tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-337504592024-03-07T18:46:51.994+00:00The Inelegant GardenerHappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.comBlogger552125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-61729983681046607022023-07-01T14:56:00.001+00:002023-07-01T14:56:48.223+00:00June moths<p> We've had the moth trap for around 10 months, though much of that was winder and a very cold spring. Moth identification is very difficult. Even within species, colourations differences appear huge! Nevertheless, I attempt some identification of the moths we've seen in June this year. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5RpITJ2eRTTHJurDA1oQw3bIP_nAFlav9jt2lMQjiOC1nd3yfWQooeqTpYmT_84GNdnaTnm30ajDHjSuHgKralC_SMOsaxEV0Z-ZsMfNrJEL0YXXNmIrctWwbZQd24Sdt3v6T_lHT-xEkjKkB8sUMghA3MSD9GwxjRR-Unv2XOIH3W5Us5ZwZg/s4080/20230629_073003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5RpITJ2eRTTHJurDA1oQw3bIP_nAFlav9jt2lMQjiOC1nd3yfWQooeqTpYmT_84GNdnaTnm30ajDHjSuHgKralC_SMOsaxEV0Z-ZsMfNrJEL0YXXNmIrctWwbZQd24Sdt3v6T_lHT-xEkjKkB8sUMghA3MSD9GwxjRR-Unv2XOIH3W5Us5ZwZg/s320/20230629_073003.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBUQGYdtFCtVUU4rRPtkw9iOJa9WG9haIBn5tx5KntM-FrM-MY1o_-wxe3SC9ogvYjhtpI-ZXle11LhraB2tolQQQpt2JALtecvMVmwOGdTQBSf2MgMKe3ow9ly7oTpNm9hdLloMYixUsn3ScmCUenlZqTJ-aIkEpEAz3U3bETUVDRKLLAZ0Z5w/s4080/20230629_061252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBUQGYdtFCtVUU4rRPtkw9iOJa9WG9haIBn5tx5KntM-FrM-MY1o_-wxe3SC9ogvYjhtpI-ZXle11LhraB2tolQQQpt2JALtecvMVmwOGdTQBSf2MgMKe3ow9ly7oTpNm9hdLloMYixUsn3ScmCUenlZqTJ-aIkEpEAz3U3bETUVDRKLLAZ0Z5w/s320/20230629_061252.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDdcGW3QVY4VfQWFybodD7Uk7eUB1ktHFCWbyZncYj2hjlQ2bmJnfUfkSem8sU81WwjLw6J8wzNz6lBNzCbrobJk91AJzjPJ5BHpKaXSDU6BGsTOGeUOAjNYRr0LjAX2fKHqExxJg8QTQD4hI-WNMWhIx_gl_PglcrtUcxk_T_isNl3VQgydn4w/s4080/20230629_060927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDdcGW3QVY4VfQWFybodD7Uk7eUB1ktHFCWbyZncYj2hjlQ2bmJnfUfkSem8sU81WwjLw6J8wzNz6lBNzCbrobJk91AJzjPJ5BHpKaXSDU6BGsTOGeUOAjNYRr0LjAX2fKHqExxJg8QTQD4hI-WNMWhIx_gl_PglcrtUcxk_T_isNl3VQgydn4w/s320/20230629_060927.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlZ28ql-0FIiV7e9O8-xV03lP8RhUkob0zJFDFo8pm_kQCLlvWeBf8kSz7h6uYuAiHVfC-hWJzVJDxrF5YXf2-ktC62Ew037PbtQUSv-aYBP7uGm4wnqlrJUrx6uPEsvM5mLqSHFlCobA1HcH_rTnk-HDLEI9gbP6Tztmc1dgR-zpQOJaujZ9gw/s4080/20230629_060754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlZ28ql-0FIiV7e9O8-xV03lP8RhUkob0zJFDFo8pm_kQCLlvWeBf8kSz7h6uYuAiHVfC-hWJzVJDxrF5YXf2-ktC62Ew037PbtQUSv-aYBP7uGm4wnqlrJUrx6uPEsvM5mLqSHFlCobA1HcH_rTnk-HDLEI9gbP6Tztmc1dgR-zpQOJaujZ9gw/s320/20230629_060754.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihICZ7ZOWevE6ozHdGJIkubdrZc-yZhZpH6v_V_QksTcbLNP84oEEJdK9w-4ZASnuHY_yBQ_dMSca6KKriQ2E-hGNN106rJuGUBGie5kpJEMWgZ1SLYHJNzGKo2L84ZDodPUW6sUsp1KJWCOy4KsrjUG2rRchVOLnbh8vhGxK-rgSiYWtToV60Bg/s4080/20230629_060702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihICZ7ZOWevE6ozHdGJIkubdrZc-yZhZpH6v_V_QksTcbLNP84oEEJdK9w-4ZASnuHY_yBQ_dMSca6KKriQ2E-hGNN106rJuGUBGie5kpJEMWgZ1SLYHJNzGKo2L84ZDodPUW6sUsp1KJWCOy4KsrjUG2rRchVOLnbh8vhGxK-rgSiYWtToV60Bg/s320/20230629_060702.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4fARK1VH8hV230pYPqOxGfqXRX9cMeXNwbIvD2xeOnYYB4EcXzxJNdvkBJfxfiHupW44o9JbTqNA18PqYSxORXrGyDT0uw1hJUtrsulNiFy18e3mpkZM0i0siXCmJcUEMGug-sZ0IwtZ62lTLpScIbB28VThQ1pTaqzuSQuLjfHa8BVO_lE-cQ/s4080/20230629_055930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4fARK1VH8hV230pYPqOxGfqXRX9cMeXNwbIvD2xeOnYYB4EcXzxJNdvkBJfxfiHupW44o9JbTqNA18PqYSxORXrGyDT0uw1hJUtrsulNiFy18e3mpkZM0i0siXCmJcUEMGug-sZ0IwtZ62lTLpScIbB28VThQ1pTaqzuSQuLjfHa8BVO_lE-cQ/s320/20230629_055930.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSo8e6wDxMASoodP8UGBJwnyPZttss2p99YmSc5O4eqwfYsNZ5aiLjAYDx6E0wFo5l9natUSmIhFHDy9V5JZRPMo05_2d6cDb4BNd1ZYRM5tibsmXunciGNHLHMaUsCVu829uLCWOfIfmroUmaZ7JHv7k7B8QmmPveS9YAXYAYPUmP4e4eGi2Z7g/s4080/20230629_055919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSo8e6wDxMASoodP8UGBJwnyPZttss2p99YmSc5O4eqwfYsNZ5aiLjAYDx6E0wFo5l9natUSmIhFHDy9V5JZRPMo05_2d6cDb4BNd1ZYRM5tibsmXunciGNHLHMaUsCVu829uLCWOfIfmroUmaZ7JHv7k7B8QmmPveS9YAXYAYPUmP4e4eGi2Z7g/s320/20230629_055919.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnHN4nuMPuTHTwUgLg3Ri27Lm45DVKnL9rcY7S_l7vPAOsHym_XP8Sjil4ONiE58L27kEPSONWT7sHCb9J5PLYY2sCYssi8yv2L55NN_fvVJZd-HcE5bxoH0oAXhMEfZgpGFOzszL0_V2eHyjY1SegqAFidcqXNvLodle6ve0JaiivoMX4Bue1A/s4080/20230626_061349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnHN4nuMPuTHTwUgLg3Ri27Lm45DVKnL9rcY7S_l7vPAOsHym_XP8Sjil4ONiE58L27kEPSONWT7sHCb9J5PLYY2sCYssi8yv2L55NN_fvVJZd-HcE5bxoH0oAXhMEfZgpGFOzszL0_V2eHyjY1SegqAFidcqXNvLodle6ve0JaiivoMX4Bue1A/s320/20230626_061349.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyScG5MJwgq0hF53BUatXEo7ahxmrYp36WL-UxSeq8p5o_MVX02WB9vDSboI14nM8aK2_PO7kolczfrkTg_9CSP_OR10nOQ6Ej56D8EMTPHIHIfZiKuMfvxvfaze1PM9o_g8buyG_LOjz-iepusApAJYFsVngvg1hOa_sOKxuU1lCoD5Rlmtu3Eg/s4080/20230626_061054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyScG5MJwgq0hF53BUatXEo7ahxmrYp36WL-UxSeq8p5o_MVX02WB9vDSboI14nM8aK2_PO7kolczfrkTg_9CSP_OR10nOQ6Ej56D8EMTPHIHIfZiKuMfvxvfaze1PM9o_g8buyG_LOjz-iepusApAJYFsVngvg1hOa_sOKxuU1lCoD5Rlmtu3Eg/s320/20230626_061054.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXQ8EPceq1kjlm0XFNFUbZp0cJoGGhXMbeD9jCqwGyadrORhz_hL1YzQPVYfDnnHZJIGvw_G9bkZyMfSEpkrNBoZkXf39F1d3J1jvuu1VHQBpyaXL-1o-UgRnJ_h8z4aXHEZW63Y-88lCIab4yHyOmNig3NeAhXwjCWN68KXOz1t6G-ZL9n4-RQ/s4080/20230625_061723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXQ8EPceq1kjlm0XFNFUbZp0cJoGGhXMbeD9jCqwGyadrORhz_hL1YzQPVYfDnnHZJIGvw_G9bkZyMfSEpkrNBoZkXf39F1d3J1jvuu1VHQBpyaXL-1o-UgRnJ_h8z4aXHEZW63Y-88lCIab4yHyOmNig3NeAhXwjCWN68KXOz1t6G-ZL9n4-RQ/s320/20230625_061723.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkweyZV1MUFLvj-ThwKAZzm4gUGy0WTBf1IE3W3l92BcHzxn8IGADSLQQ5x8m4eAMYfehltlhcGYzsqcFJ5NPBcE5pb6d_P3pnla-Ye2QZ6qy4CXiQNmTYYQONwuTfs-sDJ7fn86XSr1Zhn49-yDGf1nGjBQyYqvoeMw5ynhogtOLJhFGW7Qw1xQ/s4080/20230625_061705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkweyZV1MUFLvj-ThwKAZzm4gUGy0WTBf1IE3W3l92BcHzxn8IGADSLQQ5x8m4eAMYfehltlhcGYzsqcFJ5NPBcE5pb6d_P3pnla-Ye2QZ6qy4CXiQNmTYYQONwuTfs-sDJ7fn86XSr1Zhn49-yDGf1nGjBQyYqvoeMw5ynhogtOLJhFGW7Qw1xQ/s320/20230625_061705.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxgFeofBU0Y3Z7yV5rBsH4HrbtEBaLQEvNs_9RR1X9Ku7nOtPX69DcbajxMivCS3yY4LvRvt5jZMhLEAjM2SiSKQBhTH5SDqz_TKFGrU9HhIiWEKStvKLbyE4pzGMBGHjbgfHg_XDQrqb3jhI0pcDRaLqPI14A9kBYDOlpUeQZeRO6QR4rQONvw/s4080/20230625_061032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxgFeofBU0Y3Z7yV5rBsH4HrbtEBaLQEvNs_9RR1X9Ku7nOtPX69DcbajxMivCS3yY4LvRvt5jZMhLEAjM2SiSKQBhTH5SDqz_TKFGrU9HhIiWEKStvKLbyE4pzGMBGHjbgfHg_XDQrqb3jhI0pcDRaLqPI14A9kBYDOlpUeQZeRO6QR4rQONvw/s320/20230625_061032.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoAH83MHqqiZBdxsVxJx_3XozOdkKMNvulsnVKHwh8aw3Sr9hzc_mUbwK0zMkRWiBucPfYTYesfU-RsRJOQ8BQQltVjfv-_GoOL28GTbGfsW5Dk7WYoy0-YbWs4fgAb6eb1WmhzFxR_9UAJPwCYarrpvlszuW2yo4ig82YORK6PQIYzaYI_uASw/s4080/20230625_060744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoAH83MHqqiZBdxsVxJx_3XozOdkKMNvulsnVKHwh8aw3Sr9hzc_mUbwK0zMkRWiBucPfYTYesfU-RsRJOQ8BQQltVjfv-_GoOL28GTbGfsW5Dk7WYoy0-YbWs4fgAb6eb1WmhzFxR_9UAJPwCYarrpvlszuW2yo4ig82YORK6PQIYzaYI_uASw/s320/20230625_060744.