As we come to the end of another year, I am sure this one went in a blink of an eye

I thought I would do a roundup post looking at some of my nature blogs that I have posted at my other blogging home – Birds on the Blog.

This year some of the things we have looked at are -

• One of my favourite things?

All about my love of the snowdrop and where to see this beauty.

• What would your life look like without our forests?

Well that was a heart wrenching time, when there was the heated debate about our precious woodland. With rumblings still going on in the background, it’s important for us to keep an eye on new policies being lined up for our forests.

• A perfect day out

I  had the privillege of seeing a carpet of thousands of crocuses at Forde Abbey and gardens – I will be definitely be going there again next spring!

• Wow, wow, wow wow …

Blessed by a sea of blue in a gorgeous woodland, enjoyed and treasured by many! Can’t wait to visit again next year!

• How a nosey neighbour can make you bloom

The joys of the National Garden Scheme – the NGS

• A crowd pleaser that causes a real stink

A bizarre plant that doesn’t flower often and smells horrible, but still ends up being a popular plant to see.

• Top ten nature activities to do this summer

Getting out there in the summer and enjoying what nature has in store for us.

• Celebrating a wedding anniversary?

Along the theme of my love of flowers is the language of flowers. This post looks at some suggestions for wedding anniversary ideas!

• The Dazzling delights of hydrangeas

Who knew that hydrangeas were so popular. So many joined in enthusing about their love for the hydrangea

• Feed the Birds – looking after our feathered friends

We look at suggestions of what food we can give to our feathered friends, with a couple of recipes of seed cake and fat balls thrown into the mix.

• Ivy – Friend or Foe

A controversial one … looking at the many benefits of Ivy for wildlife.

I hope you will enjoy the posts

Let me know which posts you particularly enjoyed!

Anita

Related articles

• The Dazzling Delights Of Hydrangeas (birdsontheblog.co.uk)
• Perfect Snowdrop Comes With A High Price Tag (handmadegreetingcards.info)

Last weekend I had a very special evening out. I had been looking forward to going since last year, and has now become  a must see event each year for me and my family, as well as many others.

This special event takes place at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens in Dorset.

I have mentioned this garden in several posts here and on Birds on the Blog, as it is a favourite garden of mine. Many of the plants are similar to Heligan in Cornwall. So if you like Heligan, I would definitely suggest a visit.

Each year this lovely garden has an event called – Enchanted Floodlit Gardens. This year it has been running since the 13th October and ends on the 30th, so there is still time, if you want to visit.

We first had a lovely tea of butternut squash soup and tomato and beef soup between the three of us, The butternut squash was spicy, spicy enough to keep you warm, for hours!

As we wandered around the garden with my camera and tripod, you couldn’t help but feel that you were back in your childhood. I was mesmerised by the glowing yellows, greens, oranges and golden hues of the specialist lighting, placed to give you a whole new understanding of plants and their beauty. I am not particularly keen on bamboo, but I have appreciated it so much more, since I have seen it highlighted at night.

The garden paths are lit by lanterns, which really add to the atmosphere. Not only did I enjoy the experience, I felt so utterly peaceful in my place of beauty, sharing it with my dad and Matt – not forgetting our little dog Brinkley, who (as usual) made friends where ever he went.

Listening to the call of owls across the moonlit sky, appreciating the detail of the hydrangea, cosmos, palm, bamboo, acer and old oak tree… makes you lost for words, as it is just beautiful!

Many times I sat on a bench and just let myself be there in that moment – I felt so blessed!

Have you been to event like this?

Related articles

• A Visit To A Beautiful Subtropical Garden In Dorset (handmadegreetingcards.info)

I have to say that  the anemone is one of my favourite flowers. I love the detail and colours.

At the moment they are everywhere, in hedgerows planted by seeds blown by the wind, or gardens – large or small.

I always associate them with my dad, as his birthday is in September, so they will always have a special place in my heart.

