100 ABSTRACTS - NUMBER 74 & A WILDFLOWER

I can’t believe that on the last day of June, I am sitting in my lounge wearing my thick fleece! Meanwhile Mr. HCB is pottering in the garden and says he’s not cold - I’m even thinking of wearing my fingerless gloves so that I can type!

When we looked out of our bedroom window this morning, as we usually do, to survey our garden, Mr. HCB pointed out a poppy that was blooming in our border.  Some of you may recall that we have lost our two wonderful clumps of dark red poppies that we brought from Mr. HCB’s mother’s garden over 25 years ago, after she died and they have bloomed every year since, but this year they were cut down by the late April frosts.  However, we do have some seeds, so are hoping that we can sow these and hope they will grow for next year.

This particular poppy is not from that same plant - the leaves are different and the colour is not such a bright red, but I thought that it deserved its fifteen minutes of fame on Blip, and another "Two for One" as it is definitely a wild flower, so will fit the Wildflower Week challenge - see extra.  However, a little fartnarkling took place in the iColorama app.  

It also gave me the 74th in my 100 Abstracts Challenge, which I am doing to raise awareness of the Mamie Martin Fund, which provides financial assistance to girls in North Malawi so that they can obtain a good secondary school education.

For those who live in Scotland, you might be interested in this garden at Humbie Dean, which will be open on 8th July between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Just wish we lived nearby so that we could visit - having looked on the map, we hope to visit Northumberland in September, so as it's not far from there, we might just pop over and see if we can visit then.

From the Mamie Martin Fund website, where you can find more information under Events or from this website:

“After a challenging year in 2020, Frank Kirwan is kindly opening his lovely garden within at Humbie Dean on 8th July 2021 and 60% the entrance fee of £5 will go to the Mamie Martin Fund. 

A two-acre ornamental and woodland garden sandwiched between two burns at 600 feet with interest throughout a long season. A limited palette of plants with hosta, hellebores, perennial geranium, primula, meconopsis, martagon lilies, spring bulbs, ground cover, herbaceous and shrub planting, bluebell meadow, mature and recent azalea and rhododendron planting. A short woodland walk has been created, only accessible by a series of steps.”

 Every little helps, so if you would like to sponsor me, the link is below.

“Character cannot be developed 
     in ease and quiet. 
Only through experience 
     of trial and suffering 
          can the soul be strengthened, 
ambition inspired, 
     and success achieved.” 
Helen Keller

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MaureenIles