More Gardening Pictures

Here is one of my two special auriculas. This one is called Clouded Yellow. Although Gardener's World in its new format is not quite to my liking anymore, there were two items which appealed to me. I loved the the small auricula wall hug staging and have suggested to Mr S that I would just love him to build me one for my Christmas Present. The other tip was using a tea bag at the bottom of plant pots.

A couple of weeks back, Mr S fancied some strawberry jam, and for the first time in years, the cupboard was bare, and after reading the labels on the jars in the shop, bit the bullet and got two tubs of strawberries and made some. It was well worth it, but with giving a couple of jars away, and scones, cakes etc., more jam making is on the horizon. I would to be given some rhubarb to make some rhubarb and ginger jam, giving a jar of course to any benefactor.

Today we visited the first garden this year from the Yellow Book. We went to the Garden in Church Lane, Lillington. We both loved the huge variety of plant and shrubs and all the corners which were just packed with treasures. They have some lovely auriculas and lots of other collections. They are open again in May, and I shall try to be there. I also found out that there is a plant fair where growers from further afield have interesting plants, at Leamington on Sunday 3 May.

Usually Mr S looks forward to teas at the gardens, but there was non at the Lillington Garden, and quite honestly there was no room to accommodate these. Afterwards as we had a walk around the area which is new to us, we walked back through the church yard. The Church on one side appears to be Victorian but on the side away from the road there is an older section of wall. Mr S when spying their lovely side building wondered that the Church had not cottoned on to the open garden, and opened up themselves offering teas in aid of the Church.

The weather has been superb today too, and on our return we had scones, new season home made strawberry jam, clotted cream and tea in the garden. Last weekend I made a Victoria Sandwich which we had in the conservatory.

The reason I made this last Sunday, was to obliterate the memory of disappointing cake which we had at a newly opened tea shop in Station Road in Kenilworth. The cake looked lovely, but I don't think they used butter, the cake was light but with no flavour, and I wonder whether mixes had been used. Their cakes look beautiful and they specialise in decorated birthday and wedding cakes.