In the language of flowers, the anemone stands for-

-          Expectation  

-          Prospect

-          Anticipation of change

I think the meaning of the anemone is really inspiring for a number of reasons. When I am going through a difficult time, gazing at the detail of the anemone reminds me to forget what is behind, and look to the future.

All about the lovely Anemone –

- You may be surprised to know there are about 150 different species with a wide range of colours.

- Varieties include spring, Mediterranean and the larger anemones (as included in flower image) that flower in late summer – early autumn

- As the Japanese varieties grow in September they are often related to birthdays in this month.

- There are two types of garden anemone – single and double, belonging to the Buttercup family.

- They are loved by cottage gardeners, as this delicate plant looks lovely in  cottage garden borders.

- They like a variety of soil conditions, some varieties prefer a shady area in the garden.

- The name anemone comes from the Greek word anemos, which means ‘wind’ – wind flower, which means that the wind will blow open the delicate new petals and the dead ones away.

- They are a perennial herb

- The woodland Anemone is a true beauty, providing soft carpets of delicate flowers for us to enjoy, it is one of our earliest spring flowers that grow just before the tree cover is too dense.

Some specialist nurseries

Avondale Nurseries specialise in this flower, have a look at their website to see the various anemones that are available.

Long Acre plants based in Somerset but has an online shop

Love Anemones? – Here are some gift suggestions I found on my travels around the internet

noodleBubble on Folksy have a lovely anemone felt brooch

The V&A Museum shop have a lovely collection of jewellery and home ware inspired by the anemone

Franz Porcelain – stunning home wares and jewellery collection. There is a beautiful anemone vase in the hand painted collection

Dartington Crystal – Anemone flower bottle

We have a range of cards and gifts that include the anemone, so if you would like to see our range, please visit my website – Send a flower card.

What do you love about anemones?

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.

I am a big fan of the National Garden Scheme also known as the NGS!

I love visiting gardens such as the large RHS Gardens, but I also love visiting smaller / personal gardens, loving created by people who love to share their pride and  joy with visitors, whilst raising money for charity.

Over the years I have tried to get to as many gardens operating under the NGS as I can, but there are still many on the list in my area that I am eager to visit.

As I regularly write blog posts about particular flowers, I often recommend particular gardens in the NGS to visit, as not only will it be a great day out, but  it is also good to support our local neighbourhood gardeners. You can learn so much by visiting these gardens, admiring their planting schemes and asking the owners questions.

If you are looking to redesign your garden, or add to your garden and are looking for inspiration, these gardens are ideal! As often we can be a little intimidated by the larger grander gardens that are looked after by teams of gardeners. If you want to know which plants would be suitable in your area, visiting local gardens gives you a great opportunity to see which plants work for your soil conditions.

Last weekend I had the privilege of visiting the Cerne Abbas Open Gardens in Dorset. I had been a few years ago and was looking forward to a return visit.

The weather was perfect which always makes a visit to a garden extra special. The Cerne Abbas Village is stunning.

If you want to visit a typical traditional English village, then this is a must visit.

25 gardens took part in the weekend. If you love investigating every crook and cranny of old walls and pathways, you will enjoy visiting this village as there is always some thing interesting to see.

Tickets to this event was £5 for adults and free for children, which was extremely good value. You also receive a small map to help you find the gardens around the village.

The photo on the right was taken as I was looking over an old wall admiring the view. The rose and rose bud was beautiful and I thought it would make a nice photo for this blog post.

We didn’t make it around all of the gardens, but really enjoyed the ones we ‘discovered’ as we walked around the village. As I walked around the streets, down various paths and small alley ways, I was reminded of one of my favourite childhood stories – The Secret Garden. As you looked for the yellow posters and open gates, you were never sure what you would find. The gardens fitted each other like a perfectly made jigsaw puzzle, and if you had a peek over the walls you would get a brief view of the next door garden’s delights.

The flowers that were in abundance throughout the gardens was the stunning rose, in gorgeous colours and tones such as white, pink and red. Astrantia was also a popular plant in these gardens and to be honest I can see why. I have a fondness for this lovely flower, the colours and detail complement so many other plants, and when the sun catches their petals they just look stunning!

