callicarpa

Beautyberry / Callicarpa Bodinieri was on my wishlist for 15 years but I didn't have a name to search for, I just had this memory of a wonderful smallish tree with purple berries I came across near St Michael and All Angels in Chiswick. 

Years of checking garden centers with no luck and one accidentall stop in a Tesco car park somewhere in the south England ...tada!!! I have not only a name but also a plant. It's tiny and doesn't like where I've planted it so she'll get a new spot soon. 

This Christmas day when all presents were opened and food was on the table Mick remembered there's one more thing for me in the garden. They didn't know about the 15 years wishlist, about the tree in Chiswick or about the frail plant I found in Tesco... They just saw a big healthy Callicarpa and decided it suits me ❤️❤️❤️

I think it does. When I collect my present I will have to do a bit of research and decide where they both should go. Like 2 purple Laurel and Hardy in our garden

buddleia

How we didn't have a buddleia already is past my understanding when most gardens around us have enormous, fragrant, almost tree like wild buddleias. 

Intrigued (mildly offended even on behalf of my garden) I set about to fix this issue since last summer. So far I have bought a bright red one, accepted several shades of purple and white from the substitute grandma and even foraged for more colours. By foraged I mean knock on shops/ gym/ bakery doors and asked if I can pick the "weeds" off their doorstep 😆. And there is that memorable time when both me and substitute grandma tripped in the same place and had to lift ourselves up by holding onto a small branch of yellow buddleia. One each😉 that went in our pockets straight away.

Recently I was mulling through the Hortensia Walk and what do I spot in a new flowerbed?? A wild purple self-seeded buddleia.. probably from our neighbours 😆😆😆

aeonium in the storm

Was it the rain, the winds or a neighbour's cat that broke my Aeonium?

Cut all babies and new branches, moved in greenhouse and crossing all fingers and toes. I will update this in early spring if I find any survivors

Foxgloves

🦊 🧤 - wild, biannual: white, pink and white with dark pink spots.

Last year was quiet: only a handful of foxgloves  but now we have a very very busy one, they line the perimeter of our place from the top of the drive to the back of the forest. Not missing a single flower bed, rockery, vegetables raised beds 😆.

I compulsively shake every foxglove plant I come across to spread the beauty ...a secret gift that'll be visible in 2 years time. So I you see me in some NT garden shaking the seads... Shhh 🤫 I'm living the dream

Paeonia

All 3 clumps are adopted from Eva's garden, thank you Eva 😉.  I don't remember when it was, but must be related to the grand palace being built there in the last 3-4 years.

They make at least one blossom each, but slugs (ants?)  normally get them first. The roots have migrated and spread, so once all petals are gone I will dig them and rearrange in neater clumps.

Roses

Pink floribunda - planted Sept 2021

This was uncle Michael's wedding gift and is so prolific that it moves the drain pipes every summer. Sometimes even the tiles above 😄

I will have to see if he remembers the name of the rose 🤞. It had no special treatment apart from vicious cutting every time it gets on the roof and "banana water" every now and then.

Roses

Zephirine Drouhin - planted spring 2013

This was a (Valentine's?) gift from James and it lead a very boring, fruitless (or floweless?) and deflated life for years. Then le jardinier gave it a massive haircut, so much so I believed it was gone and I said my goodbyes. Oh my... Look at all the fragrant pink beauties it has come up with this year 👏

Roses

Lemon Spice- planted August 2014 

Abundance of flowers during spring and summer, fantastic lemon fragrance. Last year had a good pruning and now we're rewarded with dozens of flowers.

Mami's corner

 Abandoned blog , I have returned ! The title i picked at random 15 years ago seems even more appropriate now as I want this to be a record of my adventures and blessings in the gardening world. 

Yes, a few thigs have changed since my last post... Andrew was made an appearance, his sister followed a couple of years later, they're both in school now, I have started my own sewing/ quilting business and joined even more groups, charities and  even politics ( :) ) but my garden is still up there as a top priority. 

I will log my plans, plants and (fingers crossed)... the results :)

Enjoy Mami's corner

waiting for Andrew

Bebe Wells - 11 weeks old

Andrew David Wells - 20 weeks old, 15 cm long

21 weeks

34 weeks

week 10

week 10: walnut

23

23: ballpoint pen tip

"Martial Air" by Henry Purcell

up-date

de unde sa incep?

