Violets are not always blue for In a Vase on Monday

 It is a sad time for our WI group as a well loved member is very poorly.  Today one of the walking groups out on the levels were the first to have been filmed sending a message of love.  Later in the week almost all the other members will have been included in a number of clips, which will all be woven together in a group message of love and support.

A couple of years ago, on visiting our garden this member much admired a few of the violets, and understanding what they meant to her, it was within a matter of days, that I collected a few plants together for her to grow in her garden.

When we returned from our walk today, I was thinking of this, and took this picture of some violets currently open in the garden.

Although not the same as the ones admired this Viola odorata 'Kim' is the violet currently in flower, and surrounded with its own leaves, in a little crystal vase.  The Elephant is a vintage 1930's one which came down through my husband's family. I have sent this off to Our photographic group leader who may include this in the 'video' of all the clips.

The levels are still flooded, but our walk was along an elevated well drained path.  The views from the car were spectacular and we saw many different birds during the morning.

Flowers, plants and friends are woven together to form a lasting bond.  

I feel that after all the years of posting on In a Vase on Monday which was an inspired creation of Cathy, we too are forming each week memories shared through an arrangement of flowers from our garden. As usual I am linking in there. 

I have promised last week, a bit of a domino game of sorts with Cathy, but that game has been put in abeyance till another time.

Aeonium Velour in flower - Six on Saturday

I'm saving the best for last this week, this is not to say that first five of six things aren't SOS worthy.  Areas got flooded again this week, but luckily the only bit of standing water here a mere sliver along the fence that abuts the neighbours path only lasted half an hour or so.  I'm linking in this post as do others, which offers any reader visiting Jim's post, the opportunity to savour lots of multiples of six things from lots of different gardens.  

1. Luck would have it that at my gardening club this week, I won first prize in the raffle, which allowed me to choose, and although there were probably more valuable prizes such as a bag full of maincrop seed potatoes, worth nothing to me of course as I don't have room to grow potatoes, I chose this pretty red Primula titled 'Gold Nugget Mix'.  My primula that I had been nursing through many seasons is just about hanging in there, so I am delighted to have another one. 

2. With a little bit of shelter from the excessive rain, this 'exotic' looking plant catches the eye of visitors.  After hearing that it is a little hardier than I thought, from Avon Bulbs at the HPS talk, the Tropaeolum tricolor is starting into flower outside.  I may just use a few blooms to jazz up tonight's starter.  

  

I read that the bright green lobed leaves are called 'peltate' with the middle of the leaf connected to the leaf stalk, which is also similar to nasturtiums which are in the same family.

3. When it was pouring with rain,  I spent a little while writing out some labels for the new snowdrops, and in a lull when I went to put in G. Heffalump's label, I noticed that the dwarf Forsythia was valiantly starting to flower.

4. I have a little penchant for clay  pots, preferably terracotta and if I can get old and interesting pots so much the better.  I was interested to read about some early pots excavated during an archaeological dig  in Wells to the rear of what is now the Wells Museum.  I am volunteering as a Gallery Steward for 'Smashed in the Cellar' and took some photographs showing parts of the old garden pots.

Panels explained that the earliest garden pots were made at the East Somerset Potteries, and there is a piece of old Dutch Delftware Pot which would have been used for displaying prize bulbs.  When I was in Shepton last week, I spied what looked like an old pot for sale, and would have gone back except that the roads have been flooded.  I went on the bus yesterday and each and every one had been sold! I  have amongst my old pots one imprinted Sankey! 

5. One buys bulbs with the expectation that they increase.  It seems that Daffodils don't do particularly well here in the garden.  This is all is left of the bulbs I bought in 2022.  The foliage is a little on the yellow side and perhaps it is ailing.  Any suggestions?

6. There is just about sufficient headroom for the Aeolium Velour as it stands on its stone topped table, and had we had more sunshine, its leaves would be even more purple and would contrast nicely with the yellow flowers.

And will there be any dry weather soon?  If not I shall still have to go out there, and prepare a few seed pans, hopefully in a couple of weeks time when the seedlings are up we shall have better light, but I ought to check first!