Not only were the plants beautiful to look at, but also the scent made the whole presentation even better. You could tell that the bees were enjoying their dinner, but I was also mesmerised by the varying scents of the tea roses and honeysuckle. WOW!! If I had a chair and a mug of tea in hand, I wouldn’t have been able to move for hours!

Some of the gardens also had small ponds and fountains, and on a day like we visited with the hot sun fully out, the trickling sound of the water made a welcome addition to the setting.

No garden visit would be complete without a cup of tea of cold drink. We enjoyed an ice cream and an elderflower presse at Abbots Brasserie and Tea Garden. There are a couple of tea rooms and pubs in Cerne Abbas, so plenty of places for a drink and something to eat.

If you would like to visit the Cerne Abbas Open Garden weekend, then they will be holding the next event next year on the 18th- 19th June 2011, so make sure you add it to your diary, as you are sure to have a lovely time.

If you would like to visit a local NGS garden near to you, you can select the county that you live on the NGS website and a detailed list with photographs will be shown. You can also pick up little yellow NGS booklets at various tourist information points, for more information.

Roses always come at the top of the list in literature and various gardening shows. The sheer abundance of varieties, colour and smell makes it a truly inspiring plant. Whatever garden you have, there will be a rose variety to suit whether you have a balcony, small patio or city or county garden, you can enjoy this flower.

One of the best times to truly appreciate the scent of roses, is just as the sun comes down on a warm summers evening, is absolutely heavenly.

Roses are always popular with weddings, anniversaries and valentines.

Every survey that asks the nation – what our favourite flower is, the answer is always the same – the rose.

The english country garden is not complete without one or two of these delightful flowers.

Last year, there was a survey to find out the worlds favourite rose, impossible you would think! Well the results showed that it is indeed the David Austin rosa ‘Graham Thomas’ do you agree?

In the language of flowers the rose stands for –

- Love

- The Yellow rose can mean  – jealousy

The rose is a perennial flower and has over 100 different species within the family Rosaceae. Every year the collection grows, with new varieties being introduced all the time.

David Austin has over 800 varieties!

The huge variety of roses means that if you want to grow a rose, there will be a variety for you; from the shrub, floribunda, tea, climbing, patio etc…

The RHS have provided a guide to how to plant roses

To ensure greater success with growing your chosen rose, the advice is that bare root roses are the best to buy, from a reputable grower. As roses are available everywhere, including the local petrol station and high street DIY store, you can never be sure of where the roses have come from, and how long they have been there.  Buying quality roses can be costly, but this is where cutting corners doesn’t usually save in the long run.

The problems associated with roses are – rust, rose black spot and powder mildew, greenfly / aphids and ants that seem to be attracted to container roses.

Greenfly can often be got rid of by using a water spray with water and a bit of washing up liquid, sprayed directly on the leaves. You could also ladybirds into your garden to munch them up – purchase a ladybird breeding kit.

In reference to ladybirds there is currently running a UK ladybird survey, you can help them by recording any sightings.

Roses will bloom with a good feed such as a general feed or specialised rose feed, mulching, and careful watering.

It’s also best not to plant a new rose where other roses have been, particularly if they were diseased

If you love roses, then a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show is an absolute must! Hampton Court Flower show is also a great show to see this beauty.

Last year I had the opportunity to visit the Hampton Court Flower show, and their special Tudor Rose Marquee was breath taking. The crowds were horrendous and trying to get close to the displays was hard, but the display of toses were gorgeous. I wouldn’t have missed it! To see a 3D video presentation of the marquee take a look at the RHS video – Tudor Rose Festival.

Not sure which rose to choose?

David Austin has helpfully provided a guide to help you choose the perfect rose for you!

Some of the best roses for cut flowers are –

William Shakespeare 2000

Graham Thomas

Winchester Cathedral

Gertrude Jekyll

Evelyn

I also love the Albert Bell, with stunning yellow flowers and lovely scent.

