Roundheads and Royalists at Battle

We were blasted with loud cannon and musket fire at last Saturdays re-enactment by The English Civil War Society. Quite a spectacular display by around a thousand people and twenty horses. There was also an encampment of families well informed and willing to talk to us about life in 17th Century Britain.

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We had a much quieter day on Sunday with friends in the wonderful Quantock Hills in Somerset enjoying a picnic in the sun and a walk to the highest point at Will's Neck.

 We picked and ate Bilberries and could see for miles across the Bristol estuary to the Welsh mountains, amazing! must go again.

Dancing Daisies

Daisies large or small I love their milk white petals and their sunny centres. They thrive in a hot spot in any garden and I have had a good show this year in mine.

They look wonderful on this pretty Cicely Mary Baker plate I have for sale in my Etsy shop.

I love the way the nature mixes its own colours in the garden just as an artist would mix them on a canvas.

My garden is full of self seeded gems.

Lychnis Magenta and white (Rose campion) 

Corn flowers and Linaria purpurea

Marsh Iris

Water Iris

I enjoy regular walks with my family along an old section of canal which is under restoration.
It has been an ongoing project for the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust for many years and their patron who has a house near by is H.R.H. The Duchess of Cornwall.
We get to it by following a footpath over 3 fields so it is quit an isolated spot and a perfect place of wild life.

Culverts along the canal are being rebuilt and small sections of the canal are starting to be dug out so filling with water. We came across a shallow section yesterday full of tadpoles already with legs and just starting to look like frogs or toads.
Further along  we found water snails sliding along the clay bottom and the whole length was edged with water loving wild flowers the most striking being the yellow water Iris.
You can get more information on the project by going to their web site at http://www.wbct.org.uk/
The same marsh Iris are seen on this pretty plate for sale on my etsy site.

Cicely Mary Baker's Iris Fairy plate with blue Anchusa in the background

We are starting to gather the fruits of our labour at the allotment now with our first Sunday lunch yesterday with all our own vegetables. We picked Peas, Broad Beans, Swiss Chard, Carrots and Beetroot. We hope to be digging potatoes in about two weeks time.

Our Runner beans and sticks are in and no, we are not trying to grow milk cartons I have cut out the bottom and top of empty plastic milk cartons, stuck them 2" into the ground to water the white courgettes more directly. Hubby has made frames from roof battening and covered them with netting to protect our sprouts, Broccoli and white sprouting from the birds.

We have planted out tomatoes called 'Outdoor Girl', Pumpkins, Squash, Aubergines and the Swede seeds I put in on 5th May are now 3" high and I am thinning them out gradually. Just sown some more Peas as the first batch have been so successful. I dig up a garlic today which were planted in October, looks like they will be ready soon.
You can really taste the difference when you grow your own.