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Perfect Snowdrop Comes With A High Price Tag

February 10, 2011 By 3 Comments
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Myddleton House and Garden, Bulls Cross, Enfield

Image via Wikipedia

Recently I read about a perfect snowdrop that was auctioned for the grand total of £375!

I have to say that I read the article in The Independent a couple of times, to check I had not misread it!

You may be wondering why this particular snowdrop was so expensive… well this delicate beauty was perfect, in that it had 6 white, perfectly proportioned petals.

The name of this snowdrop is – ‘Galanthus Plicatus E.A Bowles’, named after an important 20th century gardner. The snowdrop was found in his garden – Myddleton House Gardens in North London.

A little information about E.A Bowles and Myddleton House Gardens:

The Gardens was created by Edward Augustus Bowles; a gardener who was described as an ‘unusual man’ by the E.A Bowles of Myddleton House Society. His work is considered to be very important in the gardening world, and made a large contribution to the RHS. The RHS have a special area in their Wisley gardens, dedicated to him. He specialised in being a garden writer, as well as being a botanist and artist, with several of his pieces of art included in the Lindley Library collection. He wrote many articles and books, including his last one that he co-wrote with Sir F Stein, published after his death in 1956, looking at varieties of snowdrops.

He was awarded the very prestigious RHS Victoria Medal of Honour for his work.

The gardens are currently being fully restored after they were neglected for more than 30 years. The gardens have won many awards.

E.A Bowles didn’t always get it right though, as he introduced the invasive Japanese Knotweed to his garden, which I am sure the current gardeners just love! They are currently using it as an example of how much damage an alien plant can do. Gardening is definitely a learning curve!

Apparently the Head Gardener of Myddleton House Gardens, is selling the last five prized bulbs at their Early Spring Show, so if you have the cash I would get there quickly!

Here are the details for their Early Spring Show:

Date: 12th February

Time: 12 – 4pm

Booking required!

Where: Myddleton House Gardens, Bulls Cross, Enfield, EN2  9HG

Tel: 08456 770 600

All the funds raised from these perfect snowdrops are going to restore the gardens.

On the same day there is a guided snowdrop and hellebore walk 1 – 3pm


I was recently asked what I wanted for my birthday next week… but I think asking for this may be pushing it a bit far don’t you! :)


Would you spend £375 on a snowdrop?


Image of Myddleton House Gardens from Wikipedia taken by Christine Matthews.

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Flowers For Your Valentine

February 3, 2011 By 1 Comment
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Flowers have always been associated with Valentine’s Day

In thelanguage of flowers also known as floriography, flowers associated with love are -

Roses are red, violets are blue valentine's card © Nita Joy Designs

Roses are red, violets are blue valentine's card © Nita Joy Designs

  • Roses
  • Bluebells
  • Chrysanthemum
  • Lavender

Other flowers that convey a secret message that would be suitable for Valentine’s Day are -

  • The Amaryllis -  ‘splendid beauty’
  • Calla Lily – ‘delicacy and beauty’
  • Dahlia – ‘ for ever thine’
  • Hibiscus – ‘delicate beauty’
  • Orchid -  ‘a belle, loveliness’
  • Sunflower -  ‘adoration’
  • Zinnia – ‘lasting affection’

All of these flowers would make a lovely gift for Valentine’s day

If the love of your life loves roses, then a traditional bouquet of red roses will be be perfect. If you want to surprise your loved one this year, how about choosing one of the above flowers as a gift, or ask your chosen florist to add a few to a bouquet. If your chosen flower isn’t ‘in flower’ such as bluebells and lavender, a beautifully scented candle would also make a lovely gift, with a handwritten note explaining why you chose that scent.

If you want to try your hand at making a handmade gift, in an earlier post I talk about how you can make a Valentine rose heart.

If you are looking to complete your gift with a special Valentine card, Nita Joy Designs has a bespoke range of  Valentine’s Day cards. I can also design a special card to your specifications. Please visit my website for further details.

Send a card, brighten someone’s day!

 

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Winter Magic At RHS Wisley

January 12, 2011 By 1 Comment
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I am a huge fan of the RHS for many reasons, and always recommend becoming a member if you love plants and gardening.

Exotic Butterflies

For a few years now RHS Wisley has had a wonderful event called ‘Butterflies In The Glasshouse‘ through January – February. I think it’s a great idea! Not only do I love butterflies, but also when it is usually a quieter time in the garden calendar, this event encourages families to experience the glorious winter garden and revel in the beauty of the butterfly in their stunning glasshouse, which houses exotic plants that are sure to brighten any cold damp days.

