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Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Flower Power

Don't flowers just lift your spirits? The beauty of them, their scent ... you don't have to spend a fortune either, just a simple bunch picked from your garden can really brighten and add interest to a dull corner.  I've just got back from my hols and the flowers I had from last week had died (nobody thought to change the water, doh!). Here are a few images from around my home:



Pinky purple stocks bought very cheaply from the supermarket ... they smell divine and tend to last for over a week ...


French Lavender, next to my front door, a haven for butterflies and bees on a sunny day ...


A pot of supermarket Basil planted in an old olive oil tin prolongs its life rather than just leaving it in its plastic pot.  Looks good too!


Pot of bright red geranium used as  a door stop ...


Bunch of Aquilegia, Lemon Balm, Chives and something I don't know the name of picked from the garden this morning ... notice I don't really go for fancy vases in my house!


Fading Bluebells in a 50p thrifted pot (bargain!).  A friend brought me these from her garden so don't worry I haven't been picking from the wild, even though it is very tempting! These are almost finished but I'm drying them out and saving the seed so that next year I can have a patch of Bluebells of my own!

Am sure the eagle-eyed members can spot the fakes (I think there are two).

I'm approaching 50 followers (can't believe it!) and I'm going to host a giveaway when I reach that magic number, so keep popping in to check while I gather a few goodies together!

PS: I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise to all my loyal followers, I've been reading blogs for several years now, and have thought that I have been a 'follower' on many blogs, but have actually only been a reader! I haven't been clicking on 'join this site', instead I have been copying the URL at the top of the blog and pasting it into my blog list, but this doesn't make me a follower.  I have just been right through my blog list and have hopefully put this right now.  You must have thought that I was awful, very arrogantly acrruing new followers, but not actually 'following' anyone! So sorry ... xxx

Have a lovely week!





Love, from Claire xxx


26 comments:

  1. Hello Claire, lovely to meet you too! Thanks for the comment; you have a gorgeous home, I love the red geranium by the door... jusx

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    1. Thank you Jus, just popped over to your blog, it's lovely! xx

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  2. Hello Claire
    Totally agree with you flowers add a touch of colour to a sad corner or just brighten your life.
    More so when they are a gift I think!

    Amanda :-)
    Newish follower

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    1. Many thanks for your comments on my blog.
      It would be brill if you would like to follow my blog too.
      Amanda :-)

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    2. I have, Amanda, looking forward to following you! xx

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    3. Oooh thats wierd you don't appear on my followers list
      perhaps google is on go slow

      Thanks though :-)

      Amanda

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    4. Yep saw my blog was on your blog list

      aahhha but did you click on the Google join this site where all the little pics of the followers are on my blog? Thats the followers list.
      You can add a blog to your blog list and not necessarily be a follower but a reader.

      Amanda :-)

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    5. No I didn't Amanda! Sometimes I just scroll the URL and add it, I'll have a look and have to go through my bloglist now! Thanks for that xx

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    6. My Google connect and called similar to yours The Lovely Followers is also situated on the right hand side of my blog under About Me and Nice Foodie Giveaway.
      Righty am off to work now so no rush for this it'll get sorted :-)

      Have a good day

      Amanda

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  3. Love the flowers Claire. Aquilegias are so pretty and delicate - one of my favourites xx

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  4. Hi Claire Glad that you enjoyed your hollys, lovely pics of flowers, the one you don't know is an African Violet, my Grandad used to grow them in all colours, just by putting the leaf into compost!

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  5. Hi Julie, thank you for that! The African Violet in question wouldn't yield much I'm afraid, it's a fake! There's a random bit of greenery at the back that I just pulled from the garden, it's probably a weed ... xxx

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  6. love your flowers dotted all round your house. thanks for your visit and your comment. x

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  7. Thank you all for your lovely comments, and may I apologise again if I haven't been 'following' when I said I had ... think I've put it right now! xx

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  8. Hi Claire, I had to laugh as I have been doing the same thing with the old blog lark! Tut! Technology! ;D
    Flowers....now them I get! :D
    They look lovely dotted all around your home!
    I am forever picking flowers out of the garden, even the five year old does too....she has a little greydawn milk jug at the side of her bed and keeps it topped up with fresh blooms!
    Wishing you a great week!
    Karen x

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  9. Haha, glad I'm not the only one Karen! That's lovely that your little girl picks flowers for her room ... mine used to do that, but now she's 14 just drops clothes all over the floor instead ... xxx

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  10. Yesssss there you are Claire...smiling at me
    all sorted now then I see

    Amanda x

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  11. You are completely right, Flowers really do lift the spirits. I acquired some Viburnum Snowball from my Friends garden this evening and it's just perfect!
    Claire

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  12. So many flowers and all different, lovely :) A nosey round your house too, always love that.

    Cheryl... about to be follower no 44 :)

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  13. hi Claire,
    thanks for your sweet comment- I actally thought you were really clever cos you always caught my blogs without following!
    You've now actually joined to follow my other blog, Vintage at the Village Hall, rather than Ted and Bunny but if you've go me on reader I think you'll still get the posts??
    We have masses of bluebells growing in the garden- if you don't get any joy with the seeds I'm more than happy to send you a clump "in the green"...I'm sure "Southern Softie" bluebells will be able to adapt to life further North if they start from babies!
    Love the flower pics around your home
    xx

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  14. Thanks for you visit to my blog and leaving a comment :) Such a pretty selection of flowers you have. I do love the scent of stocks, they sure smell lovely! I have some I have started by seed in the greenhouse..still just little leaves at the moment. I like the olive oil tin for the Basil :)
    Enjoy the rest of the week..I am your newest follower..
    Magie

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  15. Thank you ladies for all your lovely comments, and welcome to all my new followers! A giveaway is on the way, so please keep visiting ... have a lovely day, Claire xxx

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  16. Congratulations on your new followers Claire! You will have me as a new one too.

    Your flowers look beautiful. I love stocks too. They have such pretty colours, but flowers from the garden are the best :-)

    Happy weekend!

    Madelief x

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  17. Hello, hello! Thanks for visiting my blog and becoming a follower, which has led me to yours! Love all the flowers, and the thought of lavender and stocks is particularly lovely. I think I'm going to have to buy my next olive oil in a nice tin to do as you have done. By the way, the colour on my dining room walls is called Sash Red (Crown Period colours perhaps?), but it is much darker than it looks in that photo, and definitely not very pink, if that's what you're looking for! Oh and the needle turned up, without injuring anyone!
    x

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  18. Hi Claire, thanks for stopping by & following my blog. I've just been reading yours, it looks like you live in a lovely part of the UK. I lived in Liverpool for a year so have a fondness for the north! Enjoyed seeing your flowers too. The funny thing for me is that most of the blogs I read are from the northern hemisphere so our seasons are always about face! It makes me long for spring already!! Sally x

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  19. Your home looks so tranquil. And I do envy you those stocks ... I can't have them here as my husband is allergic to them.

    I'm hopeless with the following thing - there are a lot of blogs I read regularly that I suspect I haven't actually followed, yours included, though I've just remedied that :D

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I love to hear what you think of my ramblings and value all your comments ... I will try and get back to you, but am sorry if I don't always manage this ... sometimes real life just gets in the way! Claire xxx