Busy

Hibiscus, Quinta Mãe dos Homens, Funchal

Roundly ticked off today for failure to blog for some time, I'd better get on with it.  The garden has kept us busy on fine days, and updating the Historia web site has kept me busy on the dull ones.  Kate is working busily on rehearsals, and Mark, one of the actors, has helpfully done the leg work on assembling the cast biogs and mugshots.  Next task: to resuscitate the facebook page.  Some other nerd can work out whether twitter has anything to offer.

I've banged out another pot-boiler in art class.  As a rule, if it isn't right-ish within 45 minutes, it's unlikely to make it.  I was reasonably happy with this, and fiddled minimally the following week to add a bit of background.  I couldcontinue endlessly at the background, but don't want a photographic style to detract from the power of this spectacular bloom, seen in the car park of the block of flats we used in February in Madeira.  Next project might or might not pick up themes from the garden.  This is its best time of year: aquilegias that we started from seed a couple of years ago are putting up a super display.  Sutton's Simply the Best.  Good value.  The oriental poppies have done well in dry spells,

Pink oriental poppy and aquilegias.

though of course the rain knocks spots off them.  I did some reading up on propagation, and gather that the most reliable method is by root cuttings.  The solitary pink job will therefore come up, since it shows no signs of further buds.  A friend who had a seedling of it last year will dry a seed head for me.  I meanwhile have orders for aquilegia seeds, but don't know if they'll come true.  Time will tell.  In the un-glam corner, the beans Annie gave us have germinated well, so should be planted out and well watered in the new veg and herb bed before we disappear on our next jolly jaunt.  Canes are optimistically in place.

Different story today.  It being Buggins's Turn, we were invited to a Royal garden party.  Lunch first at Hobby Central, then a char-à-bancs to the Palace.  No direct contact with the blue-bloods, but we were close to the front row as they returned after tea in their rather exclusive tent.  They looked to be on good form, and had laid on a nice tea.