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_mBk8mLqbRsRGQh0sRjoKUKDTUxQltmMbCR4mP5dNtzpZih4lJuDscW8AXRE-S7xbUVB-6R6ps38hk-8oCFJ10i5GmZ3CDfxab3tKmwQbshrtq7xl2A4LAKM7sm_quyy_54x8sD9Ik5lpA8VJ7540vyysWwW7YtKT0vRNRcrQp9w2BLxuvJ0bQ/s4080/20230623_080553~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_mBk8mLqbRsRGQh0sRjoKUKDTUxQltmMbCR4mP5dNtzpZih4lJuDscW8AXRE-S7xbUVB-6R6ps38hk-8oCFJ10i5GmZ3CDfxab3tKmwQbshrtq7xl2A4LAKM7sm_quyy_54x8sD9Ik5lpA8VJ7540vyysWwW7YtKT0vRNRcrQp9w2BLxuvJ0bQ/s320/20230623_080553~2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJd6yQvHiYCrqsmsYCcFaO5RGm2P16oMzctCh9E3tmZQzfr3dvW-mVQnLPVcDCeKOTwitMfKZDUu5hYjhgoLt7K9qxgv_TU8pH9onUkVvZ3O2gSxjRziFo5J5QONmz8KKNMfkABfl_2NswxdtaSxiOMqdnmjaJ47mBZRr8HxVbQf00NNdKuSanQ/s4080/20230623_060632~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJd6yQvHiYCrqsmsYCcFaO5RGm2P16oMzctCh9E3tmZQzfr3dvW-mVQnLPVcDCeKOTwitMfKZDUu5hYjhgoLt7K9qxgv_TU8pH9onUkVvZ3O2gSxjRziFo5J5QONmz8KKNMfkABfl_2NswxdtaSxiOMqdnmjaJ47mBZRr8HxVbQf00NNdKuSanQ/s320/20230623_060632~2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrQN1XyplYgY0QPP21bkDlBzbeudh8Vyltf940It9Uigy1roPSGYKUh3v9R1EqG2u0qQ7iLb9OT2Snocj0KeXuF3lW3kXq84K3vAzi95PwUkPIKXTqrgvH7MrJJw1LGViXQaKbkEP3khPg7snyuMaCD_RANN_hAyRE-sIUhFGytElgY97_MBlWw/s4080/20230623_060400~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrQN1XyplYgY0QPP21bkDlBzbeudh8Vyltf940It9Uigy1roPSGYKUh3v9R1EqG2u0qQ7iLb9OT2Snocj0KeXuF3lW3kXq84K3vAzi95PwUkPIKXTqrgvH7MrJJw1LGViXQaKbkEP3khPg7snyuMaCD_RANN_hAyRE-sIUhFGytElgY97_MBlWw/s320/20230623_060400~2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLrBvzxS0CVU4vPOz1ZUedTemLip3SSNcptFFVdP4cfIuQRu1dr_w5ox-LxeerxizC4h5wjcZM3YQXjQexTIwMeO72VDGRO6yyip_YUsU112czcD93tO_nM9azFfLNAMIOHi81JU2-b-FHchfrBLZ5jdLqrUWG83_qactn6GbL7zp0W1BdvF0_g/s4080/20230622_114559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLrBvzxS0CVU4vPOz1ZUedTemLip3SSNcptFFVdP4cfIuQRu1dr_w5ox-LxeerxizC4h5wjcZM3YQXjQexTIwMeO72VDGRO6yyip_YUsU112czcD93tO_nM9azFfLNAMIOHi81JU2-b-FHchfrBLZ5jdLqrUWG83_qactn6GbL7zp0W1BdvF0_g/s320/20230622_114559.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwpoqfxhgd3pWUUPxxyZ5mXzOdU5PH2oD2ZwHmF1Kv8BmXSrUOiuo-RsB2ML6PLadJmVAtGipB6l_31nmVAnWbUo4TTlpfElioQ59m8xzM-vwkbhOePLNwECUrt-JEe2hUuAud5ehAFlJbrqWsaLjZOazAxdbYWYuaY7AG53JchIs6waIzkBhww/s4080/20230622_114538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwpoqfxhgd3pWUUPxxyZ5mXzOdU5PH2oD2ZwHmF1Kv8BmXSrUOiuo-RsB2ML6PLadJmVAtGipB6l_31nmVAnWbUo4TTlpfElioQ59m8xzM-vwkbhOePLNwECUrt-JEe2hUuAud5ehAFlJbrqWsaLjZOazAxdbYWYuaY7AG53JchIs6waIzkBhww/s320/20230622_114538.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAssDNKYYtfICFXeZ7tFgkp89ihCjPMbv7CG4HmW2p4LFC4LInsSKJ9tqVO06_rym_SHFQ9iwW0gexAhu_qbVU6EZnwXtXP6GefLCxlptqRFwA0xp7lqVjkA7UPrdSUS5PvOsi9OQIives9iloNzEw3LBx33DWb9Vb3BnOTvL6OGMH32Xy61Fs8A/s4080/20230622_062052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAssDNKYYtfICFXeZ7tFgkp89ihCjPMbv7CG4HmW2p4LFC4LInsSKJ9tqVO06_rym_SHFQ9iwW0gexAhu_qbVU6EZnwXtXP6GefLCxlptqRFwA0xp7lqVjkA7UPrdSUS5PvOsi9OQIives9iloNzEw3LBx33DWb9Vb3BnOTvL6OGMH32Xy61Fs8A/s320/20230622_062052.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAYc5NNFD5UCkckdpHlU_h_WVl3aPxQvT_3z82GHVVjjd3B1dX5SH9_DA048sshnFbvvrVKBssKtE54FLfNd8C_zGlo-BfX8qrKi2GUAi0uA6uamTREXRX41-ASBZOhh3jWWy7zvZpKvkoKZQoONMRtPm5-OasYEOIHgjprolg6FHXRHU5a4UHw/s4080/20230622_061450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAYc5NNFD5UCkckdpHlU_h_WVl3aPxQvT_3z82GHVVjjd3B1dX5SH9_DA048sshnFbvvrVKBssKtE54FLfNd8C_zGlo-BfX8qrKi2GUAi0uA6uamTREXRX41-ASBZOhh3jWWy7zvZpKvkoKZQoONMRtPm5-OasYEOIHgjprolg6FHXRHU5a4UHw/s320/20230622_061450.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mvQKRDIFTKf7t5xEfJlU-627Bw0XZ4WTWPPb4lPEP84ZMW2ID5RtOl5KpJHCp1Cm1B8VKRmPGmVNSiOz9El-MkDVbwJ4c6Zmpz80pRZ42kw_DfLvvsL_OdwW3rZX4qSL6hoId9NyZMQcVQ70Y2UiZ5OSgrMoJwtBxSq9S5KlaXxzfOsm3e1o9Q/s4080/20230622_061416~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mvQKRDIFTKf7t5xEfJlU-627Bw0XZ4WTWPPb4lPEP84ZMW2ID5RtOl5KpJHCp1Cm1B8VKRmPGmVNSiOz9El-MkDVbwJ4c6Zmpz80pRZ42kw_DfLvvsL_OdwW3rZX4qSL6hoId9NyZMQcVQ70Y2UiZ5OSgrMoJwtBxSq9S5KlaXxzfOsm3e1o9Q/s320/20230622_061416~2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1KJUOjsi7mPAXnD1-uH_r2MCZ2HMaK2gJIB677YNJqAwyYLAOARvTwT-IliLeQA9Xq40Zx5Xb_SMhwStJF80WpJVOYT34zT91h0aSSJfgDvfH8N4j-zQigjxsTnZegV8h1-QzzLqFYj3BBkkkjpRvMxIVCIU9sodCWCQv3ZKG0_4l5NtBG4u2w/s4080/20230622_061301~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1KJUOjsi7mPAXnD1-uH_r2MCZ2HMaK2gJIB677YNJqAwyYLAOARvTwT-IliLeQA9Xq40Zx5Xb_SMhwStJF80WpJVOYT34zT91h0aSSJfgDvfH8N4j-zQigjxsTnZegV8h1-QzzLqFYj3BBkkkjpRvMxIVCIU9sodCWCQv3ZKG0_4l5NtBG4u2w/s320/20230622_061301~2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedvLPUWVX2nAEa_LxpY4YFpZ78lu5yJEl1uPYf4K_a4aTNTFCjxCdB7Sz1j-9oykGDBevvIRLunJG544PIVbnY9AHFq-zUsk4ao67fAYg40AvD1SKzE9xztg-lir8S99sAulSTOq_p4qnLhIhwiWgEhihEM0uaZDkeasrDr7gz9v03-7zyo704g/s4080/20230531_061005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedvLPUWVX2nAEa_LxpY4YFpZ78lu5yJEl1uPYf4K_a4aTNTFCjxCdB7Sz1j-9oykGDBevvIRLunJG544PIVbnY9AHFq-zUsk4ao67fAYg40AvD1SKzE9xztg-lir8S99sAulSTOq_p4qnLhIhwiWgEhihEM0uaZDkeasrDr7gz9v03-7zyo704g/s320/20230531_061005.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>The last one is the elephant hawk moth. Possibly our favourite moth. What a beauty!</p>HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-19068112963549100622023-06-25T18:18:00.000+00:002023-06-25T18:18:29.487+00:00Awakening<p>For my own amusement, I thought I'd re-start the blog in a fitful way. I've missed writing now that I've finished my EdD. I'm trying to get to grips with moth identification a bit, having bought a cheapish moth trap last year. It's a 'cheap' (well, cheaper than the alternatives) trap from NHBS. </p><p>We can now identify heart and darts, swallow-tailed moths, setaceous Hebrew characters - the names of moths are poetry rolling from the tongue.</p><p>Child likes to get up at 6am anyway, but on a mothing night, we gallop down the stairs to see what delights await us in the box. OK, so a plethora of micro moths doesn't exactly lead to an experience like opening presents on Christmas day, but there is one moth we've had a few times, which feels like opening the special, big Christmas present from under the tree. Who'd have thought that khaki and fuchsia pink would go together so well?</p><p>The hummingbird hawk moth is a stunner, and a placid creature, too, willing to be admired and posed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLdhdiUOSM_UbTBjmNVnKCMnszxKkrhAR6Ayv1k9Tc_qCmbY8JHLwA56IieD4fzmvOpMffswNyPQmgiMH4kRvOAlVMmyvzPLQvelwWdszM0haIUiUXbdv_HR03rJKsNaDJ2sSXelbQret8VF84PH7-pM_u0n_nf33BJCmLBqfkStsuP3Xl9TICA/s4080/20230529_060944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLdhdiUOSM_UbTBjmNVnKCMnszxKkrhAR6Ayv1k9Tc_qCmbY8JHLwA56IieD4fzmvOpMffswNyPQmgiMH4kRvOAlVMmyvzPLQvelwWdszM0haIUiUXbdv_HR03rJKsNaDJ2sSXelbQret8VF84PH7-pM_u0n_nf33BJCmLBqfkStsuP3Xl9TICA/w480-h640/20230529_060944.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9FftGwJK8_PiJIakR2ipLLhaiMTyzMEthdAm_fS9ZAQDoyHG8sFijFvbq26MeaStW3YtAGGX2Bl7Ns5GJxefdbonPah_QJEd2tekA5atDKdQn9W87pdKkGaqRGmsS3bryMSn02Mz6FTXN8GcUIW_Egda8I8v_1kwWEcVmW53cI4ZZNqvG3Utkg/s4080/20230529_060721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9FftGwJK8_PiJIakR2ipLLhaiMTyzMEthdAm_fS9ZAQDoyHG8sFijFvbq26MeaStW3YtAGGX2Bl7Ns5GJxefdbonPah_QJEd2tekA5atDKdQn9W87pdKkGaqRGmsS3bryMSn02Mz6FTXN8GcUIW_Egda8I8v_1kwWEcVmW53cI4ZZNqvG3Utkg/w480-h640/20230529_060721.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sJ_rUBrFG3Kr5EW8e3OSY6_dpG8Oq8TqeMz2zlPax2c05YYI4XNmUYKgpQdio60y1oXTNoKrsT_zRBSCWkdlH9mWTw0bIX3KsY-qMub4XkCa14z8BgcF7Nv3z4ZmuMwZKVHb9S2K0frGyzTDcOK2UD3nj5f4ZzZXpxTn5sc0fTI8tsLvU5NbNw/s4080/20230529_195708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sJ_rUBrFG3Kr5EW8e3OSY6_dpG8Oq8TqeMz2zlPax2c05YYI4XNmUYKgpQdio60y1oXTNoKrsT_zRBSCWkdlH9mWTw0bIX3KsY-qMub4XkCa14z8BgcF7Nv3z4ZmuMwZKVHb9S2K0frGyzTDcOK2UD3nj5f4ZzZXpxTn5sc0fTI8tsLvU5NbNw/w480-h640/20230529_195708.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-87389922968814510712021-05-01T08:15:00.001+00:002021-05-01T08:15:23.243+00:00Farewell, little shadow<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXiNWbNIM5Me9ny66wb6jpS9kRAt55Ivosc-HWzH8hqOKItejd4VSxKRIG3yqwYHjX3wEEhIojFvKulNtK9n1BjkLaTk6TqS-zpU6VhyhPDAq_bPn6U_obGZn08nOBqAi_qLDtw/s4128/20210406_190602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXiNWbNIM5Me9ny66wb6jpS9kRAt55Ivosc-HWzH8hqOKItejd4VSxKRIG3yqwYHjX3wEEhIojFvKulNtK9n1BjkLaTk6TqS-zpU6VhyhPDAq_bPn6U_obGZn08nOBqAi_qLDtw/w300-h400/20210406_190602.