Garden Note Cards

It's January Note Card time

As so many of you are experiencing
freezing conditions at present
I'm taking you outside for a dose 
of warm summer air and sunshine!

To 'smell the roses' so to speak
and to bring back memories of those
languid days of Summer.

I want you to smell the heady fragrance of
roses, lavender, alyssum, and thyme.
When you finish reading here
maybe you will spend some time thinking of
what you would like in your Spring garden.
Look through seed/plant catalogues or
magazines for inspiration!
I spend many happy hours doing just that
through our long Winter months.

Thank you dear Vee for hosting your
Note Card Party

Please click on the link above to visit Vee
and to see everyone's lovely Note Cards
or go here if you want more information
on how it all works.
We would love you to join us.

 Thank you Kathe for hosting your party
'You're Gonna Love It Tuesday'.
Please pop over here for loads of
Inspiration.

Click on the photo to see the birds at play on a Summer's afternoon in the bird bath!

Thank you dear friends for your kind comments.

WELCOME
to all my new followers, it's lovely to see you here! 

Merci à bientôt
be kind to one another!

♥ Shane ♥

 

 

 

Afternoon Teas...

 Hello dear friends

 It's hard to believe we are now in the

last week of November!

My dear mother had a great fondness

for fine china and she passed on many

lovely pieces to me

including this Hammersley tea set.

 

Hammersley & Co, Longton, Stoke on Trent, England.

 I really feel privileged to be the custodian

of this precious china and

I will be passing it on to my daughter one day!

Each piece is hand painted so beautifully

and the colors are still bright

after all these years.

I treat it with great care

and hand wash each piece in

Softly. 

 From the middle photo above you can see

how fine the china is by the gtranslucence

you can almost see through it.

Walnut and parsnip cake

which I served at one of our

embroidery group Tuesdays.

(let me know if you would like the recipe)

 Mauve, purple, lilac shades are not my color choice

usually, but I have grown to love these.

I still remember my mother's

elegant afternoon tea parties

with her dear chatty friends.

Today I'm joining

Mary  for Mosaic Monday

and the following tea parties

Ruth for Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Sandi for Tea Time Tuesday
Terri for Tea Cup Tuesday
Kathe for You're Gonna Love it Tuesday 

Bernideen for Friends Sharing Tea

Nula, Rosie and Becca from here

Thank you dear friends for being here

WELCOME

to my new followers it's lovely to meet you.

 Merci à bientôt
be kind to one another!

 

♥ Shane ♥

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing Seeds with friends

 

Hello dear friends

I hope you've had a happy relaxing weekend.

It’s been perfect Spring weather here at last.

 I would love to have spent some time in the garden

but I’ve injured my right knee…

that happened when I was working on our boat

last weekend, I was on my knees in the bilge

painting all the new pieces of timber with resin….

I twisted my knee as I got up – a warning I think

that I’m just too old for this type of work!!!

It's improving day by day – thank goodness

as I’m not a good patient !

I'm missing my walking.....

 

On Saturday I received an exciting packet in my letterbox
from my friend Julie of

MY THREADBEAR LIFE

Julie is another Kiwi blogger
she lives on a farm, has a beautiful garden
and a rustic cottage where she sells collectibles
and her handmade crafts.

Recently Julie very kindly offered free
Aquilegia (Granny Bonnet) seeds from her garden
and that's what was in my parcel!

Julie said many visitors to her garden
had commented on her "two-toned" blue and cream
aquilegia in particular.

She has since told me via email
that according to the lunar calender
the optimum planting time for plants
that produce above the ground
is between 10th and 19th October.

Do you sow and plant according to a particular calender
I would be interested to hear.

Julie added a packet of Hollyhock seeds
as well - an amazing coincidence as I have been trying to
source some since seeing these wonderful displays
on my friend Mary's blog here.

The sweet blanket heart in the first two
photos was handmade by Julie
it was stuffed with lavender
the fragrance is amazing.

Thank you Julie for your beautiful parcel!

I sent Julie some of these seeds I bought at the
Clevedon market earlier in the year
I posted about it here 

I'm linking to
Mosaic Monday
You're Going to Love it Tuesday
Be Inspired party Tuesday


Thank you for visiting my blog and
WELCOME
to my new followers - it's lovely to meet you!

À bientôt 

be kind to one another 

♥ Shane ♥