Plants galore, and more at the Newark Garden Show

Once again we went to the Newark Garden Show on the Friday with pre-paid tickets. This time entry into the show was more organised, though we probably arrived later than we had last year, so perhaps we benefitted from the team hitting their stride. The traffic getting to the Showground though was worse, with queues on the A46 roundabout up to the turning - this was likely to be due to ‘normal’ traffic and the additional show traffic, and both having a bad day, as traffic seems to all too often.

And with this being our second visit we were a little more aware of what to expect. As you enter the show there’s plenty of plants to buy, for what I think are very reasonable prices. This year we skipped those, and the crowds, initially and headed straight for the main ‘avenue’ or ‘drag’ which runs parallel to the building which hosts the craft stalls, and before I knew it I’d seen a garden sculpture that I didn’t want to leave without!

And while the stems and the orbs sway in the wind, the base should ensure that it’s not something that we’re chasing down the road in the wind (hopefully!) - though that said, I think this is one I’ll keep away from the greenhouse once that’s in place just in case.

The stallholder was doing a good trade, and with a ‘show only’ approach to his items I knew this was a now or never item. As you’ll know from my April garden update, it came home with us - after a bit of jiggery pokery actually getting it into the car! We bought it there and then, and collected it later on our way out, which was ideal.

It’s not hard to see why the sign for Deviant Plants caught my eye is it? But their stall was more than just a good sign, and they had many plants here that were a bit different to the norm, which I think can only be a good thing. I’ve since discovered that they’re a small Lincoln-based nursery, and I hope to see more of them and their plants. It’s from here that I bought the Natchez Trace Iris and the Southern Globe Thistle plants which also came home with us.

Apart from the sign, it was the plant that promised chocolate scented flowers that fascinated me; but I wasn’t so keen on the leaf shape so left this one there. We had a stroke of the silver sage which is softer than it looks, and while we left it there it’s on a list of potential future plants - everyone has one of those right?

I had half an eye on potential paving and greenhouse base options as I walked around the show, so I was pleased to see the local Gainsborough based company Naylor GridTech’s stall at the show. It was really useful to chat through the different options, and learn that this is absolutely strong enough for a greenhouse base. They also do a product which can be driven on, but that’s more than I need - so if this is something you’re considering, it’s worth asking that question.

The grid is both durable and environmentally friendly which is strong once filled with gravel, so it can provide a strong and permeable base for my future greenhouse, which is very good news indeed as I really didn’t want to have a concrete or paved base.

It was good to see the new-to-the-area Quirky Duck team at the show, and it was a good reminder for me that I haven’t been to their new showrooms yet - something for me to fix. The tall strawberry pot reminded me of the one we had in our London garden - and no longer with us, and long forgotten about until now.

After talking myself out of buying the NASA sign to add to the old farm wall, I once again found myself admiring the Lagurus/Bunny Tails as I had last year. They’ve clearly got a pull on me, but we already have a small (but growing) plant in our outside border, perhaps that’s why.

I was less successful in avoiding the dark leaved and dark flowering penstemons - as usual unable to choose between the two so having one of each, and adding a small variegated fatsia to make up the three.

I had a plan for the wooden seed trays too, thinking they’d be idea for my (not yet in existence) greenhouse - my plan is to task MOH to make some. The fact he doesn’t have any wood is not a valid excuse either. I know he has all sorts of wood which we brought with us when we moved, and maybe it’s time for some of it to have a new purpose…

There are bargains to be had at the show. Last year I was impressed by the good prices of the olive trees, and that was the same this year. I also saw Rhododendrons priced from fifteen pounds to fifty, though to be fair the higher price was for a larger plant. But £15 for a plant this size is a good price.

Seeing this, and knowing MOH’s penchant for a rhododendron - or rosiedendron as he calls them (on purpose to annoy me!) made me think about our garden, and how we could fit one in as we definitely have the space. The plant above is predicted to grow to 1.2 m (width and height) within five years, so it’s not one to just plonk anywhere. My current thoughts are that having a rhododendron would be a great way to screen off the compost bins, and look pretty too. Hold that thought!

It’s just as well that we’d already bought a garden sculpture, otherwise I think this rusty iron dragonfly would have been the one - and it would have been way easier to transport! But at £25 I’ve a feeling that this (or something like it) could be a future purchase as it’s a great way to add height to a border, new or old.

There was more iron too, and more that I could easily have left with. I am sure these will also feature at some point in our garden; they’ve been a favourite of mine for a while, and we’ve seen at other garden shows and online and balked at the price. These are much more favourably priced - the circular supports in the first image below at £20 each.

As we headed back towards where we’d come in we were met with a blast of colour from the cheery bougainvillea - a plant that’s sure to bring holiday memories that’s for sure with its jewel-like colours. And the hibiscus too - fabulous plants, but not on my current plant wish list.

Though now I’m wondering why not! But I know I have to stick to my plan - or close to it anyway!

So again another good year at the Newark Garden Show, and I’m sure we’ll be back again next year - hopefully we’ll be much further along with our garden planning and I’ll be buying plants and actually planting them in the garden, who knows - let’s hope so.