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /> Bill Cat has been missing for over a week, presumed dead.<p></p><p>We got Bill, and his brother Ted, from a rescue centre around six months after we moved to Chester. They were around 18 months when we got them, so Bill made it to over 18 years old, Over the past 12 months, he'd become increasingly doddery and pretty much deaf. I thought last Spring might be the last time he felt the rising sun warm his black fur and old bones, making him smell of digestive biscuits, but he made it through to this spring. I always hoped I'd find him curled up in a favourite place, looking as if he fell asleep, but it wasn't to be.</p><p>However, he remained my shadow to the end. When out in the garden, there'd be a rustling in the undergrowth and Bill would appear for strokes and tickles behind the ear. I miss that now. Instead, the rustling is a blackbird, tossing leaves aside to look for worms. A lovely sight, but not Bill. I see something black in the house, in the corner of my eye, but it's a hoodie, flung on the floor by small child. I hear a noise, but it's the mewling of a circling gull, and not crazy old, deaf Bill letting us know he's around.</p><p>I haven't written on the blog for several years, but it seemed an appropriate place to say goodbye to an era. Both Bill and Ted starred in <a href="http://inelegantgardener.blogspot.com/2008/10/lapcpadpoub-day.html" target="_blank">LAPCBADPOUB Day</a> and many other posts over the years.</p><p>Farewell, our biscuity shadow. Go well. </p>HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-13293900048352602432018-09-05T06:00:00.000+00:002018-09-05T06:00:05.600+00:00Wordless Wednesday - divine dahlias<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNb-tSm3y3Ds9PS9sWnMPklLsatUZ0fg05z5RSRPM3_AbgcHr7y6Vblg4Cvhcil44MXDyVEWILbqC9dVuqVSrPgudOtWQzPbGw4ADD3Mj3UsHY9U4Cm2i-o65-dZLxexM3C62hA/s1600/20180904_073511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNb-tSm3y3Ds9PS9sWnMPklLsatUZ0fg05z5RSRPM3_AbgcHr7y6Vblg4Cvhcil44MXDyVEWILbqC9dVuqVSrPgudOtWQzPbGw4ADD3Mj3UsHY9U4Cm2i-o65-dZLxexM3C62hA/s400/20180904_073511.jpg" width="225" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzZyWo3n8R99Jm8aR_D89JxJYyJFhjQirwJOqynekLFDtlmpFuxR_w8_XWrnY6T9bZx-XxkHOFrrqpYTvXktPD7M4wGhR1wHaOYMIxViKKUKm33_fZ1-vfvN4HOovOHLQrUOHXw/s1600/20180902_104444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzZyWo3n8R99Jm8aR_D89JxJYyJFhjQirwJOqynekLFDtlmpFuxR_w8_XWrnY6T9bZx-XxkHOFrrqpYTvXktPD7M4wGhR1wHaOYMIxViKKUKm33_fZ1-vfvN4HOovOHLQrUOHXw/s400/20180902_104444.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJAy4k5Ztldo9G4QLhp5IsInwnApo7TR4anEcA-V2BlIDBJZyT12rdQhku9V6TwuOG2QvCmkzzjxwdTX_CgOOv6mZIjqkvl28L25f5FVN46imgDQSsP_UEHE8mQ27QsyA0eKxiA/s1600/IMG_1601-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJAy4k5Ztldo9G4QLhp5IsInwnApo7TR4anEcA-V2BlIDBJZyT12rdQhku9V6TwuOG2QvCmkzzjxwdTX_CgOOv6mZIjqkvl28L25f5FVN46imgDQSsP_UEHE8mQ27QsyA0eKxiA/s400/IMG_1601-1.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaWTrRMJQ5DBE8bGidkoj3Ec2tY-meSacTmjXq-skvmb_v2YDQeJJrZYyJzdjjaOqDzW5NtzSzMy4VElUwtjff4kwigkUbLqMLqXrBNSbnlWpvhq1Ok5HFbmbs_u4G14_AiHcsQ/s1600/20180902_104044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaWTrRMJQ5DBE8bGidkoj3Ec2tY-meSacTmjXq-skvmb_v2YDQeJJrZYyJzdjjaOqDzW5NtzSzMy4VElUwtjff4kwigkUbLqMLqXrBNSbnlWpvhq1Ok5HFbmbs_u4G14_AiHcsQ/s400/20180902_104044.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-73747273348050929362018-08-28T13:47:00.000+00:002018-08-28T13:47:17.492+00:00EpimediumsCourtesy of new drive and pathway, we now have a nice, but narrow, border full of shiny new topsoil. It's going to be dry and it's relatively shady, and I have a hankering for epimediums as I think they'll grow there very nicely.<br />
<br />
So, a question, if you don't mind? Can you recommend any epimediums tha<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #a0a73a;">t</span> are pretty much evergreen, which have a bit of colour to their leaves for at least part of the year? We currently have Epimedium x warleyense in another thin narrow border at the back, and they've done well there for the past few years but I'd like something a little different. Are there plants that like similar conditions that combine well with epimediums? </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So many questions...</span></span>HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-53154248141529251202018-08-26T13:40:00.001+00:002018-08-26T13:40:40.732+00:00ReawakeningMany people get excited by gardening in the spring, when plants start to grow again, flowers pierce through the grey of winter and sun (maybe) warms the land's bones.<br />
<br />
For some reason, I'm more excited by autumn. Hence the resurrection (probably albeit briefly) of this blog. It's 10C at the moment, and raining, but my interest in the garden is reawakening. I suspect many of us go through stages of disenchantment with our gardens; for me this has led to disinterest over the past few seasons, exacerbated by my ongoing course and all those other bits of life that get in the way. But a new driveway and path in the front garden, which has slightly reduced the size of the borders, has led to a reassessment of what we have and a reawakening of interest.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN49LJGUAdArqxoJVRY3h56mt0ZjAgBx_QF9LmwY0FGmP91xpU7uBFk_4QEnv0mkX-Bl8aIU2XIP4bGcKRUrnNbzjfFMJYkCPJMrF1E8ehSCrAt2ykm7rAjgXfLOkXBTMb9zgRNw/s1600/20180826_143526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN49LJGUAdArqxoJVRY3h56mt0ZjAgBx_QF9LmwY0FGmP91xpU7uBFk_4QEnv0mkX-Bl8aIU2XIP4bGcKRUrnNbzjfFMJYkCPJMrF1E8ehSCrAt2ykm7rAjgXfLOkXBTMb9zgRNw/s400/20180826_143526.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In late spring in recent years the front garden has been a chaotic climax of colour, with foxgloves, peonies, forget-me-nots and many other late spring flowers. Then flump. A big gap of overgrown greenness until late summer when the asters start, fighting to be seen between the ever-spreading Japanese anemones. Now we've had a few shrubs removed, and a couple of dwarf apple trees are also to go. This has prompted me to re-evaluate other overgrown shrubs and come to the conclusion that the whole area needs opening out again. Light and air. Shrubs planted quite closely when the front garden was new and bare are now intermingled and crowded, usurping the herbaceous plants that I love. The same has happened in the back garden. From herbaceous border to shrubbery; and right now, I'm not of the same mind of the Knights that go Ni. I do not want a shrubbery.<br />
<br />
So, this autumn and winter there will be reappraisal, opening up, and a lifting of canopies. Time for a reawakening.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtRYgh3pFZTyQMVvSbIMwBHbaDeCT_wIlKvqmtT986Mm2m0aktvYku_Q6NLE56wGYgUAvJueiDGHJu748zKIWqPrWphuCSvpmeiXM5zp9nIAAhAxf8DV1qcM09bKtSuieyhusXg/s1600/IMG_5621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtRYgh3pFZTyQMVvSbIMwBHbaDeCT_wIlKvqmtT986Mm2m0aktvYku_Q6NLE56wGYgUAvJueiDGHJu748zKIWqPrWphuCSvpmeiXM5zp9nIAAhAxf8DV1qcM09bKtSuieyhusXg/s640/IMG_5621.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-41647441224806918232018-04-01T19:48:00.000+00:002018-04-01T19:48:24.802+00:00Poor pay in gardening? Blame Aristotle.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I couldn’t make a living from gardening. There are many
reasons for this, the main one being that I’m a bit too slap-dash, not taking
quite enough time and care to do things properly and, importantly, tidy up
properly afterwards. However, there’s also another reason. Money.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a high flier with a huge
salary. I work part-time, term time and my salary reflects that. It doesn’t
really reflect the experience and qualifications I’ve got, but it does me fine
and lets me have school holidays off for looking after (not so) small child.
