Friday 1 November 2019

Go On, Grow a Tree!

After a tough summer of neglect for the garden, the last week has been a pleasure to get back to some Autumn maintenance. Some projects have been ongoing since we moved, the rejuventation and reduction of the trees and hedges, being one of these. Last week we tackled the remaining laurel hedge, deciding on taking it down by half in height and width, leaving it a 'Trisha-sized' scale for me to manage. There was also a lavetera for the chop, one of two I planted from cuttings taken from the garden. One cutting behaved impeccably, the other decided on world-domination and tried to crowd out the top flower bed, grapevine and nearby tree, not to mention the view... We'll have to dig out the stump or will have the same problem next year, I'm hoping the plants lost in its shade over the summer will survive.
I'm still working my way, very slowly, along the long flower bed by the new fence, clearing brambles, day lilies, overgrown clumps of kerria japonica and self seeding geraniums. I'll keep two of the kerrias, much reduced, so probably few flowers next year. New roses should arrive soon, climbers with scent and single flowers good for pollinators. The idea is to cool down a south-facing red brick wall, providing shade and cover.
Each year I try and grow a few trees, last year it was Monkey Puzzle trees, this year I couldn't resist a couple of lovely shiny conkers found on a walk, so two horse chesnuts, a pine cone and some cyprus seeds as well. Checking through my seed tin and there is still some Giant Redwood seeds so into the fridge with them for a few weeks. It will be interesting to see if any of these germinate. 
I was given a packet of Bird of Paradise seeds the other day, the packet is ancient (possibly 40 + yrs old!) and only contained two seeds but they look robust and so am giving those a go as well. I have also taken cuttings of hardy fuschia and an interesting geranium. Windowsills are always in short suppy over Winter!

Fir tree seeds


Avocado plant grown from fruit pip, fun for kids to try,
go on, grow a tree!


Twisted willows (Dragon's Claw) potted on


Tuesday 9 July 2019

New Art Exhibition (August 2019)




Found

by
Patricia Herlihy


1st August to 7th August 2019
10.00am - 4.00pm

in residence in the almshouses at

Magdalene Almshouses
Behind 38 Magdalene Street
Glastonbury, Somerset



Works in watercolour, oils and mixed media. A selection of handmade cards.



Friday 7 June 2019

June sunshine...

Today there is much needed rain in the form of storm Miguel, yesterday there was time for a
few June photos in the garden...



This year, the wet, warm Spring means giant perrenials!

Phlox settling in new position.


Coreopsis

Bumble bee on white valerian


grapevine

nigella and orange wall


squash seedlings growing


new rose seems happy


lilies flowering this year


'love in a mist' growing through the decking!

clematis climbing well


Some photos from last month,


foxgloves


and iris



(celebrating World Bee Day.)



Thursday 16 May 2019

Art Trail in Street, Somerset (week two)


There is still time to catch the Art Trail in Street, running until the 18th May 2019. With large scale installations at the Grange and in the Shopping Village, plus residencies in several venues around the town.

This week Emma Housley is the artist in residence at Strode Theatre, where you can see her at work creating her beautiful contemporary abstacts full of colour and form. The workshop is open from 11am-4pm.  More information and details are on the Strode Theatre website.

Debs Butterfield is in residence at The Shoe Museum on the High Street Street on Thursday 16th and Saturday 18th May making her unique organic vegan shoes. 

Ron Webster will be in the foyer of the Strode Theatre on 15th -17th May from 11.00am demonstrating his amazing marquetry and parquetry skills and there is an evening of poetry, Looking Out: with Kim Ridgeon on Friday 17th May, also at Strode Theatre, details on the website.



Sculpture by Jan Niedojadlo 


Sculpture by Anthony Butterfield 



In the Crispin Hall, High Street you will find artwork on display by Steve Cobbin.

An example of one of trail boards to find while out and about in the town.






Saturday 4 May 2019

Art Trail in Street, Somerset.


With a couple of hours of spare sunshine this afternoon, I set off to explore part of the new Art Trail in Street, Somerset which runs for the next two weeks in venues around the town.

In all there are ten trail boards to find featuring local artists and their work and the first location is in the beautiful setting of a Georgian house.  In the grounds of the building are works by Garry Sharp, large, dynamic sculptures built from re-purposed roadside litter and textural patterns worked into the grass.




Exploring these installations in the garden led me to a WILDEDGES by Melanie Thompson, an immersive art experience in a hidden walled orchard where I wandered through the blossom trees and then up into the nearby barn for a video installation with views out across the town and countryside beyond.

The house itself is host to a vibrant collection of local artists work, housed in two airy and peaceful rooms, connected by and sweeping up a grand staircase.

Upstairs I found Jules Meriano in residence, an artist who works in beading and mixed-media to create bespoke pieces of jewellery, headdresses and accessories. Trained in colour and crystal therapy her unique and gorgeous pieces are tailored to the individual to create personal works of art. Jules is in residence on Saturday 11th and 18th of May 2019.


Details of the #ARTTRAILINSTREET is on Facebook -

 www.facebook.com/ARTTRAILINSTREET/

The art trail runs from 4th to 18th May 2019.
The venue visited today was the Alfred Gillet Trust, The Grange, Street BA16 0BB.
(Accessed via car park 4)







Saturday 20 April 2019

In search of green...

The sudden heatwave this weekend has made the soft greens of Spring seem all the more vibrant. Orange tip, Brimstone, Blue and Speckled wood butterflies are emerging. This morning I went out in search of green to photograph around the garden...


hostas, cornflowers, rose and oregano in pots





mini flower gems





new sunny gravel bed with low growing herbs, golden oregano
marjoram and thyme




rejuvenated lilac and willow 'dragonsclaw'




Spring greens!








Monday 25 March 2019

New Art Exhibition, Street, Somerset

I'm delighted to be exhibiting at Create:Space II in the pop-up galleryin the Old Tesco Building, Street.

Come along and see a great range of local art on exhibition and for sale at
Unit 6, Crispin Centre, Street, BA16 0HP.


The Staging Post runs from 25th March to 4th May 2019.




Glastonbury Tor and Orchard Trees, watercolour 2019







Tuesday 8 January 2019

January Trees

The arrival of new seeds to plant is always a  treat, especially in January. This year it is a packet of six non-dormant Monkey Puzzle seeds (Araucaria araucana). I hope they will germinate and add to the collection of small trees growing away, including the Giant Sequoias. I have also taken cuttings of the Salix babylonica 'Tortuosa' (corkscrew, tortured or my fave, dragon's claw willow). I have found the easiest way with these is simply to push bare stems in a pot in winter and watch them grow away in Spring.
I have planted my lovely Christmas gift of a Glastonbury thorn in a pot for now, until a permanent site can be found in the garden. Growing trees in containers, whether Bonsai or just small trees, is a lovely way to find a life-long connection to nature if space is limited. If you make one gardening resolution to keep this New Year, make it to grow a tree.



January frosts


Sequoiadendron giganteum


Dragon's Claw willow and Californian lilac


More frosts...





Monkey Puzzle seeds