The fourth (and last) of our black and white pictures

Here’s the final post in this series, which follows more details on why we chose the first, second and third photos as part our series of four black and white pictures. As you know the first two images were of holiday memories, and the third was prompted by where we used to live, so it seems only right that the final image was of our new location. It’s also the only photo not taken by me in the series too.

MOH took this photo of one of his regular bike rides, it’s a place we drive past often and so it was a bit of a shock to see the field full of water that first winter we were here. We were already a little bit more shocked than we thought we would be by the weather and its impact on the area around us, and I remember thinking how much hardier these country folk were, much more than us townies and questioning if we’d made the right decision to move.

But to give you an indication of how grim it was, and how much of an eye opener it was, there’s very little difference colour wise between the colour and black and white photo. There’s definitely some mileage in the ‘it’s grim up north’ saying, but it’s also true we’re glad we moved here as there is so much more it offers us.

The black and white photo loses the place names on the sign, but I think accentuates the pot hole - which like many places is sadly a way of life right now. We’ve learnt that here though they draw a yellow circle around them, we’re not convinced this is to highlight where repairs are needed though as often the yellow circle wears off and needs replacing too! You’ve got to laugh though…

So the final image is a good reminder of our first winter in our new house, and I think complements the other images in our series of four black and white pictures, each of which includes an element of nature. Together they make a great and impactful display in our bedroom of our now not quite so new house!

Strike a pose. Vogue

It’s been a while since I shared my initial plans to create a space to craft, and while it’s worked out well there have been some additions and changes along the way. The pegboards have been excellent for storage in a space that otherwise wouldn’t have been used, and even though they’re in a cupboard it’s great that they keep things so organised.

But actually the biggest game changer has been the additional desk top - and space that provides - that we added earlier in the year. I don’t know why, but now I just seem to get so much more done and without moving piles or stuff, or projects as I like to call them! Maybe that’s why…

I’m still very much liking the plain white walls, though a couple more things have found their home hanging on the walls here - there’s the colour wheel plate which is already up, and I plan to add a picture which I brought back from my travels, or more precisely from my stopover in Singapore way back in 2000, underneath it.

I thought I was done picture wise.

But it turns out I’m not.

As soon as I saw these at my sewing group’s recent stash sale I knew that some would end up on the wall in my craft room. But how many? I guessed three would work, as I think things in odd numbers always look better. But which three? Eventually I narrowed it down and left with these three images from a vintage Vogue pattern catalogue, thought to date back to 1949/50, and I couldn’t be happier.

Each of them makes me smile for many reasons, and not just for the illustrations which in so many ways reminded me of those I shared from the Biba exhibition recently, but also for the memories of flicking through pattern catalogues in shops which have long gone; The Button Shop in South Norwood High Street and Allders in Croydon are just two that spring to mind.

1 The Jacket Dress

This was actually the last of the images I chose, and it was chosen to balance colour-wise alongside the two-piece dress further below, but that wasn’t the only reason. I’m not so good with jackets, and have few in my wardrobe, though I did fall in love and buy one last summer, and I’ve worn that precisely, once!

But as the text says ‘the jacket-dress is a staunch friend of the busy woman who is in a whirl of activities thoughout the day’ - maybe I just don’t have enough whirl to my activities, though of course with this I would!

2 The One-Piece Dress “Easy-To-Make”

Ah yes, the ballgown which is labelled as easy to make. Yes, I’m sure it is if you’re an expert sewer, and maybe that was the market when the catalogue was published. However I loved the drawings, and was quite taken with the pink version, and the tiny waist.

Looking at the sizing table though, and another indication of how things have changed. A size 14 with a 32 bust - today’s size 14 is usually a 38-40 bust.

3 Two-Piece Dress and Detachable Apron

Indeed, it’s what my wardrobe has been missing! Not. This was the one the first caught my eye. The style of the dress itself is hardly dated at all, but the idea of having an ‘apron overskirt’ is a whole other world away isn’t it. It’s a glorious part of history though, and I know all of the illustrations will look great on my wall.

The stash sale itself was a really friendly and sharing event. Everyone was keen to see everyone’s purchases and new treasures. These illustrations drew some admiration, and I got talking to two older ladies who shared that their mothers had ‘done the housework in their Sunday best’ as that’s what was done then, so the apron would have been a useful addition. One lady recalled how her mother used to have a bath in the afternoon, after the housework and before cooking dinner for when her husband arrived home.

I was speaking to my mum shortly after and recalled the stories above, mum retold a story about her nan always having her best underwear on when she went out, even if that was across the road to the shop, just in case she got run over. It gives a lot of credence to the old adage doesn’t it? Anyway, onto framing my pictures.

Framing them

My plan now (or well soon) is to get these custom-framed, as they’re not a standard size so it’s not as simple as just buying a frame, or as cheap! We’ve had some artwork framed since we moved here, but sadly the shop that did this (and did them very well) has now closed, though they recommended another shop in town, so I’ll have to check that one out.

My thoughts are to have a very simple, thin frame. Ideally I’d like a metal frame but I don’t think my budget will stretch to that (but I’m happy to be proven wrong!) so my second choice will be a metallic coloured frame - I’m nothing if not resourceful! But we’ll see. I’ve also worked out that with a narrow frame, all three can hang side by side which is my preference.

So it’s a watch this space, but in the meantime every time I see them I can’t help but smile and think this is the best £3 I’ve probably ever spent.