Friday 12 June 2015

K's latest woodworking project and sunbathing cats, and a small garden roundup


A bit of a garden round up.  These beautiful Irises flower down at mum's (and I have some in the top garden too).  They are more purple than this but the camera insists it sees them bright blue!


Pretty pansies down at mum's, growing in an old cast iron pig trough.


This vigorous rambler, Rosa Bamksia normalis, also grows down at mum's.  It has a lovely perfume.  The recent gales sent it tumbling from its moorings and we need to put in some more vine-eyes and wire and get it back in place.


The cool air (due to the ever-present strong winds, mainly from the N-W) has allowed my Aquilegias to carry on blooming.


I took more photos, to show different petal types, but they were too blurred too use.  Much worse than this blurry one.


I love the deep purpley-black ones, and the William Guinness which have a white centre.


This is one of the things we bought recently, prior to my dear friend Annie's worldly possessions going to auction and finding new homes (much of the rest is in an auction today which we are going to).  This was a work in progress which, sadly, her late husband never got a chance to finish.  It is a solid Yew table.  The top is a slice of a huge old Yew tree, the the two supports, slices of a large bough.  It needs a little rejiggling, my husband says, so he has been dedicating his spare time this week to doing just that.  One hot afternoon we had to bring it into mum's cool kitchen, as the wood was starting to dry out alarmingly.  It will look stunning once it is finished, and will be a "forever" piece of furniture for us to enjoy and remind us of Annie and Mick whenever we look at it.



With those natural holes in it, the style is very reminiscent of George Nakashima table.


The reclaimed bit of the herbaceous border.  All garden thugs removed to a depth of 8", apart from to the right of the Graham Thomas rose . . .  Work in progress.


A bevy of sunbathing cats for you.  Fluff, who had got Too Hot, in the shade at the edge of the main pond.


Her sister Lucy, who can never be Too Hot.  As she gets older her silver undercoat (which she got from her black mum, who had it too) is turning her very grey indeed.  She and Fluff are 18 now.


Ghengis has it right - head in the shade.


Amber is happy with dappled shade. She's 17 or so now too . . .


Work still to do.  This is meant to be a clear gravel path in the paddock plot . . .



The other side of the paddock plot, where OH has obligingly mown for me.  But lots of trimming round the young fruit trees and the Bay tree at the end, and the overgrown bed to the right.

Ah well, onwards and upwards I suppose.

10 comments:

  1. Hello my lovely, I'm finally back to blogging again :D It's so good to see your beautiful garden and your cats are looking well. Especially Fluff, who my son still talks about :D I wish I could come and visit but work is keeping me busy, so I'll bask in your gorgeous pictures.x

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  2. Your cats are so precious, so beautiful.
    I love your Mother's Iris's & other flowers & also that special table to remind you of Mick & Anne, I do love wood & all those years showing in it.
    Enjoy this day.
    Fondly Michelle

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  3. We've had iris on the go since March - smaller ones back then in the library gardens, but big ones still going and now yellow flag out too!

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  4. You have some lovely flowers and it looks as though you''ve been hard st work in the garden. Love the photos of the cats:)

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  5. The patterning of the wood on that little table is exquisite - lovely reminder of your friends BB.
    Nobody can enjoy and soak up the sun like a cat!

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  6. Funny you mention Nakashima furniture way over in the UK as it was started not far from my home in the US and I breakfasted with Kevin Nakashima a few months ago...I have never been a fan of the furniture and have never understood the appeal.....

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  7. Lynda - I guess the Nakashima furniture was a fashion statement at the time. How odd that you know the family after me mentioning the table!

    Pat - you wait until he has it finished and you can see the gorgeous grain on the top in all its glory. We love yew wood.

    Rowan - just out of shot are the ??? you gave me. Tall, bright orangey flowers. You'll have to remind me what it's called!

    Simon - my small irises at the front have been very late this year and have only just started flowering. Yellow flags around the pond have been out a couple of weeks now. I would love to grow a bigger variety of bearded iris, but not sure if they would like our soil.

    Michelle - this is the perfect place for cats - lots of comfy spots to enjoy the sunshine (when we get it) and lots of countryside to go exploring.

    Yarrow - I didn't know Fluff had made such a big impression on your son! There's always a spare bed when you can manage to get away. Good you're blogging again.

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  8. Your garden is looking really beautiful and full of colour. Would love to see the yew table when its finished - a lovely reminder of your friends.

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  9. Beautiful photos and beautiful cats, and also I love the aquilegia plants they are so pretty at this time of year - granny bonnets...

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  10. Wonderful photos.
    Love all the cats out in the sun.
    Plus I just love pansy's Some of my favorite flowers.

    cheers, parsnip

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