Friday Flowers

The weather just hasn't been any good for taking pictures this week, so here are some I took a couple of months ago.
Bells of Ireland are strange flowers, they seem almost prehistoric or more like vegetables somehow. With nasty hidden spines that catch you unawares. Having said all that I really like them, architectural and unusual.......two good words in my book!

I'm going to see the Turner exhibition at Tate Britain this Sunday, really looking forward to it and a stroll along the Embankment.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend
Georgie
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Friday Flowers

We got back last week, after a very pleasant holiday......though on the first day it didn't look like that would be the case!
Those of you who are my friends on facebook will know that we didn't get off to the best of starts. To cut a longish story short, we arrived to find a puddle of water on the kitchen floor, which was strange but was mopped up quickly and we got on with our day but arranged a visit by a plumber for the following morning.
That afternoon the kitchen was flooded with soapy water from an upstairs neighbour's washing machine......argh!!!! Plumber came out on an emergency call and sorted out the problem...a communal waste pipe blocked with a mixture of fat and washing powder....yuk.
He came again the next morning as booked and capped an unused pipe and checked other bits and pieces.
So apart from using every towel to stop the flood of water reaching the wooden floors in the rest of the flat, no real harm done and everything is covered by the insurance, though there was a moment or two when all I wanted to do was come home, especially after last time!!

But home we are, back to autumn it seems. I took these pictures a few days after we got back, since then it's been too wet and windy to photograph outside...I'm really going to miss being in the garden and I'm giving my workroom a huge tidy up so that I can use it as my studio again this winter.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Georgie
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Friday Flowers

It must have been the thought of going away next week that inspired these pictures, that and a bag full of shells, two starfish and ribbon printed with Seagulls.
I am seriously wishing for a holiday with a gas supply, hot water and uninterrupted electricity, oh and some nice weather would be good too, or perhaps I'm pushing my luck!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend, I'll be back in a couple of weeks.

Georgie
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Friday Flowers

Over the last few years I have fallen in love more and more with Hydrangeas, apart from all the wonderful colours they come in they are probably the only flower that you can photograph outside when it's breezy. Let's just say they are my favourite flower at the moment!!
These are called Hydrangea Macrophllya Glowing Alps.... bit like a pedigree name for a dog, a terrible mouthful and not what you call it day to day. In my mind I call them Vintage Hydrangeas, their soft colours in lovely combinations remind me of faded textiles.
Plus I'm told they are the best variety for drying, I'm putting that theory to the test!

Hope you all have a marvelous weekend.

Georgie
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Friday Flowers

Oh it's been cold!! from mid summer to autumn overnight, and it rained and thundered and I felt cheated. Where had summer gone? I wasn't ready for it to be over yet.
Today, it has actually felt warmer and looks like the temperature is due to rise over the next few days, perhaps it's not quite autumn yet.......I do hope so.

Pictures of an impromptu picnic lunch setting in the garden... when it was still summer!!!!

Have a wonderful and hopefully sunny weekend wherever you are.

Georgie
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Friday Flowers

I've been having such fun this summer practicing my hand tied bouquet technique....think I'm slowly getting the hang of it!!
And then taking photographs of the results, this was a mixture of bought flowers and bits and pieces from the garden.

 I definitely need to plant more foliage and especially dark colours, everything I've got in the garden has been heavily "pruned" this summer, hopefully it won't mind and will go on to be bigger and better next year.
Oh yes and who knew that Sedum flowers last for weeks in water especially if picked in bud, I have some pale green that open to pink but need some burgundy coloured ones. And the added bonus is that bees and butterflies love them, I haven't picked all the flowers so they can enjoy them!!
So I'm going to visit the garden centre this weekend, hope you have a fabulous time doing whatever you decide to do.

Georgie
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Friday Flowers

Friday crept up on me this week, and I nearly missed it!!
This picture is one of my favourites that I've taken this summer. Having nice enough weather to photograph outside for days on end has been fantastic and really liberating, chasing the light around the garden and waiting for that perfect moment has actually made me slow down and realise how happy I am doing what I love.
So here are late summer flowers, herbs and seed pods in an old watering can, caught in late afternoon light.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend doing what you love.
Georgie
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Friday Flowers at Hampton Court Flower Show Part Three

Finally I'd like to show you the Garden of Solitude designed by Alexandra Froggatt. What I loved about this garden was the play of light across the hard surfaces, the cool colours and the plantings with grasses. Although there isn't an overall picture of this garden I hope the following photographs give you some idea of the atmosphere.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Georgie
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Friday Flowers at Hampton Court Flower Show Part 2

This week it's the perfect vegetable garden that featured as part of the Britain in Bloom display. I couldn't resist the old greenhouse filled with blowsy Begonias.

Perfect cabbages in regimented rows.

Even the water butt gave me the "I wants" if ever there was a vegetable garden that fulfilled my fantasies this was it.

