fox cushion done, robin cushion next

I've just finished my applique cushion using an old purple dressing gown, an old orange t-shirt, some white candlewick, a bit of black velvet and two buttons.

I am about to start an applique robin cushion - too late for this Christmas, but should be ready by next Christmas!

Transition Japan in Leytonstone

Ros Bedlow, founder member and extremely active member of Transition Leytonstone used to work in Japan. When she visited friends there recently (travelling there by train and boat) she also visited 4 Transitions towns.

This evening 17 of us squeezed into her sitting room to see pictures and hear about her experiences. She had come back very enthused with lots of ideas.

I knew over half the people in the room to a greater or lesser extent. One person I don't know very well, but we are often at the same places. This week she was at Stowtellers (local storytelling club) on Monday and storytelling at Waterstones Piccadilly on Tuesday. At the bring and share supper afterwards was the first time we had actually got talking.

Lovely evening with interesting local people just over a mile from home.

Short detour on my bike to old haunts

I only had a short ride on my bike Sunday morning, down between the old River Lea and the football pitches on Hackney Marsh. But as it hadn't started to rain and I had made good time on the way back so,  instead of going along Marsh Lane, I made a short detour along the new path alongside Orient Way (the Ruckholt Relief Road) to see where it took me.

No undergrowth yet, and the sound of the traffic only yards away, I still enjoyed the ride.

It took me to the section of the section of the Dagenham Brook where I used to go blackberrying. Every now and then a car or motorbike would be dumped and set alight. This kept the path open, but the putting up of a style made it impassible.

There was also a plum tree. I think there was only one person other than myself also blackberrying along there, and some years he (though it could have been a she!) beat me to the plums and sometimes I go there first. The plum tree was on the edge of the steep bank above the Dagenham Brook  so a lot of the plums were left as it was too dangerous to try to reach them!

I made blackberry and plum jam. The blackberries didn't have to be strained like one has to when making blackberry jam. The one and only time I made blackberry jam I got splashes of blackberry juice everywhere - I swear it managed to pass through solid objects!

Slow picking sloes for sloe gin

After a visit to Waltham Abbey with friends for King Harold Day I was dropped off at Chingford Plain so  could go looking for sloes.

Quite a bit of walking and pressing into sloe bushes to get enough berries as they were scattered.

I did wonder if someone had been before me and these were their left overs, but I think there would be more high up, out of reach, if that had happened. With all the programmes, books and articles it seems strange to think that only I have wanted to pick sloes at such a popular walking spot.

Pricking them now to use my neighbour's recipe: one part sugar, two parts fruit, three parts alcohol.

Two bushes full of crab apples, but I don't like crab apple jelly.

Walking in the dark

The main reason I go on history walks is because I love history. But local history walks are also a way of getting a sense of place, of connecting with the streets and other spaces around my home. I also meet people on the walks I've met before, another way of being connected, of feeling part of a community.

Yesterday I went on a walk following the route of a Zepplin raid 99 years ago through Leyton and Leytonstone.

We started at 7 pm in the evening, due to finish at 9 pm. David Boote, our walk leader, times his walks and then times by three for the time he expects the led walk to take. Yesterday's walk took longer than expected,

We were expecting some people to leave early, especially as some people wouldn't manage the distance. So at 9.50 20 people had reduced to David and 3 followers, walking in the dark across Wanstead Flats. The ground was very uneven. I have problems going downwards when I can't see where I am placing my feet, so on the dips in the ground, David stopped so I could put my hand on his shoulder before I stepped down. We found one dip with reeds in, but luckily as I was wearing my work shoes, partly thanks to the quick draining surface of that part of the Flats, it was dry.

At the end of the walk one of my male companions praised me for coping without making a fuss. It would seem rather sexist, but, if he doesn't know hikers, etc, all the women he knows could easily be the type who couldn't cope with rough terrain in the dark.

I was brought up in the country so used to rough ground. And little light. The village I was brought up in had only 3 street lamps (according to my mother - I can remember only one). In winter I used to walk along an unlit, mile-long lane with my head in the air, following the light black of the sky against the dark black of the trees on top of the Cornish "hedges".