But look at the pay of something like the National Trust. A head gardener can
expect £27,000 pa. Not bad, but that head gardener has to have experience not
just in all aspects of gardening, but also managing staff and volunteers,
balancing budgets, delivering activities to visitors, managing contracts and
ensuring the health and safety of staff and visitors. A gardener can earn £18,700
and an assistant gardener £8.46/hour (£16,500 if it weren’t a 6 month fixed
term contract). For the assistant gardener role, you need qualifications, equipment
use certificates and experience, so not exactly a job for an unqualified new
starter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-17sddlVklCLZHPevHO5pjerKwz3sRcnjdUOFq9vkvQfm-LMDJh5xBYNa-4ckq5AP7In0SijqyoKZS6CJUrOKMoNQgyb4UHXF8EvJxYszUzKI4isKNfq1ASw2PmaPvMFeO7f6Yw/s1600/IMG_4930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-17sddlVklCLZHPevHO5pjerKwz3sRcnjdUOFq9vkvQfm-LMDJh5xBYNa-4ckq5AP7In0SijqyoKZS6CJUrOKMoNQgyb4UHXF8EvJxYszUzKI4isKNfq1ASw2PmaPvMFeO7f6Yw/s640/IMG_4930.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hmm.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So why is gardening so poorly paid? Well, I blame Aristotle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You see, Aristotle believed there were five types of knowledge.
I’ll talk about two. First, and what Aristotle considered the highest form of
knowledge, is episteme – true (theoretical) knowledge. The sort you go off to
university to study. Then there’s techne – skill. Over the approximately 2300
years since Aristotle, theoretical knowledge has always been privileged over
technical knowledge. As much as we can’t live without builders, plumbers, and
other skills-based jobs, including gardening, we really don’t value them. Just
think how we categorise education – A levels good, BTECs bad. ‘Proper’
(academic) degrees good, vocational degrees are categorised as ‘Mickey Mouse
degrees’ (the exceptions being things like medicine, which are vocational but,
as Aristotle stressed, also involved theory and so were a ‘good thing’). So
gardening? Bah, just techne, skills, to be looked down upon and paid poorly.
Yes, yes, there’s a lot of knowledge in something like gardening (especially if
we call it horticulture) but, you see, for those in power and who make up the
rules, it’s the fact that at some point you get your hands dirty. It’s a skill.
It’s manual. So, it has a lowly position and lowly pay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That Aristotle, eh? What a card.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
(Be thankful you haven't received the full 8,000 word exploration of forms of knowledge in relation to perception of academic roles...)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l9SqQNgDrgg" width="480"></iframe>
</div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-9945178167204242922017-10-01T19:03:00.004+00:002017-10-01T19:04:05.815+00:00Sowing the seed...Whoops. It's been a while. I had my head in books for most of the summer, and not interesting, garden-related books, sadly. It's surprising how well the garden just gets on and does its own thing most of the time. Like Bagpuss, it has spent the summer being saggy and a bit loose at the seams, but I still love it. And now I've one more thing to do, but in this case, I think it might rejuvenate my gardening mojo rather than remove it further from me.<br />
<br />
In May, small child's school sent out a letter asking for parent volunteers for a whole range of things. Gardening was on the list. 'Oh', I thought, 'I'd quite like to help keep the grounds tidy, doing a bit of weeding in the raised beds', so I put my name down. A few weeks later I went in to see a teacher about what I could do to help in the garden. It seems they had more planned than an occasional bit of weeding after school.<br />
<br />
So, I'm not quite sure how it happened but I'm now running an after school gardening club, once a week. At least until half term, when it will start to get too dingy. The plan is, if it goes well, to start it up again in late February.So for five weeks, I have a group of 13 children from age 5 to 11, and there's a waiting list. I have to admit to being rather nervous, particularly over the admin (making sure all the children were there, what to do if one wasn't) and the weather Oh, and the state of the raised beds.<br />
<br />
The school has three long raised beds - one for flowers, one that's sensory (herbs and lambs' ears mostly, and a fruit/veg bed which has a couple of dwarf apple trees. All are horrendously overgrown with weeds, rather more than my cursory glances had suggested. So our first lesson was weeding. As an adult who has gardened since a child, on and off, I make so many assumptions - I know what a weed is, what isn't a weed, and ho to get weeds out. It was challenging to take it back to what a weed is, why we want to weed, and just how we might do it with the rag tag of assorted tools I had brought along as school budget doesn't run to extras and there's a lag between us starting and the school trying to drum up some support.<br />
<br />
Much of the lesson was an impromptu introduction to minibeasts, and that whilst slugs might eat the plants we want to grow we still must treat them properly and yes, it's fie to pick them up and relocate them in the hedge. We also found beetles, centipedes and a spider or two. All rather exciting. We even managed to sow a few hardy annual seeds (calendula and love-in-a-mist) because I wanted us to get something in the ground in the tiny corner of the raised bed we'd sort-of managed to clear. I will have to go back and get all the weed roots out at some point, but in 45 minutes we achieved a little bit of gardening. For the lad who lives in a flat, it was his first bit of gardening; for the girl whose grandma wins gardening competitions in the next town, it was a chance to grow the same seeds as her grandma. It was a chance to get dirty and to work together to achieve a little bit of tidiness. I *think* they enjoyed it. I didn't have a chance to draw breath; the 50 minutes was over so quickly.<br />
<br />
Hopefully they'll want to come again this week. We're going to do more weeding - this time in the veg bed, before planting some broad beans. I'm also pre-soaking some broad beans so they can germinate them in a transparent container, held against the side by moist kitchen towels. Hopefully this 'quick fix' sign of plant growth will help mollify the year 6 child who was rather woeful when I told her the calendula she'd just planted would look lovely next May/June. She thought they'd be out next week.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyArdBC59A46s6GAk5bEbcJ3haUswJm7aTAXKsJ-Y_0XHAYuJadAp3PfdVTg0qwEBgYQy9bQ8tSeK1PXQ-19s4zxP6ckAQNaB2xnVKL4SKcCWfmZBXetuEb6vXmz36e4GIH8smg/s1600/IMG_4446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyArdBC59A46s6GAk5bEbcJ3haUswJm7aTAXKsJ-Y_0XHAYuJadAp3PfdVTg0qwEBgYQy9bQ8tSeK1PXQ-19s4zxP6ckAQNaB2xnVKL4SKcCWfmZBXetuEb6vXmz36e4GIH8smg/s400/IMG_4446.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Their enthusiasm was contagious. I'm looking at the garden with fresher eyes again. And I can't wait to see my gardeners again on Wednesday.HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-53724957707074256582017-06-14T06:00:00.000+00:002017-06-14T06:00:00.225+00:00Wordless Wednesday: "I see you keep a bee"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rpGySRoRdDgnj4k4BLOYTe6rkzSB4WdjtSpvsUmQIaR9iwuddbFlheWoUc9eEL-re7AJHDLVejUHGKNjhKEtbYyxmvejo6wldQWdcHyU-llvcM7XIA2gGkXMPOiGt8BJvIhm8A/s1600/IMG_9967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rpGySRoRdDgnj4k4BLOYTe6rkzSB4WdjtSpvsUmQIaR9iwuddbFlheWoUc9eEL-re7AJHDLVejUHGKNjhKEtbYyxmvejo6wldQWdcHyU-llvcM7XIA2gGkXMPOiGt8BJvIhm8A/s640/IMG_9967.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-20029246696616918952017-06-07T06:52:00.000+00:002017-06-07T06:52:31.410+00:00Wordless Wednesday - Blushing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaR7UVnV9_DpOxvVxSbQCx7bC5J30OUpVyJrbMi6V8HKVZhDWNeOUgu3kF3HkDMA5otC-pmRMN2LbyuFWSJjdHf0ckRxrKxv0slAGZRbaFssO9zHSm_0DnmIO_e8zqInr8pdxhpA/s1600/IMG_9973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaR7UVnV9_DpOxvVxSbQCx7bC5J30OUpVyJrbMi6V8HKVZhDWNeOUgu3kF3HkDMA5otC-pmRMN2LbyuFWSJjdHf0ckRxrKxv0slAGZRbaFssO9zHSm_0DnmIO_e8zqInr8pdxhpA/s640/IMG_9973.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-17107581203091376802017-06-03T14:22:00.002+00:002017-06-03T14:22:28.716+00:00#MyGardenRightNowVP over at <a href="http://vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">VegPlotting</a> has organised an event for the Chelsea Fringe - a reprisal of the rather wonderful <a href="http://vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/mygardenrightnow-heading-into-summer.html" target="_blank">#MyGardenRightNow</a>, This hashtag encourages us to take a photo of ourselves in, as the name suggests, our own garden this very weekend.<br />
<br />
The original hashtag event took place in March, and I participated via Twitter, with a photo of my feet in a rather wet lawn. It's officially summer now, though the low clouds are currently glowering at me like a teenager being asked to tidy their room. Nevertheless, I have been out in the garden, with an actual camera rather than my phone for the first time in ages.<br />
<br />