In my experience, reality is swarming with insects that devour everything, weeds that grow the moment your back is turned and everything is ready to harvest just as you go on holiday. I'll stick with the fantasy!
Finally I'll leave you with the exuberant yellow border in the same garden.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Georgie
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Friday Flowers at Hampton Court Flower Show

Here as promised are some pictures from Hampton Court Flower Show. The show was very different this year, definitely smaller, less large gardens and fewer trade stands, and those that were there I felt I had seen before, so no great detail shots.
So a big departure for me.....I photographed the gardens!! We were blessed with fantastic light and conditions, just to be in a virtually empty showground at 5.30a.m. was a privilege and a delight.

This first garden, A Space to Grow and Connect was designed for an arts and culture organisation in an urban environment. It uses recycled industrial materials and has a pavilion with a living roof, oil drums used as a wall and stacked to grow edible plants and a metal mesh stage.
I loved the colours, the planting, the use of materials and that water feature just zings!!

Another garden next week.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Georgie

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Friday Flowers

I took loads of pictures at Hampton Court Flower Show, I was there until midday on Wednesday and I haven't had a chance yet to go through them all so I'll share some next friday.
In the meantime here are some pictures I took last week.......I've been growing Strawberries!

Can you believe the colour of these Strawberry flowers? You can just see the tiny strawberries growing in their centres.

The following pictures are of a beautiful strawberry planter from Wichford Pottery that I planted up before we went away, they were left to their own devices and I think that perhaps they suffered a bit in all the hot weather. I'll let the fruit develop and then move these plants into the garden, I have more plants to pot up which will give a much more luscious looking display.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Georgie
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Friday Flowers

After a large tree fell across the road earlier this week wiping out my telephone line and internet connection, I was very impressed by British Telecom who got everything back up and running in 4 hours!
On Wednesday afternoon we lost internet connection again.....having checked for more fallen trees....I have ascertained that it is a problem with our provider Talk Talk. Definitely not impressed that it is now late Thursday afternoon and I am typing this in my local Costa Coffee (thanks for the free internet acsess!) as it is still not working at home.

To cheer myself up I have been out in the garden taking some photographs. I really must cut the grass, but it looks so lovely and meadow like I had to take these pictures first. Better cut it soon or I shall need a scythe!!

I'm very excited to say that my RHS press passes for Hampton Court Flower Show have arrived. I'm off on Sunday to have a good look round, plan my strategy and start taking some pictures. Then from Monday it's early morning starts......can't wait it's my favourite show of the year. I'll share some pictures next week.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Georgie
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Friday Flowers and the holiday that wasn't!!

Back from holiday, the garden has been taken over by Convolvulus, but there are Roses. Alchemilla Mollis and Lavender, the Scabious came from Waitrose.....sorry Julienne!!

Sorry I didn't post any pictures whilst away, it turned out not to be a photography type of holiday, it was more a sitting about waiting for repair men and phone calls type of holiday.
When we arrived on Thursday I couldn't get the boiler to fire up to produce hot water, we eventually got in touch with an engineer who promised us an appointment the following Monday......4 days without hot water but I could cope!!! I loathe camping but a bowl balanced on an upturned waste paper bin in the bath, then filled with two kettles of hot water topped up with cold gave sufficient water for a hair wash using a mug , and a flannel for the rest of me.......good job I like a challenge.
Then the electrics started playing up, put the television or coffee machine on then switch on a light and poof!!! nothing worked for about an hour until the circuit breaker switch decided to turn back on.
All I can say is that with a bathroom with no window I was very glad to have a kindle cover with a light!!!

The gas engineer called, checked the boiler and declared we had no gas.....a mix up with the bank and the gas company meant that a bill last August for 17 euros hadn't been paid, though all subsequent bills had and they cut us off!!!

Getting gas reconnected in Spain is not for the faint hearted....a new account in my name....my husband has apparently been black listed!! After many trips to the gas company's office we were still not reconnected by the time we left, a friend is now dealing with it, thank goodness.

The electrics were repaired on day 9 of the holiday a new switch on the circuit board was needed..... thank goodness the weather was lovely and it was light until 10.00 in the evening.

So we have decided to return in September to try again, and have the holiday we thought we were going to have!!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Georgie
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Chelsea Flower Show Part Three.

The last pictures from Chelsea as I'm off on holiday next week to our apartment in Spain, I'll be sending pictures from there but for now it's back to Chelsea.
David Austin Roses did their ubiquitous tea table again, but it is so beautiful and the roses so wonderful I couldn't resist......and the smell was heavenly.

Chippy chairs in front of wonderful planting which included Grasses, Verbascum and Aquilegia....gorgeous.

Pink Foxgloves on an Australian trade stand that sold garden sculptures and birdbaths, they had painted the walls pink......the colour!!

And this is the Laurent Perrier Garden designed by Luciano Giubbilei. These pictures were taken at about 7.00am on the Wednesday morning, the air was still, the light was amazing, I hope I captured a even the slightest sense of what it was like to be there at that moment.

And finally what caused all the angst and fretting in case I didn't get it. My RHS Chelsea Press pass and the 3 magic bracelets one for each early morning......my souvenirs of Chelsea 2014.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend
Georgie
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