Wednesday, July 3, 2013

A Lawn Gone Wild And Other Things.

Living here in the countryside we are lucky to have a large garden. There are quite a few trees, including apple, hazel, holly, hawthorn and elder. The birds all love these, even the two conifers where the pigeons nest  every year. I have plenty of space for flower borders and there is quite a big patch of lawn. When my children were teeny hobbits they needed this to play games, ride bikes, have paddling pools, playhouses and camp outs. Now they are teenagers and although they still love to be out in the garden, they don't need all the space anymore. So this year I decided it would be a good idea to let part of the lawn turn wild.
Four areas have been left with paths cut between.  It's beginning to look rather good, so I thought I'd show you. Everything that has come up, has done so on it's own. I haven't planted anything. It's exciting walking through the mowed paths wondering what might emerge next?
It's so much more pretty than a cropped short lawn and so much better for insects and wildlife. Wouldn't it be great if everyone let a small patch go wild.

I will keep you posted on any new guests that appear. :)
Also if you feel strongly about wild plants and want to see more being left and not brutally cut down for tidiness especially on our road verges. Plantlife have a campaign and petition here  Please do take a look and sign.
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Last weekend I went to visit my sister in Cornwall. On Saturday it was  Mazey Day in Penzance. A wonderful lively day. Stalls, music and processions filled the streets.


Bright colours were everywhere that you turned. So inspiring. 
A lovely day indeed. Then on Sunday I had the the icing on the cake, so to speak.  A trip to Eden to see Sigur Ros.
Eden was the perfect setting. The concert was just magical, amazing, stunning, fantastic and I am still in awe. I have added the memories to my very treasured ones. :)
                                                                                ~*~
So now it's time for that giveaway that I mentioned the last time I was here.....
Recently I passed 2000 sales in my Etsy shop, so to celebrate I will be giving away the items in the picture below, to one lucky winner.  (One print and seven postcards)

This will run on my Facebook page as well. If you would like to enter, either comment on this post or on the same picture on my Facebook page here. I will randomly pick a winner this Friday 5th July at 6.30pm. So this is a short time span.  Good luck my dearlings x

Update
After adding all comments together.The giveaway winner that was drawn on Friday evening was Lesley Webb. Congratulations to Lesley and thanks everyone for taking part. :) x

33 comments:

  1. Another lovely post!
    love your wild lawn...you will be looking forward to seeing the little visitors it will attract.
    Your cards and paintings are exquisite and beautiful!

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  2. I have done the same with our lawn _ Compostgirl is too old now to run around on a lawn :-) so I have left it to go wild - as if we did not have enough wild areas already !Lol

    All good for wildlife, though :-)

    Have entered your giveaway - hope I win :-)

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  3. I love the idea of letting the lawn go wild. I live in an apartment now, but someday... How wonderful that you got to see Sigur Ros! Experiencing them live is also high on my list! Love your work as always and would love to win some of your beautiful creations. Happy Summer to you!

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  4. Yes, I couldn't agree more about allowing nature to creep beyond the edges with it's wild beauty. Lovely. As usual, I so enjoy all of your work. Thank you! ~ Deb :-)

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  5. Very tempting, the lawn project... Love your art pieces, as usual! :)

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  6. Congratulations on your amazing Etsy sales!

    I am all in favour of wild areas, bravo to you. The bees, butterflies, moths, bats, worms and hedgehogs say "Thank you Karen".

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  7. Wow, what a great giveaway! (And, like others, I approve your lawn!)

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  8. The deep verges along our tracks and lanes are bursting with grasses and wildflowers; they are filled with bees, butterflies and wee scurrying furry creatures. When we tried growing meadow sections in the garden (which is re-claimed farm land)they filled only with groundelder, thistles, nettles, cleavers! Enjoy your garden, it looks fab.
    Your give-away treasures are beautiful, how generous of you to offer them - they'd look great in my sitting room...Blessings from the Galloway hills x

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  9. Love the wild lawn! I'd love to have a wild flower area in my garden one day.

    I'd love to be entered into the giveaway if possible please :)

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  10. I have a whole garden gone wild - partly because of my shocking lack of gardening knowledge, but also because I don't like to use weed killer so the nettles are currently winning the fight against the fork! Tonia x

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  11. beautiful blog. i m sad to this this year and last i have had no butterflies in my garden despite planting for them.so good on you.

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  12. You must have a very large garden, it looks so lovely. Yes having a wild patch is great. My mom created a wild pond area, just a small pond with various wild flowers, we now get so many beautiful unknown flowers and the frogs love the pond (despite there being a much larger one in the garden). This pond also is so healthy and the water looks so clear.