I was tempted to act like a professional garden photographer (apart from the getting up at 4am to photograph the dewy lawn part), and frame the best views of the garden:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9Tdy1caC6UZcmiJyHvCPruvVOLBSFa81zEodUFfIToUu-A4N5VFW4jI8HEnikpwzxbLswPeBylBl3A7aomxO2wQ6S0dF-bCnBgoDe1U0zXoWzkmzfL2ia0LBOza8ur34yFPeiw/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9Tdy1caC6UZcmiJyHvCPruvVOLBSFa81zEodUFfIToUu-A4N5VFW4jI8HEnikpwzxbLswPeBylBl3A7aomxO2wQ6S0dF-bCnBgoDe1U0zXoWzkmzfL2ia0LBOza8ur34yFPeiw/s640/IMG_0002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWmbtbMQh9IVeHzQduElbfCBjGEBTK27o41LEXHr7rPE00E8v__8LtHNvXTvhRvERd9Hbki_6B99yiOEg5bhjufmeTrJCaQD4OlwLGrlpVIeLEt23wvK8VW0hdDAzw31ltQQ9BQ/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWmbtbMQh9IVeHzQduElbfCBjGEBTK27o41LEXHr7rPE00E8v__8LtHNvXTvhRvERd9Hbki_6B99yiOEg5bhjufmeTrJCaQD4OlwLGrlpVIeLEt23wvK8VW0hdDAzw31ltQQ9BQ/s640/IMG_0008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupEMje4V-5KEb-GLM2revETLv6K-s75w9cSEKaTuWtS5Uadx4Jc_zGB4KM_0ILiid2CDpo4bZX4TK6vvEQn70DtAqm1bthvF7FW83SPcPNtqBfzz2kzzVNIDICiq0PHsrkEfqqA/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupEMje4V-5KEb-GLM2revETLv6K-s75w9cSEKaTuWtS5Uadx4Jc_zGB4KM_0ILiid2CDpo4bZX4TK6vvEQn70DtAqm1bthvF7FW83SPcPNtqBfzz2kzzVNIDICiq0PHsrkEfqqA/s640/IMG_0013.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOjWBl-ZDOxYwIWYTY4h5GlwNPyb874TwYPExIR5-M_2pknCcWGAYj8DDF5WWdpYRWg7Vz_zngpQIKJhBPXQJMUeJbDE4tiDjOPZYYDjr3mHiksumzBqs6XCOHfJ67VyUFbzt3A/s1600/IMG_9989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOjWBl-ZDOxYwIWYTY4h5GlwNPyb874TwYPExIR5-M_2pknCcWGAYj8DDF5WWdpYRWg7Vz_zngpQIKJhBPXQJMUeJbDE4tiDjOPZYYDjr3mHiksumzBqs6XCOHfJ67VyUFbzt3A/s640/IMG_9989.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNxaPe0Bch9VmcHeyhXTD6tRfRnA7ebPo4e6TIu5DPQ3Ddcg1rq5ZelbHzLsws6QLUNFR8VQWAvt0_J2ooK7j_LKJKLpHueb9bIPqd5lfv2vHezOR6Pt5Mjrv5jy43cppiSkpSQ/s1600/IMG_9992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNxaPe0Bch9VmcHeyhXTD6tRfRnA7ebPo4e6TIu5DPQ3Ddcg1rq5ZelbHzLsws6QLUNFR8VQWAvt0_J2ooK7j_LKJKLpHueb9bIPqd5lfv2vHezOR6Pt5Mjrv5jy43cppiSkpSQ/s640/IMG_9992.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHb68dd1FfKir0dDhYd51meFA4Wb0eLThrPKOIe1je_RyrKcCtKvph2rvHX-cPnfkbqZApj6JK9w-H-ciN4HfWgD4mPlhyphenhyphenbnZ8UF28f2aW5grAh4Zb3gneo-rbRjaa8Phmel_5A/s1600/IMG_9994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHb68dd1FfKir0dDhYd51meFA4Wb0eLThrPKOIe1je_RyrKcCtKvph2rvHX-cPnfkbqZApj6JK9w-H-ciN4HfWgD4mPlhyphenhyphenbnZ8UF28f2aW5grAh4Zb3gneo-rbRjaa8Phmel_5A/s640/IMG_9994.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNEvk9aewfxVQGZX6Mki3Gjf3c5FmaRJ5oh9ir7i-pjPGZbv1mPmYO7MzFmVD8pEJdFSC_OsasSmncLeK1lFYDt2t8m-c9AbzgO32hBXfKJXxXvfXlfFzoBMUcZr0ZQXIJgV4gg/s1600/IMG_9995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNEvk9aewfxVQGZX6Mki3Gjf3c5FmaRJ5oh9ir7i-pjPGZbv1mPmYO7MzFmVD8pEJdFSC_OsasSmncLeK1lFYDt2t8m-c9AbzgO32hBXfKJXxXvfXlfFzoBMUcZr0ZQXIJgV4gg/s640/IMG_9995.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But, of course, with a five-year-old, some bits are hard to hide. Because the garden isn't just a place of quiet contemplation, gentle weeding and a glass of wine. In fact, rarely any of those three, unfortunately.<br />
<br />
Instead, the garden is more frequently a site of intergalactic strife, where Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine fight those dastardly do-gooders, the jedi (we're always the baddies, except when I have to be the goody, to be killed). It's also a water park, where box bushes act as shields against water pistols or hosepipes. Sometimes, it's an athletics track, for sprinting or for games of tag. It's a minibeast zoo, too. It's certainly a repository for bits of plastic.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWi0Ga55fB7bIyZtWnWjO3ek5VHuifDfyIUAM62wodgOcSX47wfRnazfLiv0X3ZAMmYbZwWxxadFaxi05YNWDXpqYQzViyCaGKyhcXBnc0m1JdTINOndmVSEwpe0QjfpY0ArmLg/s1600/IMG_9997-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWi0Ga55fB7bIyZtWnWjO3ek5VHuifDfyIUAM62wodgOcSX47wfRnazfLiv0X3ZAMmYbZwWxxadFaxi05YNWDXpqYQzViyCaGKyhcXBnc0m1JdTINOndmVSEwpe0QjfpY0ArmLg/s400/IMG_9997-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9KVVaFyoxp-laABaM-aFGfhhHHMc9FEc0xQcGV5piXjiqwdQnMXNfy08LpIbzxy5H_gXMBKNJkyDlOsd9sxPOzj9fg8RiVtrQx4CtgmQA_Xum7JX4p1TEuLavFgcOHLKh7i66g/s1600/IMG_0003-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9KVVaFyoxp-laABaM-aFGfhhHHMc9FEc0xQcGV5piXjiqwdQnMXNfy08LpIbzxy5H_gXMBKNJkyDlOsd9sxPOzj9fg8RiVtrQx4CtgmQA_Xum7JX4p1TEuLavFgcOHLKh7i66g/s400/IMG_0003-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLon-zS6Ci3E_5bV3y9iFKQQT5P0QXIW1_qDK4jLnrpFK972EAjRn4m-ZYIo9xw7ETFyPsepXVx6XbiCdqUgs3a95AL93eia1D3oscenDR-D-Mlx35XhXuTtljdupvG26PVW6MA/s1600/IMG_9996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLon-zS6Ci3E_5bV3y9iFKQQT5P0QXIW1_qDK4jLnrpFK972EAjRn4m-ZYIo9xw7ETFyPsepXVx6XbiCdqUgs3a95AL93eia1D3oscenDR-D-Mlx35XhXuTtljdupvG26PVW6MA/s400/IMG_9996.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLA9DIVn4mP0TZ2r4kzI6M-76q3exZvrSZznCncgubtN0vq1XPVbQtnNpGs7Ssx9-LsT8xNUajF-GoDhQF5JNkQqf30xYldnbHTZ7ATogeyXP8xpTuec5KpsZjNBcrISnzyfpMg/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLA9DIVn4mP0TZ2r4kzI6M-76q3exZvrSZznCncgubtN0vq1XPVbQtnNpGs7Ssx9-LsT8xNUajF-GoDhQF5JNkQqf30xYldnbHTZ7ATogeyXP8xpTuec5KpsZjNBcrISnzyfpMg/s400/IMG_0005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And, of course, there are those corners I might prefer to keep hidden. Well, more than corners, if I'm honest. Huge chunks of the front garden are rather bare at the moment, after a winter of removing overgrown shrubs. I've just planted the gaps with herbaceous perennials, but it will be a while before it looks anything other than a mess. I particularly like it when the local gardeners come round, touting for business - "We could tidy up that front garden for you". Yeah. Thanks.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1lkodG7akWXxF2OID9ttZB1DrbJtlTewdxGdKLYIhJHQMXhS2C2sn6dbOOY5_xppZPK-PetDM_TyBldRNGs9Zc5j7xgNYDcfRxrZ1QG_QjeqjYqPC_ShT1Z61kRT1HUH8fZ_Cw/s1600/IMG_0011-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1lkodG7akWXxF2OID9ttZB1DrbJtlTewdxGdKLYIhJHQMXhS2C2sn6dbOOY5_xppZPK-PetDM_TyBldRNGs9Zc5j7xgNYDcfRxrZ1QG_QjeqjYqPC_ShT1Z61kRT1HUH8fZ_Cw/s400/IMG_0011-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The area by the back door is awful. Empty plastic strawberry planter, with some tree ferns which didn't get watered during the dry month or so we've had and so are now languishing. Actually, languishing isn't really the right word as it suggests someone, beautifully adorned, in a swoon on a chaise longue. These look rather scabby and emaciated. More fleabitten stray cat than silk-swathed maiden. I'm quite thankful for this hashtag as it has made me realise what a non-event it is, and that *something must be done* (said in a stern and not-to-be-ignored voice).</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkAcJ6PLdLD9iqcEG7NRBggyIKmUCvxK8YMyIIYUvIkYYy_Olz61I_ZX80nnZXPFBjZKdemekcsQGyzD6Dzel0aGy46mSqfn3pNt82KDrcDx_iFp2c4aFa5X8X-LcGdtJegqj4w/s1600/IMG_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkAcJ6PLdLD9iqcEG7NRBggyIKmUCvxK8YMyIIYUvIkYYy_Olz61I_ZX80nnZXPFBjZKdemekcsQGyzD6Dzel0aGy46mSqfn3pNt82KDrcDx_iFp2c4aFa5X8X-LcGdtJegqj4w/s400/IMG_0022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One thing I'm quite proud of at the moment is the removal (and accidental demolition) of a half barrel by the front door which contained nothing but ivy and looked an eyesore. Going against the name of this blog, I'm actually quite pleased with the new frilly and rather coordinated bedding planting I've got there. Frivolous, but not inelegant.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThVIKXXjyNWaRSIUIrlmdpd-PzfVq0Ty21uQyZlnvqmMATmyl2Q64ceRrisQvAPWZVzFOCzfsyk3WfB_kh-gRZGQGaKR8nbShbVyIPVtVRvx_AVjrJ3mJpHMeDSA_kl3dvTyLYg/s1600/IMG_0014-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThVIKXXjyNWaRSIUIrlmdpd-PzfVq0Ty21uQyZlnvqmMATmyl2Q64ceRrisQvAPWZVzFOCzfsyk3WfB_kh-gRZGQGaKR8nbShbVyIPVtVRvx_AVjrJ3mJpHMeDSA_kl3dvTyLYg/s640/IMG_0014-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Finally, a view of my whole domain - looks much smaller than if I just take photos of individual borders. And a bit of me, too.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXH1Kv51WSd4ttCUrA2wH5qWVu7FkdlUGm4DZ9vR0sVVcRLghwewUTRK6lO9tAcTWGiVDNKi3GUuV1OxjFEaSbag6wkfX67gUZSRnB4U956pw9Ez7oBCGfMYadRe4_Ft7nrHVSA/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXH1Kv51WSd4ttCUrA2wH5qWVu7FkdlUGm4DZ9vR0sVVcRLghwewUTRK6lO9tAcTWGiVDNKi3GUuV1OxjFEaSbag6wkfX67gUZSRnB4U956pw9Ez7oBCGfMYadRe4_Ft7nrHVSA/s640/IMG_0020.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuzz1KDXyBPJfFVaAx5j7gxKRfOvp2uIaLGuDOTk8hhRlGof95UwZ9Wj2sjqjtZpRPl77UuY17cBbiVoZD6fPoAYsFTtaciagDZM1aardXgslNxoHVsut5ZJ52jGyPJqKoMEyKQ/s1600/IMG_0019-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuzz1KDXyBPJfFVaAx5j7gxKRfOvp2uIaLGuDOTk8hhRlGof95UwZ9Wj2sjqjtZpRPl77UuY17cBbiVoZD6fPoAYsFTtaciagDZM1aardXgslNxoHVsut5ZJ52jGyPJqKoMEyKQ/s640/IMG_0019-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
So, there you go. #MyGardenRightNowHappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-34643350911878456632017-03-20T20:29:00.001+00:002017-03-20T20:29:47.172+00:00Good Soil: a book review<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve spent the past few months reading about creativity in
