You meet some great people during Herefordshire Art Week open studios and last year I chatted with a lovely couple who offered me some real English bluebell bulbs as I'd explained that my garden was over run with Spanish invaders.
This week I was looking back through photos of my garden for design inspiration and this stylised bluebell pattern evolved.
My children immediately asked if we were keeping it for our 'blue room'.
If it doesn't sell next week I just might....
I have been reading Jane Lindsey's blog Snapdragon's Garden for over 18 months now and she is a constant source of inspiration. I first came across Jane as a fellow blogger for WiRE (Women in Rural Enterprise) and loved to follow the news and photos from her cutting garden in Scotland.
Since then it has been such fun to watch her build her business from a seasonal one - selling home grown flowers, to a year round success having added a wonderful (and ever growing) product range of hand-crafted textiles.
It's been a pleasure to share her excitement and apprehension as she tries out new products and new ways to market, takes on staff and makes plans for the future.
So it was with a big smile that I opened a hand-written envelope today and found this inside.
Snapdragon's first mail order catalogue, complete with hand-written note. It is lovely - small and perfectly formed and sums up all that inspires me about Jane's business.
I so admire her dedication to growing her business, her flowers and her family (not to mention her chickens!). And I just love her attention to detail. I am sure she will go from strength to strength.
My own brochure is currently at the printers - I hope it turns out as beautiful as this one.
I can't quite believe September is just around the corner and hot on its heels is h.Art or Herefordshire Art Week for those unfamiliar with this brilliant event.
Now in its eighth year, h.Art features 131 artists' open studios and exhibition spaces throughout the border county. It gives visitors the chance to see inside workshops and studios usually closed to the public, chat with the artists about the techniques and materials used and purchase original artworks.
Just two weeks from today I will be comfortably settled in to my studio-away-from-home surrounded by orchards, chickens, sheep and open countryside. I'm once again sharing the home of basketmaker Jenny Pearce, venue number 60 in Canon Frome on the East route. The map is available here.
If you have been frustrated by the inconsistent opening times in the past you will be delighted to know that 106 of us will be opening for the full nine days of the event this year, from 11am until 5pm.
h.Art runs from 12-20 September 2009. If you'd like a copy of the h.Art Guide and map telephone 01568 797842 or email arts@herefordshire.gov.uk
I said that the outdoor exhibition of photography we discovered at Kew Gardens warranted its own post.....
There were so many fabulous images, but I snapped my top five favourites.
Garden Tiger Moth (taken in Amersham, Bucks) by Paul Keene (finalist)
Fieldfare in the Snow (taken in Brackley, Northamptonshire) by Craig Churchill (finalist)
Summer Stripes (gazania and hoverfly taken in her garden in South Lanarkshire) by Sarah-Fiona Helme (finalist)
Gulls on Glasshouse Roof (taken at Kew) by John Penberthy (third place)
and the winner, Deborah Casso's Lone Lily Pad (taken at Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle)
I think you'll agree they look pretty amazing just as my snapshots; the quality of the reproductions on display was stunning.
There was a large panel of judges, including one of my favourite gardening TV presenters, Chris Beardshaw.
The exhibition of the International Garden Photographer of the Year runs until 13 September 2009 and is well worth seeking out if you are near Kew over the summer.
Enjoy!
We squeezed in a visit to Kew before heading back home from London on Sunday. It is years since I've been there in person, but really enjoyed watching 'A Year in Kew' - the TV series the BBC ran a couple of years ago.
I love the Victorian splendour of the Palm House
with its ornate ironwork providing the perfect backdrop to those huge fronds.
Leave via the west door and you step from tropical rainforest to the lavender fields of Provence.
The amazing Treetop Walkway (designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the architects of the London Eye) opened just over a year ago. It is 59ft high!
You can see how it was built and even take a virtual tour.
You get a great view of the Glasshouses from up here too
and the entrance to the Rhizotron down below.
The tree you can see above is a bronze sculpture, but one little bird thought it was the real thing....
