Loving Jessie

 As March draws to a close, we have many projects on the go. And indeed many that have been completed.

As I walked down to the Owl yurt today, the sun was warm on my back, the birds were singing and I was excited to add two new God`s eyes to the willow circle.

Back in the garden, I went to measure up the craft trolley in the Wool Barn. I am hoping to make a new tablecloth and extra hanging space. I have A LOT of craft. I have been labelling it all up with prices.

We took the new driftwood sign to the garden today. I placed the driftwood and glued it in place with my glue gun. Then Steve tacked it all in place and finally gave it a few coats of varnish.

It will go into its final position soon.

Anne came to check on the tortoises .... they are now fully awake. We had our teabreak together.

I weeded the last flowerbed. It was a joy because the soil was friable.

At home I have considered my zip-lock bag seed sowing to be a success. I saw this idea on-line. It works and it saves space.

You fill the bottom of a bag with soil, put in some seeds with a label and zip it up. then you hang it up out of the way.

I did have to add more water just once.

I am happy with the germination and happy to save space.

I made Jessie a few years ago for my nephew Fletcher.  He no longer wants her .... is there a story here somewhere .... I cannot bear to throw her away so she is here beside me now with some new felt to try and sort her out. She took me a long time to make. She was well-loved.

And will continue to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Primrosing

When we were children, in 1950`s, one of the activities we loved to do, was to go primrosing. This seems quite unbelievable now but that`s what we did.

We had intimate knowledge of our surrounding fields, woods and lanes in a two to three mile radius of our home and we were always out and about. Far more than children are allowed today. Today young people are amazed at the freedom we were privileged to enjoy.

We took buns and a bottle of lemonade, our little dog Pixie and off we would go, telling Mum approximately where we were headed. 

On a primrosing day we would head off to the secret places that only we knew about .... at least we rather hoped this was the case. There was quite a lot of rivalry amongst our younger neighbours to find the most bunches and the best places. and when we found new places we kept it to ourselves. We brought them home to Mum where they were placed in jam jars on the windowsill.

On show to everyone were the banks of primroses in Peter James Lane and Rosemary Lane. And they still grow there. 

I well remember one Easter
Day we walked with our Dad all the way to Fairlight through Peter James Lane to see my Granny and Grandad. We carried baskets and filled them with primroses all the way, presenting the wilting bunches at the other end. I loved that walk. 

Well I loved all our walks.

Today of course we do not pick the wild flowers. They say the wild flowers are depleted but I do not see it here in East Sussex. The verges, woods, lanes and banks are covered in wild flowers. The primroses grow in clumps in all the places I remember. 

According to the Woodland Trust, primroses can give us a clue as to the age of woodlands. They signify ancient woodland. And Guestling Wood is one of them. It is close to Freshwinds Garden and close to our home. Lovely walks at all times of the year.

 

Other folklore ..... primroses are often associated with fairies. Placing primroses on the doorstep was believed to bring blessings while placing them in a cowshed would prevent the fairies from stealing the milk.

 

 

Long may we see the beautiful pale yellow primrose, with its ethereal perfume, in our woods and lanes.

 

 

 

Ducks and Daffodils

We have had a stretch of lovely weather, close on the heels of such cold days a week or so ago. March can be fickle. Today was a bit overcast but warm. We were in t.shirts.

The job I hoped to do was to begin the fairy garden weeding.

It didn`t happen.

It has been so dry and I decided to get going on the middle flowerbed. The weeding was such a pleasure that I completed the whole bed as well as spread some well-rotted chipped bark from the barn path.

 

As I worked here, the perfume from this daffodil was knocking me out.

Talking about daffodils, this group come up every year in the polytunnel and every year I promise myself to move them!!

I think it is called "Jetfire."

 

 The broad beans are doing well.

As we rested for our teabreak, I thought I heard a grunt and went to see if one of the tortoises had woken up. (I know one has hibernated in the run.) But it turned out to be a pair of mallard ducks. When we arrived, I had thought that the pond looked a little muddy. Anyway I crept up behind the cob shed to get some pictures. They were a beautiful pair with wonderful colours and slender necks. I managed to get several photos before they sensed me there and flew off over the cobshed, in a flurry of water droplets.

I wonder what they are hunting for.

We were delighted to harvest our first purple sprouting broccolli. We ate it covered in cheese sauce this evening. I love it.

 

Plenty more jobs to do but in the meantime here are some pulmonaria "Blue Ensign" in the fernery, to enjoy.

 

 
 

 

Tiny Pink Flowers and Cone Wool

For the last two days it has really felt like we have entered a new season. The sun has been warm on my back, the huge bumble bees are out and about and today I saw my first butterfly. Weeding in our own garden has been a pleasure.

 I have been sorting all my plants and trying to make more space in the greenhouses. The sweetpeas and the tomatoes are all coming up in a warm propagator.

In the garden we are still working on the entrance area. I start each session there, not really knowing in which direction we are going, but we end up with it looking pretty good, though by no means finished. 

 

 I even managed to plant a huge foxglove and a fern, both relocations. Best of all everything is recycled.

At home I am using up a lot of cone wool. I`ve mainly been making mittens and pompoms.

The pompom toys have an Easter theme.

I also tried some bead bunnies.

Many years ago my dear sister Lee gave me some beautiful, tiny artificial flowers. I have kept them and kept them as they gained more sentimental significance after she died.

When I made these little bunnies I felt the project was special enough to use them at last. Here is a closer picture. They are the tiny pink flowers at the neck and between the ears. I won`t be selling these bunnies.

 

My new dahlias came on Saturday. They took quite a long time from ordering, the first lot having been "lost"  ..... and they had to be replaced. I have unpacked them all and labelled up.

Some of the names are a bit of a mouthful and take a lot of time when labelling.

Hootenanny Swan Island

Sturm Sweet Nicole

Ludwig Helfert

Striped Nagano

Jowey Chantel

As I unwrap them, I am imagining the displays they will make and wondering where they will all go!!!

Happy days.
 

 

"Who Made Little Boy Blue"

 

  Having honed down our CD`s to about 100, I thought it was time to make a start on my extensive collection of piano sheet music. It has been stored in the bottom drawer of our filing cabinet. All 1,290 pieces. Over the last few
weeks I have played almost every bit in order to decide whether to keep it. Here are the criteria ...

what key is it in? ie. anything with 4 or more flats goes

do I like it?

can I play it?

I even found some doubles.

Oh I have had a great time. I rediscovered music I hadn`t played for years and my fingers just found the right keys. I even discovered pieces I didn`t realise I had.

We love the film "A Good Year." The music in that film is evocative. There is a scene where Ludovine is mopping the floor with Max watching. The music is "The Wedding Samba."

I love it, though its not easy to play  ..... easier from seeing the film about ten times. It was my best find.

For some inexplicable reason I had put an address label on every piece .... why? So I have had to remove all of those plus my filing system letter and number.

I have kept over 500 and got rid of 700.

Some of my music is nearly 100 years old. The artwork is special. Yesterday I took photos of some that are in the charity box to preserve my memories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whenever music has come into my possession I have repaired it with special tape but some is VERY fragile. It has left a papery dust on my lowest keys. I just hope someone else can enjoy the ones I am donating and that they don`t end up being burnt.

Now I need to decide whether to write a new reference book which might take some time. The old one has a lot of crossings out.

Everything I have left I am going to enjoy so much and I think  my piano may need tuning. 

I forgot to mention that much of this music can be found on YouTube so it is well worth looking it up.