Oolong knits

Hoku by Jana Huck. An amazing example of mosaic knitting.

Freshly arrived from the store and I have not yet decided where these will go. In a container or directly in the soil? Outdoors or indoors? Ferns are really easy to grow and require very little attention. They thrive in moist, well-drained, shady sites in humus-rich soil. To keep the soil in good shape, give it a boost by applying a good mulch, such as well-rotted manure. If the soil is very poor, feed with fish, blood and bone in spring. If necessary, water them, but apply water to the roots and avoid wetting the leaves. There are a huge variety of fern species and cultivars. They are all perennials and many are hardy. They can be deciduous , like the large ones growing in my garden, or evergreen , like the varieties I have just bought. These are Hart's tongue fern (Asplenium Scolopendrium), the pretty broad leaves, and Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium Trichomanes), the charming little ones packed with spores. According to RHS , Asplenia are hardy and tolerant of dry shade,...

Danzig by Justyna Lorkowska. Simply lovely and an easy knit.

Before moving to the UK, I lived in Germany for several years. It was there that I first knew of this wonderful plant. I love the delicate white flowers of ramsons and their leaves are also quite attractive. But it is their garlicky scent, that can be felt whenever one walks through the woods in Spring, that I love the most. It always brings back happy memories. The German eat Baerlauch leaves in sauces and dips. The flavour is similar to garlic or chives, but more delicate. However, my favourite way to use them is Baerlauch omelette. It is quite a simple recipe, just eggs and ramsons' leaves. Even though, the RHS assures me they grow in full sun, I have always seen ramsons grow under the dark shade of trees in the wild and that is exactly where I am planting the roots I have just bought (one can be seen in the photo, next Spring I will hopefully be able to add a photo of the grown plant). They like a moist and fertile soil. This is a wild plant, that requires no care besides...

Fern & Feather by Jennifer Steingass. A simple, classic design, but so beautiful!

Clematis are a family of very popular climbers. They are hardy perennials, that prefer sunny places, but can also thrive in semi-shade. They are popular because of their gorgeous flowers. I have a few plants in my garden, all pretty, but unfortunately in shade, which means they do not yield too many flowers. Clematis are relatively easy plants to keep, but they do require some loving care. Some varieties need to be pruned, others not so much, but they all require care in late winter or early spring with the application of fertilizer and mulch in order to give plenty of flowers. As most climbers, they also require training, although they can just be left to grow in the soil. More details about their care can be found here .

a_simmetrie by Cecilia Flori is a very original sweater design in simple lines. The pattern uses only one colour, but I could not resist the two colour choice made by Nicolor .

Begonias are easy to care for plants which yield many beautiful flowers throughout Summer. Absolutely lovely in your garden and great for hanging baskets. There are many different varieties with different colours and shapes. I personally have a few different ones in my garden. They are perennials, but unfortunately tender ones, so they do not normally survive winter outside in cold climates. The ones I have in my garden have not been planted by me, but they are located in particular protected places and have somehow succeeded surviving winter all on their one. However, since they start coming out of the soil relatively late, I would not count on begonias showing up like these have. Much better to play it safe and buy every year or lift them before first frost and later replant them outside after the danger of frost has passed. Here is a bit more if information on these lovely plants.