Thursday 28 January 2010

More of 1965 Garden and Happenings Today

I came across some more photos of the Dahlias we planted in our first garden in 1965. The others you will see in the previous post. Some bloggers had asked how we managed to grow them so well. I remember that they were quite hard work in that they had to be dug up every year and the tubers stored in 'flowers of sulphur' in the dark over the winter.











We grew many more flowers in that early garden and I used to bring them indoors and display them around the house.





This week we have been spending money. I had two new sofas delivered on Tuesday for my front sitting room. The existing ones were 20 years old and beginning to show their age. It has taken us well over a year to decide which to buy. I wanted small ones with firm cushions and plain, not ornamental sides. We found the stores were full of really large sofas and most of them very squashy with very wide arms. I also needed to have something that would fit in with the existing decor as we are not planning on changing that.

Do you like my cat by the way. He is called Jelly Cat. Alan bought this for me some years ago. Certainly not quite the same as the two gorgious Siamese cats we once had but cuddly all the same!



We also bought a new vacuum cleaner. I am so thrilled with this one. It is so tiny and light I can hardly believe it (when using it one pulls out the telescopic handle). My last one was 1700 watts and was so heavy I could hardly carry it upstairs. This one is 750 watts and it does a far better job than the last. I got it on a special promotion saving nearly 100 pounds and a voucher to send for a free set of quite a number of extras.




Lastly, I found this S*ilver C*ross Dolls Pram in a charity shop. I looks like the real thing and cost me £4.99p. I shall put it away until Bekah is old enough to use it.

23 comments:

Susan said...

Like your couch. Are they both the same? Do you have them facing each other?

Deanna said...

Dear Barbara,
Greetings from Kansas!
Stopping by to say hello and wish you well.
The sofa is great and I am sure it will be very comfortable.
The flowers are lovely and how I love flowers.
They brighten our lives.
God Bless,
d

Elizabethd said...

I've never grown dahlias successfuly, but my Grandfather took a great pride in his. I love the Bishop of Llandaff, a simple dahlia.

Vee said...

Lovely dahlias, but that does explain why mine didn't come back...no digging them up and saving them.

Wonderful sofas that will blend in anywhere. I often hear comments about how comfortable my sofa and chairs are, but how difficult to rise up from so I'll be looking for firmer cushions next time myself.

Glad that you've found a good vacuum for you. It looks as if it will tuck away nicely when not in use, too.

And Bekah is going to have such lovely walks with her dollies one day.

Your kitty Jelly Cat reminds me of Felix the cat.

Hope that all has been well with you, Barbara!

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I did gladolias for a few years that you had to did up each fall and plant again in the Spring then I finally tired of it and just let them go. They were a lot of work like your dahlias. So nice think about flowers on a cold snowy wintry day!

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I did gladolias for a few years that you had to did up each fall and plant again in the Spring then I finally tired of it and just let them go. They were a lot of work like your dahlias. So nice think about flowers on a cold snowy wintry day!

talesfromagarden said...

Hi Barbara,
Your hard work with the dahlias certainly paid off, they are fantastic,all colours of the rainbow!I recognise those in the third photo from the top,red with white edges, I entered them in a competition entitled "dancing dahlias" where I placed a figure of a male spanish dancer next to an arrangement of the dahlias and came away with 1st prize!
Your sofa and cleaner look great, I am all for the lighter variety for going up and down stairs!

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

Have always loved dahlias. In the early 90's, we had quite the flower garden. We planted dinner plate dahlias and they were exactly that...as large as a dinner plate. Beautiful. Alas, I have no pictures, only the memory. We enjoyed them so much.

Anonymous said...

Couches look super and I'm sure Bekah will be thrilled with the REAL pram
excellent price too!
Dahlias love Essex or vice versa
we always had super ones!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Oh, Bekah will be thrilled with that doll's pram! It's sweet.

I like your new furniture...and Mr. Jelly Cat looks quite comfortable there.

Those flowers are amazing...and you are certainly a wonderful gardener, unlike me!

Pom Pom said...

Hi Barbara! I know what you mean about those big sofas! We are storing two of our daughter's chairs and they are dwarfing our living room. It's hard to find just what you want. I like what you chose!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, beautiful dahlias! And isn't it wonderful to bring fresh flowers indoors from your own garden?

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Oooh the dahlias are just gorgeous.
I planted some last year, and hoping to have good luck with them again this year.
That's a lovely pram, top of the line too !
Looking forward to Spring, I'm sure you are too.

duopastorale said...

As I said before, I love dahlias.. and 1965 was a very important year for me ;)

Anonymous said...

Some great bargains Barbara. I have the vax hot water carpet shampooer but while it does a wonderful job, it is very heavy when full of water so I can only use it to do part of a room before taking a break. Lightweight and powerful is good.

Great bargain pram.

Magnificant dahlias. I love the look of the flower heads but have never grown them.

Tina said...

Those dahlias look stunning but seems hard work to keep them that pretty! Well done to you!
xx

Anonymous said...

The flowers are so pretty. I really like the red and white one.

Willow

Kate said...

Those flowers are lovely Barbara, and I love your cat. I had a Silver Cross dolls pushchair when I was little - it's in the loft waiting for a grandchild to love it!!!

*Ulrike* said...

Hello Barbara! Dahlias are one of my utmost favorites! They did not do too well last year, and usually I can leave them in the ground here in the south without any problems. This winter though has been very cold and wet so they might not have made it.
I had to replace my old sofa a couple of years ago. Hubby did not understand why even though I had it for 15 years. My daughter has it now. He would call it the couch monster since you could always fall asleep on it!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Barbara, Man those flowers sure look good to me today. 4 inches so far of snow. It is beautiful though. I love my couch and love seat and will be sitting, drinking tea and watching UK play ball today. I know this is your golden anniversary year as it is ours too, or maybe it was last year for you. I have forgotten got to go look it up. Blessings
QMM

Bernideen said...

How fun for that grandaughter!

Charm and Grace said...

Barbara, your pictures are wonderful and what a find in the pram. I know how excited my mother was when she found out my 3rd baby was going to be a girl. After two boys, finally we got to play dolls!

Blessings,
Christi

a woman who is said...

Looks like some great buys!

I am searching for a small but efficient vacuum myself. It is hard to find a good quality one around here. Your looks so nice and well built.

Loved the sweet peas along the fence in the last post!!! They must have smelt heavenly.