We then had a quick drink and caught the 58 bus home. A bus home at that time of night is one of the advantages of country living in the city!

No bees this morning

I was out working in the garden this morning. It was overcast but dry. As I packed up to go in to get ready to go out I realised that I hadn't seen any bees or hoverflies, not even on the marjoram which is usually a favourite.

A little while later when I looked out of the bedroom window I did see two bumblebees. But having had bumblebees and hoverflies earlier in the season it is a bit worrying about their scarcity now.

Sorting t-shirts by joy!

I've just been reading The Life-Changing Magic of  Tidying by Marie Kondo. One of her methods is to sort through ones possessions, handling each one, and asking oneself "Does this give me joy?" and getting rid of everything that gets the answer "no".

One should start with all one's clothes tipped out of the wardrobe, the cupboards, and anywhere you have stashed them. I am doing section of clothes by section of clothes, and got rid of 10 scarves to the charity shop this week. Today was the turn of my t-shirts.

I had 4 caches of t-shirts - and later realised I had forgotten the cardboard drawer on the top of the wardrobe with black and white t-shirts in.

I have to also consider usefulness when deciding what clothes to chuck - I don't think a single pair of trousers give me joy!

I was amazed by how many polonecks and rollnecks I had in t-shirt type material. They're all too short for me to wear them on their own (with my tummy I prefer long tops) but I have kept them to wear under cardigans and jumpers and will watch carefully over the winter to see which ones I actually use.

I've discarded a lot of the long, round-necked t-shirts with short sleeves but kept those with long sleeves. Again these must be watched carefully to see if they really are 'useful'.

I have 14 for the charity shop and 2 for recycling. A little disappointed but a far greater get-rid-of rate than my normal sorting efforts. Also I've now got similar t-shirts together so they should now be easier to find.

Jumpers and cardigans next.

Litle bit of this, little bit of that from the garden makes a salad

Out with friends today so I cooked some small lentils yesterday evening. This morning I went into the garden and got some rocket, chives, broad beans, swiss chard and my first (two, very tiny) tomatoes, cucumbers and some raddish seeds and made a really nice salad.

I added some oil from a sundried tomato jar and some olives.

I forgot I had some basil in a pot in the conservatory as I would have added some leaves of that!

The cucumbers are Iznik greenhouse cucumbers from the Organic Gardening catalogue, at their best when only 7-10cm long. I have two outside and two inside the conservatory. Will definitely get these again for next year.

My friends and I had our packed lunches sitting in the garden by Waltham Abbey alongside long flower beds full of cornfield flowers. It was a very pretty show, and the bees and hoverflies were taking full advantage of it.

log store overflow

Here is the log store with the extra pile at the front of it!

I hope a cat doesn't want to climb it - it'll all come down!

I've put some opened out thick plastic sacks over the front pile, weighted down with broken clay roof tiles. I hope they survive the wind forecast for Friday night/

I will look for a small tarpaulin at the DIY store. And I will also keep my eye out for a medium-sized pallet.

logs are hard work!

I had a day off last week and I had arranged a log delivery from a tree surgeon. The 30 bags of logs were due to arrive between 11.00 and 1.00. At 1.00 I rang to see what had happened to them. I was rung back at 2.00 to be told the guys on the lorry had the morning work down for the afternoon!

New delivery time 4.30 to 6.30. They rung at 5.45 to be tell me they were so far behind they could not deliver that day.

I had today off work so arranged a new delivery time in the afternoon as I had the osteopath in the morning - 1.00 to 4.00. I arrive home just before midday today to find the front garden full of logs!

It took me 5 1/2 hours to get them through the house and stacked (3 trips per sack - 30 sacks).

I knew my new log store wasn't going to take as many logs as the pallet I used to use, but thought the sides would mean no sloping sides so more logs for the ground space. Was disappointed with how much I couldn't fit it. I had some metal grids I use to protect the vegetable beds from cats and foxes, and put those on bricks in front of the store and loaded logs on them.

