Blooming Britain in Bloom

We have had quite a few days of rain and the temperature has dropped and the nights are starting to draw in.
There are still flowers in the garden coming into bloom for the first time. I have planted a variety of sunflowers and this burnt orange sunflower is the first variety to bloom.

Burnished red

The wild flowers in the orchard are looking very bonny. The colours of wild flowers always blend well together.

Lovely shades of pinks and purples

Stunning cornflowers and calendula

The hollyhocks have suffered from rust on their leaves but I was pleased to see that I have some lovely pink pompom blossoms.

Strawberry pink

Monkshood is poisonous but is a pretty flower.

Blue and white pods

I am harvesting, peas, broad beans, runner beans and courgettes. The bright yellow flowers of the courgette are very attractive and are edible.

Sunshine yellow

Kirkoswald, the village where the Artful Garden is based this year got through to the Britain in Bloom national final. On Thursday it was judging day. It is 60 year of Britain in Bloom so I had a gold theme. Several of the scarecrows wore gold crowns and there was a lot of golden bunting.

Booby Barley looks very regal

I made a variety of colourful daisies.

Flowers and windmills

Also some giant sunflowers.

Where is the sunshine?

Golden windmills were spread around the garden.

Golden mirror windmills

A new  exotica bird has landed in the garden. 

A rainbow dipper

The judges took a lot of photos and were very impressed. It was a shame that it was a grey day but they left the garden smiling.

Vegetables and Bicycles

It has been a scorching week, glorious sunshine from dawn to dusk. It has been too hot to garden and I have been watering the gardens daily.

Many of the vegetables are ready to harvest.
My onions white and red are ready to be lifted in order to dry.

White Onions

The turnips have matured and the garlic is ready.

Turnips and onions

I have made some pottery bells which I have hung in a tree in the Artful Garden.

Pottery bell

Pottery bell and heart

A lot of the flowers are suffering from the heat. I have phlox in different shades and hues.

Shades of purple

Pretty in pink

White with a delicate pink centre

I visited Yorkshire last weekend and there were still some bikes on display from the Tour de France or Tour de Yorkshire as it was locally known.

Yellow bikes abound

Penny farthing

I have been busy preparing artwork for the Britain in Bloom display as judging is next week in the Artful Garden.

Some things you see make you laugh out loud.

Priceless

Wildflowers and Windows

There are so many lovely wildflowers that have now come into bloom. On Hartside I found thistles.

Purple thistles standing straight like soldiers

A multi headed thistle

Can you see the barbs on the thistle?

Meadowsweet is growing in the verges, it has a delicate perfume.

Creamy flouncy meadowsweet

Frothy flowers

The willowherb is a striking pink on the roadside.

Rosebay willowherb

A spike of willowherb

The wildflowers in the Artful Garden have suddenly burst into flower. There was a black poppy that only lasted a morning.

Black and red poppies

Pink flowers and smokey leaves

I love cornflowers.

Bonny blue cornflowers

The calendula and poppies growing next to the vegetable patch are radiating colour.

Vibrant yellow calendula

The snapdragons I grew from seed are in a range of pastel shades.

Snapdragons and sweet williams

I have picked the first of my loganberries, they taste delicious.

Huge berries

I had a trip to Keswick yesterday in torrential rain. I found these ladies in a shop window.

Do you like our dresses?

Smile please you are on camera

An antique cable car in George Fishers.

Where is the mountain?

In a gift shop in Keswick there were stained glass panels featuring famous writers.

John Ruskin

William Wordsworth

In Hope Park were some formal flowerbeds.

Pinks and blues

Yellow and blues

In the Artful Garden Lotta Bottle has been given a new red necklace. Does she look good?

Red or dead

Charlie Barley is feeling very rural he has been lent a broom. He hopes it will be decorative and that he won't have to sweep up leaves as he is suffering from a bad back and lack of motivation. 

Brooming marvelous

Cumbria in Bloom

Last Friday when the Cumbria in Bloom judges visited the Artful Garden it was starting to rain was windy and there was a grey sky. They had a short garden tour and thought that it was a fun garden with lots of things in it to make people smile.
I had made a sign but did not erect it until Friday morning in case it got rained on and damaged.

KO in Bloom, looking for sunshine 

Back view of the sign

I have devised some new miniature dragonflies. They are now resting on the runner bean canes along with a large dragonfly. Beside looking decorative I hope they act as bird scarers.

Boozie Floosie looking at the dragonfly

Miniature dragonfly

Unfortunately Boozy Floozie had been on a drinking binge the night before evidenced by the shot glasses she wore around her neck and there was a strong smell of alcohol in that corner of the garden despite her being surrounded by herbs.

Drunk and almost legless

Crazy Maisie was getting eye strain for squinting in the sun so she has acquired a modest pair of sunglasses.

Are the sunglasses Ray Ban?

The feverfew is dominating the garden near the path but it is lovely to brush against it as you walk past.

Miniature poached eggs

I have made an arrangement from the flowers and seed heads I dried last year. Nearly all the flowers retain their colour.

I dry the flowers by hanging them in bunches away from direct sunlight

I am continuing to pick blackcurrants, red currants and have had to put a net over the loganberries so that there are some left to pick. Despite not being ripe the blackbirds have discovered the red fruit.
I have picked 5.4 kilos of new potatoes from my grow bag. This variety in Kestrel and the potatoes loose their shape when boiled.

Kestrel potatoes have a red tinge

Medium and petite cauliflowers

This is a cabbage that I have grown.

The cabbage has a good heart

Again for my Sunday lunch I had all homegrown veg, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage.

Roast lamb homemade rosemary and mint sauce, potatoes, cauliflower and cabbage

I had a trip to Glasgow. There is a lovely clock in Central station.

Time to catch my train

The architecture and the station roof are quite amazing.

Lovely wooden paneling

The station roof a mass of metal

I stayed in the Hotel du Vin that had some beautiful stained glass windows. This is a superbly beautiful  boutique hotel made up of 6 townhouses.

Burrell windows

The windows are situated opposite the staircases