Sunday, April 25, 2010

Drip, Drip, Drop Little April Showers...

Update: I've just realised that this is my 500th blog post(!), so just wanted to use it as an opportunity to thank everyone who stops by, be it regularly, or once in a while...You make it all worthwhile. I am so grateful for all the friends that I have made and the knowledge I have gained from the ideas and experiences that we all share on the www.
Once again, I'm sorry that I find less time for Blogging these days...the starting up of my new business from scratch, all on my lonesome, does mean time to think of my next post, or to comment and visit others, regrettably has to be way down on my to-do list...
Thanks for your kind understanding...These are for you!
Niki x

I returned from a short buying trip around lunch time today, by which time the rain that was forecast had begun to fall. Dare I say it, but it was quite welcome after such a long dry spell. The garden seemed to relish it and was soon looking very perky. As soon as the rain cleared up, I went out to snap a few shots of the lush new growth that seems to be springing up everywhere just now...

Call me sentimental if you like, but this week has been the first week that I have been out into our back garden since loosing our hens. They were all such characters and I had got used to gardening around them. They would always follow me when I was in the garden and would be there in any hole that I dug in the hope of me uncovering a worm or delicious grub! Freshly planted seedlings and plants regularly got dug up by them too, so it was always a bit of a battle.

Gardening this year should be a lot easier without their unhelpful input! - But I do miss them.

One feathered friend that is still with us is this collared dove who nests under our raised decking every year. She's quite used to sharing the place with us and isn't too frightened by our presence.

I've planted four new foxglove plants this week, of lavender, apricot, cream and pink. Can't wait to see them in flower later next month.

The grass has had its first trim of the year...and looks like it will soon need another one very soon.

And there's plenty of spring colour in the borders to make a heart sing.

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If you love gardening, you'll know what great therapy it can be. I'm looking forward to spending many more hours in mine when I have the chance this year.
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Now, back to that buying trip that I mentioned...
Once again antique fabrics found their way into my shopping bag and include these wonderful floral ones fresh from France.

And did you spot the necklace? You may have seen it being modeled by Flossie on Lizzie's blog here. I would imagine it dates from the 1930's or 40's and has been hand made from sea shells which have been painted to resemble anemones. I just LOVE it!
Funnily enough, a few weeks ago I bought myself this booklet, which included some instructions to make sea shell flowers. I did wonder at the time if anyone actually ever attempted to make them...and now I know that they did!
(There are lots of other types of flowers to make too from other materials, including leather, wool, fabric and even glass.)

I also bought these lovely old millinery flowers today, as I want to have a go at recycling them along with some other vintagey bits and bobs to make some interesting little brooches. I wanted a little project to sit and sew by hand in the evenings, and this should be perfect.

Other finds from my morning's foray include a c1930's monkey pyjama case...
Pretty china...
Glass plaques, Deco vase and some beautifully polished shells.
Hope you've had a lovely weekend,
Niki x

17 comments:

  1. What a pretty garden you have. I enjoyed looking at the pics.
    The necklace is wonderful. I didn't realise they were shells until you said.
    The monkey looks familiar, I have no idea why.

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  2. I find gardening great therapy too. Isn't it lovely when everything starts to grow again! I think gardening teaches us patience, because we have to wait to be rewarded for our labours, but aren't flowers just the most beautiful reward! I find that wild foxgloves pop up all over my little garden every year, and they're a delight. Hopefully the foxgloves you've planted will do the same and seed themselves around for years to come!
    Best wishes, Christine

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  3. Wjat a beautiful and unusual necklace. What are the blue and pink flowers called (above the orange shrub) as we have lots in our garden and I don't know what they are?
    Ruth x

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  4. You have a lovely garden it really looks restful. Only when you sit in it no doubt..lots of work to make it look so good. Love your fabric and the necklace.

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  5. Hello Honey! Haven't stopped by for ages and just thought I'd pop in and I find shell treasure! My last two posts have been of shell treasures! Can we see more inside that lovely booklet?! t.xx (the lady at the shell museum said that they polish all of theirs with baby oil!)

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  6. Your garden is so lush and vivid--I'd love to stop by for a stroll! Lots of wind and rain here lately. So, it's not been nice enough to be out working (my therapy, too). Great finds, also. Thanks for sharing. ♥♫

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  7. Hello friend. Your garden is wonderful I am just getting into mine as well, it is a lot of work, but I would not have it any other way, I would love to see your fox gloves when they bloom, we have wild fox gloves here in Washington State. Have a good week. XO MARY

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  8. Oh Niki what a lovely garden you have! I love English gardens...my sister in Hornchurch has a beautiful one too which I would love to be in right now. You found some lovely things on your shopping trip today...that material is gorgeous! I hope you have a wonderful Monday...take care. Maura

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  9. Your garden is looking lovely Niki - I can understand you missing your feathered friends.

    Jayne

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  10. What a pretty garden.

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  11. I was looking at your beautiful garden on a certain website this week and thinking how lovely it looked. crammed with colour.
    You are so right.. gardening is the best therapy and very good for the soul! I am never happier than when just sitting and watching my flowers grow..which are most obliging in this muggy weather.
    Look forward to seeing you on Saturday at the V & H.
    Michele x

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  12. Hi Niki

    Isn't it strange how you can pick up on something and then it appears in all shapes and forms around you for several weeks, only to be ousted by the next thing. There is a gorgeous collection of shells at DH at the moment and I've been sorely tempted but haven't yet succumbed.

    The garden is looking lovely. By the time you've spent some therapeutic hours there over the next few months it will be a riot of colour and we'll all be envious!!

    See you Saturday.

    Sue xx

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  13. Hi Niki
    It was lovely to see you on Sunday :-) Weren't we lucky to avoid the rain in the morning?
    I so very much enjoyed this trip around your garden - it looks so full and luscious. Foxgloves are one of my favourite flowers and they have happily self seeded around our garden, can't wait for them to bloom.
    It is sad to read about you missing your chickens. Do you think you will get a couple more? Our neighbour has 2 hens. They come to see me through the fence when I go to our compost bin because they know I may have leaves or peelings they can nibble. We usually have a little chat to pass the time :-)
    I hope you have a happy and shop-busy week,
    See you at the V&H !!
    Happy days,
    Denise x

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  14. Your garden looks as if it is a lot "further on" than mine.... great finds (love the monkey!) and so pleased you are now the proud owner of Flossie's necklace!

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  15. What a lovely garden, thanks for sharing the pics, I am loving garden inspiration at the moment!
    I've never seen a shell necklace before, very interesting!
    Becky :-)

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  16. Lovely garden, what a great job to go buying that wonderful stuff! Love the necklace!

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  17. Hi Niki

    I was going to congratulate you on 500th post and noticed that my previous comment has not come up. Not sure what has happened...I had commendented on how lovely your garden looks. Ours is in desperate need of some extra colour. I can't wait to plant a few more things.

    We occasionally get a few hot air balloons around here. Yours was really close. Cheeky you telling your husband that there was a naked lady outside. ;-))

    Take care
    Isabelle x

    P.S: I love the necklace, really pretty.

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Thank you for finding the time to visit me...
Niki xx