I will load the picture of the log pile on another post as having problems adding it here!

Hover flies in a poppy

Three hover flies in one of the last opium poppies this morning.

The opium poppy is in a strawberry planter. All the strawberry plants survived the winter in one planter and they all died in this one!

Every year I scatter seeds in the flower beds and every next year they pop up in the vegetable beds and a few here and there - and rarely ever in the flower bed

Courgette plants way behind this year

There's been talk recently of the early spring and early summer bringing on an early autumn. But my courgette plants are way behind.

 

The (smaller) courgette on the right was one of 6 seeds I sowed in doors in pots on 6 May - the only one that properly germinated. The courgette on the left is one of 4 seeds I started off on damp kitchen towel on 5 June, transferring them to pots and then the 3 which grew being put outside last weekend.

In 2008 I picked my first courgette on 25 June - I doubt I'll get my first this year by 25 July!

Medlar/quince mystery

Years ago my friend Maureen gave me two fruit tree seedlings she'd grown herself. For a couple of years neither did well, but one survived and is now bursting its pot. Then last week I spotted a fruit (see above).

It doesn't look like a medlar, which is what I thought I had! I wondered whether it was an apple-shaped quince. I asked Maureen, but she says she didn't give it to me. If it wasn't her, I can't work out who it was - it was definitely someone local.

I haven't been able to find a picture of either a quince tree's leaves or a medlar tree's leaves.

I remember walking with a friend in Greenwich and we passed a tree. Robert, having recently been on a guided walk in the area, asked me what a tree we were passing was. To his surprise, I knew it was a medlar. I believe I recognised it because the leaves looked like those on my tree.

Something badly wrong with my memory!

Still exciting to get a fruit - no plums, and all my figs have dropped off.

Being a good neighbour - lending a knitting needle!

I've just lent a knitting needle to the guy living 2 doors up. He fell down the stairs, broke his arm and has a terrible itch under the plaster. He remembered I had mentioned I knit so came to beg for the loan of a knitting needle!

Community in action!

Fox flattening garden

Here is a photograph of the fox that seems to live in my garden. I think its earth is probably next door but it follows the sun to sleep here, then there, in my garden, flattening first these plants then those.

sweet chestnut despite the mild winter

Sweet chestnut germinates after it has been affected by the frost. For several years I have been leaving sweet chestnuts in a pot outside, but with no effect.

This winter, the mildest for years, with hardly any decent frosts, and I am successful!

I am hoping to grow them in a large pot each, like large bonsai. Trying to find out when I can expect them to be producing sweet chestnuts!

Jack in the hedge is garlic mustard!

Went on a foraging walk this afternoon. Only the leader and 3 people - but it was raining!

Under a hedge in the park was some "Jack-in-the-hedge", which I discovered is also called "Garlic mustard". (see picture below.)

I've been interested in garlic mustard for years, but having now tasted it, won't be bothering with it again.

We also found plenty of "Three-cornered leek". This I had recently read about in the newly published Edible Perennial Gardening by Anni Kelsey. It's named for the shape of its stem. Very interested to try it - and loved the taste. Definitely going to grow some. A lot of what we found was growing under trees, flowering before the trees got properly in leaf - so suitable to go under the overhang of my neighbour's ash tree.

Horse shit success

As I wanted plenty of time in the garden today, I only went for a short ride despite the sunshine. I cycled past the riding stable and thought, "Typical, no horse droppings when I have come prepared to gather them up". I had cycled round and was cutting back across the south of Leyton Marshes, at the back of the ice skating rink, towards the riding stable when I nearly cycled past some horse droppings as I wasn't expecting any there (I've never seen any horse droppings round the marsh before, only on the paths around the stable and paddocks.)

It's the folding bike as the ordinary bike is at the bike shop having a new back wheel fitted.

figgy success this year?

At last, fingers crossed and touching wood, it looks as if I will get some figs this year:

At the end of each year one should have ripe figs (to eat) largish, unripe figs, to discard, and tiny, tiny figs to keep that will be next year's ripe fruit. I have once had figs to discard but usually only tiny, tiny figs which drop off over winter.

