Tuesday 9 December 2008

Bags of Magic

As I mentioned, we have already had our Familytastic Christmas as the in-laws are nipping off to New Zealand for a month so that they don't have to babysit on New Years Eve. Honestly, the lengths some people go to avoid responsibility!

There is a long standing tradition on this occasion that we look forward to, where Mr Marmalade Senior (or should I say 'Dr' Marmalade), buys 'Table Presents' for all of us, and these are always reading materials to reflect our interests over the past year. Each table present is wrapped and put on our place setting at the table, and they are opened in turn, as we sit down, to start the meal.

This year, he saw this and because of the moon factor, he thought of me.


I was very pleased as I had wanted to buy this book, having had the 2006 version and no time between work and weather to plant the seeds or seedlings during the prescribed moon phase and planet alignment. You may scoff, but i'm telling you, i'm not an airy fairy type of person, and I've asked professional gardeners about this too. They and even the allotment man on Radio 2 says that gardening by the moon WORKS. This is not biodynamic gardening which is also in tune with the moon cycles. I have no doubt that biodynamic gardening also works, but it is less to do with buried cowhorns, gnomes and stellar alignments, than the relationship you make with the land whilst doing all the stirring and spraying involved. But that's a whole different subject!

To see evidence of a plants relationship with the moon, all you have to do is cut a beetroot open. See the circular lines? They reflect moon cycles in much the same was as tree rings represent solar cycles. Interesting isn't it?


However, the moon book did not end up on my table setting. It was re-directed to Mr Marmalade's place instead. Because Dr Marmalade then saw this book, and thought of me too!


This is a pictorial history of bags, and some of the featured bags are quite amazing, here are a few - apologies for the bad picture quality.

This is my favourite. It's supposed to look like a conker! Perfect for the fashionable pixie around the woods don't you think?


These look like Socks ... I'm wondering if this was where the original idea for sock monstors came from?


This one, for some reason, reminds me of a cow - or perhaps a milkshake!


And this one, made of fine chain mail is all about 1930's glamour..


10 comments:

Heart in the country said...

Oh Lucky you, I love books! The planting by the moon sounds really interesting have to admit this is more my thing than bags or shoes for that matter... perhaps I'm a bit strange :0)

K

Kitty said...

It might not surprise you to know that I always sow our summer annuals on the day of a new moon. The seedlings do so much better. x

Gina said...

What a very astute man Dr Marmalade must be! I've never heard of gardening by the moon before - it sounds fascinating!

Mrs Moog said...

I didn't know about planting by the moon...although I did hear Bob Flowerdew mention it and thought he'd been on the beer ;-)

Dr Marmalade chooses a good book and I love the table present tradition!

xxx

walter and me said...

Dr Marmalade certainly has inspired taste. I'm all for gardening by the moon, better growth etc every time. There was a time when I'd have been interested in bags as such, but it's long gone!!

dottycookie said...

What a fabulous father in law! I've read about planting by moon cycles - I'd give it a go, why not?

laoi gaul~williams said...

what a lovely idea of Dr.Marmalade :) i love bags so much but i would have enjoyed the gardening book!

Gone to Earth said...

I think I saw a programme on the television about this - might have been-possibly Valentine Warner (?) Comparing the taste of beetroot and other veg grown according to the moon's cycles. He was impressed. I suppose when you consider the effect the moon has on the tides it's conceivable that other things are affected just as much. Like the bag book. I wonder if you could 'knit', such a chain mail purse from some of the lovely soft wire you can buy now..... I don't know how you'd fix it to a frame though.....

Anonymous said...

what a fabulous book on bags, so much inspiration! Interested to see the results of luna gardening in 2009.

tess said...

what a lovely tradition, and I love the moon book idea.
the moon tonight is supposed to be amazing btw.