Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

vivatifosi

carolt wrote: »

Our rhubarb is gorgeous!

OH forced some and brought it home - I was in Waitrose today and a smaller bunch cost just a shade under 4 quid! :eek:

It's a funny old world isn't it? Within the space of twenty or thirty years we've grown to expect "seasonal" fruit and vegetables to be available twelve months of the year, even if they are flown in from Chile, Kenya or Australia; while a foodstuff that used to be grown in practically every working class garden in the country has become a luxury.

harryhound

misskool wrote: »

I'm completely and utterly depressed. I went out to start weeding only to realise I have an entire patch of garden filled with groundsel, lesser celandine, dandelions, ivy and cow parsley.

And my sodding tomatoes have decided they want to start flowering.

Can we do a swap? I'll take your five in exchange for my bind weed and you can stick the tomatoes in my greenhouse.:D'

tomterm8

vivatifosi wrote: »

while a foodstuff that used to be grown in practically every working class garden in the country has become a luxury.

Rhubarb is a fine vegetable*... especially when you turn it into Rhubarb wine. Having said that, we didn't force it this year, because we have has exceptionally heavy frosts until March, and didn't want to kill it off.

* it's not technically a fruit, so I assume its a vegitable.

misskool

tomterm8 wrote: »

You have tomatoes? That's organised. We've just put in raspberries, but we haven't sown any vegetable yet... we are well behind, and need to spend at least a week weeding.

I have tomatoes, broccoli, purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower to be planted out. Already have a row of early peas battling the slugs and etc etc. I just hate weeding

tomterm8 wrote: »

Rhubarb is a fine vegetable*... especially when you turn it into Rhubarb wine. Having said that, we didn't force it this year, because we have has exceptionally heavy frosts until March, and didn't want to kill it off.

* it's not technically a fruit, so I assume its a vegitable.

Can't force my rhubarb as it's only a second year crown but I can watch those stalks coming out and I can taste it already. :rotfl:

harryhound wrote: »

Can we do a swap? I'll take your five in exchange for my bind weed and you can stick the tomatoes in my greenhouse.:D'

At least you can glyphosphate your bind weed. NOTHING kills sodding lesser celandne. Like ivy, nettles and brambles, it will survive a nuclear warhead.

vivatifosi

harryhound wrote: »

I think I agree with the Investments tips: Ercol "real" wood furniture and Czech (as against Mirano) glass from the 50's & 60's.

Anyone out there on top of the decorating zeitgeist ?

I'd like to see more interest in twentieth century design. As fc has said before now, it fits our post-war homes better than Victorian or earlier items. Its a good time to buy as it is still possible to buy a good 1960s sideboard in solid wood for less than £30.

Here are a few of my favourite bits. All quite expensive, but good for inspiring a certain look:
Alvar Aalto glassware: http://www.aalto.com/
Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chair: http://www.knoll.com/products/product.jsp?prod_id=577
Kartell's Louis Ghost chair (actually this may be very early 21st century, I'm not sure): http://www.design-conscious.co.uk/mall/designconscious/products/product-829339.stm
the British milk bottle (makes a lovely informal flower vase)
Philippe Starck's Alessi Juicy Salif: http://www.design-conscious.co.uk/mall/designconscious/products/product-829339.stm
The Mondaine Swiss Railway clock:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mondaine-Swiss-Railway-Clock-White/dp/B0009362AK
The G Plan Astro coffee table:
http://www.gumtree.com/london/48/56508748.html
And the one item I covet more than any other...
The LeCorbusier Chaise Longue:
http://www.nest.co.uk/browse/brand/cassina/-/cassina_lc4_chaise_longue/

LydiaJ

misskool wrote: »

I'm completely and utterly depressed. I went out to start weeding only to realise I have an entire patch of garden filled with groundsel, lesser celandine, dandelions, ivy and cow parsley.

And my sodding tomatoes have decided they want to start flowering.

