Weeding the Web

Greetings cards for gardeners

Because it feels special to get a card that someone's chosen particularly with you in mind, I'm always on the look-out for cards that suit gardeners.  I've just come across the lovely range at online garden retailer Potter and Rest. 

They're designed by freelance illustrator and graphic designer Angie Spurgeon, who lives in Somerset and produces colourful, humorous cards that are bound to cheer your gardener on their way. You can find a list of stockists on her website, and more of her designs there and on Folksy.

Craft fairs are always a good place to scout for cards and a couple caught my eye at Wisley Craft Fair last Christmas.

Louise Braithwaite, who sells cards at Mad Lou Publishing Ltd, features many actual places on her fun designs. Gardening isn't a subject she concentrates on, but she has produced a card for an allotmenteer.

Louise will be holding an Open Studio from 16-24 August.

Striking a totally different artistic note is Gail Kelly of Algan Arts. Inspired by patterns in the countryside and garden, she creates linocuts with strong and simple lines.  Again, there's a list of stockists on her website, or you might be able to persuade her to send you some by post. 

  

Finally, Jo Robinson, of Ham Made, has reduced her outlines even more, to silhouettes, featuring a rabbit, a horse and a pig.

The rabbit has yet to get its teeth into gardening (possibly just as well), and her watering horse now seems to be only available as a mug, but she does offer a Mowing Pig.

If you know of any lovely cards for gardeners, let me know and I'll round them up for another post. In the meantime, you might be interested in the print-your-own cards by Helene Taylor.

 

Tree following: a new baby lilac?

A month on, and my downed lilac is turning into quite a bush.

If you dropped by last month, you'll know that some of the young shoots had turned black at the end and one of the shoots had wilted. I'm grateful for the helpful observation from Tim Havenith of Notes of Nature.

On the stem that has died back, did you notice if it had wilted first? If so, it might indicate a fungal infection blocking the vascular elements. In which case you should cut the wilted stems off and either burn them or put them in the green bin if you have one. Fingers crossed it'll be ok.

Well, the stems didn't seem to have wilted before turning black, so I breathed a sigh of relief at that, but kept a close eye in case of developments.

New shoots have been growing fresh and strong.

Some of the leaves on the older shoots appear to be suffering some sort of virus attack, but it's not widespread.

The browning edges are causing me some concern, though. Again, these are on the tallest shoot. On the other hand, I know I've been taken by surprise by this lilac before, when I've wondered why leaves are looking manky and realised that it's merely the onset of autumn. Bit early, I know, but everything seems to be several weeks advanced this year.  On the other hand, these do look rather wilted too. Perhaps Tim's right about a vascular problem?

Finally, what of the babies - the cuttings I took last month?  Well, the smaller one sat there and did nothing and began to look sorry for itself. That's gone, I'm afraid. But the other shows distinct signs of possible success, with a new leaf beginning to unfurl.

This is part of Lucy's Tree Following meme at Loose and Leafy. Why not pop over and see what's happening to trees around the world?

Gardening equipment for free - a Freecycle celebration

You know when something lovely happens that's completely unexpected?  Well, Monday was that day for me. And if you don't already keep an eye on your local Freecycle group, may I encourage you to sign up right now?

 

Oak plant labels, 20 cms long. Approx cost per bundle normally £4.50-£5.00

Freecycle - and I guess there are still some people who don't know this - lets you offer something you don't want to other members of the community, and to ask for something that someone else is getting rid of.

You have to be relaxed about the whole thing, because there's something of a lottery about it. I've come to the conclusion that most offerers like requesters to give a reason why they'd like the item, which means you can end up sending quite a supplicatory email. Some offerers like to leave a couple of days after posting so that as many people as possible can see what's on offer. Some just give it to the first reply. Quite often something I'm interested in has already gone.

Here - hurrah! - the stars conjoined. The post had just gone up; I explained that I blog and write articles, and that oak labels would look so much better in photographs than my cracked white plastic ones which seem to diminish in number with astonishing rapidity (where do they go?).

An hour later I was collecting the labels from a charming woman who was helping to clear clutter from her mother's house. And I am now the proud owner of an extraordinary number of unused, pristine oak plant labels.

To be an honourable member of a Freecycle group you have to offer things too and not just grab at what's there, but I've noticed that anything to do with gardening, surplus fruit, jam-making and bottling goes very quickly. (I've even been cheerfully relieved of a pile of old breezeblocks and roof tiles by someone who wanted to layout his allotment.)

So, while I rub my hands in a disgusting display of glee at this delightful hoard, can I encourage you to sign up to your local group?

And if you belong to anything similar to Freecycle, I'd love to hear what it is.