Fame at last - The Orchard Tea Room

We interrupt this Blogging hiatus to boast about one of our dog 's being chosen to appear on the website of The Orchard Tearoom.

Jake the greyhound likes nothing better than going for a walk in an orchard and we rather like tea and cake so when we were asked if he'd like to appear on the website of a new tea room we jumped at the chance.

I mean who could resist  afternoon tea in an orchard setting?

(They use vintage china too!)

Do pop over to the website and take a look  at the gorgeous photographs- theorchardtearoom.co.uk and there's a blog to follow  http://theorchardtearoom.blogspot.co.uk/

Succulent Container Gardens

Some Spring time planting inspiration from the LA Times, like the idea of planting up a dis-used / damaged bird bath.

Enamel kettle & pot planters - Inspirational Recyclying

Great idea for all that rusty enamel wear, plant it and hang it from the wall!

Image via Eline Pellinkhof

Recycled Treehouse - inspirational recycling

Found this brilliant treehouse made form recycled timber over at Essential Curiosities who in turn found it via Tumbr, sadly neither of us know anything about it. But isn't it great?

Bird Box Window Box

Love the idea of this bird box window box combination, one could say it kills two birds with one stone but maybe that isn't such an appropriate saying here. Anyway it's available to purchase from The Balcony Gardener in taupe or white for £95.

Recycled Pallet Shelves

Amazing what can be done with an old pallet isn't it?
At least I think they are made from a sawn off pallet to make a very simple set of hanging shelves, though I'm thinking that a bottom must have been put in each one so that does require a little woodworking skill.

Image via Tumbr

Beautiful succulent hanging basket

Love the planting of this hanging basket, I have a string of pearls plant myself but of course it would never survive our British winters outside. You've probably guessed by now that I seem to have a thing about succulents.

Image via tumbr

Hanging Tin Can Planters - inspirational recyclying

Another brilliant recyclying idea for a hanging garden this time using tin cans found at Happy Sleepy's Flickr
Instructions in the photostream

Recycled bottle bird feeder - Inspirational Recyclying you can do yourself

This recycled bottle bird feeder looks quite stylish don't you think?

Instructions at Shelterness

Platic Pop Bottle Cloches - Inspirational Recycling

I suppose we all know that plastic 2 litre pop bottles can be used as mini cloches but rarely have I seen them looking so good as in this photograph. Maybe it's the sheer mass of bottles standing in a row, maybe it's the photographers eye for a good shot.

Recycled Shoe Tidy Planter - Inspirational Recycling

Brilliant!

I think something like this would make a great herb garden hanging close to the kitchen door. Actually you could just pop those pots of culinary herbs from the supermarket into one of these if you aren't inclined to grow your own.

Found via vt wonen.

Recycled Pallet Shelving - Inspirational Recycling

Whoever would have thought that pallet shelving could be this simple or this smart, great idea for an outdoor summer event.

Found via Green for Less

How to make a simple succulent arrangement - tutorial from Porrige

Porrige has a lovely tutorial for making a floral arrangement using succulents from the garden

"everything for my bouquet was found in my front yard. now before you think that i have this awesome garden on my doorstep, i don't. to give you some perspective nathan has said that our yard is like the secret garden---before they fixed it up"

Go take a look and be inspired. Porrige

Planting Spring Bulbs in Cake Tins - Inspirational Recyclying

Don't those spring bulbs look great in the springform cake tin?

I just wonder if I'd rather have chocolate cake....

I BELIEVE NOTHING

I BELIEVE NOTHING


I believe nothing – what need


Surrounded as I am with marvels of what is,


This familiar room, books, shabby carpet on the floor,


Autumn yellow jasmine, chrysanthemums, my mother’s flower,


Earth-scent of memories, daily miracles,


Yet media-people ask, “Is there a God?”


What does the word mean


To the fish in his ocean, birds


In his skies, and stars?


I only know that when I turn in sleep


Into the invisible, it seems


I am upheld by love, and what seems is


Inexplicable here and now of joy and sorrow,


This inexhaustible, untidy world -


I would not have it otherwise.



by Kathleen Raine

Snowdrops

Today was the perfect day for a walk through the snowdrops,

the sun was shining and the sky was blue and new life was erupting everywhere.

One Small Mouse

Photo by Serena Cowdy

Just discovered a wonderful blog doing very good work -

One Small Mouse

"One Small Mouse unites people who care about animals with the causes that need their help.

Britain is known as a nation of animal lovers - and that's something to be very proud of.

But at the moment, times are really tough. Many people can no longer afford to give money to charity - and at the same time, more and more animals are being abandoned by owners who feel they can no longer afford to look after them.

The good news is, there's plenty you can do to help - even if you're as poor as a church mouse. In every post, we'll highlight one small thing you can do to help pets and wildlife in need.

It could be as simple as giving your old newspapers to your local pet rescue, counting the birds in your back garden or re-tweeting an urgent re-homing request.

We want to show you that you don't need to be rich to help good causes - there are many ways to give that won't leave you out of pocket.

On his own, one small mouse can't do very much. But if every small mouse helps once in a while, we really can make a huge difference. When it comes to mouseketeers, it really is a case of 'one fur all and all fur one'!"

Do take a look - One Small Mouse

Inspirational Recycling - Succulents in Kitchen Pots

Found via Bohemian Hellhole

These planters were for sale somewhere in Seattle at the weekend, nice idea,

reminds me a bit of our own Aloes in mugs

Arum italicum Pictum

"This beautiful and interesting herbaceous foliage plant turns the normal seasons of the year upside down. The exciting leaves start to unfold in autumn, and grow larger all through the winter and spring, reaching as much as a foot in length. They are shaped like an arrowhead, dark green heavily marbled with very pale green, and waved at the edges. The pale green flowers, which are short and inconspicuous, consist of a spike cloaked in a spathe (a large enfolding bract) like those of the wild arum, lords and ladies, of the hedgerows. By mid-summer, flowers and leaves have disappeared underground, but in early autumn, spikes of bright red, poisonous berries shoot up like danger signals before the leaf cycle starts afresh."

(Extract from The Best Plants for Your Garden by Anne Scott-James)

Although not a flower this is our Today's Flowers post, I'm sure you'll agree that the berries are stunning.

The Village Show

I took over a hundred photographs at the village show, many of which I've now uploaded to Renaissance Life for you to view, if you so wish. Pop over and you'll find lots of heavy horses as well as vintage cars and sheepdogs.