education; for the past month one of the things that has kept me going is a big, handsome book on my bedside table. Finally, assignment submitted, I've had a chance to settle down and read about dirt. Not the latest juicy showbiz gossip, but something much more interesting and important: compost, wee, and poo of a surprising variety.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwyjSypTE8kv5dE9rtSBCv_qf9EZF9sFiARAEZ8RH8AlKOonnjREKHL7YpHFCpdb4CsOVxWmiskvsN15SrLwF1rgfvtmzQPmB9teFUaF8NTFmD2SPNV8PwDiUQVeNdaJZB474Ug/s400/soil.jpg" width="301" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good Soil is a fascinating book. It explores something that we gardeners know is of vital importance to our gardens but are often ignorant of - the soil and how we feed it. Without replenishment of the minerals in our soils, our gardens will fail to thrive. The authors discuss how we can help our soils by timely addition of a range of materials, such as humus-rich matter and nutrients.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The book itself is hefty and beautiful. Whilst some of the photos seem as though they are there because they are pretty (the long-horn beetle, for example), they certainly don't detract from the message. In fact, they make the book extremely 'pickuppable'. The posterior shot of a statue is a lovely subtle hint as to the content of one particular topic, though the title of the chapter is certainly less subtle! I love the discussion of the varying levels and uses of different manures; who'd have thought that the Romans prized donkey poo?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The book's authors, and so the content of the book, are based in Sweden. There are obviously a few minor differences between the UK and Sweden, for example the certificating bodies for organic status, but otherwise the information is absolutely relevant to UK (and other temperate) gardeners. The interviews with Swedish proponents of composting and lovers of soil are fascinating for the passion they reveal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The book isn't afraid to delve into a little bit of chemistry here and there to explain how the nutrients are bound in the soil and made available to plants. I could have done with this easy to understand overview of plant nutrient deficiencies and excesses when studying for my RHS level 2 exams.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The final part of the book explores different plant groups in relation to their nutritional needs. This will be a useful guide to refer back to, as I'm rather remiss in feeding the poor shrubs in the garden. If nothing else, this book has pricked my conscience and I will be setting to with composted material and a new enthusiasm for feeding the plants and the soil fauna in the garden.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The authors write in an engaging and sometimes irreverent way, as the nature of the book often demands! It's clear that they enjoy the topic, and pass on their enthusiasm to the reader. With UK-written books obviously being the most common here, it has been really interesting to read a book from a different country, albeit with relatively similar growing conditions. It has made me think about looking for other gardening books written by non-UK authors.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book title: <a href="https://www.quartoknows.com/books/9780711238725/Good-Soil.html?direct=1" target="_blank">Good Soil: Manure, Compost and Nourishment for your Garden</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Authors: Tina Raman, Ewa-Marie Rundquist, Justine Lagache.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publishers: Frances Lincoln</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Note: I was provided with a free copy to review, but all opinions are my own.</div>
HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-34084534861256298652017-02-01T05:59:00.000+00:002017-02-01T05:59:02.491+00:00Wordless Wednesday - Subtle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7uw6aNkepzfKn4ZrfybsdpLLm3__gvy4dO8x6KlkI9Ahn0Xfh9HcpEy0dVfYjrUMNSE9tYkF6L6R9KsxqL8QNQ7gnOErofZ9r7tikEOlyX9_cd2bTlWirE1TCECDa19XzMgfqw/s1600/IMG_1393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7uw6aNkepzfKn4ZrfybsdpLLm3__gvy4dO8x6KlkI9Ahn0Xfh9HcpEy0dVfYjrUMNSE9tYkF6L6R9KsxqL8QNQ7gnOErofZ9r7tikEOlyX9_cd2bTlWirE1TCECDa19XzMgfqw/s640/IMG_1393.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-91666405051605181722017-01-25T05:57:00.000+00:002017-01-25T05:57:02.980+00:00Wordless Wednesday - Curiouser and curiouser...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bGjyK_MYl20S-p4TaAphNdpIXwy_g6EdzC0qMRemGh58aBs5PQ7EB5-A-CEjbaZbqsdhfpKwQF0e1Q_uUpx1zkANX5ZYmlZc19F9aQqHCUCSBCe6yWsD0YlVoDlxZBtncYRjfw/s1600/IMG_9717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bGjyK_MYl20S-p4TaAphNdpIXwy_g6EdzC0qMRemGh58aBs5PQ7EB5-A-CEjbaZbqsdhfpKwQF0e1Q_uUpx1zkANX5ZYmlZc19F9aQqHCUCSBCe6yWsD0YlVoDlxZBtncYRjfw/s640/IMG_9717.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-34107261858298579892017-01-19T19:58:00.004+00:002017-01-19T19:59:06.792+00:00Not all oranges...As a synthetic-orange petulant man-child becomes the most powerful person on our planet tomorrow, I just wanted to say 'not all oranges'.<br />
<br />
Orange can be beautiful, diverse, fun, exciting, welcoming. And looking at the photos, it looks exceptionally bright when linked to green. Sadly, I don't think the new POTUS is keen on green.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OXSn0WqhMaE5d6d48mZb7IPIczagJWsnMONGlCVtSDVWQgG_VVzSLfnRX0peM7BiFgjh0iVxCsplMcSso6G0Pk0DqRjQLm0spdEg5N6npGio5QaW6HAyA6sP9sfHDVVzBtydpw/s1600/CIMG0608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OXSn0WqhMaE5d6d48mZb7IPIczagJWsnMONGlCVtSDVWQgG_VVzSLfnRX0peM7BiFgjh0iVxCsplMcSso6G0Pk0DqRjQLm0spdEg5N6npGio5QaW6HAyA6sP9sfHDVVzBtydpw/s320/CIMG0608.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUpOoBbGOvDtB61_yy_qciX6m87VLszirKQJPvO12ls4c1r-idpWAhCBhsStRHfd1V8-yuuKpCa15k7ZmolFekVO_wT0W_uv8DOzKqUKl2m-THtq9RsGpgvT9fseHdrYwAvz1wA/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUpOoBbGOvDtB61_yy_qciX6m87VLszirKQJPvO12ls4c1r-idpWAhCBhsStRHfd1V8-yuuKpCa15k7ZmolFekVO_wT0W_uv8DOzKqUKl2m-THtq9RsGpgvT9fseHdrYwAvz1wA/s320/IMG_0052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2R3LHOymvofuXkrP9E19PnTxq5ENpGU-zUGpRh8ISQoD1AoVnwlmvzaPOMlI0zVutjFyfldzioExkrh8ZG20qaQfDaE7Vv74IfrqKCoo5gsPYRxmDgKZiWs-K3AuYY2DQQDvdvA/s1600/IMG_0569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2R3LHOymvofuXkrP9E19PnTxq5ENpGU-zUGpRh8ISQoD1AoVnwlmvzaPOMlI0zVutjFyfldzioExkrh8ZG20qaQfDaE7Vv74IfrqKCoo5gsPYRxmDgKZiWs-K3AuYY2DQQDvdvA/s320/IMG_0569.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs__eW-5YNiTNzYdOvwFe08-LtF6hzSLczvwiPU-lqZ2-X6XHvTy2puOq4pL2YQAb6r5yVsi36J7RtGhgoPibfa4oassbLJsan2Hmu3HRbWLz8IknXdL99RG84T7wHaGaa4bwFqg/s1600/IMG_0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs__eW-5YNiTNzYdOvwFe08-LtF6hzSLczvwiPU-lqZ2-X6XHvTy2puOq4pL2YQAb6r5yVsi36J7RtGhgoPibfa4oassbLJsan2Hmu3HRbWLz8IknXdL99RG84T7wHaGaa4bwFqg/s320/IMG_0567.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoVlqqphU6dfE_-pG5LZPdhArmPRB0P2iBLDEXJIeCY3TqiuAXVtvsVNFwGwbW7V1NkZ1xrh0km7wiZIFYzR2c8lfDkT9P7JnO1kSYyF9OQj5QkCCTjG-3-dlVePsIq2cPUw3GQ/s1600/IMG_1013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoVlqqphU6dfE_-pG5LZPdhArmPRB0P2iBLDEXJIeCY3TqiuAXVtvsVNFwGwbW7V1NkZ1xrh0km7wiZIFYzR2c8lfDkT9P7JnO1kSYyF9OQj5QkCCTjG-3-dlVePsIq2cPUw3GQ/s320/IMG_1013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWFol4XO-2GNTKtzbA94pTPErVCHslTqlXRKFPjav46BubeDBmEkMiYrn65Ca1GvjzFoeA7TnN8FWiD3_UOoY0ZrTIabFW_vd1HRNMo5hBc_fEk6GyLAFGb39zGLBrJ_WEqNiGw/s1600/IMG_1291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWFol4XO-2GNTKtzbA94pTPErVCHslTqlXRKFPjav46BubeDBmEkMiYrn65Ca1GvjzFoeA7TnN8FWiD3_UOoY0ZrTIabFW_vd1HRNMo5hBc_fEk6GyLAFGb39zGLBrJ_WEqNiGw/s320/IMG_1291.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkEw0DA524PrCXruUhs0-W1R89neRi6M0tSmNlE73Dfj30zxvG6m4LEccNZugqwd4mRMswxS245cUdfNxir9wsluZT93FW-9mZR8Az-JMdpmkwoiIXVbszpRe29qEPQfsTXRFQg/s1600/IMG_1299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkEw0DA524PrCXruUhs0-W1R89neRi6M0tSmNlE73Dfj30zxvG6m4LEccNZugqwd4mRMswxS245cUdfNxir9wsluZT93FW-9mZR8Az-JMdpmkwoiIXVbszpRe29qEPQfsTXRFQg/s320/IMG_1299.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJcbCtrICuhxhNSeUc6qgpTBga4c_hPpMXSL_tTzf0sIFN0uGzBQ9w_IgGAL36BKf1yqp5SB6VPdos_rQr9jNgGQWXULlJmRLLUplF4NiCnVCZHUm2qJ5ZVVYVavcjmRJV9kpGA/s1600/IMG_1768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJcbCtrICuhxhNSeUc6qgpTBga4c_hPpMXSL_tTzf0sIFN0uGzBQ9w_IgGAL36BKf1yqp5SB6VPdos_rQr9jNgGQWXULlJmRLLUplF4NiCnVCZHUm2qJ5ZVVYVavcjmRJV9kpGA/s320/IMG_1768.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zNS5JD1Qx1Hpbq_pq9fYAB8R_EMG4LROwiFVk-6VabA20Xn_svhsV3PMjYbfnuGeDyg5-mVFWT8MVxfKPmpoZobNHX3Lu9XyVQ7kbDOcy4P-JZlqof9EC4OWHfnIt0pSu3eIoQ/s1600/IMG_2641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zNS5JD1Qx1Hpbq_pq9fYAB8R_EMG4LROwiFVk-6VabA20Xn_svhsV3PMjYbfnuGeDyg5-mVFWT8MVxfKPmpoZobNHX3Lu9XyVQ7kbDOcy4P-JZlqof9EC4OWHfnIt0pSu3eIoQ/s320/IMG_2641.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzx5I4q9ls-FfqOhO6i4tIHVzbRjCc31vC7SjvN5tKcY6a_TqbxRDuON7Kz5c8joiWMpu-Z-ChyXiI5LtxW7KZ0yV-wKfkTOaOTGNSG5IVmzigjDMeeq7rW9c4_mnDRa4eiqB8iQ/s1600/IMG_3387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzx5I4q9ls-FfqOhO6i4tIHVzbRjCc31vC7SjvN5tKcY6a_TqbxRDuON7Kz5c8joiWMpu-Z-ChyXiI5LtxW7KZ0yV-wKfkTOaOTGNSG5IVmzigjDMeeq7rW9c4_mnDRa4eiqB8iQ/s320/IMG_3387.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQAknwpPf5FOOVsEKkFPvESbuxtH0ZxsmG7mrIwOz7nhvn1ji2-JCNudTIfi6b8VneLyLYzoM9WjDJ0T4H9CLO3QaIlyOoM6nk4wOPP6HrwiDslfTqHv1c5lhFd08ahq7Qxxt7g/s1600/IMG_6634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQAknwpPf5FOOVsEKkFPvESbuxtH0ZxsmG7mrIwOz7nhvn1ji2-JCNudTIfi6b8VneLyLYzoM9WjDJ0T4H9CLO3QaIlyOoM6nk4wOPP6HrwiDslfTqHv1c5lhFd08ahq7Qxxt7g/s320/IMG_6634.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiE-iUysqQss2fKjOW3SqXS6-2TVLNoZWwQNb6r-C4lK6f8JpW5fnyjMklLlKei6rUmIMrbNs-e_M4JH3NaDDvs96bEbecDEyuiPRrZ6eila9Pw6fWpaSwhRlAwZo-la92iC4_uw/s1600/IMG_6471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiE-iUysqQss2fKjOW3SqXS6-2TVLNoZWwQNb6r-C4lK6f8JpW5fnyjMklLlKei6rUmIMrbNs-e_M4JH3NaDDvs96bEbecDEyuiPRrZ6eila9Pw6fWpaSwhRlAwZo-la92iC4_uw/s320/IMG_6471.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVDXlZA-UVOKian-_IkXHQdQIHULAQQNHnCPdusX-0AfNTaVM0aHROihMBsltgRiYWxWQYF-e4Rt-rfv1MW9Z9c4rYYg4EriLX6UsZcWROmrdEwzblcQZq9ST8Pa5ytPtJ_hvzA/s1600/IMG_7086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVDXlZA-UVOKian-_IkXHQdQIHULAQQNHnCPdusX-0AfNTaVM0aHROihMBsltgRiYWxWQYF-e4Rt-rfv1MW9Z9c4rYYg4EriLX6UsZcWROmrdEwzblcQZq9ST8Pa5ytPtJ_hvzA/s320/IMG_7086.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiHjPdfbHf69q_YaEGYEawBNlszc-ePTEFLwcvhR1yOPH3DTXZujVKhRGeumhpAXG0WWDCkR8wrFG6rZkWyFz6uhjDlT5PjzM7s_DvTDXT70xzhojyDYEECuxWjXRqWjX3AQRuQ/s1600/Photo-0040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiHjPdfbHf69q_YaEGYEawBNlszc-ePTEFLwcvhR1yOPH3DTXZujVKhRGeumhpAXG0WWDCkR8wrFG6rZkWyFz6uhjDlT5PjzM7s_DvTDXT70xzhojyDYEECuxWjXRqWjX3AQRuQ/s320/Photo-0040.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-5390082106466176582017-01-15T19:51:00.001+00:002017-01-15T19:51:35.500+00:00The BluesI've had my eyes opened recently to modern art. I've never thought of myself as someone who would look at a modern piece of art and decry "But that's not art!", but neither had I actively engaged with it. Lazy rather than a philistine. However, a group trip to <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-liverpool" target="_blank">Tate Liverpool </a>as part of my doctorate course forced me to engage with a range of modern art forms. I looked at felt suits, piles of clothes, lines round rooms, neon signs and an unmade bed. Some were OK, some were a bit "whatever" (Tracey Emin's 'My Bed' was one of these - I was moved neither to joy, laughter, confusion, anger, or anything at all), and some made a real connection with me.<br />