 

In a Vase on Monday

 We have had so much rain, too much.  If it seems that many of my posts over the last few weeks or indeed months, have had such a 'wet' theme, it is because it has been the wettest autumn and winter I remember.  Local rivers have burst their banks, or overflowed and many properties nearby have been flooded. I wonder whether we shall have an ever longer record broken since the 'Wettest on record since 1890' as quoted in the Independent for the period July to December 2023. I feel particularly sorry for all the people and businesses that will have to go through the whole trouble of bailing out, clearing up and starting again, possibly after having only tackled the problem just a few weeks ago.

Am I using this as an excuse for my less than perfect flowers? It does explain the rain drops and the saturated snowdrop petals.  

With the mild weather snowdrops are nearly over, but the late flowerers deserve their moment on IAVOM.  Here Galanthus Sprite mainly on the left hand side show their markings on their blunt outer petals. with almost all green inner petals. They are waterlogged and the green markings faded on account of the lack of light since they emerged.

G. Marjorie Brown is a strong 'girl' with strapping grey green leaves, and robust flowers.  It would be quite amusing when they have increased to place a plant fairly close to G. Charlotte just to show the contrast in size!  Here against the Terracotta soldiers and high against the Tete a Tete daffs you can have an idea of size. 

The leaves at the base are from one Cyclamen hederifolium that I selected for leaf form.  

As usual I am joining in with Cathy, and wonder how people in other parts of England are fairing.  We also have gardeners in other parts of the World each having from time to time their own weather and environmental challenges to face. 

I have mentioned any books for some time, and yes I have been reading.  In January my book club's choice.  Two of us gave this book a very high rating, but the rest of those who had completed it had lower ratings.  If you already have this book or can borrow it from your library, I was say read it, and it would be interesting to hear what you make of it.  Everyone thought it was well written. I really liked it

My current read for the club is 'The Maid' by Nita Prose.  This has been a page turner for me, but I am slowing down as I don't want it to end.  I have just a couple of chapters to read.  Again on Good Reads I see there are some severe criticisms. I would answer those on that forum, but I would rather be reading for myself, baking, blogging, arranging flowers etc. 

 

Wholemeal Cobb Loaf a la 'Bake with Jack'

It is back to basics for me this week, and I am not too old to learn new tricks. I have loved making bread for years and years, sometimes using a large table top mixer, but for nearly twenty years have gone back to the hand process, by far my favourite.  I find the kneading most enjoyable.

As a treat to myself I joined Bake with Jack's 'The Homebaker's Club',   I have been watching him on YouTube, and there is almost everything you need there to achieve as good a standard as you could attain.  He has given much and he is a gifted communicator, so why not indulge myself in a little course available whenever I wish to log on?

This Sunday the weather was decidedly damp and wet, the bread bin nearly empty, as was the freezer of 'everyday' day bread.  I thought I would get back to basics after all the sourdough bread, and watched and printed out the Wholemeal Cobb Loaf instructions.

I followed it and make the one large cobb.  What would I do differently next time?  Divide the dough in two, or use perhaps some of the dough to make some rolls, as this loaf is a little too large for us.  A smaller loaf with extra for the freezer would suit us better.  All in all a superb recipe different from the other he had shown, and with explanations and reasons for doing various manoeuvres, I have further techniques to try on other recipes.  

Six on Saturday - trying to brighten up

 Yes the daylight hours are increasing, but what I and the garden would like is a little less rain, and when it is not raining, a bit of brightness.  The lack of light is really affecting the growth on plants, and I am holding back from sowing seed on account of this. Despite this, I have been out in the garden and here find six things worth mentioning, so that I can join Jim and other gardeners, keeping a log of our gardens.

1. Bright yellow stands out against grey overcast skies, and I am thankful for the yellow Mimosa Tree growing on the other side of our fence.

2. Down in the border the yellow hellebore could also do with some better light.

 3. This week I noticed that the Chrysanthemums which had all been packed together in some compost, and sheltering from any possible frosts were starting to sprout.  They were all tipped out of this pot, and were repotted individually in fresh compost.  This is the first year that I have carried out this task for the new Chrysanthemum I bought last year,  and I am not sure of the next steps, so that will be something for me to look into this coming week. 

