Two weeks running on a Sunday to Columbia Road Flower Market! But this time I did it the right way round. St Paul's Cathedral for Matins, then the Market. This saves carrying plants into the Cathedral!
Singing was uplifting as ever, with Canon Hollis preaching on 'confidence'. I feel closer to Yvonne there in that massive place.
The children dancing to the m musician at the entrance to the Market were a joy to watch. There is always so much going on with street musicians, antique and gardening shops in addition to the plants and flowers.
Last week at the Market I contented myself with a couple of herbs and some bulbs. This week I bought a Bottle Brush Plant - we had one some years back. The plant I bought is about a foot high so will mature well when I re-pot tomorrow. The bright red spikes are said to resemble the kind of brush you clean inside bottles - see last photograph. I bought one where only one spike is burst into flower. Lots to look forward to seeing.
The arch towards the back of the rear garden is bereft of any life so I bought a clematis and a passion flower - from the elderly gentleman in the second from last shot. He was kindly and helpful. The passion flower (Caerulea) is what I would call the traditional purple and white whilst the clematis is Piilu - scarlet - flowering early summer and later too. Planting tomorrow - too tired today! The passion flowers are at the back of the shot and the clematis is on the right in the foreground.
I bought two bunches of Dutch tulips for Heather in red and yellow. Heather met me at Hainault Station - which was a great help for struggling onto buses and trains with the plants and flowers tested my nerve somewhat! Lunch with Heather and Robert, Luke and Marlon. Good food and so good to see them all.
