Cutting willow

I thought that I had better go down to the river meadows on Sunday to see how the coppiced willows and dogwoods are coming along. They are doing very well and loving all this rain. I cut plenty and need to sit down to start some weaving as soon as I can. BUT I picked up more than I had bargained for. When I got back I realised that I was covered in bites. Not sure which particular biter got me but I have dozens of itchy bites. I have been taking anti-histamines and piriton to sleep but the itch is still getting through. Next time I am going down in my bee suit!

I did get this lovely pictures of the forget-me-nots that are growing all over the meadows.

Good day at Cupar Farmers Market

We had a good day at Cupar Farmers market on Saturday. It is the first time we have done one of the Fife farmers markets and hope to do plenty more! Our next one is Kirkcaldy next saturday (28th July). The cutting garden is starting to fill up but we are still relying on the tunnel for a lot of flowers. I am really hoping that even a little sun will bring a whole lot more flowers into bloom.

While at the market I always try to remember that I am selling not buying but I just couldn't resist some of the fantastic products on sale......we came home with two lovely creamy flowered scabious plants, 3 pots from Trotters independent condiments including their really delicious mojito marmalade, a selection of supernatures' herb infused rapeseed oils and a delicious almond tart for my tea.

The picture is of the sweet peas and cornflowers waiting in their buckets before going to the market.

The Country Garden Company has been in 'proper' business for 6 months now and things have not gone quite the way I planned! The year started with the storms in January that completely destroyed our greenhouses and all the over-wintering plants in them.

After some thought we replaced the glass houses with a poly-tunnel in a rather more sheltered position and began re-seeding all the lost varieties. It has been a hard slog both in the garden and doing the more 'businessy' side of things but I think we have finally caught up to where we should have been.....

So here are some of the lovely varieties that are doing really well in the tunnel and in the cutting garden. The top is some very fragrant garden pinks - I love that clove smell, and the bottom photo; some of the blue boy cornflowers - there really is no blue like a cornflower. Both look great in mixed bouquets.