I hope to be making a return visit this year!

If you are interested in attending this event, it begins on the 15th January and ends on the 27th February 2011

Time: 10 am – 4.00 pm, with last entries to the glasshouse at 3.30pm

Snowdrop heaven

If you love snowdrops, Wisley has a special snowdrop event on the 29th-30th January. You could combine a visit to see the butterflies and admire the delicate beauty of the snowdrop!

A valentine treat

If you are looking for a romantic Valentines evening to treat your loved one – Wisley has a special event on the 12th February, which includes drinks, dinner and a romantic walk through the glasshouse to see the butterflies.

Wisley has done it again! These events are sure to be popular, so don’t miss out!

Have you been to one of these events at Wisley? What did you enjoy?

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Gardens To See Snowdrops

January 10, 2011 By 1 Comment
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It may be cold, wet and miserable out there, but I am eagerly awaiting to welcome one of my favourite things- the magnificent snowdrop!

© Nita Joy Design

Snowdrop just a note to say © Nita Joy Design

In the run up to Christmas, when things can be a tad stressful, I think ahead to the little beauty that will soon be growing in their thousands, bravely pushing through the snow and ice, to find their beloved daylight.

This year I have been looking out of the window each day, searching for the first delicate green shoots of this pretty flower in my front garden, but due to the extreme weather we have been having, my freshly laid bulbs I planted last year, may find their first year of growth a little difficult.

If you love snowdrops or don’t know what all the fuss is about, I invite you to check out my latest blog on – Birds On The Blog looking at the lovely snowdrop, giving suggestions of gardens to visit in the UK, to admire their beauty.

You can find the post here – One Of My Favourite Things

If you love snowdrops, we have a selection of greeting cards, kitchen splashback….

If you have a favourite place that you like visiting to see snowdrops, and it isn’t mentioned in the blog post, please leave a comment, as I always love finding new places – and it’s great to share with others.

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The Christmas Card Countdown – Don’t miss Out!

December 13, 2010 By 2 Comments
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We have been enjoying making Christmas cards this year for our regular and new customers.

Christmas is such a lovely time for greeting cards. I always enjoy opening the latest post to see what Christmas card design a friend or family member has chosen for us.

As we work hard this week on making special Christmas card orders, I wanted to let you know that the last order date for Christmas cards and other gifts through our online shop is the 18th December (excludes handbags which ends on the 14th December).

At the top of the list for Christmas cards sold is the stunning Snowdrop, then our new card for this year – ‘Waiting for Santa’, which is loved by dog owners and fans.

We are running a special offer for our newsletter readers.

If you sign up to take advantage of receiving our news and latest offers, we will send you a code that you can use, when you order 2 packs or more from our Christmas card range, to receive *5 extra small cards.

Personalised Christmas cards

We can change the wording on front of our cards and add your special message.

We can also make a special set of cards with your own photo and message for no extra cost.

So with just 6 days to go, there is still time to order your Christmas cards from Nita Joy Designs.

We look forward to making some special cards for you.

Delivery date is for UK delivery only.

T&C for Christmas card offer

*To receive an extra 5 cards when you order 2 packs or more from our Christmas card range, please sign up to our newsletter and we will send you the code. This must be added at the time of your purchase, as it can’t be applied later.

The 5 cards will be chosen by us from our small Christmas card range. The value of these cards is £5.50

(If there is a particular card design that you would like for the 5 free cards, you can let us know. We cannot guarantee that you will receive your choice due to stock availability, but we will do our best for you.)

Offer ends 18th December 2010

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Winchester Christmas Market

November 30, 2010 By 1 Comment
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Some of the ninety-one stalls at the Christmas...
Image by Anguskirk via Flickr

The countdown to Christmas has began with the start of Advent.

I really enjoy the lead up to Christmas, and on my list of favourite Christmassy things to do is to visit Christmas craft fairs and markets.

Today I had the joy of visiting one of my favourite Christmas Markets in Winchester.

It was bitterly cold! But the warm ambiance and selection of goodies lined up in pretty wooden chalets, in the Cathedral close, made the visit certainly worth while.

