Here is Viola “Bowles Black” finally flowering on my balcony. It has taken months and months since receiving a tiny pack of seeds from Special Plants Nursery (for passionate gardeners) for this to happen. Almost daily inspection of progress - nothing, nothing, nothing and then a hint of green and then ….. pause for thought. Really, we are not talking speedy here. We are talking serious concentrated positive thinking and encouragement. However, here we ARE. Success. There are other little plants, but this is the first to flower. You have to admit, very sweet indeed. Thrilling.
I wrote about the beginning of this saga here: Another little thing in case it is interesting.
Also thrilling is the number of readers who have liked (here I wish to insert a pretty heart, but haven’t worked that out yet), followed and subscribed, since this kind mention by India Knight (guru):
“Bonnard, like Vuillard, was another member of Les Nabis - see the previous picture post - as was Sarah Lock’s great grandfather. She wrote about it here.”
In other news, I have a week off - apparently I have to take holiday otherwise it upsets HR (I’m not sure we actually have an HR department - but whoever keeps an eye on these things has insisted I take hols before a certain date and so that is what I’m doing). I am having lunch today with a friend in Pizza Express because neither of us does much apart from hoot with laughter when we meet, so a dainty dish isn’t really the right thing. Although, I must say that now PE don’t do The Save Venice pizza I can’t make my mind up about which pizza I need. It seems they can’t get the ingredients - so peculiar, because I can get capers and anchovies and sultanas quite easily. I purse lips.
A couple of days ago in the shop a mother and daughter came in to sort out a birthday present for the mother’s 90th birthday party - as you can imagine this required lots of negotiation by the daughter (I’ve been there) but in the end we succeeded in choosing a lovely necklace with ONE pearl on a wire. Very chic. They had been out to lunch at Malverleys Farm & Dining and raved (in a civilised sort way of course) and said it was lovely. I haven’t been yet, but plan to quite soon. We became fast friends, what with chic necklace and foodie talk, so I managed to extract the source of divine linen shirt the daughter was wearing and bought it. In the sale but even so:
Plumo of course:
This is the Sailmaker shirt and can you see the buttons go all the way down to the hem - so smart. Anyway it is lovely and I am waiting with bated breath for it to arrive, no doubt just in time for the sun to come out and make white linen necessary (currently in head to toe navy linen … and a vest camisole). Please bear in mind that I don’t look remotely like the model, being rounder, shorter and have freckles and could, I suspect be her grandmother, so the effect won’t be entirely the same, but I shall love it I know.
There is much to learn about Substack - but now I can do a link and insert a photo without too much pain, next will be how to insert a heart and I’m sure there is an easy way to do this but …. I must get on the bus so I can go and hoot in Pizza Express.
If you felt like it - apparently if you like this by pressing the heart (MUST learn how to insert this) it is a good thing. And DO comment - I’ll certainly respond - I love a gossipy comment moment. Off I go ….
Very pretty!
That viola is gorgeous! I've already bought some seeds to sow for next year. Can't wait!