The week in plants ...and a bit of sewing.

It was so great to have a little break for the Malvern Spring Show.  I bounced into my working week on Monday, full of renewed enthusiasm & my physical energy restored.  By Wednesday I was exhausted again.  I really expected it to last!  I guess that's the trouble with expectations.

I love to be busy though, -the opposite would be far worse a thing.  We've had some nice sunny days in Brighton this week and there's a riot of colour happening in the garden.  It's been hard trying to pick Plant of the Week, so there's a couple of runners up going into the mix.

How romantic does this look?  The scent from the rose was glorious.  I love the contrast of the deep blue clematis flower tangled up in the rose.

Here's me, Miss "Hmm, roses don't really do it for me", and this year the roses are really blowing me away, they are really fabulous and I think I'm becoming a bit of a fan.

The Aquilegias never fail to delight me.  They seem to be around in every colour combination you could dream up.   

The name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin word for eagle (aquila), because the shape of the petals are said to resemble an eagle's claw.

I usually think of Violas with putting on their best display in early Spring or late Autumn, but these ones are putting on a great show this week.

Plant of the Week however, just has to go to this Dicentra spectabilis, or the Bleeding Heart plant.  This is one of my all-time favourite flowers.  I still remember the wonder I felt at seeing it for the first time in Glastonbury's Chalice Well garden.  It's going to be over for another year very soon, so I am glad I had chance to capture it this week.

My long days this week has meant that I am quite similar to a zombie by the evening time. I'm not fit for much apart from curling up in the corner of the sofa, with the telly on and a bit of hand sewing to keep my hands occupied.

I am very pleased with my drunkards path block.  I love the two fabrics together and I think the curved seams turned out ok.  Of course, it wasn't without it's mistakes; this wasn't the design I originally set out to do, but I cut the fabric wrong and so ended up doing this version.  I am still going to do the other one & have cut out my fabrics already (paying attention this time!).

I admire the Card Trick block whenever I see it so was keen to have one in my Sampler quilt.  Again, I'm pretty pleased with how it's turned out.