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  13. Love your lawn gone wild! (happy wildlife AND less mower fumes! ~ win/win! :))))
    Got fingers crossed for being the lucky winner of your give away!

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  14. I love wild gardens with pathways through it! I did this when my kids were small and used it as a walking ( and running for them) path. I would love to do it again just for me.
    I also love your artwork and the feelings it brings out in me!

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  15. I have left the bottom of my garden running free with just a path cut through it! I love to see the flowers that have moved in of their own accord, the only thing I planted was yellow rattle which took a couple of years to get going!
    Please enter me in your lovely giveaway!

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  16. LOVE the new wild area. Yes, Your butterflies will thank you. And so jealous of the celebration in Penzance. It is one of my favorite little villages in all the world!

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  17. I very much believe in letting parts of the yard go wild. Its so much more interesting that way.
    And, Sigur Ros!! I'm so jealous ;)

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  18. Ooh were to begin with such a lovely post! OK I will start at the very beginning.......LOVE the wild and free grass in your garden, Karen. A simply lovely place for Butterflies and Bees and all wild life.....How 'fabby' you got to see Sigur Ros!! I actually treated my self to the CD at Christmas time, it always reminds me of your beautiful blog! I have been to Penzance, many moons ago! A great place. LOVE the festival....an array of talent and wonderful colours, sights and sounds!
    Could I be entered this time in your ever so kind give away!
    Please and thank you! As always loving your beautiful work! Have a great weekend, Karen......I hear a heat wave is forcast for us all! Yippee! Hugs Maria x

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  19. Wishing I had enough lawn to let it go wild, but then according to my neighbour it is wild! I have lots of weeds and only mow once every couple weeks :) There are elders on the hedge, though, and a yew tree is growing grandly wild where it chose to grow.
    Lovely post, now I must go YTube Sigur Ros as I confess have never heard of him!

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  20. Similar experience here - grass kept short when my son was young but now that he has flown the nest, I have left the 'lawn' to it's own devices and it gets cut once a year in the autumn. This year was the best yet and so full of buttercups especially and the wild carrots with all their frothy foliage were spectacular. The cats love their 'jungle' too :)
    How lovely the concert must have been - just the right setting for their ethereal music. What a treat! x

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  21. Wildflower meadows and Cornwall are two of my favourite things so I enjoyed this post! Mazey day looks like a treat for the eyes, and having been to the Eden Project, I can imagine that seeing Sigur Ros there was very special indeed. Love your wildlife friendly lawn too.

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  22. I will sign that petition. We do have a lot of grass left uncut but I have always wanted to create a proper wildflower meadow area. I may get round to it soon. Your grassy area looks great, let us know what comes up.

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  23. I have areas that have I have 'let go to weed and wildflower' and love it. Some weeds need 'to be gone' though. Your art is truly wonderful and I think you live in a magical place.

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  24. How lovely to see, as nature intended.
    Maura
    x

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  25. Hello Karen,
    what a lovely giveaway. Would fit perfectly to my other both picture from you. ;-) Therefore I will jump into your "Lostöpfchen".
    Susi from Bavaria

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  26. Half my garden is wild too, knee high grass with clear cat paths running through it. There were loads of buttercups earlier in the summer but they've given way to the grass now. Oh and can I be in the competition?

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  27. I love the idea of letting your garden grow wild. There's something about wild greenery that no landscaping can replace. And wow, Sigur Ros! That must have been a fun experience. :)

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  28. Love a garden gone wild. Nature does it so much better than we ever can!
    I've only got a wee stone and granite patio but live right on the edge of Dartmoor so that's my wild garden.....Thanks for sharing yours!
    x x Jen x x

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  29. Your wild garden is so lovely. I prefer wild flowers and let them grow where they like in our garden and love to see the bumble bees pottering amongst them. Penzance looked fun - we haven't been there since 2007 so really should plan a visit. Karen x

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  30. Wonderful pictures. It looks like you had so much fun !!!

    Congratulations to the winner !!

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  31. I'm too late for your giveaway but what a lovely bunch of treats for the lucky winner!
    Your wild patch is doing well! Our lawn has buttercups, daisies and clover (a lot of clover!) growing in it and that's with cutting too. I expect there would be so much more if it was left to grow. Don't worry, there are plenty of wild areas where the flower borders are supposed to be! ;)
    Jess xx

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  32. Your little patch of wild lawn is just beautiful! I can imagine fairies cavorting among the little wildflowers!

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