nest

 

While cutting back and tidying the garden I have been aware of a pair of very noisy Long-tailed Tits in the hedge. Intrigued I had a closer look and there in a clump of brambles, probably only about a metre off the ground, is the most beautiful nest that they are busily constructing.

 

Made of moss, feathers and lichen woven together with spiders webs to gives it elasticity to expand as the chicks grow. So clever!
I have always wanted to see one of these nests and to find one so close to home is simply delightful!

show day!

 

One of our favourite summertime activities is to go to a village show, and even better is to take part in in it! 

It's such fun to just have a go and it's something I try and encourage to boys to do too.

This year we tried our luck with flower art, photography, art, jam, marmalade and a homemade drink.

 

The exciting part is loading the car with our entries (the boys clutching their flower arrangements on their laps to keep them from falling apart!), driving onto the show field and setting them up in the marquee. It's great to see how many others have entered and the different interpretations of the themes. 

Once we were set up, we have a little look around the other classes and marvel at the giant cabbages and long parsnips! On leaving the marquee we had a wander around the show field. We paused by the sheep section as we were captivated by the serious business of judging. The boys were very intrigued as to how you could possibly judge between the sheep.

 

 

The 'longest nettle' class - one of my favourites which I should enter one day with the amount of nettles I have at the allotment. 

The poultry section is always interesting too to look around... the wonderfully coloured eggs and the different chickens and ducks.

 

 

We went home during the judging and returned later in the afternoon. The boys were very excited to get back into the marquee to see how they had got on. This was Victor's first time in entering and even though he didn't get any coloured cards he really enjoyed filling his jam jar with flowers from the garden (and I thought it was the best!).

My art, photography and marmalade entries did surprising well, as I was up against some stiff competition! I was prompted by the show to do this pencil sketch of the garden, which I really enjoyed doing and needed the deadline to sit and do it, so I'm grateful for that.

And Fred did particularly well in the children's photography by gaining two First prizes and therefore winning a trophy (in fact he reclaimed this trophy as he had won it in 2013!). He was very pleased!

 

But really the best bit is just to be there, soaking up the 'country living' atmosphere, of seeing friends, having fun with the activities such as 'tug of war' (not me I hasten to add!), being part of the community and supporting the hard work and effort of the organisers of the village show.

 

Guilsfield Show is held every second Thursday in August. 

Our previous visit to Guilsfield Show is here

making

 

Making has been the theme for the past few weeks ~ from picking flowers in the garden to make garden posies {even selling some on the doorstep!}

 

 

The foraging season starts for me with elderflowers or 'elderbloom' as I read recently in an old book. I have been out in the Field gathering basket fulls to make refreshing elderflower cordial.

 

New to me is dressmaking. I have altered and botched items of clothing but never really followed a proper pattern. A couple of years ago I bought a Merchant & Mills pattern with the idea of teaching myself dressmaking which has lain untouched until now. I had a special occasion to attend which provided the perfect deadline and impetus to pursue this dressmaking idea. I ordered some gorgeous Irish Linen from Merchant & Mills to make their Trapeze Dress which I was shortening to a tunic. I also got some cheaper fabric to do a trail run. 

 

Doing a trail run was a good idea as I really did have a lot to learn. I also discovered that the alter table here serves as a very good cutting table - perfect height and plenty of room to walk around.

I finished my new top/tunic just in time and I'm really pleased with it. It is full of novice errors and handmade charm, but I love it!

photographing garden flowers

 

It is fast approaching one of my favourite times in the garden when it looks so fresh and green and poised for great things to come. Every new flower that opens is such a welcome sight. At the moment it is the turn of the geraniums and aquilegias.

Getting the camera out and spending a blissful half an hour in the garden photographing these was so uplifting. Spending a little time looking closely and appreciating the garden (while trying hard to ignore all the weeds!) even on a misty damp morning was inspiring.

I shall be creating photograph greetings cards from some of these images.
I have recently set up an online shop selling greetings cards of other garden flower (and stained glass!) images over on our Christ Church Welshpool website here if you'd like to take a look.

May Day Posy

 

I was inspired to create a May Day Posy by Lou at Littlegreenshed. She is helping to revive an old custom of  making a posy of handpicked flowers to leave on the door of a friend as a celebration of Spring and Friendship.

 

The garden is a little sparse of colour at the moment with most things poised to flower, so I had to scrump some forget-me-nots which were spilling out of a garden on the roadside and some wild garlic growing in a shady spot in the churchyard. Mint and wych elm flowers provided a fresh green filler. 

The Posy was carefully carried across town to be left on a friend's doorstep. It was such fun to do and I wish I could have made more. I have already begun to note potential flower scrumping sites for next year.

garden flowers with a new lens

 

 

 

 

I have taken the plunge and bought a new camera lens (a Tamron 17-50mm if you are into lenses!). Upon its arrival I went into the garden to put it through its paces. It was rather nice to play with, and I got a little carried away with the aperture settings! What do you think?

garden posy - march

Wallflowers - what a wonderful scent they have. I was given this lovely vintage glass, now vase for my birthday earlier this week - a perfect match! (thank you Ruth!)

Garden Posy: January : February

garden posy - february

 

The snowdrops are in their prime at the moment.

The garden is looking a little worse for wear and in desperate need of tidying and cutting back. But if you look beyond the brown dead stems of last year's growth, there is plenty of green emerging - yay!

garden posy

 

A monthly record of what is (possibly) interesting and beautiful in the garden and an attempt to remember to bring a posy of flowers into the house to better appreciate what is growing away out there! Who knows... my flower arranging skills and indoor photography may improve too.

January's offering is a rather brown affair, but I do like the faded beauty and graphic lines of the seedheads and stems.

Fading flowers

A misty autumn morning heavy with dew...

 

With flowers fading away... 

I was quite struck by how beautiful decay and mold was! It was quite a revelation to see the garden in this way, instead of feeling sad about the beauty that's passed. Though maybe rays of sunshine make anything look beautiful. As I write it is now pouring with rain, so I'm very grateful to have captured some of this beauty before it gets washed away...