Doing your best

' Know this and be at peace: your best is always good enough'

Ann Napier

Colour

Colour is often the first thing that catches my eye; this weeks colourful finds have been the new Thompson and Morgan range of 'Heritage' seeds (not really so much Heritage as open pollinated seeds, but still nice varieties - I really couldn't resist the pretty colours of the packets - the seeds are a bonus lol - and a box full of edible food colourings, mostly new and unused, 30 of them, Edable food powder colourings, from the recycling centre. Colour and bargain all in one sentence there!

Thursday thought

“There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.”


Washington Irving

When I'm old I shall grow purple..............

I love something different to grow in the garden. Today I ordered some violet artichoke seeds, some purple podded peas and some cerinthe. I've grow the peas many times ( the pods make a lovely pale rose peapod wine, by the way), and the cerinthe which is a favourite annual of mine. Up until now it's been the green artichokes, but time for a change, so the violet ones have been ordered. Looking forward to lots of purply goodness in the garden this year!

Teapot of hope....................

I bought this truly beautiful teapot between leaving Richmond and returning to Dorset. It's just gorgeous, and I called it my teapot of hope - hope that things would improve and settle down and I could move forward. When I said this to my friend, I was told that the day I bought it on was actually International Day of Hope - so there you go. £2.50 worth of beauty and hope, with the bonus of a good cup of tea.

Simplicity in nature

Spring in the garden is lovely and some of the most beautiful flowers appear around now. I've been out with the camera this morning - purple honesty, epimediums (I like to call them happy mediums lol), dandelions and apple blossom. The scent of the last is so beautiful and evocative, isn't it? I feel it's never truly been captured as a man-made scent or perfume, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I'd rather enjoy the seasonal fleetingness of it when it graces the trees with its simple and beguiling presence. There is a lovely branch of it hanging quite low over the greenhouse door, but I won't be moving it, or cutting it off - I'd rather duck and enjoy the blossom followed by the Devonshire Quarrenden apples. Being a biennial bearer, this very old variety will bear well for me this year; a beautiful apple, with reddy-pink skin, pink tinged flesh and a wonderful flavour. It's not a keeper at all, so needs to be eaten, another of the wonderful seasonal treats you get from nature - can't be beaten.

Aquilegias

There's a lovely article in the new Country Living magazine about a woman who grows these, breeding new ones and selling seeds - read it if you get the chance.


She's Carrie Thomas of Touchwood plants:



http://www.touchwoodplants.co.uk/

There's a stunning black and white photo of her in the magazine too.

Time to put my money where my mouth is!

Well now, the universe has seen fit to land me back in Dorset for the time being. I won't go into details, but
I'm back at my own house, but won't be in the house long, I have my own accommodation planned.
I have a rather nice summerhouse/cabin in the garden, which I am going to re-fit to make it habitable, and live in there. Well - why not? I've been banging on about downsizing and simple living for years now, this is my chance to really give it a go.
It's a wooden building, so will need insulation forst off, then sleeping, cooking, heating etc arrangements. It's right in the middle of the garden, and I will be taking on the whole garden again, plus the livestock - still got the chickens, goats, ducks and bees.
Have had a head full of plans and schemes - planning the cabin conversion, the garden, making some sort of small income, all sorts. To begin with I'll have the back-up of the house ofcourse, for access to the bathroom and use of the internet. There's an outside tap, though, and enough bits around to make a good start on the whole thing. Eventually, I'd like a solar shower and compost loo; will be selling plants etc from my roadside stall again, and knitting/sewing.

I'll be posting on here about it all, with plenty of pictures now I've worked out how to get them on again. Watch this space and join me in the next mad chapter......................

When life gives you lemons................

.............  demand the gin and tonic to go with them. I did, and I think I got them lol. More follows............