Wood fired garden pots by Jacky Duncan

At the HPS plant sale a couple of weeks back, a number of beautiful clay pots were being offered for sale:

Wood-fired frostproof pots 

by

JACKY DUNCAN

(Artist potter, Winsham)

Used but not damaged!  Bargain sale to lighten load before house move

I was provacorating, had my eye on some nice ones for my succulents, but for some reason did not pick them up.  Towards the end of the sale, these four taller ones were still on the table, so I decided to have them, and brought the sale poster home!

All I can say is how pleased I am to have acquired such lovely pots.  How generous of the first owner to share these with others.  I will carefully wash them, and make sure they go to another appreciative gardener when the time comes for me to part with them.

At first I thought of planting the Japanese Fern  Athyrium otophorum var. okanum, in one of the pots.    I love its slender arching leaves where the dark purple stalks and midribs contrast beautifully with its light yellowy green leaves. I had just repotted it and covered with crown with some of the moss I had recently collected, and feared the black plastic pot just didn't do it justice.

Newly acquired 'second hand' wood fired garden pots by Jacky Duncan

The geraniums were in the queue ready to be repotted with fresh compost.  In the end all the pots were used for a little collection.  

Pelargonium hybrid sidoides x reniforme “Burgundy”, Pelargonium coriandrifolium, and Pelargonium ardens x 2  now fill the pots.

Less than a couple of weeks ago, I had decided to cut back the ardens in an effort to get a multi shooting plant.  I am pleased to report that it appears to be working.....

In a Vase on Monday - Getting outside

Its early January, we have just had our first frost in the back garden, sufficiently hard to knock back the nasturtiums, fuchsia, and Salvias.  

A few steps into the garden to hang out the washing usually leads me to looking around the garden.  I know the rule is to leave the garden alone, but I really felt like ripping up all the soft and saggy nasturtiums and low and behold the sign of shoots from bulbs beneath brought joy to my heart.

Around the Hydrangea Paniculata growing in a large pot, I had planted a few embryonic cyclamen about three years ago.  They were giving a nice little show, sufficiently to spare a few blooms for my little ceramic vase.  A couple of leaves of other cyclamen, and two leaves from a little native evergreen fern.

The fern is called  Asplenium trichomanes or Maidenhair spleenwort and is a native everygreen fern which is very hardy. The little bright green leaves come from a nearly black central rib.  I've seen this growing in cracks in walls.  I love this little fern which I bought a few years ago, and have it growing in a pot where I can admire it.  During the summer, I move the pot to a sheltered and shady spot, and even in the few instances that it has dried out, a good soak in a basin of rainwater has revived it.

For this week I am grateful to IAVOM for getting me outside.......not just to pick the little vase full of early spring flowers, but to photograph the vase.  Inside the light is just far too poor.

Cathy has posted her first Vase too for 2019, and is in the pink!  Do go and spend a few moment checking not only her vase but others too.

In a Vase on Monday - Grace

My little apprentice has taken up The Vase Challenge again now the school holidays are here...home made vases and daisies, and butterflies too.

This week Cathy's Vase is a blaze of colour, she just kept adding more and more..and turned up all sixes.  Do go over there and see the wide variety of flowers and from there vases from far and wide.

After a severe prunning a few weeks ago, Grace is looking bonny again.  I love that apricot colour contrasting nicely with  pale green leaves.  In the vase, to 'support' grace in more ways than one, are some stems of Leycesteria Formosa Golden Lanterns.  The Lanterns have started to have purple berries, and to complement them, I popped in a few stems of Sedum Purple Emperor still in bud,and  a piece of floppy euphorbia.  I'm not sure which it is.  It self seeds around the garden, is a little prone to mildew, and is often cut down with the expectation of fresh purple leaves within a couple of weeks.  It may be amygdaloides purpurea, but I would welcome suggestions.

 Finally a couple of fern leaves which don't really show up well in this picture: Athyrium Noponicum, and Athyrium Otophorum 'Okanum', which either have a purple stem or purple bits.

