Flutterby Patch

Yummy colours

I feel quite guilty about knitting when the sun is shining and the garden beckons but last week I picked up my needles and, inspired by the little bunnies hopping around our plot, I produced Rowena Rabbit who has become my trusted sewing and knitting companion. You'll find a pattern for her in my Etsy shop.

 
After a night of rain the sun has popped his head out once again today and the garden is ablaze with the colour of our rhododendrons and azaleas. They thrive in our damp climate and grow like weeds.

 
The overnight rain sadly knocked off a number of blooms so I've gathered a few to show you. The combination of colours is wonderful.

 
This piece of gift wrap has similar vibrant shades....yummy!

The weather this weekend is not looking good so, inspired by the colours in the garden, I've selected some vibrant yarns and will have a good excuse to excercise my needles.

Indoors or out......... have a good weekend

Busy days in the garden

Since last I posted on Flutterby Patch our garden has sprung into life and everywhere is a blaze of colour

Rhododendrons and azaleas are in full bloom and there has been (and still is) much work to do.

These old stone steps wind their way down from the lawn to the very bottom of the garden and are always in need of a sweep. This can be a long job as there are 35 steps in total and plenty of moss to remove and weeds to pull out after sweeping.

Meanwhile my partner in the garden (husband) has been laying a new path. If you think this looks like a tarmac path you'd be right! Hubby had a word with the workmen laying a new road surface near here and asked if he could have the old tarmac when they'd removed it.

So last week several waggons of the stuff were dumped at our gate and the black stuff has been getting lifted and shifted ever since. It might sound nasty but in fact it makes an excellent (free) surface and after being compressed will last for years.

Another urgent job has involved digging over the garden beds that have become infested with bind weed. This is an absolute menace and is very difficult to eradicate.

We couldn't immediately identify these young plants and they were very nearly removed with the other weeds but then we remembered what they were.

Two or three years ago we scattered some eryngium seeds. The common name is 'Sea Holly' which is so much nicer.

I think the seeds were eryngium giganteum, otherwise known as 'Miss Wilmott's Ghost'. Isn't that a splendid name? Miss Ellen Wilmott was a nineteenth century gardener and would secretly scatter seeds of this plant in the gardens of her friends. Two or three years later large prickly plants would appear that shone a ghostly silver in the sunlight. When Ellen Wilmott was found to be responsible for their arrival they became known as Miss Wilmott's Ghosts........I'll let you know if these apparitions appear from the rather boring leafy clump later in the season.

These sunny garden days aren't set to last much longer so I'd better get back to work....now where did I leave my broom?

Until next time

Eli

Blue and white room makeover

I think you all know by now that I'm a big fan of blue and white china and have gathered quite a collection over the years. It fills my cupboards and, as you can see, I even have it climbing the walls.

This is our breakfast room (next to the kitchen) and it's a room for all seasons. Cool and calming on hot summer days and toasty warm in winter when the wood burning stove is alight.

The old pine dresser in there holds even more blue and white

and the door knob matches too!

Sadly the pretty wallpaper that has served us well for a number of years is now looking quite 'tired' and there has been much discussion for a while about whether to choose more paper or simply paint the walls white..... We've chosen and paint option and so.....

 yesterday I removed all the china from the walls and mantle.

Emptied the dresser.

 And began peeling off the paper.

The job won't be an easy one as the paper has a vinyl coating.

Removing wallpaper is definitely one of my least favourite jobs, and clearing up afterwards is even worse, but hopefully the new room will be worth the effort.

Meanwhile, I thought you'd like to see the little twins that I made with the yarn I showed you last week

I've named them Jack and Jill although they are a little too young at the moment to venture up the hill to fetch a pail of water! As always the pattern is in my Etsy shop.

Back to paper stripping........

Until next time,

Eli