 

Even Chrysanthemum Picasso which Brenda gave me last autumn, after I had lost mine over then previous winter, received protection, and now is in new compost.  Should night time temperatures threaten to fall, they will spend the night in the shed.

4. I think the Corydalis would have benefitted from a good cold spell then some bright sunshine., rather than the warm wishy washy dark days we have been having. However perhaps I am being impatient.  I have placed some of the tubers of Corydalis solida subsp. solida 'Beth Evans' in a bowl and they are just starting to show a little colour. 

Corydalis solida subsp. solida 'Beth Evans'

As I write this it has just dawned on me that I have forgotten what I did with the Dicentra cucularia. I had loads of of the little tubers, and they probably got planted in the garden. 

Properly labelled when sown as soon as the seed of Corydalis Malkensis was harvestable, this week  it was a joy this week to see the tiny seedlings emerging. I remember it was a case of harvesting the seed almost hourly as they soon fell out of their seed pods.  At this size the very soft seedlings would soon be devoured by the S & S brigade.

Corydalis Malkensis seedlings

5. I took the bus and went on an adventure yesterday: Shepton Snowdrop Festival!  I went on the walk from the town centre to the home of probably the first Galanthophile James Allen.  Since I cycled to catch the bus, this meant I wouldn't be able to buy a whole load of plants. In reality the garden is already perhaps overstocked with snowdrops. 

Galanthus 'Heffalump'

I managed to find the cultivar Galanthus 'Heffalump' I had been trying to source, from the Avon Bulbs stall, it is now planted close by the dwarf yellow Forsythia. The other snowdrop is a replacement for Galanthus nivalis 'Viridapice' this time from Jenny at Elworthy Cottage.  

I was pleased to receive her assurances that this was from a strong and very long lived acquisition of hers.  

6. I had intended acquiring a few more violets.  At this stage I was going round the stalls with my lovely friend Alison Mayal, who is a very experienced and knowledgeable gardener, but horror of horrors, she cannot see what people see in all the varieties of snowdrops. She does of course enjoy swathes of the G. nivalis and Flore Pleno. 

Anyway when I asked to smell a violet, I just could not smell it, but to Alison it smelt lovely.  Apparently my genes predispose to not smelling violets,  so for now until a find another violet whose flowers wow me, I shall stick with Viola odorata 'Kim'.  Since added to the garden last year, it has made good growth, and the flowers are very pretty at the moment.

Viola odorata 'Kim'

If only I could find a really good way of controlling slugs and snails!  I haven't felt up to night patrols, but when I am out there, I do check places where they often hide, and despatch them.

Oak Tree on Tree Appreciation Tuesday

 At this time of the year, when hedges have just been trimmed, it is possible to see for much further.  Seeing over the tops of the hedges or through hedges reveal things that for maybe just a few minutes as I walk catch my eye and make make me stand and appreciate their beauty.  Here in the middle of a series of fields stands a magnificent oak tree. It is not far from Wells, Somerset.

Because I stopped to admire the tree, to my delight I also found this large steel cattle drinking trough which I had seen several years ago, most probably one winter, but I had failed to find again, most when I was looking for it again, the hedge was so thick and covered with greenery, it was therefore out of view from the road side.

The iron and strong riveting just don't seem to be appropriate for a cattle trough, and I wonder whether it had an industrial past and once the industry had closed, the containers were repurposed locally?  Something I shall be looking into, or finding the person who can tell me.

I contacted our local Museum and I had the following reply: 

'I have been in contact with the museum’s curator David Walker about the cattle trough. He has been away the past few weeks, but he is now back, and he is confident the trough in your photo is a repurposed air receiver from a quarry. They were designed to hold air at low pressure to drive drills for making shot holes for explosives, he says, and became redundant when diesel powered compressors became available. There are more in the Doulting area that came from the nearby quarry also.'

Cyclamen In a Vase on Monday

Cyclamen coum are coming into flower adding sugared almond type colours to the garden.  The leaves can be quite varied too, and some of them are described as having Christmas Tree patterns on them.  They wouldn't last long there as it is very sunny and warm there today.

