Tomorrow is Michealmas Day.

Happy Michaelmas Day for tomorrow. For me, this means cutting a large bunch of Michaelmas Daisies to bring indoors.

These are beautiful flowers and they take me right back to my childhood. Our garden was full of these flowers and my Mother always cut some for me to take into school with the Harvest Basket. My primary school used to make a big fuss of Harvest and Michaelmas Day and the hall and classrooms would be full of flowers. We would be asked to draw and paint them and make Michaelmas Daisies using mauve sticky gummed paper.

Michaelmas Day is sometimes also called Goose Day. Goose Fairs are still held in some places.

Here are some Michaelmas sayings and this year I shall see if they come true.

The Michaelmas Daisies, among dede weeds,
Bloom for St Michael's valorous deeds.
And seems the last of flowers that stood,
Till the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude. (The Feast of St. Simon and Jude is on 28th October)

If Michaelmas brings many acorns, Christmas will cover the fields with snow.

A dark Michaelmas, a light Christmas.

Billy Goats Gruff meet Jeremy Fisher.

The sun shone and so I decided to continue in the garden planting bulbs. On most of the garden visits I made in the Spring one plant was everywhere except in my garden. Alliums.  So I was determined to change this as I really like this plant.  In groups these plants are so eye catching.

 Allium Schubetii reminds me of a firework exploding in the sky.

 

A lovely white Allium.

 

 

A rich purple.

I was not alone in the garden for when I went out a fox was drinking from the pond. I like to call the animals by Beatrix Potter names, so a Mr Foxy Whiskered Gentleman greeted me.

Then, I disturbed a  Mr Jeremy Fisher who had been hiding in the borders and he was very displeased with my gardening activities.

 

Then Goody Tiptoes and family  were running about collecting acorns from the trees. 

 

Next time, I will endeavour to try and photo the real animals but they  all were too quick for me today . But I hear you asked what about the Billy Goats Gruff? Well,  for lunch I had some Kentish cheese called Gruff made from goat's milk and very welcomed it was too!

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky...

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky . This the first line of the poem Sea Fever by John Masefield.  I was drawn down to the sea today by the beautiful weather but mainly because I wanted to see the new exhibition at the Turner Contemporary Gallery Margate.

 

There were early works by Turner, David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Henry Moore and Walter Sickert  included in this exhibition.

On leaving the gallery this is what I saw....

The Margate Lifeboat being pulled along by a tractor like vehicle. 

 

It was just turning in from the road that runs alongside of the harbour.

 

Turner used to love the sunsets here and the light tonight as the sun set was splendid. Makes you want to get out the pastels.  Well I used my camera instead.

Cheesemongering in Kent

 I went to the cheesemongers (love monger words) yesterday to buy some Kentish cheese. Then today after a glorious morning working in the garden, in the sunshine, I had a bite to eat in the garden..

Ashmore cheese made by the Cheesemakers of Canterbury. Bliss. It's a strong flavoured cheese and was delish with my homegrown Kentish tomatoes.

 

The Cheesemakers of Canterbury also make other types such as the Canterbury Cobble, Gruff, and Chaucer. For dessert,  I had a Kentish conference pear which my teeth sank into.

A simple but fabulous lunch. Will post  soon about the bulbs I have been planting directly into the borders and about other mongering!

Thatch your roof before the rain begins.....

I love proverbs and sayings especially the more humorous ones.  Today,  I followed the advice of several proverbs .  I thought ahead and although I am fully engaged with Autumn , I thought of Spring.

I planted up some of my bulbs ready for next Spring.

 Large containers for the Tulips.

Small containers for the  hyacinths.

So, I will leave you with two of my other favourite proverbs about foresight. Although it rain, throw not away your watering can or although the sun shine, leave not your cloak at home.

A Kentish Delight

Take some Kentish Cobnuts.

Then some more as there are never enough.

Take the husks off and the shells.Toss them in a frying pan for a few minutes ,cool them ( I know it's hard to wait )  then drizzle them in Kentish honey. Mmmm. Now that is Autumn to me.

24 pockets and a Robin

A few weeks ago I showed you some fabrics that I was going to be using.  Well I had to make 24 mini pockets.

These were for an Advent Calendar  Bear called Robin. This great design is  from Dandelion Designs by the designer Mandy Shaw. Why I have made this early is because I have had this pattern for over a year and didn't get round to it then as  I was busy making Rudolph and his friends quilts.

Here's his head taking shape.

His holly leaf bow tie minus the berries.

Robin is ready.

His 24 pockets back and front ready for gifts.

Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent and Green Spaces.

Yesterday, I headed for the Courtauld Gallery in London situated in Somerset House .  I wanted to see this exhibition . It has been on since June and it is finishing on Sunday and the  time was running out.

The Courthauld Gallery is lovely just the right size for me although there are many stairs. (There is a lift which I use to go to top galleries then these stairs down)

After the exhibition paintings I wandered  through some of my favourite rooms passing Vincent here.

 

However, with any trip into a city I like to spend some time in a green space to balance things a little and to be reminded of space and greenness and the sun. What better than the aptly names Green Park.

 

Signs of Autumn here in London.

Green Park is a great place to recharge the batteries one  of the places I  make for to do just that. Yesterday,  Mr and I had our  picnic here  and people watched. There were footballers, joggers, tourists, dog walkers, and aerobic enthusiasts.

Hooray for the parks in cities. and the galleries. Was going passed the Royal Academy and saw that there is a Degas Exhibition starting on Saturday.  Looks like another visit to Green Park is on the cards.

Dawdling in Charles Darwin's Garden

I love Down House and gardens in the village of Downe Kent. Charles Darwin lived here with his family for many years. Although, the house is great to go in , I  make for the gardens first unless it's a rainy day.

 

 Today it was sunny and the colours in the garden were splendid.

 Would have loved to have sat here reading and drinking tea looking out to these beauties.

Yes, the sundial is  working today.

 

In the walled garden are the fruit tress ,veggie plots and flowers for the house.

 

Hollyhocks just say to me ,Cottage garden.

 Well ordered veggie plot.

 

  

The colourful chard.

  

Everyday Darwin would walk along 'the Sandy Path ' at the bottom of his garden to think. So I like to amble along here and think. If it was good enough for Darwin.......

 I would like a potting shed like this

 

 And a greenhouse like this. Today it was like a sauna.   Just right for me. No thermals in winter needed.

 What is this ? Well it is what is left of the tennis court that the Darwin family played on. I love to imagine those Victorians playing tennis in all their Victorian attire and the happy afternoons shared here.
 

 Couldn't resist these Darwin House home grown goodies so invitingly displayed.

 

Nice touch the prices written on slates.