Visiting Winchester Christmas Market has become a bit of a tradition in my family that we started a few of years ago. We found a lovely welcoming pub last year called the  Wykeham Arms which has a lovely menu to tempt you for lunch and dinner. A warm lunch with a glass of mulled wine, was much needed to give us the energy to survive the freezing blasts of around -3 degrees. I must say we felt very sorry for the stall holders, who did an amazing job to keep their spirits high for their customers.

The exhibitors included pretty wooden decorations, jewellery, photographic prints, stained glass designs,  rustic country gifts, pampering gifts and so on. I was happy to see one of my favourite exhibitors was there -  Somerset Lavender! I can never resist their beautifully scented candles and handcream. We also enjoyed Henry and Primrose who specialise in lovely rustic Christmas decorations. This year we also came across a beautiful display of  pewter jewellery and gifts inspired by nature from – Glover and Smith. The designs were stunning!

Winchester is a beautiful city to visit, and the delicate Christmas lighting that lined the streets, made it quite magical. There are many cafes and bars that you can visit for a warming drink and restaurants galore to tempt you.

Winchester Christmas Market runs from the 25th November – 19th December.

Times

Sunday – Thursday 10 am – 6 pm

Friday – Saturday 10 am – 8 pm

To see the range of exhibitors please visit the markets website for further details – Winchester Christmas Market exhibitors

I encourage you to go, as I am sure you will have a lovely time

Do you have a favourite Christmas Market?

Anita :)

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Choose a Special Christmas Card For Your Loved Ones

October 25, 2010 By 3 Comments
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I love creating personalised cards, and Christmas has a special place in my heart.

I am not into the materialistic side of Christmas, but I do love sending cards and receiving cards. I love the sound as they crash through my letter box and wonder who they are from. I love decorating my shelves and walls with the varied designs that gives such a homely feel at this special time of the year.

Nita Joy Designs has 11 Christmas card designs that include berries, holly, poinsettia… we also have 2 new cards for you this year.

50p from every pack sold will be donated to the charity Bullying UK, helping young people and families affected by bullying.

Introducing our 2 new cards -


‘Waiting For Santa’

This is our little havanese dog, who joined our family early this year. We are looking forward to spending Christmas with him.

We thought it would be nice to make a special card featuring our new furry friend and hope you like it too :)

Star Of Wonder -

I have always been fascinated by stars, and as they feature strongly in the Christmas story, I designed this card with this thought in mind. There were many stars that night, but only one led the way for the three kings.

Why not have a bespoke Christmas card made for you!

We can also make a pack of cards for you, using your photo. Why not use a fun family photo, or a photo of a special event, or dress up with santa hats … there are so many ideas you could play with for your family Christmas card this year.

If you are looking for some special Christmas cards this year, please take a moment to look through our collection.

Free P&P for cards delivered in the UK

We look forward to making some personalised cards for you, and welcoming you as a customer of Nita Joy Designs.

For any questions, please contact us through our website contact form.

Anita x

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Great Gardens and parks to visit this Autumn

October 7, 2010 By 1 Comment
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My two favourite seasons are spring and autumn. I love autumn! Not only do I like wandering through woods, with the sunlight twinkling on the dew of freshly fallen leaves, but I also love the feeling of rejoicing in another season that has so much to offer.

Here is a list of my top  places to visit for autumn colour, the UK’s version of leaf peeping :)

  • Visit your local wood, you won’t be disappointed.

The New Forest in Hampshire is a favourite place of mine to admire gorgeous trees such as oak and beech, this lovely forest looks spectacular in autumn and a great place to see wild deer during the rut.

  • Westonbirt Arboretum in Wiltshire is lovely, it is very well set up with a café to enjoy a yummy hot chocolate after your walk.  We are hoping to make a return visit this autumn.
  • Exbury in Hampshire. Don’t miss their wonderful exhibition of nerines, running through October.
  • RHS Gardens – particularly Rosemoor in North Devon.
  • Epping Forest in Essex – if you like fungi, this forest has a large collection to explore.
  • Sheffield Park Garden in East Sussex, owned by the National Trust originally created by Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton.
  • Trevarno Estate and Gardens in Cornwall. Their woodland is beautiful! I saw this garden covered in bluebells and know that it will be stunning throughout autumn.
  • Bicton Park Botanical Gardens in Devon. We visited last week and they have a wonderful collection of trees, which are just beginning to show their Autumn colours. Keep an eye out for their maple collection.

