Kitty!

Wow. Kitten bag.

This makes me happy

November favourites

A Christmas frock.....

Why, yes, thankyou Miss Selfridge, I think I might...

But which one?

One of each?? :p

Plants you should have in your garden...

This is the time of year when I usually get carried away looking through plant catalogues, making long long lists and buying packets and packets of seed that I inevitably don't have space for. Usually.

This year however, I've started to think about which plants I really love in my garden, and about whether just more of the same repeated over and over would actually have more impact.
Why have any plants at all that you don't absolutely love!?

So,

Here are the beautiful plants which have won my heart and made the final cut...

Sweetpeas - remind me of my Nan

Verbena bonariensis

Scabious 'paper moon' - normally bought for the seed heads, which are fantastic, but I didn't realise they had such beautiful pearly purple blue flowers. I soon wished I had grown more this year...

Daffodils - my favourites are the miniatures 'Baby Moon' and 'Canaliculatus' and a sweet smelling star-shaped sunshine coloured one that appeared in the garden which I am still trying to identify. Smells like jasmine. Beoootiful :)

Verbascum

Poppies - all except the super ruffly and wishy washy coloured ones

Tulips - This year I have some new bright red ones 'red hat' and flaming spring green Viridiflora ones

All salvias. My favourites of the moment are Blackcurrant Sage 'Salvia microphylla' and Tangerine Sage 'Salvia elegans' which both smell absolutely AMAZING!!! Currently living in my greenhouse, still happily in flower...

Iris chrysographes - new buy for spring so we'll see.

I love irises, and am hoping for a couple to try from Claire Austen's site next year :)

Maybe these ones... Iris 'Bumblebee Deelite'

Penstemons - got a cheapy one from Morrisons. Turned out to be the most beautiful deep pink colour which really thrived, and now the greenhouse is full of its cuttings. Fingers crossed for those!

Lavender

Astrantias - any colour. All of them are gorgeous.

Grasses. Lots of grasses.

More poppies...

Oh and plenty of other things come to think of it. Borage, foxgloves, sweet williams, roses, honeysuckle, fruit bushes of all kinds, cornflowers, rudbeckia, some more penstemon, sedums, gladioli, delphiniums, achillea, anemones, asters, ferns, potentilla, echinacea, helenium, pelargoniums, dahlias, phormiums, snowdrops, sunflowers, ranunculus, aquilegia, crocuses...

I got carried away again didn't I...

Maybe it's time for a cuppa then. And possibly a quick flick through the new suttons seeds catalogue.....

The Eden Project

Finally managed to get some holiday pictures from the boy. We went to the Eden Project while we were away. Very impressive. I think these were my favourite things there...

In the greenhouse...

Right now in the greenhouse things aren't looking very autumny! Though I guess I can hardly be surprised with the lovely temperatures we're still experiencing here. The sages are all still in flower, and my ranunculus have re-flowered!
The greenhouse is full of cuttings and my bedroom is full of seeds - They give me hope for the new year. They are my reminder that winter can't last forever, even when it feels as though it will never end. I am not winter's biggest fan, and am always looking forward to the next spring...

Beautiful Autumn

Beach treasures...

A couple of finds today on the beach

in some glorrrrious sunshine. A proper indian summer :)

And some treasure taken home too...

I ♥ Summer!!!

Lots of loveliness from the garden...

Juicy blackberries...

Birthdays with lots of cake and cuddles...

And I finally found out who's been eating all my basil!

Tomato harvest!

The first tomato harvest, along with one rogue chilli. There are soooo many chillies already - I have no idea what I'm going to do with them all!!! Stir fries and curries every day :)

The tomatoes keep growing taller and taller, no matter how often I pinch the tops out. They've completely taken over the greenhouse and pushed out all the chillies, tabacco plants and courgettes (I ate my first homegrown courgette last week too).

Excuse my messy room in the background but how AMAZING is this blanket my lovely friend Barbara sent me :D

Off to play in the sunshine now...

x

Roisin's flower garden christening cake :)

Lemon sponge cake with lemon curd filling.

Swiss buttercream icing with handmade icing flowers and butterflies

Mmm mmmmmm

For my beautiful God-daughter

My little Raisin

:)

Flower Power

I know this blog has become a bit of a flower-fest recently. I am a teeny bit obsessed I suppose... :p
Especially so in winter because they remind me that warmer days are going to come, no matter how much it feels like they never will...

I did a little painting today. Was hoping some of you would give me an opinion? I don't really paint much. I am too impatient. And I have this scruffy, can't be bothered with the details kinda style that doesn't really lend itself to very much. Anyway, let me know if you like it :)

It's not finished yet...

Sorry for the crappy picture quality.



Thanks V Day for being such a great excuse...

Happy Valentine's Day all you luvvvvvers!!

Chocolate choc-chip cupcakes with baileys flavoured buttercream icing mmmmmm!!!

February so far...

Oh dear!

This blog has been a bit neglected of late. Changing jobs and the like... excuses excuses more excuses.
Anyway,

I'll do a really little picture catch-up :)

JANUARY

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER