Monday, May 14, 2012

Autumn Gardening and Art Deco Inspirations




At the markets this weekend we had a wonderful haul of bargains.  There were these three lovely pieces of old green depression glass to join the ever-expanding collection, 


plus a beautiful pansy plate (pansies are my all time favourite) 

and two of these dishes which we will hang outside on the trellis with the other old plates. 

Mr Shoestring, flushed with success after his cocktail party last week, was in raptures when he discovered this old cocktail shaker.  It seemed at first that the top may be permanently stuck on, but it soon yielded and I am sure it will see some service in the coming months. 



The weather has been surprisingly mild for this time of year and on Sunday I had a very happy session in the garden scratching up the earth like a demented chook and attempting to root out the oxalis and various other tenacious weeds.  Obviously this is going to be an ongoing process so the best approach is to learn to love weeding and treat it as a period of meditation in the weekends.  I was pleased to find lots of seedling plants suitable for transplanting.  There were 
 seedling geranium
 foxglove (hopefully white, I laid down old white seedheads)
 cyclamen
 primulas
and violas coming up in the cracks in a path

 At the market on Saturday I was pleased to find a wintersweet, which I always plant and which always disappoints.  Garden writers go into raptures over its heavenly scent but I can never force more than one or two pathetic blossoms from my plants, perhaps it is too warm in our part of the world for it to thrive.  I remember it in my mum’s garden from my childhood and perhaps this is why I have such a fondness for it.  I do know that my mum also finds it always disappoints, but she perseveres and plants it wherever she goes also. 

I also foolishly bought a ginko.  I have planted a gingko everywhere I have gardened but it is really far too large for the tiny garden at Shoestring.  In time it will reach 20 – 35 metres.  Gingkos are very ancient and their fossilised remains have been found.  The leaf is like a maidenhair fern leaf and the autumn colouring is very pretty – a vivid yellow.  They were once widespread throughout the world but then their range shrank until by two million years ago it was restricted to a small part of China. For centuries it was thought to be extinct in the wild, but is now known to grow in at least two small areas in China.  Apart from the gingko I put in two new hydrangeas – only time will tell if they live up to the glowing descriptions provided by the gentleman who sold them to me.  (I must obviously be a gullible customer, I always come away with plants I never intended purchasing but at least at the market the prices are very reasonable.)


But by far the most exciting thing for me this week was that I purchased this hat on TradeMe. 

The Dancing Queen actually spotted it, she was buying another one made by the same lady.  Look out for "Decho Echo" if you would like your very own art deco hat, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.  They are made from wool felt and the designs are sensational.  Since collecting my new treasure I have been in a frenzy of excitement as to what costume would set it off best.  There were these two Vintage Vogue patterns


and finally I think I will plump for the one with the peplum.  At Centrepoint Fabrics in Newmarket I found a perfect fabric (slightly imperfect, heavily reduced) so next weekend must get stitching and forego the pleasures of the garden or it won’t be ready in time for winter deco in July.