A weekend away

The Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

The Flibbertigibbet family spent a relaxing weekend in the Blue Mountains a few weeks ago. Mr Flib and Grandpa bravely volunteered to look after Miss Diva and Little Poppet for the day so that my lovely mother in law (MIL) and I could spend the day at Daffodils at Rydal.

Rydal is a little town not far from Lithgow, and was named for the English village of Rydal where the poet William Wordsworth lived for many years. For two weekends in September Rydal hosts a daffodil festival to raise funds for local charities.

MIL and I, armed with a picnic lunch, a thermos and some warm jackets, set off enthusiastically on our adventure. I must admit I was rather giddy with excitement at the thought of an entire day out without the Misses Flibbertigibbet in attendance that didn't involve manning a market stall.

First stop was the Ribbons and Rainbows store in Blackheath. Ribbons and Rainbows doesn't have a website (the only information I can provide you with is a map here) but I can assure you it is well worth a visit if you find yourself in the Blue Mountains. The shop is in a delightful little weatherboard cottage and has great character. On our arrival we were greeted by an amazing quilt on display on the front verandah. I've really got a thing for Japanese fabrics at the moment so had to take a photo. One of the things I really liked about it was the fact that the background fabrics are actually positive/negative colourways of the same design - beige on navy and navy on beige. Very clever.







Loaded up with textile temptations, we set off for Rydal.

Rydal is a gorgeous little (tiny!) town. The railway station is like something out of a story book, and a bit of 'googling' has revealed that accommodation is available in the Stationmaster's Residence. There's an old pub in town, complete with locals, and some beautiful old churches. Unfortunately I didn't think to take any photos of Rydal, so you will have to go and look for yourself. Perhaps go to the Rydal Show in February 2011.

After a walking tour of the village (and I feel I should mention we were very glad of the jackets at this point) we headed to the gardens of Chapel House, and found two wicker chairs just waiting for us on the lawn. We enjoyed our picnic lunch while looking down over the town of Rydal and being entertained by the sounds of a small orchestra from elsewhere in the garden. The house and gardens here were stunning, and we also enjoyed viewing the artwork in the gallery. Apparently there is also a self contained cottage available to stay in, it's rather intriguingly called The Owlpen.

You could almost be forgiven for thinking you were in an English garden

until magnificent Eucalypts like this one give the game away.

I've got a soft spot for Blue Wrens. This cheeky fellow led me on a merry chase.

The red branches of the tree in the above photo had MIL and I quite fascinated

So we went for a closer inspection. Stunning!
I must find out what this tree is.

Then we moved on to Karingal, located on a quiet country lane:

A place of 'venerable trees', as my MIL poetically put it

And I think we saved the best for last. We arrived at Bark Ridge late in the day, and enjoyed one of the best cups of tea I have had in a long, long while. By the time we started doing the rounds of the garden, the sun was low in the sky and the daffodils seemed almost incandescent.

I love lichen covered fences ...

and trees.

Bark Ridge's plantings were far more casual than the plantings of the other gardens we visited, with the daffodils allowed to run riot and I loved it. The different varieties were mixed together and the effect was quite breathtaking.

Very 'Anne of Green Gables', don't you think?

I must go again next year.

October already?

.
Well, Spring is well and truly here.

Mama Goose and I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Spring and the warmer weather so that we no longer have to wear three pairs of socks each when we have our stall at Hall Market. Unfortunately those days are not quite here yet - brrr! We have been very fortunate with the absence of rain on market days however, and our new location under the trees at Hall has meant we have enjoyed the sunshine during the colder mornings but have the promise of shade for the Summer months ahead.

Here are some photos from our September market at Hall:

Here's hoping our lucky run with the weather holds until we buy a marquee!

What is it?

While at times in Winter it can seem like the world is going to hibernate forever, inevitably Spring eventually arrives. And although at the moment a lot of the trees are bare, quiet miracles like this are pushing their green shoots through the soil towards daylight, with the promise of green and growing things to come:

And I have no idea of what it is! We bought and moved to this house in March, so there are little surprises like this popping up all over our otherwise sleeping garden. I can't wait to see the colours that emerge over the coming months; various bulbs number among my favourite flowers and I always look forward to the spectacular Floriade with great anticipation. We moved to Canberra at the start of Spring in 2007, and I also have two Spring babies - is it any wonder I love Spring?

So while I've been enjoying Winter, I've been busy creating my own little Spring garden of Flower Clips from a range of gorgeous fabrics. After the first market at Hall, it appears others love them just as much as I do. These photos are of my much depleted stock after the market; I need to stock up on the popular colours and patterns again, and add a few more to the range. I love tracking down the ditsy prints and dots and finding new colours. 

Miss Diva is also quite taken with them, and is fast amassing her own little collection. Truth be told, I suspect she thinks all of the clips are hers, but since visiting the market stall she has a better comprehension of just why Mum is coaxing these little blossoms along. She loves wearing the hair clips I make, and I've even been known to wear them myself! I have plans to expand the range of Flower Clips for future markets.

Flibbertigibbet's Button Clips also proved very popular at Hall market. Whimsical ladybugs, butterflies, flowers, stripes, tiny Matryoshka dolls, lots and lots of dots and spots; there was something to capture the attention of little and not-so-little girls alike, they really did appeal to all ages.

People especially loved fossicking through the big wooden bowl 

of Button Clips, mixing and matching their own pairs.

Seen anything you like? Let me know in the comments and I will 

set it aside for you to collect at the next market.

 

As with the flowers, I have a few other plans for these covered buttons too. Since 

the success of our first market stall, my mind has been fairly buzzing with new ideas.

Flibbertigibbet and Goosey Gander will be 

at Hall Market on Sunday, August 2nd, 2009. 

Look out for expansion of the current ranges and the addition of some new ranges; bunting - perfect for birthday parties and children's bedrooms, and quirky mobiles and wind chimes.

*** Oh, and I haven't forgotten I promised you photos of the range of handbags. The photos are uploading to the computer as I type, and I will be back ASAP to add them.