At the beginning of winter there was no sign of tiny, tiny figs, but this spring there were, and they are growing! Thanks, perhaps, to the mild winter.

And I think I might get plums for the first time this year too!

Second hand funiture success without a car

Most of us don't need a car in London - most of the time. But if you want to buy second hand furniture you usually need a car. I don't have one (haven't driven one since I passed my test 30 years ago, so legally able to drive....!).

Today I went to the affordable vintage fair at Bethnal Green. Found a bangle I lived. And then saw this telephone table.

It looks like Ercol, but it is "Chippy Heath" which the stall holder told me is very similar, made in the same area but has a different finish. I thought it was light enough to carry so bought it. The stall holder's daughter carried it for me to Bethnal Green tube station. A young man carried it up the stairs at Leyton station, then I got a taxi the mile home.

I have a small chest of drawers on casters (new from Loaf) coming at the end of the month. I am hoping that over Easter I can get rid of the large single drawer chest used as a coffee table via Freegle. Then I am hoping to make a more flexible space in the sitting room with furniture that can be moved around.

"The Colorado river is not a patch on this!"

"The Colorado river is not a patch on this!" said our new kayak club coach. But he was joking.

We were making our way down a stream from the old River Lea to the Lea Navigation which we can only attempt when the water is higher than normal and the vegetation is not too much. It is still shallow with a couple of places where you either push yourself along, get out and pull your boat, or rely on someone already out of their boat to pull you. It was amazing that two open canoes managed to get through as, as well as shallow, it is  very narrow (one metre wide in places) with bends.

It is not pretty, especially this time of year, with scrubby growth in mud either side for a few yards, between the concrete walls, with the scruffy warehouses on top.

It is a route I haven't done for several years, and many paddling it yesterday had never done it.

On the adult Hertford Weir trip that afternoon, Aurelia, who hadn't been with us in the morning, said Patrick, her son, had come home all excited..

London is lucky with all its parks, heath and walks. But even scruffy urban green areas are of high value and should not be under-estimated.

You don't have to be in the countryside to enjoy a spring day

What a wonderful spring day!

I went for my cycle ride this morning, not wearing a cycle jacket for the first time this year. The tow path was busier than usual with walkers, joggers and cyclists.

I was very pleased to see all this blackthorn blossom, if this turns to fruit won't have to go to Epping Forest for my sloe gin this year!

I saw a male brimstone butterfly fluttering around this blackthorn.

Picked some rhubarb and had a small rhubarb crumble which was very nice. Even better as last year didn't have any due to the cold spring, and the year before the spring was so dry my one and only crumble was from thin, non juicy sticks of rhubarb.

I also picked some goose grass (cleavers) and made some tea. Virtually colourless and virtually tasteless, but supposed to be a good tonic!

Frog spawn and amaryllis

Two lots of frogspawn in the pond, looking like some dark sago pudding. Last summer never saw more than one frog at a time, and haven't seen a sign of one this year, but obviously there must have been at least two in my pond at the same time at some point recently!

The duck weed used not to survive the winter, but the last few winters it has. Not surprisingly this winter it again survived. I don't try to get rid of it as it protects the frogs in the spring from the neighbourhood cats.

The plant behind, though, died down last winter (its first). It was full of yellow flowers last year. Hopefully some insects took advantage of it, but I didn't see any do so.

Today I had a day off and spent a couple of hours in the garden repotting some conservatory plants, including my amaryllis. With pulling of the bulbs on the outside of the main bulb, I went from 7 amaryllis to 13. In 2 cases there was a lot of disturbance to the roots so likely no flowers from either the parent bulb or the new one this year as they don't like root disturbance. During the time I was out in the garden I didn't see any bees or other insects despite it being mild and dry.

roses already

One in flower in my front garden, and my neighbour has a rose in flower as well.