It is now getting so hot that the only room to put flowers in where they will last more than a day or so is the north facing living room.  I posed the flowers with some shells which I have had for many years.  The large one is almost the same colour as the rose, my mother had this Triton Trumpet Shell up on her pelmet for many years.  Its one of my many lovely treasures.  I made up this vase a couple f days ago, when I got up early to cut the flowers, and I knew we would be lolling around Saturday and Sunday and could enjoy this one over the weekend.  Monday morning is a bit of rush for me

Malvern Show

On Sunday I had a day out on the outing to The Malvern Autumn Show, organised by Letti Blakefrom Our Horticultural Club.  We had a really good sunny day, with hardly any wind.  I wondered around on my own, as I had left my hero behind, painting out the airing cupboard after our new gas boiler was refitted this week.

 I felt that the plant and flower areas had dwindled compared to several years ago, but heard that it is the Spring Show that gardeners should head for.  I even felt that I had missed a tent!  That is all well and good, but the Autumn is the time for lovely show plants and Michaelmas Daisies.

After reading my blogging friend Helen Johnstone's review of The Plant Lovers Guide to Asters, and her previous visits to Old Court Nurseries, I was pleased to find their stand.  It was after sitting down and listening to a short talk given by Helen Picton.  It was great to see so many well grown plants together, and here make a note some of my favourites: Blandie

Irene

I also know why my Aster Macrophyllus twilight one of mine is not performing: it is not getting sufficient sun.

There were some excellent Fushia stands, with a huge range.  Some had been grown as bonsai and looked magnificent...but I prefer the much lower maintenance regime of hardy garden grown varieties.  This new one called Cherry Lee really appealed not only because of its lovely flower but because of its pretty foliage.

This Rudbekia Triloba Prairie Glow stood out, with its flowers held on sturdy dark stems.  I am on the look out for some seed or plants..so do let me know if you are reading this and you know where to source some from.

There was a marquee where giant vegetables were being exhibited...

but towards one end were some displays of herbs.  This African Blue Basil would be worth growing just for its leaves.

With the Rudbekia and African Blue Basil on my list of plants to find for next year...

What did I come back with...

I loved the Fernatix Stand, and maybe it was because this fern reminded me of the ones I saw growing in Yorkshire, I brought back this Polypodium Vulgare.  I love the green and the frond shape.  and being quite short growing to 8 in it will look lovely cut in vases.

I also picked up a punnet a round green Butler cobnuts and some apples from a local grower.  And to finish off the day a delicious Buffalo milk icecream form a producer who comes from just a few miles from Kenilworth, at Napton and from whom we have had many delicious cones at other shows!

Short break in the Yorkshire Dales

After our holiday in Gunnerside last September, we thought that another short break in that area was due.  Mr S had missed out on visiting the Ribbleshead Viaduct, and we had just driven through quite close to this area, and found it very attractive.  On the way up we stopped to have our packed lunch, and very much enjoyed exploring the town.

 every looking skyward, they were some interesting ornamentation

 We walked up to the Castle

and had lovely views

As we still had some time and a little energy, we popped into Settle to have a look around.  It was coming to closing time, and the very helpful people at the Tourist Information Centre suggested that as we were interested in architecture and railways, that we walk down to see if the lovely people at The Water Tower had their gate open.  Do go to the link and see what a great up-use has been made of this once derelict building.  We found it and very much enjoyed the walk round the garden, the back of the house, and a chat with the owner, when we told him we were from Kenilworth.  He said we were the first visitors from Kenilworth.  The whole house looked very interesting.  You don't get to look round inside!  However you can tell that it would be very interesting.  We were asked to sign the visitors book.  The reason I am making a particular point of adding this visit to the Water Tower House, is that a friend from Kenilworth visited the next day, and sent me a picture of the visitors book, with her entry just three entries down.

We stayed at the New Inn in Clapham, which was in an excellent location, in a beautiful village, with very little traffic.  It has been nicely redecorated, and has a good car park at the rear.  The public areas were also very attractive.  We had great breakfasts, and delicious evening food.  One evening I had just a seafood salad, which was perfect.

We found out from the village noticeboard that there was a guitar and harp concert at the Local Church that evening, and went out early for that.  If you have the opportunity to going to one their concerts, then you will have a wonderful evening.  They were Máire Ní Chathasaigh and Chris Newman.  What  a great duo, we had such a variety of music and the banter was entertaining too...and how nice to be greeted so warmly by some of the friendly villagers whom we had chatted with just in the last 24 hours.  I did my thing too, by rescuing a bat crawling along the isle.  I took it up in my scarf and carried it outside, so much better for it than getting trodden on!  The wine and home made cheese scones made by the villagers was excellent too.