Want to learn how to make a beautiful display of flowers?

Sarah Raven has an excellent website and also provides flower arranging courses

Sarah did a wonderful programme on supporting UK cut flower growers, if we can support our local growers, not only will have gorgeous flowers, but also help specialist nurseries stay in business.

More information about the beloved rose -

• The World Federation of rose societies

Where to buy roses –

Apuldram Roses

Country roses

David Austin

Peter Beales

The Country Garden Plant Centre

The Real Flower Company

Gardens to admire roses –

Each of the RHS Gardens – Rosemoor, Harlow Car, Hyde Hall, and Wisley have wonderful display of roses. Wisley are currently developing a new rose garden. If I had to pick one for roses then it would be Hyde Hall in Essex! One word – AMAZING! You will overdose on this beauty, if it’s possible to.

From the 19th -20th June RHS Rosemoor are holding a special weekend in honour of the beautiful rose -Scents of Summer

National Trust gardens tend to have a great show of the wonderful rose

Mottisfont house and gardens in Hampshire, have special events when the rose is in bloom, Check if there is a garden near you that has similar events.

Garden of the Rose in Hertfordshire

Coughton Court Gardens in Warwickshire

Castle Howard in Yorkshire

Any cottage gardens will have a host of wonderful roses added to their design. Check with your local National Garden Scheme , support a charity and see wonderful gardens!

We have a collection of rose cards  and gifts suitable for all occasions, including -

Engagements, Weddings, Valentine’s Day or just simply because you or the intended recipient of the card loves roses!

Add your special message for a truly special card!

www.sendaflowercard.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Best roses for the garden (telegraph.co.uk)
• Gardening week ahead: Semi-evergreen roses (telegraph.co.uk)

We have some more exciting news to share with you.

A previous blog post we talked about a new floral splashback we designed for the high quality kitchen fittings and accessories shop – My Kitchen Store.

We have been asked if we could provide a  bespoke, floral collection, for kitchen splashbacks.

We loved designing the oriental poppy and jumped at the chance to provide a special collection.

There are many ways that we can bring a touch of nature into our living spaces, such as house plants, vases filled with bouquets of flowers, floral greeting cards,  framed and canvas prints, as well as kitchen and bathroom splashbacks.

Working with My Kitchen Store, we are delighted to announce our brand new flower collection for kitchen splashbacks. I am sure that they could also be added in your bathroom if you wish.

Our collection has been designed baring in mind various styles and colour schemes, as well as providing a complementing floral framed and canvas prints to carry your chosen design into your sitting room or dining room.

We hope you like our collection -

For further information about this collection please visit my website – Bespoke Kitchen Splashbacks

They are made from 6 mm toughened glass and conforms to the BS 62606 and PREN 12000 standards.

If you would like any of the above designs on an eco friendly tote bag, please let us know.

Any enquires about kitchen splashbacks  and other fittings and accessories please contact My Kitchen Store

All images © Nita Joy Craft Design

Related articles by Zemanta

• Floral Accessories to Brighten Up the Kitchen (thekitchn.com)
• Working Traditional Florals Into Modern Spaces (apartmenttherapy.com)

Today we are looking at the lovely tulip.

Words to describe tulips could be –

• Cheerful
• Elegant
• Showy
• Colourful

What words would you use to describe this flower?

In the language of flowers, the tulip means –

• Beautiful eyes
• Fame
• Love

Interesting facts:

• There are over 109 species, with approximately 3,000 different varieties in the tulip family the Liliaceae.

• If you buy tulips as cut flowers, they will continue to grow in a vase.

• The first tulips originated as a wildflower in Central Asia. It was in the 17^th century that tulips was introduced to Europe. Tulips were so popular in Holland that some special varieties became very expensive to buy; it could quite easily cost the same as buying a house!

• The Flower Design Institute have provided a useful video on how to care and arrange tulips. Please visit their website for further tips and hints for arranging beautiful displays of flowers.

