Four Plant pots and a Wedding

OK, the Four Plant Pots is a bit of a literary device, but you catch my drift! The wedding of which I speak is that of Blanche and Chris. Blanche invited a group of Burwell Bashers to join in the celebrations and to provide some musical diversion in the evening. Isn't this the loveliest photograph? Those of us who are more used to seeing Blanche at Burwell wearing cropped jeans, tee-shirt and trainers were a little gobsmacked to find out just how well she scrubbed up! 

The wedding was held at Gravetye Manor Hotel, in West Sussex, a 16th Century manor house standing in wonderful grounds - do google and have a look, the gardens are quite famous. 

                 Just one part of the gardens, in front of the original 'front' of the house.

I WISH I had managed to zoom in for this, but didn't really have time. Jayne played Blanche in with that lovely old Irish tune "Give Me Your Hand". So beautiful.

       Blanche and Chris cutting the cake. Is that a beautiful wedding dress or what? SO elegant!

Ah, now this is me, having just had a master class from Melanie Morris (BurwellBasher) on how to smile for the camera - something which I have never been able to do; I end up looking like I am either grimacing or saying something off-colour out of the side of my mouth! Not sure there is much improvement to be honest!

My old friend Sam Pirt - how lovely to meet up again with him - he and Blanche are long-time good friends. It was such a treat to share a platform with him, what an accomplished player he is.

Well, here we are, fitted and working and now part of the cottage; I'm getting used to a very different manner of cooking from the Rayburn, but loving having a gas hob again. The griddle is a brilliant piece of kit. Cooks marvellously, drains off the fat and even fries eggs with no more fat added. We love it!

April view of the rock garden - I'll have to do something about those muscari - I love them but they are just one big tangle now in the old sink. I've re-done the alpines so it looks a bit bare in there at the moment.

     Overnight, another chook took up residence, so that is one happy rooster we've got here now!

The chard which was evacuated from the square foot garden has resurfaced and not doing too badly - I've had quite a few leaves off the white chard plants; the rainbows need a while to recover.

The Willow Bird found its final placement and is enjoying the pink ranunculus - how I love these flowers! I've got a load of corms planted up for next year.

This purple collection is largely waiting for final resting places. I have wild violets coming up all over the garden and I'm trying to transfer them to where I want them, when the top half of the garden plan is up and running. (More of which another time) The French Lavenders will stop in the buckets for now, but I'm planning on having a collection of lavenders - there is a place which sells herbs over towards Dereham which we want to go and visit, I can buy a variety from them.

So, for a chap who was vehemently against raised beds… Jim bought me the square foot garden if you remember for Christmas 2014 and it never really did much. Now I have sown two types of chard,  two types of beetroot, and spring onions, with space in the centre for something else. He also built the brick raised bed for me, which has red veined sorrel you can just see, and under the fleece spinach, radish (two differently timed sowings) and rocket, with bulb fennel going in next month. AND he has just shown me a surprise in the garage (no, not the woodshed!) - another raised bed all waiting to be safely treated AND he says there is enough wood for another smaller one, so that entire space will be raised beds! And I never even asked! So with other plans up our sleeves for the rest of the garden things are looking quite exciting - and I say that as someone who has never raised a trowel in anger in her life!

Just to re-establish my credentials as a stitcher, here is the latest crochet offering, a slightly more muted version of my Caravan Granny Blanket - which has actually gone to the caravan! This will fit in better with the existing ripple and granny/treble blankets in the living room. Just a few more rows, sew in the ends and maybe add a border… what do you think? The original inspiration for this blanket was of course Lucy, at Attic24 blog.

And, just because, a photo of my favourite chair, next to the dresser, covered in colourful blanket and cushions of all persuasions! This collection cheers me up every time I glance at it.

So, there we are, a few plant pots and a lovely wedding. There are loads more wedding photographs but I've already shared them on Facebook so wasn't feeling like trotting them all out again. I hope you are enjoying some of this lovely spring sunshine - in-between the showers and high winds! Catch you next time!