<br />
The ones that connected most with me did it in a range of ways. Colour is, perhaps, the most obvious. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Klein" target="_blank">Yves Klein</a>'s work really spoke to me. Yes, I'm sure the critics will explain that his use of one colour in most of his work was a joke on us all as consumers of art (or something like that). Indeed, a colleague and I stood in a room full of his IKB (<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ikb&rlz=1C1CHFX_en-GBGB555GB556&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwimicTz7sTRAhVEFMAKHcmXCAMQ_AUICSgC&biw=1242&bih=602#tbm=isch&q=international+klein+blue&imgrc=_" target="_blank">International Klein Blue</a>) paintings, having never heard of it or him, and tried to discern infinitesimally small differences in the colour blue, not knowing that they were all exactly the same. But, what a glorious colour! A garden incorporating this in some way would be a garden incorporating delight. A quick internet search shows that <a href="http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2012/01/01/llg-travels-yves-saint-laurents-jardin-de-majorelle-marrakech/" target="_blank">Yves Saint Laurent's garden in Marrakesh</a> made beautiful use of the colour; perhaps it looks better in the stark light of a warmer country that in the dreary north west of England. If I were brave enough, perhaps I would dare to paint a corner like this.<br />
<br />
Form also connected with me. There were works by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, the forms of which connect through their tactile nature (not that you can touch them!) but also those with a more fluid form - '<a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/morris-untitled-t14224" target="_blank">Untitled' by Robert Morris</a> was a black tangle of flowing, falling felt. Colour notwithstanding, the form of this artwork shows the importance of connecting verticals with the horizontal. In the garden, this can be done in a range of ways with plants. At one extreme we have the formal upright of a columnar conifer, piercing the sky. But this artwork suggests a more fluid way to link ground to sky, perhaps with the use of wall-mounted containers and opulent trailing plants. A hanging basket with attitude.<br />
<br />
There is so much more I want to think about; for example, <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/krasinski-intervention-27-t12569" target="_blank">Krasinski's use of a simple blue line</a> to provide unity through his art works and to draw the viewer to become part of the exhibition is an idea which could transfer so well and easily into a garden scheme. Not necessarily as a line painted through the garden, but through use of a repeated, almost continuous plant or colour through a bed or beds, picked up with ornaments or furniture, and continued through the garden.<br />
<br />
So many thoughts. Probably so many more blog posts. I need to visit again.HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-57198877520762712132017-01-11T06:00:00.000+00:002017-01-11T06:00:33.358+00:00Wordy Wednesday - ReticulodromousReticulodromous venation - leaves with a single midrib, whose veins become very branched and net-like near the leaf edge.<br />
<br />
Example: Rhododendron.<br />
<br />
Lovely word. Let it roll around your tongue like a fine wine.HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-2122220900383877122017-01-08T19:53:00.001+00:002017-01-08T19:53:06.289+00:00If I could turn back time...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No, this isn’t a tribute to Cher. That title’s not even my
favourite Cher song. I didn’t even realise that I <b>had</b> a favourite Cher song until I started writing this post. I
think it must be that searing indictment of the hypocritical nature of
townsfolk against those who travel as part of their life – ‘Gypsies, Tramps and
Thieves’. I like this song even more because until very recently Ian thought
she actually sang ‘Thieves, Thieves, Tramps and Thieves’, which would be a song
with a reduced diversity of mistrust and abuse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I appear to have digressed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what am I actually on about? Well, who hasn’t wished they
could travel back in time. Obviously if this were possible, the most important
thing would be to right wrongs done, to spend more time with loved ones, to let
them know how much you truly loved them and to have a chance to say ‘goodbye’
properly. Second to those actions would be to avert crises and wars, to make
the world a better place for more of humanity. Only after that would be my
desire to remove curves from the garden borders. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t"
path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75"
style='width:417pt;height:312pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/Sharon/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg"
o:title="P8160640"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we first came to our current house, it was the
traditional family garden of big lawn with a foot wide border around the edge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJtWIOyaCaMmNmzAWm7jukC4sRThf1_AmDNnt7djFNEgVJt_GQShTBAsbIzn-6NLAeR2idhRSTijee5m_Yb-qt0sBavYuTl2yRA0XMnFjMv8CMmR07MyqNSohXL9rQDyIpQ4T5g/s1600/P8160640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJtWIOyaCaMmNmzAWm7jukC4sRThf1_AmDNnt7djFNEgVJt_GQShTBAsbIzn-6NLAeR2idhRSTijee5m_Yb-qt0sBavYuTl2yRA0XMnFjMv8CMmR07MyqNSohXL9rQDyIpQ4T5g/s640/P8160640.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:395.25pt;
height:264pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/Sharon/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image003.jpg"
o:title="IMG_3382"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:396pt;
height:264pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/Sharon/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image005.jpg"
o:title="IMG_3396"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I dug huge borders, curving borders, as I wanted to kick against the straight lines and to have lots of room for plants. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1yx8x5LbYeAjHoztvU2tndR0h5qBKOlnAU4Lx6OGLmT7dk8DzGentozaw9J9gq3hDOLtBIHV1liUpT9zmleEI-LcT5-vcBn4u6C_SCvUmr__GKvCGfdslQsOXmKLhP6KfsaVJA/s1600/IMG_3382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1yx8x5LbYeAjHoztvU2tndR0h5qBKOlnAU4Lx6OGLmT7dk8DzGentozaw9J9gq3hDOLtBIHV1liUpT9zmleEI-LcT5-vcBn4u6C_SCvUmr__GKvCGfdslQsOXmKLhP6KfsaVJA/s640/IMG_3382.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLu5VBcgp1kNT8dhhjkijgdU4IBjn6ND_K1sKhJHLJgQFhTl2_uRsF5Hl3oK6-PyFvsH9AZNA-JLKhVaEd2L63hOmB1ePtNlZnc5gm27ISc-lKAl-FoWIvM_2KRjKlLtRtgdpmw/s1600/IMG_3396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLu5VBcgp1kNT8dhhjkijgdU4IBjn6ND_K1sKhJHLJgQFhTl2_uRsF5Hl3oK6-PyFvsH9AZNA-JLKhVaEd2L63hOmB1ePtNlZnc5gm27ISc-lKAl-FoWIvM_2KRjKlLtRtgdpmw/s640/IMG_3396.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do love the depth of these borders but I’ve never been
entirely happy with the shape. This slight disappointment doesn’t stem from the
plants, and I didn’t really know what I didn’t feel comfortable with, until we
had the old patio taken up and a new one put down, with another one at the
bottom of the garden. I loved the crisp straight lines of the new hard landscaping
but felt that now there was a mismatch between these sharp lines and the curves
of the borders.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtJsWN99BzKIGVBc_cUH3KCUHH8w8xCfNGEy8iAP7Uxz9LMqsZuXi41Tfwt7XOyZh1PJu2kXZz8zbikJIYb0rzwWbiaH_4B6zzsjIU3S1LYxvnEOFDd6GWiELWYPoKzPTBDphgw/s1600/IMAG0265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtJsWN99BzKIGVBc_cUH3KCUHH8w8xCfNGEy8iAP7Uxz9LMqsZuXi41Tfwt7XOyZh1PJu2kXZz8zbikJIYb0rzwWbiaH_4B6zzsjIU3S1LYxvnEOFDd6GWiELWYPoKzPTBDphgw/s640/IMAG0265.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve lived with the juxtaposition of curves and straight
lines for five years now. It niggles me most in winter, when the herbaceous
plants have died back and the curves can more clearly be seen, hence this blog post as I noticed it again today. One day, I will reshape the borders so that there is greater unity of line through the garden,
unless in the meantime someone invents the time-machine. Then, after love and
world peace, I may make my lines straight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-65690980998744746592017-01-04T05:59:00.000+00:002017-01-04T05:59:02.760+00:00Wordless Wednesday - Pleach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yLPMTUUABdLI4Hf5jJEPao_PvMShee7P4TlWvG0GEK5PYW3915CP-IUwzsjLTobl35VSQyXEsD0wq9rhvkzZlDazUpWnLwHaE7EoGqXY98A7B6crY9nZUCRlrGO4AklgvtkElQ/s1600/IMG_9729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yLPMTUUABdLI4Hf5jJEPao_PvMShee7P4TlWvG0GEK5PYW3915CP-IUwzsjLTobl35VSQyXEsD0wq9rhvkzZlDazUpWnLwHaE7EoGqXY98A7B6crY9nZUCRlrGO4AklgvtkElQ/s640/IMG_9729.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-25940200893033015472017-01-03T09:00:00.000+00:002017-01-03T09:00:05.336+00:00Uncomfortably numbIt's good that we're getting a few frosts this winter, though the lack of snow continues to disappoint. I realise that for many an absence of the fluffy white stuff is a bit of a relief, but now that we both work locally and don't have to drive, I'm a little bit selfish and wishing for a good snow dump so that the small child can experience snowmen, snowballs, snow angels and getting *very* cold and wet. I did accidentally mistype 'snowballs' as snowbaals a moment ago - that would be rather more interesting, what with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_(demon)" target="_blank">Baal</a> being one of the seven princes of hell.<br />
