December and Christmas just around the corner - I haven't been outside too much lately - the rain and the wind are part of the reason but I've been busy trying to grow my various businesses. I still have to make an income and it's proving much harder than I expected.
Never mind, it will happen, I just have to have faith, which I do, in spades.
So, the only job I have completed successfully over the past couple of weeks has been to prune one of the fig trees, the one near the house. I know the more you prune the stronger the growth and these figs are aggressive in their habits but the one nearer the house is so dense now that it shades everything else, including my beautiful bay standard - so I cut it back to almost a third! Felt drastic but the tree will appreciate it - and so will everything underneath. I also pruned a hibiscus, white, in the front garden. It's a beautiful shrub and a prolific flower producing kind white petals, white stamen, so cool - at its height every branch has blossom, breathtaking.
Years ago I bought three cordylines in East Street market for £1.00, yes £1 for the three!!! I put two in the ground close together and one in a pot by the front door. The two I planted are now 10' tall and triffid like, they flower every year now. Luckily they have grown past the windows, for a few years it was a bit dark and dingy in the lounge! I haven't the heart to cut them down and they make the best landmark for anyone visiting the house.
I trimmed down the grape vine that grows from next door, right over my back door and kitchen window, it will produce grapes every year, maybe next year they will be edible and not the sour offerings we have now. I pray every year that next door won't dig it out, I love it.
I've been selling all things Christmas at South Lambeth Road Library, the Tate. We are trying to get a new community street market up and running to help support the library and bring a bit more vibrancy to the surrounding area. The people who live up there are happy to hear there may be a bit of shopping available next year. If anyone is interested in having a stall or hearing more about it I can send on the details. No doubt as I am more and more drawn into 'helping; I'll post the information here. We are working on a launch day for early next year, possibly February.
Xmas trees are hard work!!!! Hope I sell them on Saturday - visit if you can - it's in Wilcox Close, right alongside the Tate Library.
Last Saturday I went to Covent Garden to buy stock and five little reindeers caught my eye, they were planted with apple sized berries, normally I avoid the twee but they looked in need of a friend. A lovely young woman bought them and wanted more........I'll see if I can get them next week.
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| Not my reindeer, this beautiful heart shaped climber is actually passion flower, a house near me made it happen, I like seeing it, especially in the summer. |
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| The fig tree on the left, the grapevine in the foreground, before I pruned it. The garden looks very autumn. |
I have to say that the consultation forms regarding both the Tate and Carnegie libraries are just awful - totally misleading and I am blown away by the amount of young people who use the Tate for study, young families on the weekends and the older community for social get togethers and learning - shame on the council for wanting to change any of that to make a gym (cleverly disguised in the documents as a 'well-being centre'). If those plans go ahead the library part of the LIBRARY will be a shelf of books and one computer!!!!