A trecut septembrie. si a fost foarte fain. o multime de surprize :)

Apoi in decembrie o surpriza si mai mare. (poze cu inelul pe FB)
De sarbatori forfota mare, multi oaspeti si dintr-o parte si din alta. ba chiar am supravieuit la o masa pt 10 pe neanuntate care mi-a golit congelatoru :p

Acum astept startul la pregatiri, poate dupa miercurea viitoare vom stii in ce directie o luam cu nunta. Momentan vizitam locuri: Coltsford Mil, Hever Castle Golf Club si Chiddingstone Castle. Ma tem ca inima mea s-a atasat de ultima locatie si tare sper sa putem merge acolo. Am rochiile pentru domnisoare, bolerouri, etc. dar nimic pt mine :)

cam atat de pe aici...

PS: e prea mult daca Nemi vine la nunta cu un fascinator verde in cap?

e septembrie din nou

Apple Chutney

azi facem

Apple Chutney

pt ca avem multe mere si pt ca nu-mi place gemul de mere ...

am pus doua feluri azi, unul cu boabe de mustar, paprika si ginger iar celalalt cu scortisoara, lamaie si nucsoara. Baza e aceeasi: mere, stafide, cranberries, zahar, ceapa, sare si otet.

si ca sa fie treaba treaba mi-am luat sambata cele mai dulci si dragalase borcanele.
pozele vor urma.

wish me luck!

ploua... iar

ai zice ca m-am obisnuit in 4 ani (aproape).
ploua si ploua.
primavara - ca doar e normal.
vara - din cand in cand. adica nu in fiecare zi.
toamna - ca doar e normal.
si iarna - ca sa nu ninga.

asa ca stam in casa mai mult. a venit biroul pt calculator si trebuie montat. incerc sa nu-mi bag nasul in cutiile care sosesc de pe amzon, am primit ordine stricte sa nu cotrobai dupa cadourile de ziua mea. in rest... placintele de mure, dovlecei pane si Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. in fiecare seara ne jucam cu familiile Borgia si Medici si mercenarii, mai am putin si ajungem sa dam foc la Vatican.

abia astept sa vina Ele aici, nu stiu cand si nu stiu unde, dar ar fi fain sa fie pe aproape. sa putem pleca hai hui la cumparaturi si la muzee

incercam sa-i convingem pe ma&pa sa vina aici de Craciun si se pare ca anul asta o sa fie cu noroc.

cam atat de pe aici. PS: azi am vazut pisica in bucatarie si m-a apucat un stranutat de vreo 4 min. FOR REAL!! sper ca nu trebuie sa trec iar pe pastile pt alergii, dar macar e un motiv bun sa nu mai vad pisica

Apple Crumble

la cererea publicului facem iar apple crumble. a 3a oara in 2 saptamani.
am incercat mai multe retete, dar am ramas la Delia Smith's

The Best Ever Apple Crumble

Rodiva, for the love of cakes

cine cauta gaseste :)

uite peste ce minunatii am dat pe facebook

am aratat poza cu Cameo mother's day cake la toata lumea de pe aici si ... no comment. toti sunt cu gura cascata.

curaj! cutati ceva ce va atrage pe site'ul asta si incercati :)) pana una-alta eu merg sa cumpar icing

city council library

azi m-am aventurat inca o data sa ajung in centru pe jos. aveam nevoie de ceva ingrediente pentru o prajitura si vroiam sa vad biblioteca.

spre uimirea mea totul e automatizat. nu stai la coada, nu trebuie sa stai la taclale cu vreo bibliotecara plictisita, no way, Jose!
scanezi cardul, scanezi cartile si pleci ... that's IT !!!

mi-am ales ceva bibliografii si o cartulie nostima: "Reasons not to move to the country - a woman's calamitous attemp to live the rural dream". deja am devorat primele capitole si e delicioasa

am mai luat si ceva de Maya Angelou. nu, nu m-am convertit la poezii :))
e un soi de autobiografie, "Letter to my Daughter". abia astept sa vad ce zice. cnad termin (si daca merita) o sa apara pe unlocrezervat