Vegetable Materia Medica

This is the book that I spent nearly all my money on at Kempton Antiques market. A manual of Vegetable Materia Medica, by George S.V. Wills M.P.S., &c., published by Simpkin, Marshall & Co in 1878. I don't usually spend more than 2 0r 3 quid on an old book but this is quite possibly the most beautiful book I ever beheld. Still a bargain at £10 and there are 23 more plates of hand coloured exquisite vegetable parts. Sigh.....

I have just discovered more about the author George Sampson Valentine Wills - he was born on Valentine's day in 1849. You can read more about him here.

Trail of tears

I received a lovely package from my friend, Marc containing some very special beans and a lovely Louise Bourgeois postcard. The beans are from The Real Seed Catalogue, No. 99046 'Cherokee Trail of Tears'

This bean was originally from the native North American Cherokee people. In 1838 they were driven out of their homelands in the state of Georgia by the US government to make room for more European settlers , a forced march known as the 'Trail of Tears'. This bean is one of their heirlooms they managed to keep with them and has been passed on from generation to generation ever since.

Yellow

And then it started to rain

Allotment

Cloches

These plastic water bottles make great cloches for starting the beetroot seedlings off. We planted some of these without cloches too. The ones in plastic are bigger and stronger and seemed to retain the moisture really well.