It’s that time again to find and dust off your binoculars!

To fill up the seed trays and bird tables with a variety of goodies that your feathered friends will enjoy, and take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend.

You know you will probably attract Mr Nutkins, but his cheeky ways always makes me smile

Image via Wikipedia

There is something about birdwatching that brings me a sense of calm.

I delight in the beauty of the birds that decide to visit my garden banquet.

I get outraged when the title -’ little brown jobs’ get thrown their way!

I love the design of each bird, whether they are brown or multi-coloured.

I have had debates with my husband’s gran about who the nice birds are, and the ones who need a wake up call; apparently the robin and jay are on her naughty list.

I grew up on Beatrix Potter stories, so I can’t help but imagine what the birds story may be as they feast, chatter, play and fight…

Perhaps that’s why I wrote a children’s story involving a runaway pigeon – called Percy.

When I was at school, I started a new family tradition that if I saw a kestral or a buzzard on the way to school – it would be a good day!

I love the robins, blue tits, great tits, long tailed tits, doves, pigeons, starlings, woodpeckers …that regulary visit my garden. I find peace at night listening to the call of the barn and tawney owls, in the woods opposite me … on my wish list I still have to see the amazing starling displays!

Will you be taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch?

Take part with thousands of people across the county and discover the birds that visit your garden, to help research into how best we can help them.

For more details please visit the Big Garden Birdwatch to register and download a recording sheet. It’s only for one hour during the weekend of the 28th-29th January 2012.

I would love to know what birds visit your garden, so please leave a comment and share with me

Related articles

• RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2012 (thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com)
• Take Part In The Big Garden Birdwatch 28th or 29th January 2012 (femaleimagination.wordpress.com)

Just for a giggle, hope you enjoy the below video

Over at Birds on the Blog, I have been encouraging a handmade Christmas with decoration and gift suggestions.

For my last post in my mini-series, I have put together some ideas to decorate your dinner table for Christmas day.

I thought I would put together a free pdf for my lovely blog readers as a little Christmas gift; for printable star and bauble napkin rings.

I hope you like  them.

To recieve your free pdf download, please add to cart.

Instructions are included.

When you add your details (name and email address) to your shopping cart and proceed to make your order, you will then receive an order confirmation. Within your order confirmation email, you will receive a link to go through to my Handmade Greeting Cards blog, and a code that you will need to input on a special page with your email address, in order to gain access to the free download.

Anita

Related articles

• Make Your Own Handmade Christmas Decorations And Gifts 2011 – Part One (birdsontheblog.co.uk)
• Last Minute Easy Handmade Gifts You Can Make! (birdsontheblog.co.uk)

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)

This year we have a special collection of individual Christmas cards that can be personalised with your loved one’s names, as well as our usual botanical Christmas card packs.

They are available individually or as a pack for £11.00 ( a saving of £2.20)

In the collection we have -

For more information and to buy – Nita Joy Designs Christmas cards

Looking for another special offer?

Readers of Small Business Training receive a special offer on our Christmas card packs

I hope you like the collection. If you do, please share

Related articles

• Mixed Pack of special individual Christmas cards (nitajoydesigns.co.uk)
• Botanical Personalised Christmas cards (sendaflowercard.com)
• Printable Christmas card and tags (nitajoydesigns.co.uk)

As a contributor over at Birds On The Blog, I am running a mini series, encouraging us to make handmade Christmas decorations and gifts this year.

Last week we looked at some suggestions to make Christmas tree decorations.

For my second part of my series, we will be looking at general Christmas decorations for the home, including a Rachel de Thame Christmas wreath, using material gathered from around your garden, and a cute Christmas garland (will be published 10.00am 10th December).

As well as making personalised greeting cards from my botanical photography I also enjoy a range of crafts such as paper crafts.

Earlier this year, I picked up some blank candles which were on special offer and wondered how I could add a decoration to them.

Through various designs such as using dried flowers, and adding transfers that I made with my flower images, I also came up with an easy project to share, using stamps and ink.

To make this decoration you will need:

• Plain candle – You can pick one up for a couple of pounds at a variety of shops
• Stamp ( if you have a local Hobbycraft, or independent craft shop near by)
• Pigment Ink (as in below image)

As you can see I used a pretty dragonfly stamp, but you can use any stamp.

My recommendation would be to either use very small ones dotted all over the candle or long stamps.

Here is how I decorated the blank candle:

Directions:

• Put stamp on table with the stamp facing up
• Dot the ink pad over the stamp image until the raised section is covered evenly with ink
• Place candle carefully from the right hand side and roll gently and firmly over the image carefully so as not to smudge the image
• If you do accidently smudge the image, take some tissue and wipe it off gently and try again
• Leave to dry.

Finished candle:

For a gift suggestion you could wrap in tissue paper and finish with some festive ribbon (once it has dried)

I hope you will enjoy making some decorations this Christmas

What have you been making?

Related articles

• Make Your Own Handmade Christmas Decorations And Gifts 2011 – Part One (birdsontheblog.co.uk)

My friend Ida Horner is fundraising  for children in Ruhanga, Uganda.

She is looking to raise £300.00  for a Christmas party for the school children, which is being held on the 2nd December.

There is not a lot of time left, and at the moment she has £80.00 towards the target.

I wondered if there was a way I could help.

So I have put together a christmas card and tag set, in PDF format that can be printed on your home printer at no extra charge, all I ask for is a donation to the – ‘Santa visits Ruhanga Development School’

My aim is to help raise £220 so that these children can have a wonderful party.

You can make a donation to Ida’s fundraising page, by clicking on the image below.

This is what you will get in return for your donation:

• A5 size Christmas card folded to A6 -  just print, fold and write your message and send

• An A4 sheet of 6 tags – just print, cut out, add some ribbon and add to your pressies

I hope you like the designs and enjoy using them this Christmas, Anita

To know more about Ida’s and Ann’s valuable work please visit – Let them help themselves out of poverty

T&C’s and info

• Please make your donation on Idas Fundraising page, and then leave a comment on this blog post letting me know you have made a donation.

• Please contact me letting me know your email details (or I can use the email used in your comment), so that I can then email you the pdf’s.

(Your email address will only be used in order to receive the pdfs. I will then delete your email address from my personal records once I have sent you an email).

• If you would like both items or just one of them, please let me know. I will then check the fundraising page before sending you an email – no donation = no pdfs.

• I will send you an email containing the pdfs within 24 hours of receiving your notification email.

• Please only use for your personal use.

• You can use them as many times as you want.

• Please spread the word and let’s raise as much money as we can in 3 weeks – to help Ruhanga school children have a wonderful Christmas party.

Update 18th November

Ida has managed to raise £253.00 so she is now looking for just an extra £47.00. It would be lovely if we can help her reach her target.

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)

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?

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.

Related articles

• ‘Perfect’ snowdrop sells for record £357 (independent.co.uk)
• Snowdrop bulb bought for a record £350 (telegraph.co.uk)

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

• 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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