Fuchsias galore!

 

Those of you who know me will know that I am not a fan of fuchsias. I do grow the odd plant and have three or four hardy fuchsias in the garden, but I find them fiddley to grow, and they need lots of watering - and their flowers drop!  So, friends and family were surprised, to say the least, when I announced I was off to see a fuchsia show last Sunday. Not the Farnborough Fuchsia and Pelargonium Society fuchsia show, of which I am a member, but the British Fuchsia Society London National Fuchsia Show no less.  Fortunately I did not have to travel to London because the show was held in a village close by.

My real reason for visiting this Show was to take a look at the hall to see if it would be suitable as a venue for The Pelargonium and Geranium Society National  Show when it is next held in the South East of the country.   I was, however, amazed at the quality of the fuchsia exhibits. The hall was filled with plants - three tables down the centre of the hall with exhibits on each side of the tables. Tables around all the edges, plus on the front of the stage and on the floor in front of the stage.

There was a smaller hall within the building and here one could buy a cup of tea ad cake. Salad lunches had been served at lunchtime. This being the 75th anniversary of the B.F.S. there was a large wall display of their events over the years. There had been a tombola in here as well, obviously well supported as it was over when I arrived early afternoon.

It was a pleasant afternoon and I met several friends there as well.

My Blue Jug is filled with White and Purple Phlox

It's been a while .....

It’s been a little while since I was last here.  We have celebrated another birthday, had a trip away for the weekend, and a day out to a National Trust property.

The birthday was my younger son, Daniel’s 40^th birthday.  I can hardly believe that he is now 40.   Despite two serious illnesses in his life, one being cancer, he has overcome them and we are very proud of him.  He did not want a large celebration, but just a meal out with his wife Lisa, his brother Matthew and his girlfriend, and us. He chose an Indian restaurant close to where they live.  We had a really super evening out just the six of us.

The next weekend Brian and I went to Eastbourne for a weekend.  This was actually my birthday gift to him last January, but this was the first opportunity I have had to book something up for us.   We had good weather and enjoyed our two days there. 

Our hotel was opposite the pier

We also had a day out at Hinton Ampner, a National Trust property near Winchester in Hampshire. 

On our way to the property we planned to call in at New Arlesford for coffee.  We have often stopped here for coffee or afternoon tea.  Unfortunately on this occasion we found we were not able to park – so we turned round and went to a place we had spotted on the way in.  What a find this place has turned out to be.  It is called Long Barn Lavender Farm.  It was a really delightful place to stop for coffee on a warm early August morning.  We sat outside and were served a really good cup of ‘real’ coffee.  I cannot describe the scent of lavender in the air – it was quite soporific and we could have stopped there for far longer.   However, the lure of the small plant nursery nearby was too much for me, and I eventually ventured forth!   The plants there were really good value, and very well grown.  However, the only thing that I eventually bought was six small broccoli plants for my vegetable garden.  I have been looking for some for a while now as my own seeds did not germinate at all.   I also had a look round the lavender plant nursery on the other side of the barn.  There was a lady demonstrating how to make lavender wreaths and I wished I could have joined in.  It seems they take bookings for classes of this type.   This is a stop we will make again for sure.

We have been to Hinton Ampner before, and I enjoy the quietness of this garden.  It is not flamboyant with flowers, just a really pleasant homely garden.  We also went round the house and again, this is a house that I felt we could live in, despite there being many rooms, they were not overly large and the place has a definitely ‘homely’ feel to it.   What I really love ‘tho, is the large vegetable garden.  Oh, how I would love a vegetable plot like the one at Hinton Ampner.

Guarding the vegetables

Runner bean arch

Can you spot the pumpkins?

Finally an update on the blue jug.  I have been putting these cheerfully yellow Alstromeria's in it for the past couple of weeks.

More soon, I hope!

A birthday and two outings

It’s been HOT!  Too hot to do very much at all, apart from early morning and early evenings.  But I love it.  Our weather is far too chilly and damp far too often to complain when we do get some hot hot weather – don’t you agree?

So, what have I been up to this month?   We have two birthday in our family to celebrate in July – the first one was our granddaughter Sophie’s 17^th birthday.  She was going out to celebrate with friends, and I had my cousins stopping off on their way home.  So it was arranged that we would pop over in the morning to give her her gift and celebrate the occasion.   We had a cake – with one candle on it (I told her she would have to blow it out 17 times, much to her younger brother’s amusement).

Brian and I took a day trip to Salisbury last week – we often pop down there to meet up with some friends, but this means we do not get to look around the town much.   Tuesday is market day, which was the day we chose to go.  It was a great shame that the market was not as good as we expected.  The town square was being re-paved, so only half of the stalls were there.   

Yesterday we went to Brian’s cousins for a family get- together.   This is always a  fun afternoon.  When the guests had gone we stopped on to chat with Brian’s aunt and uncle who had come down from Norfolk for the party.  The foxes enjoyed the remains of the party food.

Visit to The National Collection of Pelargoniums

Last Sunday I was at The National Collection of Pelargoniums at Fibrex Nursery, Nr. Stratford-upon-Avon.  I had an awesome day.  I travelled up with a friend and we met up with another friend.  If you are able to I would recommend a visit - especially at this time of year.  The plants looked stunning.  

Pelargonium Species

Pelargonium Species

Zonal pelargoniums

Regal pelargoniums

Zonal pelargoniums

Zonal pelargoniums

I know, I've not been keeping up with posting pictures of my Blue Jug.  My aim this year is to keep it filled with flowers or foliage from the garden.  So, here are the latest pictures.

I hope all of you here in the UK are enjoying our summer which has arrived at last.

National Pelargonium Show and Cats

June is always a busy month for me with shows and my own greenhouse plants, and the garden.

The following week after the show at Farnborough I went to Capel Manor, in Enfield, Middlesex (North London) to Steward at the National Pelargonium Show.  I love this show, and I really enjoy Stewarding.  I always learn something new from the Judge I am accompanying.   It was not a large show, unfortunately.  The weather had taken its toll and many exhibitors just did not have their plants ready to bring along.   However, what was there was good and I had a very enjoyable day.

We watched the two BBC programmes on the Secret Life of Cats.  It was filmed in our village and I was a bit worried that my vegetable garden would be shown.  We had been asked to sign an agreement that it could be shown.  My vegetable garden, in particular, is visited by the local cats who think my raised bed are very large litter trays.  So much so that when I have nothing planted and growing well, very bit of vacant soil is covered with something to prevent the cats gaining access.  So, my vegetable garden never ever looks like the vegetable garden one sees in books and magazines.  However, I need not have worried - my garden was not filmed, or if it was, the footage was not used.  They did show a clip of a pheasant by my front gate post!

On Saturday we were invited to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of some friends.  It was a lovely day for a celebration.  We had a surprise visit by 'Elvis' who entertained us for an hour.