Container Gardening

My garden is very small, only a back yard, but you can grow anything in containers.This is good for Grandmas,not so far to bend down, easy to water and no lawn to mow. Providing the pots are not too big they can be moved around for a change of view.
The last few days while Blogger was down I got more containers filled with

                                                                         Strawberries

Tomatoes

                                          Flowers

There is nothing so good as a fresh tomato still warm from the sun.

                                                                         

Asparagus and Bacon

The market stalls are piled high with fresh asparagus.
A tasty way to serve asparagus allowing 3 spears to 1 thin rasher of streaky bacon or pancetta.
Serve one portion as a starter or more as a main dish or accompaniment to chicken.

1. Trim the woody end of the stalks until the asparagus shoots measure about 5 inches in length.
2. Wash and rise the asparagus with 2 pints of boiling water in a strainer, rinse with cold water.
3. Line a baking tray with non stick foil or parchment paper.
4. Take 3 asparagus spears and wrap them in a slice of the bacon.
5. Repeat until all the spears have been used up.
6. Cook in a hot oven for 15 minutes 200 degrees C
7. Serve on a warm plate with crusty bread to mop up all the delicious juices.

Garden Colours for Summer 2011

Time to start some serious gardening now the warm weather is here.The window boxes outside the smart buildings in London like the Pall Mall clubs seem to have gone for a white, purple and green theme this year.
I keep some variagated ivy, shrubs and mini conifers in my window boxes permanently.Last seasons plants can be removed and with the addition of some new compost and slow release fertiliser, new ones for the summer can be put in.

This year I have added white geraniums and purple surfinia petunias.This looks fresh and elegant against the green background.

Plenty of watering will be needed to help them establish and covering at night if a late frost is forecast.

Life Drawing and Erotic Style

Erotic Line is the title of next weeks life drawing class with Derek Batty in Cambridge UK. This will be using examples of work by Egon Schiele  and August Rodin. Can hardly wait.
It is good to be back with this group after the spring break and thinking about using water colours during the summer.Sketching people on vacation when they are sitting around is good practice.

                                                 Swimming Pool  Excelsior Vittoria , Sorrento, Italy

Fascinators, Top Hats ,Genealogy

Fascinators

Many people have  liked the fascinator hats worn by guests at the Royal Wedding.If you like hats there is a wonderful shop in St James Street , London.They will make you a hat to order. Although this is quite expensive you will have  the  hat of a lifetime.I had one made for my daughter's wedding 10 years ago.If you are visiting London see this shop.
The window  display of this shop is quite small but exquisite- both for ladies and men.
If you are going to a wedding, Royal Ascot (see the Top hats for men) or meeting the Queen this is the shop for you.This is link where you can see them online.
You may  just want to dream like most of us.-- you know what they say
If you want to get ahead get a hat


http://www.lockhatters.co.uk/

The Society of Genealogoists Conference was held in London on Saturday. This society is 100 years old today.Particulary interesting speakers at the conference were Alec Tritin on blogging for family historians and Elsie Churchill on more advanced ways of finding out about your ancestors.
If you have English ancestors this is a good place to search for information, they have copies of parish registers and a library full of interesting information such as trade directories with lists of people and their occupations. I have found several of my ancestors listed along with the trades that they followed or the names of the farms where they lived.