There are 3 flowering times –

• Early flowering – March – April
• Mid season flowering – April -May
• Late flowering – May

• There are 12 viruses that can affect tulips, causing problems with the flowers and leaves, as well as problems with growth. The RHS provide a useful information page to help you notice symptoms and give advice on how you can help improve the health of your tulips – Tulips Viruses

• This bulbous plant is lovely to see in spring, with its amazing range of colours and patterns at various heights from the tall and elegant, to the striking compact variety.

• Tulips can often be seen in our local parks and roundabout displays as well as a garden favourite.

I have been very fortunate to see the wonderful tulip farms and gardens  in Holland when I was a child. It is something I would like to return to and see again, as it left me speechless, admiring the fields of rich colour.

Above 3 images of Tulips and daffodils from Holland, are taken by my Dad from one of our trips.

I have been enjoying various gardens in Dorset and Hampshire admiring this beauty. There are so many different varieties it’s hard to choose a favourite, do you have a favourite?

Tulips can be grown successfully in containers and spring borders. They often provide a sense of structure to a garden border, and mixes well with other plants. I have particularly enjoyed gardens that have concentrated on a green and white colour scheme, with white tulips, daffodils and snowflakes dotted around green foliage. This provides a cool restful scene. An example of this can be seen at Apple Court Gardens in Hampshire, which we will be writing a blog post about our visit very soon.

If you would like to visit a garden to admire this lovely varied flower, the following is a small selection of gardens and farms recommended to see tulips.

• Keukenhof in Holland has some 32 acres of Tulips!

• Skagit Valley Tulip Festival near Seattle in the US

• Woodburn Tulip Festival Oregon US

• Springfield Festival Gardens in Spalding UK

• Pashley Manor Gardens in Sussex have a tulips festival, running from the 23^rd April –  3^rd May. They have some 23,000 tulips to admire!

• Kew Gardens in Surrey

• The NGS (National Garden Scheme) has a very helpful website detailing gardens under this scheme throughout the UK who grow tulips. To find gardens in your area please visit – Tiptoe through the Tulips

Where to buy Tulips

All garden centres sell tulips, but if you are looking for a specialist grower –

• Blom Bulbs have won 59 gold medals at the prestigious Chelsea flower show.
• Avon Bulbs who have also been awarded 21 gold medals at Chelsea Flower Show.
• Rose Cottage Plants for detailed information on the 80 tulip varieties that they offer, please visit their website

At Nita Joy Craft Design we have some special personalised tulip cards for a variety of occasions, or add your personal message.

We will also have some tulip designs available for kitchen splashbacks through My Kitchen Store, which we will be announcing soon!

Wherever you live, there is sure to be a garden near you where you can enjoy the beautiful tulip.

Enjoy!

We would love to hear your recommended places to see Tulips so we can share them with our blog readers.

We have been enjoying the wonderful spring flowers that have been appearing everywhere.

With the cold winter, several flowers have been quite late this year. Some have suffered a little from the varying temperatures and weather conditions, other plants and flowers have thrived.

This year, one of my particular delights, has been the beautiful violets.

I have added a new violet birthday card to the collection.

As I have been enjoying the changing seasons, I have also been working on our personalised birthday card collection.

With so many cards on the market, I wanted to provide a service where you can add your special message and name of the intended recipient on the front of the card and / or inside the card if you wish.

Some of our cards are designed around names, which we have greatly enjoyed creating. We have a basic design and then change according to names added, which means each card is slightly different.   

The reviews from customers have been wonderful, which always makes it even more worthwhile, as we spend a lot of time creating special cards.

Many have said how much their friend or family member has enjoyed having a birthday card with their name included in the design.

If you have a several birthdays coming up, we provide packs of 5 cards where each card can have a different name or message added for the total cost of £7.50 with free p&p.

We hope that you will enjoy looking through our collection, and look forward to making a special card for you.

Send a card, brighten someone’s day