The One About The Hanging Baskets...

Last weekend my mum and I had arranged to do our hanging baskets.  We make them every year, always going back to the local flower grower, because his prices are so much better than the bigger garden centres, and we know the flowers last and last all summer, and beyond.

We'd already decided that before we got started on our gardening that we were going to make a visit to Lady Heyes Craft Centre, which has a scrapbook shop for me (Crab Apple Crafts), and a material/quilting shop for my mum - Sew Simple (she loves quilting at the moment.  She's made us four quilts, two cushions, and a homemade advent calendar!  And she's still going!) I was really good and made a list of what coloured card I needed and the colour of ribbons I needed too, so I didn't go overboard and throw just anything into my basket!

After a lovely little tootle round the two shops we headed back via the plant shop.  We each picked up starter plants for our baskets, then headed home for a well earned lunch.  After a relaxing lunch we headed outside, Mum to make three baskets, including one for a wall, and my two baskets.  I'd bought enought to put six plants in each of my baskets.  This year rather than just randomly putting plants in, I've colour co-ordinated them.  The first basket is reads and pinks, the second basket is whites and purples.  Fingers crossed they'll grow really well over the rest of the summer!  I'm hoping we get some better weather though because all its done recently is rained!

My clematis is also doing really well at the moment.  Mum and I went to the Tatton Flower show last summer and each came home with a new clematis.  They looked really unusual, with pale white/green petals with a swirly purple middle.  It was too late in the year last summer for them to flower so I've been really pleased by how well its doing now.

And finally, I want to wish my little sis Happy Birthday today!