My garden

These are some photo,s of my garden. I'm afraid to say I have only managed to sit in my sun lounger about 5 times this year. With last year not to good either I feel the lack of a nice warm summer will see us going back to Malta. (we would be going anyway)Its not that I want it roasting hot don't like it to hot just warm and no rain. The nights are drawing in a few minuets every day the dark nights are worse than no summer.

Back in May Robert planted up this set of pots this is how it looks now, its just going over I got it just in time. Scampi our westy is looking on.

Our front door, when we planted the Dalia,s we did not know what colour they were going to be.

Last bank holiday Monday Robert and I went to the RHS Harlow car in Harragate which in itself is a break with tradition. We never normally go anywhere on a bank holidays, its after living in beautiful Derbyshire, bank holidays were a thing to avoid. The traffic was not to bad and got there early. The car park was half full but a famous tea shop has premises there Betty,s I think a lot of people were there for breakfast. The photos above are of the massive boarders they were full of Autumn colour.

This was a lovely part of the gardens we sat here for a while. It had been chilly up to then but it had started to get a bit warmer. We went back to the car to get our lunch and brought it back to the grounds and sat in a lovely spot to eat it.

This part of the garden was the scented area. It had some willow sculptures. The dark flower was a chocolate cosmos and it really dose smell like chocolate.

chocolate cosmos

One of my favourite garden designers Dermot Gavin had a series on the TV a few years ago about the history of British gardening. They were created at Harlow car and remain there for us all to see and enjoy. The last five photo,s are some of the gardens. We looked in on the garden plant sales but didn't buy any plants they were a bit expensive. That's the trouble when you sell plants(at my shop)and can get them cost. The rain kept away for a day, it was good to spend it with Robert a whole day.

wild medow

Wedding flowers

Two traditional tear drop bouquet The bouquet for the bridesmaid

This was a lovely wedding to do. she was very worried about her flowers but loved the final result. There were three variety's of rose,peony, dill and eucalyptus. At the reception she settled for cream jugs with roses, dill, stocks and eucalyptus.

Visit to baby see Hannah

After this photo was taken I gave Hannah a hair cut, plenty on top needs some at the back and sides.

The week before last I had a few days off and went to Coventry to see my niece and more importantly baby Hannah. Apart from photo's and my weekly chat on the phone with my sister Julie I haven't seen Hannah for a few months. What a difference a few months make. Apart from getting bigger she is none stop smiling. She is such a happy baby, I don't think I heard her cry whilst I was there. We had a trip into Coventry which has changed a lot since I lived there which is getting on for 20years. We did a bit of shopping and got Hannah some shoes, she has such tiny feet and 0 to 3 month shoes just fit. Later in the day when she fell asleep in my arms, legs dangling with her new shoes on, it brought a tear as she looked like a big girl daft I know just another stage in a child's life. I remember having a good cry when Fallon my daughter was a baby. It was when I couldn't iron her vests in one go on the ironing board, they were getting bigger and they had to be moved over the board to iron.

As usual it began to rain so we went to the transport museum. I think Hannah enjoyed the exhibition on the war time blits, cov was hit badly in the war and it needs to be remembered. Hannah sat in her push chair taking it all in not making a fuss sitting content with her adoring fans around her. When we got home she had her tea and I had the honer to give her a bath (she doesn't like getting dressed). After a bottle she sat content on my lap looking around until she fell asleep. The next day Hannah and Nikki her mum and I went for a swim at the golfing hotel where my sister is the receptionist, again Hannah was a angle. After we got her dressed and had her milk Nikki and I had a lovely lunch with Hannah just sitting watching us gurgling and smiling. She slept in the car going home and woke up happy. All to soon after tea it was time for me to leave. Hannah ready for bed fell asleep on my lap and it was hard to tear myself away.

Day out at Burton Agnes

The house above is Burton Agnes in Yorkshire. Mum and dad came up for the weekend and I managed to get the Saturday off as part of a weeks holiday. You would not think it was August the weather was horrid, although it did stay dry until the evening. The gardens have been set out in a series of rooms. Each one has a game that you can play, hop scotch, drafts, snakes and ladders etc. they are all colour co-ordinated, white, pinks, orange etc. To the front of the house is the formal pond as you can see above there were some very big fish in it. The house was built with the money from the coal industry. I had not been in the house before and I thought it was lovely. throughout the century's the family members have collected art works up to the present day I found this interesting. After the visit in the house we went to the cafe and had a cup of tea and brought two plants to add to our collection at home.

The white garden

You can just see mum in the window of the ivy house

I was determined to have a picnic and as the photo show we got a good seat but with the wind quite strong it felt cold, a lovely sunny August day!!!

There were some stunning Dalia's and were mixed with other colours that complemented them.

We had fun in the maze there were two centers, Robert got us out, mum wanted to go through a small hole in the hedge.

After our visit we headed for the coast to Bridlington. The black clouds caught us up and with the wind it was just like winter. After a walk along the sea front the waves splashing over the wall, we headed back to the car to eat our fish and chips. You cant go to the sea side and not have fish and chips out of the paper wrapping. I felt sorry for the fair stall holders, instead of lots of smiling happy children there were just a few brave soles trying to have fun. Not so bad if its bad weather now and again but its been bad more times than good this year. We had a good day you have to make the most it and Robert drove home so I was completely relaxed a day to remember.

The BFA at Tatton park RHS show

At Tatton this year the World skills uk held their finals for the trainee florist. This was run by the BFA. There were some well known florist there, Sarah Horne, Neil Whittiker and Judy Chrips to name but a few. On the day I went Wednesday 23rd Sarah was demonstrating and telling us of her great success in Seattle you can see her work http://www.hotflowers.com.uk/ Nial was doing the commentary his site is http://www.designelementflowers.com/ The six competitors all had the same flowers and the task's to perform, pedestal, hand tie, brides bouquet, button hole which they new about, then they had a mystery arrangement to make which was a wreath using some vegetables. I went back for the finale winner and managed to take some photos and congratulate her but as far as knowing she was from Ireland that's as much as i can say. I have mislaid the paper with the information on and I have been on the bfa web site but they have not updated it with the information so I'm afraid can't tell you the lucky winners name sorry.

The bedding out at Tatton park

As I said in yesterdays blog Tatton park is known for its bedding out displays from the town and city's parks department. here are just a few photo's.This was our favorite, penguins and an igloo it got a gold.

This was Robbie Burns, a poem about ploughing a field.

This was a design in recognition to the air rescue from the floods last year, can you see the man on the bridge reaching for the drowning person.

This was a tribute to Wainwright, (the famous walker)the big willow boots were a bit big for the size of the bridge.

The Beatles yellow submarine