FlowerScapes at the Floral Fringe Fair

Last weekend saw the Floral Fringe Fair at Knepp Castle. Our company FlowerScapes advised event-goers how to plant nectar and pollen rich flowers to help our declining insects. The fair was a great success and had a lovely mix of wildlife, vintage, yummy food, plant and craft stalls. Knepp Castle is privately owned by Sir Charles Burrell, and has been in his family for 220 years. Until recently most of the land on the Estate was devoted to traditional arable and dairy farming, but in 2001 they shifted their focus entirely, and embarked on a series of regeneration and restoration projects aimed primarily at nature conservation and a less intensive way of meat production. This method of re-wilding has been successfully introduced in Holland.

Strange and unusual plants being sold

Knepp Castle

Our FlowerScapes stall, before being prettied up with flowers

Not just vintage cars but people too.

Vintage bus

View of the castle and fair

Willow weaving

Lots of plant stalls

Vintage brocante

Steve in action at the FlowerScapes stall

Although there was a constant stream of people, because the stalls were spread out, the atmosphere felt relaxed

I want one!

Wood and willow weaving stall

Restored camper van, yep, want one of these too!

A nice event and the event goers really nice too, all very interested in creating more insect-friendly planting.

Newcastle in monochrome..

I ventured up north to Newcastle to give a talk at the North of England Beekeepers Convention, and found an hour to have a quick wander around this rather lovely city. The architecture is quite striking, a mix of beautiful old limestone buildings, but with a juxtaposition of modern, but artful, structures. Here are a few photographs which I have posted in monochrome, as the subject matter lends itself to it so well. Enjoy!

On the way home!

Hope you are having a nice weekend!

and the rains continue...

The Brits always have more than their fair share of conversations about the weather, but at the moment it does seem justified. The weather has truly been appalling this year, we have faced many floods already due to heavy downpours and yet the sky is more often than not grey and looming.

According to today's Telegraph, more than 500 flood warnings and alerts were in place yesterday, with the Environment Agency warning home owners in North-East England and North Wales to “remain vigilant” in the face of further heavy rainfall.

Picture: REUTERS/Darren Staples 

Forecasters said up to 2.73in (70mm) of rain, nearly a month’s worth, could fall in the North of England, with temperatures expected to drop sharply by the end of the week. Further persistent rain is predicted in Wales, the North and the East today. Surface water, slow to drain from saturated ground, could prove treacherous when combined with freezing conditions later in the week.

Picture: Robert Timoney / Rex Features

Three people died in flooding over the weekend. A 21-year-old woman was crushed by a falling tree and a 50-year-old man fell into a canal. John McNair, a 77-year-old retired company director, also died after his 4x4 vehicle was wedged under a bridge in a swollen ford following heavy rain in Chew Stoke, Somerset.

Picture: Paul Kingston / NNP

Fire and rescue services have received hundreds of calls to flood incidents, with the AA reporting hundreds more breakdowns as a result of the wet conditions. Many roads were closed or impassible, or downright dangerous to travel on causing hours of delays.

Some residents kayaked down the streets of Malmesbury, Wilts, while some home owners in Williton, Somerset, sealed their homes from 2ft of encroaching water using Plasticine. The RSPCA has reported more than 500 calls from people worried about animals in danger since Thursday. Officers yesterday rescued a horse, sheep and a chihuahua from a cut-off farmhouse, whilst residents in Broadway, Worcestershire, were being warned to boil their tap water amid fears that it could have been contaminated by floods and emergency supplies of bottled water were being distributed to more than 2,000 homes.

Luckily, we haven't as yet been too badly affected by the downpour. Yes, it's not good for the bees, who are totally confined to the hive, but on seeing the occasional blue sky do come out for a quick cleansing flight. Our garden is pretty soggy, and muddy!  Zaf, enjoying the puddles, brings about a kilo of silt into the house each time he is out for a walk! And getting clothes dry is a hopeless task without a tumble drier.

But mostly, having to get up early in the morning when the rain is lashing down from a dark and heavy sky, and it truly should be a 'duvet' day, is really not much fun...

Have a listen to this tune and watch the pitter patter roll down the window pane...