After discovering a fabulous photography exhibition (which deserves its own post) we went to see the Waterlily House
- a lovely little glasshouse with a special atmosphere all of its own.
I like the way the patterns of the roof metalwork are reflected in the water.
A truly inspiring place.
Kew Gardens is situated on the banks of the river Thames in south-west London, near Richmond. Find Kew visitor information here. Kew Gardens, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AB
Kew is open 363 days a year.
On our way back from Studland recently we stopped off at a National Trust garden in Wiltshire for lunch. What a discovery!
We stumbled upon 'one of the finest landscape gardens in the world' and I confess I had never heard of it. Stourhead was designed by Henry Hoare II as a place to entertain between 1741 and 1780.
As you can see it was a beautiful sunny day and the woodland walk was stunning.
Every so often a breathtaking vista would open up through the trees with a folly or classical temple framed with lush green.
There is a magnificent lake which was created by damming the River Stour.
I always like to see the old walled kitchen gardens which so often form part of such great estates and see how the National Trust staff bring them back to life by growing vegetables, fruit and herbs.
My only regret was our visit was all too brief; I could easily have spent the entire day there.
The azaleas and rhododendrons were in full bloom during our visit on 31 May, it would be lovely to go back and see how the gardens change through the seasons.
If you are familiar with the garden when is your favourite time of year to visit?
Stourhead landscape garden, Palladian mansion, parkland, woods and chalk downs are located at Stourton, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 6QD
The garden is open all year from 9am until 6pm (or dusk if earlier).
The RHS Spring Gardening Show in Malvern takes place next week. I always enjoy exhibiting my lamps and shades there, not only as it's just down the road from me, but it's my first big event of the year and fun to be back with my fellow members of the Worcestershire Guild of Designer Craftsmen. There will be 43 of us setting up our stands in the Wye Hall and it is always great to see all the new work that's been created since we were last together.
There are 22 show gardens this year - a record number apparently. Ten of these have been created by young designers vying for the coveted Chris Beardshaw Mentoring Scholarship and all are based on the theme of 'Dance'.
New this year is Spring Fashion Day (Friday 8 May). Students from Worcester College of Technology's School of Art and Design will be showcasing beautifully crafted garments, head-dresses and body art inspired by either famous English gardens or one of the scholarship show gardens.
BBC's Gardener's World visit the show and it will feature on the programme Friday 8 May, BBC2 8pm.
The Spring Gardening Show is at the Malvern Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6NW
It is open from Thursday 7 May until Sunday 10 May from 9am until 6pm each day. Please note that Thursday is 'advance tickets only' - so if you want to visit that day order your tickets online or call 01684 584924 to book.
I have lots of new things to make before then, so must get on!
Have a good week.
The panels for my latest large square lampshade are stitched and cut. Each panel measures 40cm x 40cm so it was tricky manoeuvring them under the machine needle. I had one casualty which had to be remade as the paper buckled, but other than that it went quite well.
Thankfully there were no mishaps with the cutting out....
and they are all lined up ready for construction which begins after lunch!
The client who commissioned this was inspired by these drum shades,
which had been commissioned in response to these table lamps,
which were inspired by this acer leaf,
which came from this tree.
The children are back at school after a lovely Easter break and I am working on new designs for the forthcoming Malvern Spring Gardening Show in just over two weeks' time - eek!
I have loads to do with two commissions to complete as well as the new half-shades and some map shades using attractively coloured Swiss maps.
Today there are lots of distractions - one of which I am very excited about! After spotting a blue tit starting to build her nest in one of our nest boxes a couple of weeks ago, we slotted the camera in this weekend only to find there are six little eggs! Today there is another and the female has been busy covering them with downy feathers and hair.
I have given her a helping hand by brushing our dog and leaving a handful of his coat tucked under the wipers on my car which is close to the nest box - she has been in and out all morning with beakfuls of it!
I have yet to get the webcam rigged up to my computer so these are not very clear photos of the TV screen, but I think you'll get the idea!
Must get on......
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