To set them off in terms of size and colour  the small leaves of Cheilanthes lanosa which have soft grey felty leaves which probably earned it its name  'Hairy Lip Fern' were just the ticket.

The little triangular heavy based cut glass vase is one the smallest vases I have and it often sits on my kitchen window sill with small flowers.

It is far cooler there, and will be enjoyed for a few days, with a refresh later in the week.

This is being linked in to Cathy's post.  If you would like to join in by posting flowers from your garden, you will find any rules on Cathy's Blog.

Apple, Pecan and Cinnamon Buns

 I recently joined 'Bake with Jack' Home Baker's Club, and decided to start with the
Apple, Pecan and Cinnamon Buns.  I had only watched half way through the detailed video, and thought I could go ahead and try the recipe.  First mistake: I did not read properly through the whole recipe or watch all the videos to the end!

If you are not yet a member of the Baker's Club, the full recipe and YouTube link is easily followed.

These are the buns just before they went in the oven.  I realised that I had forgotten to put the cinnamon in with the apple when I was cooking these.  I used coxes orange pippin apples, and gave the buns a light sprinkle of cinnamon just before they were popped in..

I tried to cook both sheets in the oven at the same time, as I had yet to get to part of the video when Jack advised cooking only a single tray at a time to get an even bake.

I also didn't do the icing and sprinkle nuts in the order Jack suggested, but sprinkled the nuts first then iced them, which I think is one step better as the icing helps keep the nuts on the buns.  Half I did not ice so as to be able to freeze them.  Had I watched all the tips before baking I would have realised that for those that were to be frozen, no nuts or icing until the buns are defrosted and refreshed.  

All in all these buns are absolutely delicious, and I shall keep the cinnamon to add as a sprinkle as the apple is fragrant with the lemon juice and sugar, plus I added the zest of the lemon to the apples. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Sandra came over to join me for a little walk, and we had afternoon tea and a bun each afterwards.

Instant or seasonal gratification in the garden - Six on Saturday

We have had a very wet week, and garden cannot take any more. Some of the flowers have been bashed down by the heavy rain, and the lack of sunshine is taking its toll. However at this time of the year, expectation is high and the newly emerging plants bring intense pleasure, but still I am not immune to instant gratification.  Just reading Jim's anchoring post with all his Camelias and posts from other gardeners several in other countries will bring more Six on Saturday enjoyment.  

1. I ought to know better than visit a good local plant nursery, merely of course on the pretext of delivering a year's supply of the regional HPS leaflets, whilst having a bit of ready cash in my wallet!  I came away having spent some of my pocket money:  Crocus chrysanthus 'Romance' was placed in the garden, in a spell of 'non heavy rain' yesterday. The outer petals are paler but and when open all the inner petals are a lovely buttery yellow.
 

Crocus chrysanthus 'Romance'

I also picked up a snowdrop: Galanthus Sprite, it is a good virescent, which I happen to have in the garden which is nice and healthy.  As these specials are slow to increase, I wanted to establish some in another part of the garden, but the original clump is not ready to be divided. As well I bought four pots of Eranthes.  However I had picked up two pots of Eranthes from the garden centre at Rocky Mountain, where I did my weekly veg shop on the way.  Comparing the two suppliers, I am pleased to say that the pots supplied by Jackie Williams at Triffids Nursery were far far superior, having very good roots, whereas the others had barely started to root but showing shoots, I dare say the corms had only just been planted.  That reminded me of the lesson to check the roots before buying!

2.  I've not posted about this crocus which grows in the Conservatory border right next to Crocus sieberi 'Tricolor' out of sight to the left of this group.  I believe these are Crocus tommasinianus 'Barr's Purple'.  I've had it many years now and is a good returner each season.  These grow on the outer edge of the bed along the gravel path, so whatever the weather I can walk out a look at the spring flowers emerging, or even admire it from the conservatory.

3. It is the mixture of the Cyclamen coum that forms the fist strip of  Spring flowers which I look out on from the conservatory: this week it although not quite reaching its peak, it is already working nicely.. 

