Friday, 21 November 2014

Painted pots. Tractor and Actea. Rain dear?


I have resolved my problem over my lack of  resolve and  made a resolute resolution to get more blogging done from now on so here are some pictures and notes.


My big news of the last couple of months is that I have taken on the garden at Whichford Pottery   in the very southern tip of Warwickshire. I am doing two days a week usually Monday and Thursday  so if you fancy coming in and saying hello those are the days. Even if you don't fancy saying hello come in  and have a coffee and a cake  or even a luscious lunch at the  recently opened Straw Kitchen Cafe. It's fab. But beware, it is closed on Monday and Tuesday for the cheeriest staff in the world to have a well earned break.
 Here are some pottery pictures 


I had a bit of fun painting some pots. Take a leaf or flower to B& Q -   match  the colours with the  chart and get a sample pot of emulsion - it will be enough to do several large pots  -  apply it to a clean dry pot  -  sponge on a  pattern if you want  - let it dry then  plant it up.  Hey presto, a bit of  cheer against the drear.  



Grassed up!
I did the same with the leaf of this  Phormium  but I broke the pot that matched the grey green  so perfectly  so I used the green  that I had spare
 and while I admit it's not quite there  
I'm not too sure that I really care.
P.S. None of them are grasses, so there!





No need for paint here, this pot comes off the pottery shelf already this colour. Blue skies and white clouds. The  variegation is white and there is just enough  grey/ blue in the leaf of the Euonymus  to make this  work 



You can't see the Violas around the edge  but they work nicely with  the Ajuga  and Festuca when seen in the flesh. Natural colour,low pan style terracotta pot. 





Large flowered pansies, one  of the  several million varieties of  Heucheras and an elegant grey pot - no painting, it is part of the range.



If you were wondering where all your snails went  -I've got 'em.


Mother nature is a great  chum  because she always  has something just round the corner  to make you smile.
This Echium seedling  was growing between some  upright slabs  and the roots were as flat as a pancake. Tenacious li'l critter.
 




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Earlier in the summer I did a garden Q and A   
  at the  Kent Show . and then had a wander about.


 ''Do you think its going  to snow , honey?''
''Well, its too cold to rain dear.''

I was surprised how small  reindeer are but absolutely amazed at
how big their antlers can be.

Unusual attraction. 
Three wheel tractor. 




Very old school but no punctures on this one........








 ..or this one....



 ..or this one!

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Very hard to sneak up on this little alien - too many eyes watching you.
One of the Acteas, might be A. pachypoda, not sure.

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Beware the leaf cutter bee. Oval pieces to line the  bee's tubular 'nest' and  round pieces to plug the  end. 




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Sometimes pastels just don't mut the custard and you need a bit more  of an in  your face kinda colour. The pots were painted to  match the lighter green  veins of the deep purple red, almost black  foliage  which was  very prominent  before the  lipstick pink  begonia flowers showed themselves. 'Get in there' as they say. It is easy not to like this combination  but I cant resist it. Many of  my clients fight shy of  bright colours insisting pastels are 'cool'  but they miss out on a lot of excitement. These begonias, some bright double flowered Echinaceas, Yucca Golden Sword and some warm orange Ostepermums which survived outdoors from last year  give me a warm welcome  when I get home from work each day.    A close look will show a need for dead heading and some frazzled  petals where  I haven't got round to watering  for a day or two during the hot weather. The  red bike , filing cabinet, and set of ladders in the picture all  show up my lack of professionalism when it comes to taking pictures. Photographer friends would cringe  at my lack  of preparation and  no doubt my use of colour.



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 Took this picture before the first frosts when  I was 'taking in'. A barrow load of  succulent jewels.



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My son on his mobile foam.  Ha , ha ,aha, ha, ha, aha, ha, ah.  Ya gotta 'av a larf aintcha?