Ramblings from a small island

We’ve recently enjoyed a family holiday in Northumberland – me, GR, Rosie, Daisy and Lily. One of our excursions was to Holy Island. As we drove across the causeway, we were treated to a magnificent sea of pink.

Once on the island I was able to get close up to the flowers that made up the rose tinted spectacle. A quick PlantNet investigation revealed we were looking at what is commonly known as sea thrift or sea pink. Its latin name is armeria maritima. This figures, seeing as the plant grows very happily by the sea, and in this location spends a good deal of the day and night underneath it, each time Holy Island is cut off from the mainland by the tide.

Now, I bet you didn’t know this fascinating fact. Threepenny bits issued between 1937 and 1952 featured thrift on their rears! The theory behind this is thought to be that someone who is thrifty buys all they need with very little money, and threepence wasn’t worth very much. Now on our visit, someone who thought he had been thrifty on my behalf, was GR. You may recall we bought our tit box from Holy Island. There’s a man who makes them and sells them at the bottom of his garden to raise money for the church. So we paid his garden another visit and decided on a nest box for robins. GR duly placed £10 in the honesty box, visibly smug in the knowledge that this was a pretty thrifty buy, as well as being a charitable donation. After a lovely day taking in the scenery we made our way to the car park. Rosie and Daisy decided to take a detour to the public amenities. Rosie handed me Lily’s lead. I handed GR the bird box. Daisy had the car key so at the car park we waited for them in a wooden shelter. Later that evening, snug in our holiday cottage, I asked if the bird box was still in Daisy’s car. No-one remembered it being in the boot when we emptied the car, and sure enough, on checking, it wasn’t. Yes, you guessed it, it was either still on the bench in the shelter, or wending its way to a garden near you. Oh well, St Mary’s church has benefited, and in time hopefully so will a family of robins.

Thrift is just one of many wild flowers growing on the island so there were many to admire, along with the beautiful scenery. Lily loved her day out too!

I do count myself very lucky that I can go away safe in the knowledge that my garden will survive. Victoria is my garden angel. This time she diligently looked after hundreds of seedlings in my plastic greenhouses as well as my numerous plants in pots – thank you Victoria. She even sent me photos to put my mind at rest – here’s one taken in the early evening sun!