The village itself had several interesting businesses/shops. There was one dealing in sheepskin gloves, slippers etc, a really lovely wool shop Beckside Yarns, which was full of the most wonderful yarns.  I had a nice chat with the owner, who although has a web 'presence' deals just with the vast number of calling customers.  Just next door is a large shop selling retro items.  I bought myself a couple of old plant pots and a codswallop pop bottle.  The village shop too was well stocked.

Another find was the Bunk House....we dropped by after having a chat with the 'Landlord' about the lovely doorway.  We were going to have lunch after our long walk, but arrived later than we thought, so opted to share their Yorkshire afternoon tea for one: a very large sandwich on superb bread, salad garnish, fruit cake and Wensleydale cheese, scone, cream and jam, tea and an extra coffee...well we had been out for about five hours! We sat outside in the sunshine watching the world pass by:  a few walkers and cyclists.

On the ground floor:  half is a teashop and the second half a pub, the uppers are a bunk house for groups travelling through. Looks like the manor house  got a special update in 1701, when this lovely fireplace, front door and dovecote got added.

What a lovely love token...carved in stone and still standing over three hundred years later.

The houses in Clapham are well maintained, and we enjoyed little walks around...here are just a few.  I love the canopies over the doors.

A short stroll along the river and over the little stone Brokken Bridge, found us at the start of the trail through the Ingleborough Estate Nature.  The river which runs down the middle of the village is so pretty and we stopped to watch the birds and ducks, and this little waterfall.

There is a little toll to pay on entry which we were more than happy to contribute to.  There is a leaflet to help point out the points of interest which would be quite easy to walk past.  The former large landowner Reginal Farrer was a botanist and plant collector, travelling in China, Tibet and Upper Burma in the early twentieth century,  and in the woods you could see some lovely specimens, which he planted. 

Along the footpath there are views across the picturesque lake, which was dammed and enlarged and has been producing hydroelectricity since 1893. 

I love geological features and remember this one's name from my Geography Lessons:  The Craven Fault.  Here the fault lies at the head of The Lake, and thanks to the marker we made a stop to enjoy it.

One place we found gave us contradictory emotions. The first one was the wonder at such a beautiful, large, old yew tree, then a feeling of sadness which Mr S felt coming off the tree...he felt it was suffering from all the coins which had been knocked into almost every accessible piece of it. 

It was surviving, but how sad to see such a mutilated tree.

This lovely old stone bench helped to dispel the gloom.

as did the Grotto

As we came out by the Ingleborough Cave, we crossed the stone bridge which passes over the stream which emerges here, having disappeared down the sink hole at Gaping Gill which is further up the Valley.

We followed the track till we came to this narrow cleft in the limestone

Trow Gill was formed by ice age melt waters, and we needed to clamber up some steep stones

and at the top some limestone pavements.  Mr S felt he did some 'climbing', but he is not the one who has crossed the Pyrenees, or done the Tour de Mont Blanc, come moi!

We arrived at our turning point Gaping Gill where the stream falls around 100m then goes through a series of caves 

there were surefooted sheep very close by

on our way back I stopped to admire numerous ferns of which these are just a few

After our Yorkshire High Tea, we set off by car to visit the Ribblehead Viaduct.  The route there and back had the most fabulous of views of the hills, and valleys.  We parked up and enjoyed our walk to the Bridge.  We have traveled across it several times in Steam Trains, but down in the Valley you can easily understand the scale, and the extraordinary feat it was to build this viaduct.

Mr S had to admire the stonework

On the way back, having gazed at the beautiful clouds, I looked down and could not believe my eyes:  small, really small flowers growing in the close cropped turf.  They looked like gentians, but they were mauve, not blue like the gentians on the continent...and both five and four petals in the blooms in the same clump!  Having come home and searched, I find that they are gentians:  Autumn Gentians.

We just stayed a couple of nights, and have much more to go back for.  On our homeward bound journey we stopped at Malham Cove.  The weather was quite different to the previous day, still dry, but with a slight mist in the air.  We made our way along a rather 'too tidy' path, presumably to make access for wheelchairs etc, up to the famous cliff face, where there were several parties of absailers.

The traffic coming home was ghastly!  My hero drove all the way and kept his cool ..