4. In that same border Galanthus 'Trumps' is sending up its easily recognised blooms, one gifted to me by Cathy: three flowering bulbs this year.

Galanthus Trumps

These  eranthes were planted in previous years!

5.  Whilst planting out some other plants,  I had forgotten that  the spot is where the Oxalis triangularis come up  each summer.  Having just come back from a friend in whose home I have admired several times this plant growing as a house plant,  several of these little rhizomes are going to be placed in a  pot of compost ready to grow into a new house plant.

Oxalis triangularis rhizomes accidentally uncovered

6. Still my favourite returner now in its sixth year in the garden, is Crocus minimus Spring Beauty. At a stage when as my gran would say: not quite enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of trousers, the bees were out and the crocus obliged by opening.  Precious moments during this generally wet week with dark skies.

Crocus minimus Spring Beauty

When it dries out a little I have a few jobs to do, more tidying up and pruning, and a little seed sowing.

Tree Appreciation Tuesday - Of myths and legends

In these parts do trees grow, around which myths and legends abound.  Many myths, legends,  and much speculation has grown up around a Hawthorne which grows in a stunted way.  The best information about this tree I found can be read on The Garden Trust Blog.

Crataegus monogyna 'Biflora' flowers in the Spring and then during the winter.  I would not say that the winter flowering is showy, to me it is as if it is just starting its Spring flowering early. 

Glastonbury Parish Church with The Glastonbury Thorn

I have read that neither cuttings nor seeds can be used to propagate the tree, and that it has to be grafted.

Flowers in January as well as haws from last year's flowers

Lichen and moss encrusted criss cross of twigs

I first wrote about  a similar Hawthorne two years ago, and for this week's Tree Appreciation Tuesday, I took pictures last week of the Hawthorne outside St John the Baptist, the COE Parish Church at Glastonbury. 

This particular tree just represents for me, the mystic and mystery which can build up regarding either one particular tree or a tree type or maybe a tree in a particular place.  It could be that a tree has particular meeting for just one person, a group of people, a tribe, the fact that trees enter the psyche of people is not surprising. The Glastonbury Thorn has been written about, and stories spun around it.  This is quite ironic given that almost all the specimens of 'The Glastonbury Thorn' are not likely to be more than a hundred years old.

Whether in ancient times or now, starting up stories which appeal, or entertain, has been of value to religious places, business and commerce.  From the Glastonbury Abbey webpage:

The Holy Thorn

Many believe that the Holy Thorn tree that can be seen in the grounds originated from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea.

By the 1530s, not long before the Dissolution of the Monasteries, three thorn trees grew on Wearyall Hill (sometimes known as Wirral Hill) about 1km south-west of Glastonbury. The trees were very unusual because they flowered twice - once in the spring around Easter, and a second time at Christmas.

Not surprisingly, they were seen as holy thorns. In the Civil Wars of the 17th century Puritan soldiers cut down the only remaining thorn because they saw it as an object of superstition. However, local people had kept cuttings, and it is from these that the thorn now growing in the abbey grounds is believed to descend. It continues to flower around Easter and again at Christmas.

The custom of sending a budded branch of a Glastonbury thorn to the Queen at Christmas seems to have begun in the early 17th century, when a branch was sent to Queen Anne, King James I's consort. A spray is still cut from the thorn in St John's Church yard and sent to the sovereign each Christmas by the Vicar and Mayor of Glastonbury.

The thorn featured on British 12p and 13p Christmas postage stamps in 1986.

Snowdrops and friends In a Vase on Monday

 Snowdrops and Cyclamen coum are coming up in the garden.  They make good bed fellows, as the coum corns are relative small, and the leaves not as extensive as the C. hederifolium.  

This week's little arrangement consists of a number of the named varieties.  I had picked these as I had a number of friends come round for coffee and cake(s) on Friday.  We sat in the conservatory, but that is where they chose even though we were packed in there. I had quite a few compliments about the garden,  most had not seen anything other than the Nivalis, and enjoyed viewing the differences close up in the little vase.

