Marché aux fleurs revisited

Having only just returned from Japan, we had another short break last weekend, with two days in Paris to celebrate our anniversary.
 
Paris in the Springtime! We are fortunate that Paris is a short journey for us either via Luton airport or train (just one change from the station five minutes walk from home).
 
With only a short stay planned we decided not to have too much of a plan and just enjoyed being there. A favourite haunt of us both is Marché aux fleurs, a flower market on Île de la Cité (one of the two islands in the Seine in central Paris), close to Notre Dame.

Its quite an eclectic market, with produce aimed at both tourists and locals alike. After all there's not many tourists that could take home a large bamboo or yucca as a souvenir.

Although most of the weekend was bright and sunny, we did seem to manage to visit the market during the only overcast period in the whole weekend!



Notre Dame

Shortly after we had left the market the sun was back!

Gaz

 

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First of June Blooms

I got inspired by Loree's latest blog post sharing her first of June blooms so here's a few of ours...

Magnolia laevifolia (syn. M. yunnanensis)

The buds look like almonds before they open and the blooms scent is lovely!

Spreading away as usual - Euphorbia deflexa

Kniphofia northiae blooms are as robust and chunky looking as the plant itself

Sometimes the best way to get a good look at the blooms is...

to cut them off and move closer to you.

Especially if it's on the tips of branches over 30 feet high

Paulownia tomentosa

Never noticed them until I stooped down by chance, dainty blooms from Actinidia kolomikta

With summer on its way I'm sure there will be more blooms to look forward. And even more foliage of course!

Mark :-)

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Chelsea 2014 - Things to Come

With the 2014 RHS Chelsea Flower Show just a couple of weeks away we thought it would be a good time to have a look at what this years show has to offer.

With the gardens divide up into the main Show gardens as well as the Artisan and Fresh Garden categories there looks to be an interesting selection of styles and ideas to explore.

As well as the outside gardens the Great Pavilion provides indoor space and includes new exhibitors such as Drointon Nurseries, City of Cape Town, Creative Garden Design and PW Bamboo, whilst longstanding exhibitor Hilliers will be creating a display on the Monument site at the centre of the Great Pavilion to mark their 150th anniversary. The Hilliers display is usually extremely bold and colourful, and normally includes a few plants we would be keen to grow at home. The quality of the garden designs look very high this year.

Hilliers are not the only exhibitor marking an anniversary in the Great Pavilion this year, others include NAFAS’s display celebrating their Emerald anniversary (55 years) titled “A Green Thought in a Green Shade”, a one-off display by Perennial marking their 175 years of support for horticulturists and a stunning display by South West in Bloom highlighting “Fifty Golden Years of Bloom”.

Chelsea has in previous years displayed many exhibits from councils up and down the country, whilst there are not as many doing this these days - (less budgets available and often less botanically minded parks departments), one council that has made a name for itself in recent years is Birmingham City Council. Their Great Pavilion display will this year remember those who were involved in the First World War. I would antipate that this will be a common theme this year on a number of exhibits, with its being 100 years since the outbreak of war and also flower shows home at the Royal Hospital.

Gardens

The Brand Alley Garden

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Competition: Win a Bouquet of Flowers

The lovely people at Serenata Flowers, an award winning online UK florist & plants shop are offering one reader the chance to win a £40 bouguet of flowers of their choice.

Brightly coloured Dendrobium orchids

You can choose the flowers that you like best, whether thats Orchids, roses or something else. How about a touch of the exotic with the aptly named Amazonia bouquet.

Get your jungle jive on at Club Tropicana - 'cos these showgirl heliconias sure know how to party. Big, bold shapes. Big, bold colours. Big, bold impact.

So to enter, simply tell us your favourite flower and why you like it. The winner will be selected at random from all entries made.

Extra entries can be made by following us and sharing this competition on Twitter or by liking our page and sharing the competition on Facebook. An additional entry can be made by "following" this blog via Google Friend Connect

Terms and conditions: This competition closes at 23.59 on 20 September 2013. Any entries received after this time will not be counted. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 years or older to enter. By entering this competition you agree and consent to your name being published and by taking part in the competition, entrants are deemed to have read, understood and accepted all of the Terms and Conditions and agreed to be bound by them. The winner will be selected at random from the correct entries and will be announced here on the blog. Please make sure we are able to contact you if you do win, as we will need to provide your details to Serenata Flowers to arrange for your prize to be sent to you. 

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