Posted in Cardiff, Nature, Trees, tagged Bute, Cardiff, Trees on July 25, 2015| 28 Comments »
Half-dead tree surrounded by a fence in Bute Park, Cardiff, on May 8, 2015
I have been intrigued by this half-dead tree in Bute Park, Cardiff, since May. Now at last I know what species it is, but it took a while to learn its secrets. Bear with me, as I think it’s worth the wait! (more…)
Posted in Words, tagged design, Nostalgia, textiles, Words on July 21, 2015| 9 Comments »
Black gingham shoes with rosebud trim by Betsey Johnson
I suppose gingham is a fabric we all remember from our childhood and teenage years – mine were in the 1960s and 1970s – and with a revival of fashion from that era it now seems as popular as ever. Or was that LAST year? But this post is about words as much as fashion – did you know the word gingham came from Malaya?
My mother made me some (more…)
Posted in Cardiff, Gardening, tagged Bute, Cardiff, flowers, Gardening on July 12, 2015| 11 Comments »
Pink peony in the herbaceous borders of Bute Park, Cardiff, in July 2015
Every month or so I am visiting the herbaceous borders in Bute Park, Cardiff, to see what’s in bloom and learn to identify a few more plants. This visit was on July 2, just after I had been to check up on the Paulownia tree I am following. It was early, so I stopped for breakfast at the park’s Summerhouse Cafe before walking through the borders to work.
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Posted in Cardiff, Nature, Trees, tagged Bute, Cardiff, Nature, Paulownia, Trees on July 7, 2015| 15 Comments »
Fresh leaves on the empress tree, Paulownia tomentosa, in Bute Park, Cardiff, on July 2, 2015
Last month, as the purple flowers were falling and the leaves were just opening, the empress tree I am following in Bute Park, Cardiff, looked a mess – and I feared she would look terrible all summer. But bless her, she now looks splendid all clad in fresh greenery.
You may recall I am following this Paulownia tomentosa, also known as the foxglove tree, princess tree or empress tree, as part of the excellent Loose and Leafy tree-following project.
My latest visit to (more…)
Posted in Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Bute, Cardiff, Trees on July 1, 2015| 8 Comments »
Wingnut tree in Bute park, Cardiff, March 26, 2015
I had heard about the champion wingnut tree in Bute Park, Cardiff, months before I first located it. I have been visiting the park – and the Paulownia tree I am following – since January, but I didn’t spot the wingnut tree until March. Despite the fact that it is considered to be a bit of a landmark, next to the red footbridge over the River Taff.
Here are (more…)
The Squirrelbasket 