<br />
Gardening in the cold weather, though, isn't something I'm keen on but it has to be done if I'm not to be horrendously behind come March. Gardening rules state that you shouldn't walk on a frosted lawn, as the grass blades will be damaged. However, I suspect that gardening rules might also suggest that lawns probably turn out better if not run around on playing cops and robbers, do better if not poked with interesting sticks, and retain a better sward if not turned into a muddy puddle to re-enact scenes from Peppa Pig.<br />
<br />
Needs also must when it comes to cutting back vegetation when a frost is expected. It makes sense that an open wound is more sensitive to frost damage and that I might be distressing the plant somewhat by hacking bits off whilst it's bitterly cold. However, needs must, and if I find I have 30 minutes in the bitter cold to chop back some overgrown vegetation in order to keep on top of things, then I'm afraid that both the plant and I will have to become uncomfortably numb together.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHB2Z5hxXgnS00c9Qqw_hreifxOECGh9Jw5GBDX-q63zk2Dh7AB5FrD09iNiib9_ovli55gcQ5Gvk5jxUeNKEFYTqHYHAByGElCzNQTZ2P04OYy2kXaHmtx1nmOIWuGKUVw8hCQ/s1600/IMG_7508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHB2Z5hxXgnS00c9Qqw_hreifxOECGh9Jw5GBDX-q63zk2Dh7AB5FrD09iNiib9_ovli55gcQ5Gvk5jxUeNKEFYTqHYHAByGElCzNQTZ2P04OYy2kXaHmtx1nmOIWuGKUVw8hCQ/s640/IMG_7508.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-34235391254865026922017-01-01T09:15:00.000+00:002017-01-01T09:15:50.393+00:00New Year. New Thinking.No resolutions. No <a href="http://inelegantgardener.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/new-year-revolutions.html" target="_blank">revolutions</a>. Not least because the whole bringing back candytuft thing didn't quite achieve the momentum hoped for. No looking back at all the things I didn't do so somehow I'll magically do them in 2017. No, not this year.<br />
<br />
Instead, just a few quiet moments to contemplate what I have done this year. Not much, so it won't take too much of our time - mine to type and yours to read.<br />
<br />
I'm pleased that I've managed to make the willow wigwam robust and shapely. I'm thinking of some fairy lights for summer evenings, to make it a place that's nice to sit. I've started to reclaim the front garden, which had matured a little too far, like a Stilton cheese that's gone from robust to rancid decay. I remembered to water the hanging basket and window box all summer. That's a big achievement for me. And we managed to grow some pretty impressive pumpkins considering they were in a pot.<br />
<br />
Nothing amazing, just a few quiet victories. Why not spend a few moments being quietly pleased about something small you've achieved in your garden this year?<br />
<br />
Happy New Year xHappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-64957969471283601702016-12-30T06:56:00.000+00:002016-12-30T06:56:11.049+00:00How the Pershore plum won the Great War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<a href="https://thehumourofthegreatwar.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/brucebairnsfather12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Someone mentioned a book on Twitter a while back, which had the intriguing title '<a href="http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/how-the-pershore-plum-won-the-great-war/9780750965163/" target="_blank">How the Pershore plum won the Great War</a>'. My interest was piqued because I was brought up in Malvern, not so far from Pershore, and because in my grandad's garden there was a Pershore egg plum tree. The fruit aren't to everyone's taste, being a culinary plum in general, but I rather liked them.<br />
<br />
To be honest, there isn't that much directly about plums in the book; it is a social history of a small town during the time of the Great War, with plums running as a thread through its pages. The social history is told through chapters on topics such as growing food for Britain in the smallholdings around Pershore, and how women were taken on to work on the land as men went away to fight.<br />
<br />
Some of the newspaper stories included within the book seem so current in their ways of reporting. Widely reported was a story about German prisoners of war spoiling the potato crop by rubbing out the eyes on potatoes as they planted them. If you're aware of recent examples of the current British press writing lies about refugees, then you'll be unsurprised to hear that the German PoW story was completely fabricated by two journalists. The difference being that the journalists in this case were prosecuted and fined.<br />
<br />
Of course, plums do get covered. Chapters explore how jam manufactories and farming cooperatives sprung up in the area. The Pershore plums were sought after during the war for jam, although strawberry jam was always preferred by the troops:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://thehumourofthegreatwar.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/brucebairnsfather12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://thehumourofthegreatwar.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/brucebairnsfather12.jpg" width="407" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://thehumourofthegreatwar.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/brucebairnsfather12.jpg" target="_blank">Source</a></span><br />
<br />
The vignettes of wartime life are of the greatest interest, from drunken fruit pickers, to deaths on the Front, from assertions that women cannot milk cows, to the setting-up of the WI. Small stories wrought large in a small town. Pershore plums may not have made the most wished-for jam for the men on the Front but they played their role. Hurrah for the Pershore plums.HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-86484438632572767892016-12-28T06:38:00.000+00:002016-12-28T06:38:10.334+00:00Wordless Wednesday - Star Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvqyb4qwUcljYHvCD2fqPUj7iSH5hsfbWP4dbRho1QdF4UY5DrSHtY3hz6fWyvj8BU2UP5p5im-6WJ-NOb3IoBcL1S-3Kggo56fYOeJhCoFo-p9KkVNV5aHwxqCbKj2y3ypp1QQ/s1600/IMG_9626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvqyb4qwUcljYHvCD2fqPUj7iSH5hsfbWP4dbRho1QdF4UY5DrSHtY3hz6fWyvj8BU2UP5p5im-6WJ-NOb3IoBcL1S-3Kggo56fYOeJhCoFo-p9KkVNV5aHwxqCbKj2y3ypp1QQ/s640/IMG_9626.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-27922234318509787822016-12-26T20:17:00.001+00:002016-12-26T20:17:42.301+00:00Getting a run up on SpringIt's coming up to new year, an ideal time to make horticultural reflections and confessions. I confess that I haven't blogged much this year. Too much time spent on education, be it sending small child off to school to become another cog in the long journey to adulthood, or reading and writing about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Bourdieu" target="_blank">Bourdieu</a>. Some time spent in the garden, but generally chasing, chasing, weeks or months behind where I should have been. Some things got done. Most things didn't.<br />
<br />
I did grow zinnias from seed for the first time. We had pots containing broad beans, runner beans, potatoes, mangetout and tomatoes. Not many of each but enough to say 'yes, we did grow a bit of our own'.<br />
<br />
I won't list what I didn't do. Trust me, it is extensive.<br />
<br />
So, this year I'm creeping up on Spring before it charges up and hits me, at full force, in the stomach. I know it's best to keep the seedheads on perennials until Spring. I've seen the goldfinches perched on the cardoons in years past. But for my peace of mind, and to steal a march on Spring, I have been cutting back, weeding, tidying and just trying to get ahead right now. Spring comes so fast, and before you know it you're bowled over by new growth; perennials shooting up where you wanted to tidy, cut back and weed. Bulbs daring you to step on their piercing blades.<br />
<br />
I've seen the glorious views of waves of perennials golden in the low frosted light of winter. Well, I've seen them in magazines, and in drier counties than here. Here, the occasional frosting is less frequent than dank darkness, softening the stems, tarnishing the golden heads to the colours of decay.<br />
<br />
So, I'm getting ahead this winter. It won't last, but in the meantime, I feel as though I'm winning the race.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gEyllLvo4YUW0bm1Fd2926Mci-PRdKg9KNkCxb01NpsPZnWiRv7_4w2qNJYLatcxjK1mRiRH4MZhdCFXaT8OP9lxBsM0XMO42gKaatjS8izoC-SngUVjug_VGiXkN8BOShK0dA/s1600/IMG_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gEyllLvo4YUW0bm1Fd2926Mci-PRdKg9KNkCxb01NpsPZnWiRv7_4w2qNJYLatcxjK1mRiRH4MZhdCFXaT8OP9lxBsM0XMO42gKaatjS8izoC-SngUVjug_VGiXkN8BOShK0dA/s640/IMG_1176.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33750459.post-41645383075328665332016-09-28T06:00:00.000+00:002016-09-28T06:00:32.329+00:00Wordless Wednesday - Shining<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ7ePWn9Gs9SLf-ljO-iYa-tnUMDPb6Q3aHOzehzTmT8gOZt-Zl2OKknpBQHES9n6Gp_K7hGo0Ffx9j5asqkzBl60kWvfjdVuAO4RywP8nGIIPU3xn_XNHvwn0vMvG3eHUBrFrg/s1600/IMG_9219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ7ePWn9Gs9SLf-ljO-iYa-tnUMDPb6Q3aHOzehzTmT8gOZt-Zl2OKknpBQHES9n6Gp_K7hGo0Ffx9j5asqkzBl60kWvfjdVuAO4RywP8nGIIPU3xn_XNHvwn0vMvG3eHUBrFrg/s640/IMG_9219.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />HappyMouffetardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09157145094611234176noreply@blogger.com0