Many of the National Trust Gardens are charming to visit! So check their website to see if there is a garden near you.

Don’t forget to look in magazines for ideas, for example Countryfile mentions Grizedale in Cumbria, Elan valley in Powys Wales and in the north of Scotland Carbisdale Castle.

October’s Country Living has a run down of their 25 favourite woods to visit in autumn.

Where do you like to visit for autumn colour?

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A Visit To A Beautiful Subtropical Garden In Dorset

September 7, 2010 By 1 Comment
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Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens.

Recently I managed to visit a garden I have wanted to visit for a long time – Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens.

These beautiful gardens are dog friendly, so we were able to take our lovely little dog Brinkley on a new adventure. On our trip out we were accompanied by our respective families.

I have to say we did get a little lost on the way there as our Sat Nav didn’t register where we were for most of the journey, because there are lots of hills and valleys in the area. So if you are planning to visit, I suggest you remember to pack a map, just in case.

A big plus was that you could visit the restaurant, shop and garden centre for free before paying to enter the gardens.

I love visiting the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens is similar in planting and design to Heligan’s Sub-tropical garden. The gunnera in the ‘Upper Pond’ and ‘Bog Garden’ areas in the gardens, are amazing. We saw beautiful fuchsias and hydrangeas dotted around the garden, and we all thought that the ‘Walled garden,’ ‘Victorian walled gardens’ and the ‘Lily pond’ were exquisite. It is a peaceful place to enjoy the plants at their best.

Other areas of interest are the sculpture trail and they hold special events for example plays, falconry events, and enchanted floodlit evenings. You can even have your wedding there!

It is a truly beautiful garden! The design and layout of the plants is cleverly done, as you are able to admire the views and planting schemes from many angles. To catch a glimpse of what you can expect check out their virtual garden tour

At the end of your visit, there is a nice garden shop, to tempt you!

If you are lucky you may catch a view of the extravagant Golden pheasant!

Brinkley thoroughly enjoyed the day out, as there was plenty to sniff and investigate!

As the well known saying says, as quoted on a beautiful wood carving that you see when you enter the gardens –

‘Enjoy the Garden.

Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints.’

So in conclusion

It’s a stunning garden, with a lovely restaurant, and shopping area. Brinkley enjoyed his visit and we will be back! Everyone in our party enjoyed the day it is a great day out for the whole family and I fully recommend a visit!!!

If you would like to visit here are the details –

Directions –

You can find this lovely garden in Abbotsbury near Weymouth in Dorset.

Admission fees –

Adult – £9.50

OAP, Student, Disabled – £9.00

Children 5-15 years – £6.50

Family Ticket – Group of 5 with a maximum of 2 Adults- £26.00

Near by is the famous Abbotsbury Swannery and Abbotsbury children’s farm. If you would like to visit these too, the gardens, swannery and farm run a special passport ticket scheme, so you are able to make the most of your visit to this beautiful area.

If you are an RHS Member check your handbook for when you can use your card for free entry.

If you have the Gardener’s World 2 for 1 garden visit card you can use it here, which is great!

Opening Hours –

Open everyday apart from the 18th December – 1st January

10 am – 5/6pm Winter until 4 pm

Final Note

If you would like to know more about our visit in terms of it being a dog friendly garden and a garden with disabled access, please see our post on Birds on the Blog – A Visit to Abbotsbury Subtropical Garden

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New Collection of Floral Handbags available now!

July 27, 2010 By 1 Comment
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Nita Joy Craft Design has been working hard this year to broaden our range of gifts for our flower photography.

After many requests and enquiries, I am pleased to announce our first collection of handbags.

Geranium Handbag

I have had wonderful comments from customers who have said how they have had many people stop and ask them where they have bought their handbag.

Here is a recent comment  -

‘Hi Anita, I just wanted to let you know that on a recent holiday trip, I was stopped and asked 8 times where I had bought my bag!

It’s so lovely and unusual, it makes a real statement that adds a little extra  touch to any outfit.

Many thanks.’

Another popular item in our gift range is our tote bags, which are very useful for shopping trips and my new collection of handbags is being received just as well.

The handbag collection has 7 designs which include glorious shades of pink, lilac, greens, yellow and blues. These colours will suit a number of outfits and suitable for special occasions or for every day use.

Here is our collection -

Our handbags are available through our online shop – Floral Gifts – Handbags

Please allow up to 14 working days for delivery as these handbags are made to order.

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