Again another charming and different snowdrop is Galanthus Diggory.  This was a gift several years ago from Anna, and the outer petals curve in and are pleated reminding me of seersucker fabric.

 As usual I am linking this post to Cathy's post, and anyone who wishes to post and link in their arrangements using flowers and greenery from their gardens is welcome to join in.

Six on Saturday - Six things in the garden at the start of February 2024

The garden plants has more or less been standing still during the last week, but I have been doing a little repotting, and moving around of plants.  For further interesting reading on matters garden or gardening, Six on Saturday anchor blog is the place to go to.

As I looked back over previous years, I realise that each year I had been attracted to 'yellow' in the garden.  Last autumn I bought some Crocus chrysanthus 'Dorothy' from the Potterton's stall at the Bishop's Palace in Wells. Jewelled with moisture on this grey and gloomy day, they draw me to the sitting circle table on which some of the smaller pots of early flowers have been placed. The dark purple streak on the outside of the petals particularly appeals to me. The crocus in the ground have been slow to emerge this year, with one or two are valiantly showing promise.

2. Other spring  beauties that I am trying to establish in the conservatory bed are Eranthis.  In February 2024's edition of Garden Illustrated, there are several pages dedicated to what we call 'Winter Aconites'. 

I mentioned last week  that I had planted a new one: Eranthis hyemalis 'Winterzaube' 'Winter Magic', and ones planted in 2020 are just at the stage of their showing their position.  A little further away is a plant which has been moved several times, but I think this came in soil in a pot brought from my last garden.  It forms a neat clump of several blooms.

I even had a few moments wondering if I was 'imagining plants' since they are neither up now, nor did I mention this last on blog.  This is where I search for what I have done in the garden.  I remembered that I had bought three eranthis last year which I identified as Eranthis cilicica when I looked carefully at them.  The article explained that it appreciates a sunny spot that becomes dry in the in summer.  I have already earmarked spots, and should they come up, they will be moved. 

They are not yet up, but I did find a picture in my files, but I had not named it.  From now on I shall be naming the pictures I choose to keep each month, all the others are useless really when it comes to searching.  However I found it based on looking through pictures taken in February 2023.  

3. On the couple of decent days this week, a got down to a couple of plants which needed moving.  

When I turned out the Fatsia Japonica Spider's Web, I realised it either had to be moved to a larger pot or out into the garden to take its chances, so it was decanted into the shady border.  It seems to be going by a different name these days: Fatsia japonica 'Tsumugi-shibori'. Here it will fend for itself, and won't need watering.

4. Some of the seedlings from seed received in December 2022, have already grown corms large enough to take their chance in the open garden.  Of the seedlings labelled 'Fairy Rings' there were just a few whose leaves more or less conformed to that type, and again, they are going to take their chances in the open garden. It will be probably 2025 before they start to flower, but as I like the leaves, I will be happy to enjoy those.

Cyclamen hederifolium Fairy rings type

5. I tend to go for the distinctive or larger snowdrops.  I do have two small but perfectly formed snowdrops which I was delighted to see up again this year: their first year since being planted last year.

I love this diminutive single nivalis. 

Galanthus nivalis 'Charlotte' has bulked up since last year.

The other small one is Galanthus rizehensis 'Margaret Billington'. 

The taller of the two blooms, which is the older bulb has four outer petals, and the smaller one is from the bulb formed last year, and has just three outers.  Both these were bought at Elworthy Cottage Plants last year, when we visited with friends Brenda and Peter. 

6. In the same Garden Illustrated magazine (Feb 2024), currently my going to sleep read, I was amused and informed in equal measure by Alice Vincent's article 'Fond of the Frond'.  She is a self-confessed pteridomaniac. 

I probably don't have enough plants, didn't know the name until now, or don't know too much about all the wonderful ferns,  I am however 'an admirer' of the fern. And if all space which could grow ferns in the garden is full, well, there are pots to fill. Here  Fern Asplenium x ebenoides aka 'Dragon Tail Fern' and Fern Cheilanthes lanosa (grey felty) aka 'Hairy Lip Fern'.

No doubt the garden will draw me out, and I shall find time to do a gardening next week.