Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Wednesday with Nelly Moser... and Beryl and Jim



As I’ve mentioned before Beryl, my Granny, and her love for flowers and gardening has been a huge influence...
My Grandpa, Jim, was an expert lawn mower, tomato grower and pond maintainer, and as he had also trained as a carpenter, he made everything from Beryl's shed to the bird table...as well as the tortoise hut!


Today I was rearranging the top of my wardrobe and spotted this book...a gift from Beryl to Jim in  Easter 1941. 
These cups and saucers were also theirs; ‘Beryl’ by Woodsware...the extra large cup was always Jim’s, the saucer was often filled for Barker; their smooth haired fox terrier...

This was such a reminder of two people at the beginning of their gardening journey, during wartime, and who now seem to be accompanying me in the middle of mine...


When I decided to try growing a Clematis a few years ago, the only one I had really heard of was Nelly Moser...Beryl must have had one in the garden and I always liked the name, and as Nelly Moser is good for shady spots I thought it would suit my teeny North facing garden...
They are always so delicate and often only last a couple of days if there’s a bad storm, but if they stay attached for a few weeks they are stunning...
( I’m too small to get a good overhead shot...and yes, that is another snail on that petal! )

even when they’ve been snailed they still look pretty...

and the stems and seed heads have a real art nouveau feel to them...



Also out front, and loving the shade, are my neighbour’s amazing Arum lilies... ( they have 4 of these massive clumps! )

but loads of them completely collapsed after heavy rain yesterday...

however due to neighbourly generosity, the collapsed beauties are now standing proudly on my mantlepiece!

4 comments:

  1. Just beautiful! I have been so enjoying your posts and look forward to them each day. Such soft beauty to the eyes and heart. My grandparents (daisy and wolly) were also keen gardeners which have left me such fond memories of their garden and time spent with them. I just came in after tidying up a corner (my favourite corner where I sit most days to enjoy my tea) where the anemones have finished flowering and making room for the new arrivals or suprises that are coming up. Thanks for your constant inspiration stace

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  2. Thank you so much! Your website looks really beautiful too and so good to see another gardener...although I’ve never successfully grown vegetables so I am quite envious...the closest I have are herbs and edible flowers!
    Really pleased that your enjoying the blog and touched that my work inspires you. Thank you again!

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  3. Hi, I've been following you on Instagram for quite sometime now, and so happy I stumbled upon your blog too! Have got a serious books envy right about now, by the way :) Beautiful pictures as always!

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    1. Thank you so much! I’m really enjoying sharing some of the plant journeys from ground to table! I have so many books here...a lot of them because a relation wanted to throw everything in the tip and I couldn’t bear to let that happen!

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