 January.

Have a beautiful day. D.

Friday flowers

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commercially grown white rose, cut glass creamer, December, friday flowers, garden magazine, ivy berries, Kenji Toma, mistletoe berries, periodical, Rakes Progress

Unlike Cathy I did not manage to be organised enough to prepare a blog post sharing my in a Vase on Monday on Christmas Day. I hope you all had a lovely day wherever you were.

I did have a little offering of a shop bought white rose, (I saved one for myself, thanks Mo) a few white buds of mistletoe, some greenery and big fat black ivy berries.

Placed in a cut glass creamer it was a token for the Christmas table along with two pots of white cyclamen.

They worked well as there is something annoying about anything taller where you have to duck round to see the person opposite. Or maybe that can be useful.

As I write this post I am having a quiet day catching up on household chores and saving an hour with my cup of tea to read through my neglected issue of Rakes Progress.

Cover photograph by Kenji Toma.

This is an excellent Quarterly which I signed up for at the Chelsea Flower Show. I guess I would describe it as the horticultural equivalent of Cereal Magazine in terms of presentation and quality of photography.

Within this issue, number 6, there are articles on indoor gardens and honesty sheds, the ancient Indian city of perfume and America’s original land artist Agnes Denes, freediving grandmothers and catwalk florists, plus stick weavers, kokedama, kosher cooks and Milton Keynes. Quite a crop to keep the reader going until the snowdrops appear. I encourage you to seek out a copy for a truly original and refreshing look at all things horticulture related.

Thank goodness it’s Friday: favourites

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December, fatsia japonica, favourite shrubs, Thank goodness it's Friday, winter interest

Did you know, this is one of my favourite shrubs in the garden at this time of year,

Fatsia japonica.

Evergreen with large waxy palmate leaves, Fatsia can grow to an impressive 2.5 meters.

Once established it needs little maintenance save for the removal of its dead leaves.

It tolerates deep shade and neglect and will grow on most soils including chalk which this specimen is proof of.

Most of all, it has these creamy white Pom Pom flowers which stand out against the dark green leaves.

These days (does that make me sound old?) Fatsia is referred to as an ‘architectural plant’ and yes it certainly is. Yet it is more than just that, it is also a star at the back of a border in a country garden or a rather handsome feature plant in the foreground of a town garden, perhaps hiding the bins.

Architectural, low maintenance, evergreen, shade tolerant, neglect tolerant yes Fatsia japonica really does all these things. It is also, absolutely beautiful at this time of year.

I hope you have had a good Friday. Do you like Fatsia japonica?

D.

Friday: faffing with flowers

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Christmas, Christmas wreath, hydrangea, Thank goodness it's Friday, wreath making

December is here and in readiness for Christmas I have today made a wreath with hydrangea heads snipped from the garden. These have been hung to dry over the last few weeks in preparation.

Based on a metal ring padded with moss and a covering of greenery, the flowers have been wired and secured in place.

A bit of silver ribbon and a few, silver and white small baubles, job done.

Hung up and ready for Christmas.

Friday 3 November 2017

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Dahlias, frost, Petersham Nursery, Thank goodness it's Friday

We had a cold night earlier this week, and a sharp frost took all my dahlias.  Although disappointing it was inevitable for this time of year. Without further ado I chopped back the evil looking, black foliage and mulched over the crowns. Three are to be relocated and those were dug up and placed under a fleece blanket in the garage in order that they can dry out and be saved for next year. 

Yesterday I visited the very attractive Petersham Nursery. London weather is milder than in my garden and so Petersham Nursery was untouched and their dahlias were still looking beautiful. Here are a few pretty snaps from the day.  

One for the cat lovers:

And for the foodies, how about this for presentation:

Bangers and mash don’t quite cut this in this looks department, do they. 
Have a good day.