One snow drop the start of many

I have clumps of snowdrops in the front garden but none in the front. Two years ago I transferred a lot of bulbs "in the green" but not a sign of one last year, but this morning I saw this:

The only one, but a pioneer!

Plum blossom!

My two little plum trees both have blossom. Last year I noticed the blossom on 17 March. so a month early. Still a while to go when we could have frosts or even snow - so in danger of yet another year without plums!

foxy fashion

Had an excellent response from colleagues to my fox stole I finished making at the weekend from a top I got from a charity shop, some old white candlewick I've had so long I can't remember where it came from, two buttons from my neighbour's button box and one from mine.

One of the managers has suggested I call it "George" (I work for the Quakers).

I like craft but am not very good at it, but every now and then something I do works out, and this fox stole is one of them.

showing off vintage cardie

This is a photograph of me wearing my new (to me) vintage cardigan which I got in Brighton. The beads and the bangles are from charity shops.

This was taken at Stow Tellers, a new (3rd monthly session) story telling event in Walthamstow, a 30 minute walk for me. I told "Appy Boswell and the Conger Eel" in December and "Crows Dead" yesterday. It is lovely to have a venue where I can tell stories again, and one in my area is a wonderful bonus.

Mild weather helps the pests

In this mild weather the ruby chard is still growing. I picked some leaves this afternoon, but there weren't many leaves without holes in!

Mild weather has messed up fig prunning

According to a cutting I've carefully saved to remind me when to do it, you should prune figs in December when they're dormant. Unfortunately my figs are in bud!

I couldn't get a decent picture in the gloom before I left for work, but did get this one of one of the plum trees, also with leaf buds.

Fingers crossed the fig tree and the plum trees survive any cold snap we get between now and the end of winter!

Trousers become cat draught excluder

I have turned a pair of brown cord trousers with a dodgy zip and wearing thin at the crotch into a cat draught excluder for the bottom of a door.

The photograph is taken at my front door (I have a floor length curtain with a thermal curtain lining).

This will be a birthday present for my elderly next door neighbour. I don't want to get her more clutter. I used to get her gardening stuff but this past year she hasn't been in the garden.

There is a big gap under her front door and her draught excluder is made from carrier bags stuffed hard with other carrier bags so doesn't do much for keeping our the draughts as far as I can see.

I hope she likes it!

Grocer's fruit box transformed into bathroom storage

I rescued a fruit box thrown out by a local grocer. Screwed two offcuts of wood underneath it, and then screwed four casters on to the offcuts. I now have storage for loo cleaner, bath cleaner, toilet rolls, etc.

The main advantage will be that when I clear the bathroom to clean the floor I just have the box to pick up not lots of little bits.

Hoping hellebores will survive cold weather forecast for this weekend

My hellebores are in bud.

I am hoping they will survive cold weather forecast for this weekend.

I like hellbores. They flower for such a long time. I buy plants and plant seeds where the label says "flowers July to September". I think, "Great, 3 months of flowering". What they really mean is that sometime in that 3 month period I will get a few days of flowers.

Hellebores, however, are in flower for about 2 months. As they flower in winter I don't see them very often!

They are good for Queen Bumblebees out and about early in the year.

Country Living have expanded "Country in the city"

Very pleased the Country Living have expanded their "Country in the city" section from one page to 3.

We can't all live in the country, even if we could get the work, there's not enough room! So we need to make cities work better.

So thumbs up Country Living!

Although this section of the magazine has an environmentally friendly green tinge, the rest of the magazine can be very ungreen - this month a travel section, "Islands of Dreams", covering islands off Norway and Greece, and Madeira. And how are people from the UK going to get to them?!

Ash keys attracting birds

The two ash trees in my neighbours' garden are full of ash keys (the third tree in the row, in the garden the other side has no keys at all). Today spent a while looking out of my bedroom window watching the blue tits, coal tits and starling feeding on the ash keys.

Not only nice to see the birds having easy access to food, but the more the birds eat, the less seeds to fall and germinate in my garden!

Hope there are as many birds on 25 & 26 January when it is the RSPB bird watching weekend.