Deforestation of the Garden!

Back in March we had our Sumach tree pollarded.

now it is growing leaves, and the trunk is  looking like giant lollipops, except the one which is smothered in Ivy.  It needed cutting because it was beginning to look like a giant canopy and not letting the sun into the garden, even cutting the grass late afternoon when the surrounding area was dry where the tree was the grass still had morning dew!  

the mini Sumach forest

But.......the tree got its own back, and sent up thousands of suckers,  This type of tree does send up suckers, but after having the tree cut it has got its own back and has sent up four times as many than normal.  

Our front grass all it has going for it, it is GREEN!

Because of the recent downpours, yesterday we thought we had better tackle the "mini forest"

We had a profound Buttercup patch, looked like a Buttercup field

A small Daisy patch as well

The Dandelions I keep for my friend who has them for her tortoise

The before........

Twenty minutes later!

Princess Charlotte's Bonnet

I have just knitted this sweet little bonnet the new little Princess Charlotte wore the day she was born.

The pattern(s) can be found here
I chose this one.
It was very easy to knit even the cable pattern was simple you didn't need a cable needle, you just knitted two stitches and slip a stitch across.  It was knitted in one piece, the only stitching was to stitch in the ends and stitch up the hem for the casing for the ties

Growing up side down..............

Growing upside down

Correct way up

Boot Fair

The boot fair yesterday at Blue Anchor.  The field was full with sellers and loads of people looked.  Although after the pitch fee we made exactly £32, not sure how though because people picked up what they liked, asked the price, I said £1, most things we were selling were a £1 they put it down again and walked  away.  What do they want these days FREEBIES?

London Pride

London Pride

Someone said to me once what do you want that for its a WEED!  

Weed or not I like London Pride.  It is of the Saxifraga family.

London Pride has been handed down to us,
London Pride is a flower that's free.
London Pride means our own dear town to us,
And our pride is forever will be.
Whoa, Liza,
See the coster barrows,
The vegetable marrows and the fruit piled high,
Oh, Liza,
Little London sparrows,
Covent Garden Market where the costers cry.

Cockney feet 
Mark the beat of history.
Every street pins a memory down.
Nothing ever can quite replace
The grace of London Town.

There's a little city flower,
Ever spring unveiling,
Growing in the crevices,
By some London railing.
Though it has a Latin name
In town and countryside,
We in England call it
London Pride.

London Pride has been handed down to us,
London Pride is a flower that's free.
London Pride means our own dear town to us,
And our pride it forever will be.
Hey, lady,
When the day is dawning,
See the policeman yawning
On his lonely beat.
Gay lady,
Mayfair in the morning,
Hear your footsteps echo 
In the empty street.

Early rain,
And the pavement's glistening,
All Park Lane 
In a shimmering gown.
Nothing ever could break or harm
The charm
Of London Town.

In our city, darkened now,
Street and square and crescent,
We can feel our living past
In our shadowed present.
Ghosts beside our starlit Thames
Who lived and loved and died
Keep throughout the ages
London Pride.

London Pride has been handed down to us,
London Pride is a flower that's free.
London Pride means our own dear town to us,
And our pride it forever will be.
Grey city,
Stubbornly implanted,
Taken so for granted
For a thousand years.
Stay, city,
Smokily enchanted,
Cradle of our memories,
Of our hopes and fears.

Every Blitz,
Your resistance toughening.
From the Ritz
To the Anchor and Crown,
Nothing ever could override
The pride
Of London Town.

                     Noel Coward                               

                              

Laburnum Tree 2015

For a couple weeks every year the Laburnum tree is in all its glory

The Laburnum Fairy 

Bees! bees! come to the trees

Where the Lime has hung her treasures;

Come, come, hover and hum;

Come and enjoy your pleasures!

The feast is ready, the guests are bidden;

Under the petals the honey is hidden;

Like pearls shine the drops of sweetness there,

And the scent of the Lime-flowers fills the air.

But soon the blossoms pretty and pale

Will all be gone; and the leaf-like sail

Will bear the little round fruits away;

So bees! bees! come while you may!

Cicely Mary Baker

Summer is on its way..........

1930's Swimsuit anyone?