HappyHarvesting

We are now self sufficient in fruit and vegetables. We have a regular supply of our own potatoes, both french and runner beans, carrots, celery, kale, cabbage, garlic, onions, shallots, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, small turnips and  sweetcorn. We have one sweetcorn plant that we grew in the greenhouse which we harvested yesterday. It was 25 cm long, very sweet and delicious. I have about 21 cobs that will be ready soon. This is the first year that I have grown sweetcorn so I am very pleased that it has been so successful.

My prize sweetcorn and homegrown carrots

Last Saturday I went to see 'Yarns in the Yards' at Kendal. This was a series of 15 min plays performed by Kendal Community Theatre in the many yards in Kendal. It was supported with artwork from the local schools. It was an excellent event full of inspiration and enthusiasm.

One of the yards.

Narrow alleyways lead to the yards

Portraits of Alfred Wainwright.

I love the naive illustrations

Felt houses of buildings in Kendal.

Knitted and felted

How many buildings do you recognise?

Felt herbs.

Some of these herbs were used for dyeing which took place in the yards

I loved this wicker shoe.

One two where's the other shoe?

This was made by secondary school pupils from plaster of Paris.

Very effective

A street performer.

If you donated money she moved

The cardoon in the Artful Garden has now come into flower.

It is like a giant thistle

This lovely purple flower is a perennial which I dry each year.

They close at night

One of my pottery houses amongst the Japanese anemones.

Birds and flowers

Home grown fruit.

Blackcurrants, red currants and blackberries

Richmond in North Yorkshire is a beautiful town.

This interesting building is being restored

A view from the castle walls

This looks continental.

A gothic framed view

I love these steps.

What is at the top of the stairs?

The town hall.

Look at the coat of arms

I found this plant pot woman in Appleby.

Hello there

Spring has Sprung

Another week of mixed weather. Warm then wet days and one night when the Helm wind was so strong you could hear it roar.

I have been busy getting all my flowerbeds cleared at home and in the Artful Garden and I am almost there, just the vegetable patch to weed. I still have a lot of work to do on the allotment but I have been prioritising my gardens. I had a battle clearing under the hawthorn and blackthorn hedge. The spines are lethal, so very sharp and I had to crawl under the hedge.

I have planted a lot of seeds, vegetable, herbs and flowers so the greenhouse is getting full. I am trying some new things this year one of which is sweetcorn.

A variety of seed trays

Spring is definitely here. The cherry trees are in blossom. 

Blousy blossoms

The leaves are opening on the hawthorn hedges. The cows have returned to the fields after being indoors all winter.

Delicate green

The daffodils are still at their peak.

White daffodils, houses and heads

Yellow daffodils and bumble bees

Bonny bellis.

Bellis buttons

Here are a few of my pottery designs.

A robin

A birdhouse

My trip up Hartside the other day was stunning. The mist floated in the valley and and you could just see the Lakeland hills peeping out though the haze.

A dramatic and atmospheric sky 

The Lakeland hills just visible

Swirling, floating and lifting