Count yourself lucky, misskool. I used to have a lawn (OK, a lawn with added dandelions, moss and celandines) but after my kids' activities this afternoon with the paddling pool, I now have a swamp instead.

tomterm8

misskool wrote: »

I have tomatoes, broccoli, purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower to be planted out. Already have a row of early peas battling the slugs and etc etc. I just hate weeding

Cool, well your vegitable garden seems a little more organized than ours... although, to be frank, we've cut down on vegetable growing a lot... still like our runner beans. These days we only grow things we actually eat... so peas, beans, carrots, lettice, and lots and lots of soft fruit;)

But we only eat about 2 cauliflowers a year

misskool wrote: »

NOTHING kills sodding lesser celandne. Like ivy, nettles and brambles, it will survive a nuclear warhead.

You have to dig out part of the root with bramble )the bit the shoots come out of). Nettles are difficult to get rid of, only digging every piece of root works... theoretically... but our nettles are always with us. Its the couch grass that kills us, though. It always choses to grow right next to a perennial and its roots go down to australia.

lostinrates

vivatifosi wrote: »

Who among us wouldn't like to build our own island in paradise?

Me.

Having lived on islands in paradise I learnt sea side living is bad for hair and rusts cars. Itscool for a holiday, but for life? Give me green fields and a river any day!

harryhound

vivatifosi wrote: »

I'd like to see more interest in twentieth century design. As fc has said before now, it fits our post-war homes better than Victorian or earlier items. Its a good time to buy as it is still possible to buy a good 1960s sideboard in solid wood for less than £30.

Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chair: http://www.knoll.com/products/product.jsp?prod_id=577
Kartell's Louis Ghost chair (actually this may be very early 21st century, I'm not sure): http://www.design-conscious.co.uk/mall/designconscious/products/product-829339.stm

the British milk bottle (makes a lovely informal flower vase):D
Philippe Starck's Alessi Juicy Salif: http://www.design-conscious.co.uk/mall/designconscious/products/product-829339.stm

The G Plan Astro coffee table:
http://www.gumtree.com/london/48/56508748.html
And the one item I covet more than any other...
The LeCorbusier Chaise Longue:
http://www.nest.co.uk/browse/brand/cassina/-/cassina_lc4_chaise_longue/

Hmmm.
There are a lot of those Barcelona Chairs about - presumably reproductions?
Polycarbonate ( the plastic used for record player tops)? I think I would worry about durability at the corners. OK if well designed=no sharp changes in direction - everything rounded to relieve the stress.
Would that be the pint milk bottle that used to have a cardboard seal. went out of use in the 50's?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alessi-Juicy-Salif-Squeezer-PSJS/dp/B00004YTQZ ?
Cor - Definitely "War of the Worlds" stuff. (but what about the little row of glass pegs to catch the pips?).
G plan coffee table - my loft is home to an oval version - with a real GLASS top.
(The donor at our wedding is dead now:o;)).
LC Chaise Longue: I know someone with one of these or perhaps a reproduction?
(Either way it is v heavy - not a single handed move if you want it upstairs in the boudoir )
.

lostinrates

re interiors: choice is grand. who as it who said to have nothing in your home that is not both useful and beautiful? I go by that. I inherited this from my mother who likes beautiful things that are useless, and my father who really likes useful things.

I kind of resent the antiques thingy. I think they are super wonderful things, and to help people have an appreciation of them is fantastic, but ..yadah yaddah...can't those people save for things a little bit? I think the room looked ok at the end, but it would have been better had she bought things she loved over time.

I have visions of the candle sticks falling on her in bed : they left little room on the bed side table.

I'm going to look at our stuff in storage tomorrow If cruddy antiques go up in value we'll be quids in. We have few items of real worth, and, typically, those are the ones we like most, so wouldn't want to sell them!

I get beauty, but beauty is often in the crafts & materials behind them: whether made by a craftsmand yesterday or handresd of years ago, I find more beauty, generally, in that. lso materials. My dad lovesplastic storage boxes, and while I really do see the virtues of easy to clean, grand to stack etc etc, I miss tea chests. I Loved tea chests in rows in our attick and shed. tea chests seem to offer promise and forgotten knick knacks, where as plastic boxes hold the junk you ain't got around to chucking.