Garden-Spring-Work - making progress...

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Last week...pruned all fruit trees and cutting off dead branches...


...here from one of the Fig trees,

this week... cleared old Hazelnut tree, nearly completely overgrown with ivy and brambles

Although the birds love it....hovering and chirping around, in and out...

but now...at least...

...I can see my "Chinese Beauty", the tree peony, clearly and in full size from the kitchen door.

 She's a real 'tough' one...survived the drought last year, the terrible 2 weeks of  hard frost in February,

and developing rapidly lots of buds

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 very promising for beautiful flowers, so exiting - as every year!

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But... Oh-Oh....the Oleander...

:(  :(

Will it ever be again as it used to be ???

growing to that size which took 18 years? will it ever have leaves again and beautiful flowers?

 I'll keep my hope up!  It might take 2 years for developing leaves and flowering again....if...!

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As the medal has always two sides...

Santolina ....will certainly survive...

 ... like here...

and ...there are signs of new life...

 another Tree Peony obviously liked the period of hard frost, 

 

...growing happily, even in our very poor soil!

 As well as the rose shrub at/on (?) our back wall...

 growing and growing - by the day....

 ... great promise for lots of wonderful roses...

...more than last year

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Making also progress with the usual "Frühjahrsputz" - the spring work...

cleaning the houses, washing rugs...

...like these two old handmade Danish ones from the 1800's...

...which we call in German "Flickenteppich"...

made of bits and pieces of all kind of textiles/fabrics

Found them on one of my buying trips to Scandinavia  in the 1980's
at the time when I had my Antique shop in Hamburg,

 kept for myself,  just love them...

 ...as well as Oskar does!   Soon after they're off the line..

 

tout de suite ...straight away on it!

 

They were Oskar's favorite playground during his 'prison time'...for weeks and weeks...

..and now they need to be repaired!

Some years ago newly made ones were available at IKEA, 

much smaller and not nearly as nice as the old handmade ones like these.
I just can feel and imagine the time when woman made them, 'weaving' their thoughts and dreams into....

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During the time of clearing dead branches, brambles etc.....,

...burning a lot of stuff...

...getting sad about shrubs we've lost for ever,

and when my arms and hands looked like I went through a jungle,
 then I felt here and there the need of 'something'...

of something uplifting and playful...

 ...thinking   "what could I do..."  with these wonderful branches...

...far too good and decorative for burning...

so,  kept some for later or further use...and played around with ideas....

...with a necklace...

 ..looks like black berries...

..fruity and juicy..

....with a ring...

both pieces were lovely late Christmas presents...

and designed by our blogger friend  Marsha  from  Splenderosa    here

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more branches I'll keep for....collages...

..with my collection of large 18th century keys made of bronze...

or...

..together with some old linen and ticking...

just love these old branches with naturally grown lichen and moss...

...with beautifully pale bark...

...playing with old 18th handcrafted nails..

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...playing again with fashion jewellery...

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 many possibilities and ideas

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When we had a few cold days last week I went back to my linen stock,
sorted out more chests and trunks....

 ..all the old French farmers linen....

...and hemp sheets...

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Where- and whenever there is any kind of activity with old linen...

...His Highness is not far!

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...listing, making inventory, preparing....for the foreseen post "Old Linen - Part 2"
which will come for sure....later...probably after Easter, sorry.
There is just so much, and to give you proper and profound information
it certainly requires more than 2 parts.  But I'll make it, step by step!

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By the way...
Had a break from gardening and cleaning etc...
and - as some of my dear readers have probably noticed -
I went for a short stip-visit to the blogworld.

And when I 'arrived' at  Acquired Objects and read Debra's  post "The Ultimate Monogram"

here

...I've learned that we both share an admiration for 'Coats of Arms'.

While going through my stock of old linen - I found this:

Pair of pictures, original maple frames, English, 19th century

 "Per Deum Et Ferrum Obtinui" - "By God and my sword I have obtained",
or loosely translated: "I got there by God's help and by the sword"

I made some research and found out that this coat of arms could be related to
the Lord Arthur Hill family    here

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"DEUS DITAT" -  "God Enriches"
 
have not found anything so far about this original English coat of arms, except:
"Seal of Arizona" and "Arizona State Motto"  (???)

Both pictures are for sale

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A lovely and charming piece

18th or early 19th Century, metal with remains of the old paint,

Upper Rhine region which could be from Alsace, or North of Basel, or near Black Forest...

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 For sale

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To be honest - only a tiny a suggestion of coat of arms on these two 19th century German grain sacks

but charming...

This one is also for sale.

For further information, please drop me a mail.

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 Suddenly - like over night...

 ...our garden is filled with the scent of this Viburnum

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 Pulstatilla 
less flowers than last year...

...but at least!

Happy Spring Weekend to all of YOU !

A bientôt