Apple Blossom Time

It's apple blossom time..& peach & pear & nectarine & apricot but they don't sound quite the same somehow do they!
 I have loved Cicely Mary Barkers flower fairies for as long as I can remember..so adorable, all of them..

and look, so true to life. I popped in to an orchard while we were out walking to take a picture of these beauties while they were still perfect..Rob waited on the road side twiddling his thumbs.  He said he didn't mind : )

This lovely little song comes from a book called "The little pink book" how perfect!

You might have to make up a little tune for yourself.

The Song of the Apple Blossom Fairies

Up in the tree we see you, blossom-babies,

All pink and white;

We think there must be fairies to protect you,

From frost and blight,

Until, some windy day, in drifts of petals,

You take your flight. 

You'll fly away! But if we wait with patience,

Someday we'll find

Here, in your place, full-grown and ripe, the apples

You left behind- 

A goodly gift indeed from blossom-babies,

To human-kind!

Today I drove home from work the long way so that I could take a photo of this extraordinary sight

that I spotted recently..the apple & the blossom babies : )

and look at these dear wee poppets..I feel as if I came upon them mid-recital.

This month has been a very pink month in New Zealand with all kinds of fundraisers & breast cancer awareness campaigns. I thought that this ploy was soo clever... certainly got my attention!

 A dear friend of mine is having a fun & pretty opening of her cottage home stay in November & I have been invited to take along a few lovelies to sell. Inspired by lovely creations at The Pink Poodle I have been having fun dying some doilies to make bunting.

There is an appallingly small & expensive selection of dye available these days at Spotlight & my pink was fairly "out there" so I added a pot of tea & that seemed to help mellow the effect.

pretty in pink on the line

well ok, startlingly pink then!

I continued using my solution for days!! Including colouring paper doilies...works really well...just dip, swish, then dry on something that doesn't matter.
Mind you the end result is a little more subtle and quite pretty.
What do you think?

This week has been really hard for some reason, maybe the stuff I wrote about in Sharing Hope Gratefully, who knows? Anyway.. I saw that St Lukes op shop was still open on my way home on Friday afternoon so I thought I'd pop in & I was just thinking that it would be really nice to find a summer dress again one day..."where have all the dresses gone?...far, far away!" (Australia I suspect).. when, what should I see but, a pretty summer dress & on the $2 rack...thank you!

In the middle of all this, I thought I had better use some of the fruit from my freezer before suddenly it was summer again. These omega plums & blackcurrants & some "in season" tamarillos were just divine cooked together & so yummy with organic Greek yoghurt from the Farmers Market. No, probably not a good morning for a white blouse!

I am really enjoying this vibrant combination of pansies, apple mint & a vivid orange calendula planted in my courtyard in an old metal babies bath or "Katies flower bath" as Kaitiaki calls it.

Best to get in & use my chard before it goes to seed..I love the colour of these stems..everything is beginning to bolt with the warmth...natural urge, I guess : )

I picked up this little jug & saucer at a market last weekend ($3)..perfect for spring roses.

Found the green teapot too & was going to replace the ugly bright yellow one that some one took off with from the "shop" recently (goodluck to them it was soo vile) but I rather like it's very vintage greenness so perhaps I wont put it out..I might be sad to lose it. 

I was fascinated by these huge clover flowers I found on an unmowan verge along the way. They look quite amazing in front of this old 1930's calendar picture on the mantel piece.

my very first "sweetheart" rose of the spring..just soo perfect

I love how some of the best things in a garden happen by their own design..this old rose has decided to take a ramble through the flowering cherry..no smothering, just as polite as you like & look at the two of them..

a symphony of pink everywhere...how truly glorious is
Spring! 

Hope you've had a good week.

 ♥MUCH