Brexit, Face of Jesus and a Spring Show

I found this very old draft blog post sitting in the draft box. It looked surprisingly relevant so here it is.

 Okay lets get politics  out of the way before we start. Brexit? In or out of the E.C?

I got up the other morning and even my breadboard was trying to tell me something other than  'Use your loaf '

Just remember, be cautious and  don't put all your aggs in one brexit

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The face of baby Jesus.

Jesus's face turns up everywhere, on a piece of toast, on a corn-flake, in the froth on your latte, it is definitely omnipresent. 

When Barbara is sewing cotton gets traipsed all over the house, even the bathroom floor. 

Sorry it's not the face of Jesus or  may be it is but when he was young. 

This silhouette of a sleepy young  child's face was on the bathroom floor.  Excuse the pubic hair on the left. 

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Berberis  darwinii

 Darwin was  a mighty guy if only for  the fact that  he discovered this plant, Berberis darwinii  in  Chile in 1835 when he was travelling as a naturalist  on the Beagle   . It was introduced here in the UK  in 1849 by William Lobb of Vietch's nursery

In fact I am not sure if  it is straight  B. darwinii or a hybrid with B. linearifolia called B. x lologensis  ( after Lake Lolog in Argentina)  variety Mystery Fire. Does anybody know?

Either way it is one of the best shrubs ever - my modest opinion!

I am changing the garden  at home so I am having to dig it up and move it and am crossing my fingers that it will survive the move. 

I cut some for indoors and it looks absolutely stunning. 

With no disrespect meant to recent clients but  when  designing plantings I  ask them if they have  any colour preference you  can guarantee that  90% will say no orange - well look what your are missing. Not just orange but shades of  apricot, yellow  and deep red all on a small leaved, evergreen shrub. It is fabulous. Maybe there is a god? 

Berberis darwinii in an Adam Keeling pot from Whichford pottery ( Adam is the muscly guy in the Pottery website intro video) . The flowers are  a much stronger  orange than this  picture shows

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Ebrington Spring Show

I judged Ebrington spring show at the weekend, There was great support  with plenty of  top class exhibits in all classes. It was mighty close in the Narcissus classes so don't feel too miffed if you missed out on a prize it will only have been by a whisker.  

Daffs and tulips ...  and an official recorder.

Mixed stuff and Camellia  flowers, some were enormous.

Normally  the pay for my duties is a bottle or two  of wine or a box of chocolates but at Ebrington you get a  generous veg box  generously  donated by the Drinkwaters who are local growers  of veg and fruit  and who have a very good farm shop in Ebrington.