Knolling, Flat Lay, Assemblage Art

As you can see I’m learning even more new terms.

The honeysuckle in my garden is having a second flush of blooms and the scent is heavenly in these sunny Autumn days. It inspired this Flat Lay piece of Assemblage art which includes a few verbascum blooms and birch leaves.

And did you know about Knolling ……… no? Nor me ….until I was enlightened by Instagram

knolling is “the process of arranging like objects in parallel or 90 degree angles as a method of organization”.

I’m so fascinated by the markings on these leaves

Leaf love!

Yellow and grey are In!

(Mini birch forest)

Yesterday’s spiral of leaves were drying out but still looking gorgeous enough to adorn with some Marigold petals and Honeysuckle

Oh! Ah! Oooo! the morning dew on Marigolds!!!!!!  I’m just loving this Autumn.

I’m not a fan of yellow flowers in the garden as a rule, but couldn’t you just dive into this buxom bloom.

Why not add some honeysuckle berries

I did 3 hours of digging in my garden yesterday in the Battle Against Bamboo (and bindweed!) So I could enjoy some guilt free playtime with petals and leaves.

A Flat Lay extravaganza!

Not In a Vase, but all from my garden, I am once again joining in the IAVOM Garden Party this week.

and

Cee’s FOTD.

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In a Flat Lay on Monday

I’m learning all sorts of new terms through Instagram hashtags. I had no idea that arranging things like this had a name – it is called ‘Flat Lay’ apparently. I have done this ever since I was a kid – I just love arranging things, now I have a proper grown-up name for it.

Joining in with Cathy for In a Vase on Monday.

In a Vase on Monday

I have picked all the flowers off my pelargoniums and lifted the plants.

In the past I have tried to dry them out and then repot in the Spring and planting out after frosts have finished – this had very limited success.

For the past couple of years I have dug them up and kept them going inside all winter, then planted them out again – each time removing the blooms and taking cuttings.

It seems to work and I get the bonus of flowers all winter.

I feed them with a little Tomato feed each week.

What do you do with yours?

Joining in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day

In a Jam Jar on Monday

A quick posy to take to a friend, all popped into a small jam jar for travelling in the car.

I also took a (re-used) bag of pea-shoots with a few nasturtium flowers

The pea shoots were grown from a cheap bag of Marrowfat Peas that I bought at least 3 years ago. I started by sowing them in rows (22. July), but I didn’t know if they would germinate so I also thickly scattered some

The peas all came up and have been fantastic. I have had loads to give away. Two of my grandchildren who are quite fussy eaters, especially where vegetables are concerned, just love to pick and eat as they go past. I take them little bags of pea shoots when I go to their house and they sit and munch their way through as if they are eating a bag of crisps!

I’m cheering on the inside.

Next year, I will scatter sow them but not quite so thickly.

Last week I pulled out a few plants and have sown a row of Wild Rocket, which is just beginning to peep through.

Joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden, for In a Vase on Monday.

Phygelia

on a plate

on Monday

Joining in with Cathy and her happy band of gardeners from all over the world for ‘In a Vase on Monday’ 

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

Lime Green Vintage

At the moment I am immersing myself in the colour called Lime Green mixed with oranges and other autumnal colours whilst I crochet the Karoo Vintage Mystery Along.

Going with the Vintage theme for my Vase this week, there are a few elements in the picture all bought in the 1970s:

A Timothy Whites vacuum flask, still going strong. Who remembers Timothy Whites? A High Street chemist shop taken over by Boots in 1968,  the trading name stopped being used in 1985. The cup that went on the top has been lost but the flask still keeps water hot for a good long time. It sits by my kettle to house excess boiled water to be used for washing up etc.

The green floral table cloth (more lime green in reality) is a huge 2.5m diameter circle of Laura Ashley fabric bought as a Second from the Laura Ashley shop in Bath on a lovely pre-children shopping trip with friends. It has been brought out to cover trestle tables at many a family event over the last 40 years or more.

The bright green cloth with turquoise stitching trim was bought from Habitat in about 1978.

The bright orange metal jug with white flowers was made in (former) Yugoslavia and given to me by my Mum who found it on a market stall.

In the jug is a plant which I like the look of because of its bright pink bits – but I guess it is a weed. Do you know its name? Can it be used for anything?

From my garden:

A pot of lemon balm sits waiting to be made into a lovely refreshing tea.

The figs have been plentiful and glorious this year.

I’m delighted to have found a salad crop that does not get eaten by the sparrows – pea shoots! Thank you to Postcard From Gibraltar for inspiring me to try these – they are yummy!

I am growing them in a waist high Veg Trug outside my front door (Zone 1 in Permaculture)

My daughter thinks the new shoots look as if they are waving and dancing

here they are having a party!

Apples are plentiful but all blighted by the wretched codling moth.

Pears are looking good this year.

Joining in with Cathy and In a Vase on Monday.

Happy Gardening!

In a Vase on Monday: Flower Festival

There was a Flower Festival going on in the church in our village this weekend, on Friday I met my wonderful 85 year old neighbour on her way to the church with flowers picked from her garden. I just had to take a photo, she looked so happy and summery, she gives me hope for the future!

 

And this is how she arranged her gorgeous homegrown blooms

with a reference to ‘Watership Down’,

the theme for the Festival being ‘All Living Creatures’.

It has been hot, hot, hot here and the coolness of the inside of the church provided a welcome respite

There were some ingenious interpretations:

The Owl and the Pussycat

with the ‘sea’ of hydrangeas and the silvery moon dangling a pig with a ring in the end of its nose made me smile!

As did the Very Hungry Caterpillar

and the Jungle theme

with a lion’s head!

There was an elegant window sill of cats

and one with a watery theme

and can you guess what this next creature is???

I’ve no idea what I would do for this theme – what would you do?

Outside in the churchyard, we sat in the shade and cooling breeze chatting and drinking cups of coffee. There were masses of gorgeous homemade cakes on offer, but I managed to resist.

The Plant Stall was glad of the shade and the passing trade

Then it was back to my digging ……… yes digging!

I know, crazy in this heat but I have to do things when the energy and time is available – I have had a whole boundary bed cleared (the one on the right in the picture below) and I am waging war on bamboo and bindweed. But first the laurels, hawthorn and bushes had to be cleared

It helps to have a son-in-law with a tractor to take away the debris and to be able to hire a couple of strong young lads with a stump grinder!

More about that another day.

My own vase is just a quicky, gathered for a friend I went to see on Saturday night.

Phygelia, honeysuckle, astrantia, and lemon balm, all hastily popped in a jam jar decorated with washi tape

Joining other gardeners from around the world in Cathy’s lovely ‘In a Vase on Monday’ gardeners gathering. Always a highlight of my blogland week.