Alchemilla Mollis May2012, just divided and replanted today

Wish it looked like this today but great to remind ourselves of how lush and warm we can be.  Also found a photo of some garden goodies ready for guests in the cottage before we decorated.  Its great at this time of year to think back on what we all achieve in a year with quiet, dogged determination.  Still, its also a great time to plan for lush gardens so I am donning the fatopets (best for gardening in this weather) - the silly hat, two pairs of gloves and off to attack once more.  I took some cuttings off the winter honeysuckle before lunch so have them to pop into some good gritty soil - I've taken enough to try popping half into the greenhouse and the other half directly into the soil which is pretty gritty.  It must have been the cook's dumping ground for broken pottery and her favourite colour must have been blue!

New extended herb garden just before settling snow

Phew, the Sorbus Cashmeriana was finally dropped into a lovely big hole where the herb garden fencing used to be - thanks to a great friend's help.  Just before the newly settling snow but in a great gale - I was wearing two hats and still had singing ears!

It's great when you suddenly have a eureka moment in your own garden - for years I had been nursing along two badly pruned - rescued roses and a fennel had established itself intertwined with a non-productive gooseberry - either that or the bluetits were really quick every year - anyway they have all gone, the tree is in and the bind (Convolvulus arvensis L.)  shards having been picked out.  Decided not to pop any green credential perennials in for a year but just take a pot luck with lots of forgotten annual seeds and just see what happens.  The ground needs to be kept fertile, covered but not with green manure - not until I am sure it is cleaned out,  I need to be ready to dig up anymore of the pernicious bindweed before being very creative.

No photos yet - not until the grapevine has reestablished itself and the Orange Blossom which I rescued from a Factory shop is in full leaf!  Just moved some Persicaria - a new variety from WyeVale cash and carry and moved some purple loosestrife to the replace them - they prefer bog gardens anyway and the bottom end of the herb garden definitely fits this definition at the present - Beth Chatto - my "right plant, right place" heroine would be delighted.

Chess Cottage, new year, new look!

Just putting my head in gear for a new website, would appreciate some feedback on these photographs. Do they show what you would like to see on an accommodation website.  Do they hint at comfort, cosiness, attention to detail and a wee bit of luxury from a country cottage?

Chess Cottage Brass Bedroom - January Flowers!

Chess Cottage, double bedroom, new washbasin area.

Chess Cottage, Brass Bedroom from internal door.

Snow, marmalade and gardening!

New sign well and truly christened with the rosa rugosa stems tickled with snow.

The lower pond with Silver Birch and Cornus in the foreground - hope the snowdrops are ready to push through.  Splodge is a snowflake (top left) no time to photoshop - seville oranges to juice and peel and chop - jars of loveliness will appear.

Then I took one more photo and used effects on the camera - pretty stunning I think!  Hope you are having fun too.

Happy New Year

Hay Bluff January 1st

Emi visiting Eardisley Great Oak from Japan January 1st!

Just needed a bracing walk on the Bluff after all the rain, as you can see a clear, gorgeous day.  

In fact the bicycle came out too!  Goodness rare image of me being still!  Back to the sewing machine this evening, finishing off new gorgeous linen cushions for Chess Cottage bedrooms - makeover nearly completed.  A few sneaky photos are creeping onto the website. www.herefordshireholidays.co.uk

Returning Guests - How lovely it is when guests who came regularly, from afar - return and enthuse and mention that their memories of reading under the Wellontonia Tree and travelling in lush Herefordshire. 

We've also got members of the Maple Society staying at present - they succeeding in bringing the sunshine - unfortunately those from afar, aforementioned, managed to bring the artic chill too - they left home at 4 am today in snow - so keen were they to see us! 

Actually they had been nudged towards the Flavours of Herefordshire Food Festival which is in an inaugural zone right next to the Cathedral this year.  What a treat, surrounded by newly developed Cathedral Close (by one of my favourite designers - Robert Myers from Kington) and with Mary Berry joining in too on Sunday.  That is us sorted - the samples and buzz available at previous Festivals has been amazing - so wrapping up snugly we will be full of anticipation.

Now other things to look forward to ... I have been busily producing 25 identical prints to enter the 20:20 exhibition which shoots around the country and is exhibited at our own Herefordshire Print Shed in Madley.  Next week some gorgeous felt is on exhibition at Bear Steps Gallery in Shrewsbury and yours truly is busily massaging and rolling little delectable items to join the accomplished artists.  Most notable have to be the ponytail hats - photos to follow!  (Tilly, the horse's tail is safe, although a little was combed out to help a dear friend complete an outdoor kiln! - it's never dull in Kinnersley!)

If you are wondering about the strangely surreal nature of this particular shot there is a perfectly reasonable explanation!  I produced a series of Cashmere, nettle and blue-faced leicester felt works as a response to a brief to exhibit in Hereford's Old House.

25th,  26th, 27th August

This weekend is the Lingen quit show. Lovely refreshments and definitely worth a visit if you like all things fabric.  I'm still buzzing from the fabulous festival of quilts just up in Birmingham last week.
Lingen is a great place to visit not far from Bryan's Grounds-one of my favourite Herefordshire/Shropshire borders.