Clare Unwin
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sgdesigns.bsky.social
Clare Unwin
@sgdesigns.bsky.social
2.4K followers 1.2K following 8.4K posts
Gardener 🌱 traveller✈️ Yorkshire Lass but home is Shropshire.

Kindness & Contentment are underrated skills.

I ❤️ crafts, music, books, art, history, dogs, cats & horses.

Fiat Pandas 🐼 are brilliant cars.

Looking after the 🌍 as much as I can.

❤️🇹🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇺🇦🇳🇿🇬🇧🇲🇹🇪🇦
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sgdesigns.bsky.social
My office view earlier today. It reached the dizzy highs of 3 degrees I was grateful to be working and wearing a hat as the wind was keen.
#Shropshire
#gardeningfeed 🌱
A driveway with green moss and stone walls. Alongside the drive are leaf piles which I picked up and put in the raised border. At the bottom of the drive to the left of the gate stands an Oak tree which has shed all its leaves for winter the low sun is above the hill to the left.
November 19, 2025 at 2:09 PM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Morning from a very wet Shropshire. I won't be gardening today but I am still appreciating the colours in the garden. I usually use this skimmia in my Christmas door wreath. #gardeningfeed 🌱
The deep pink flower buds of the skimmia form in a cluster that looks like one of those licorice allsort sweets. The mid green leaves are strong and have a deep vein down the middle.
November 14, 2025 at 8:33 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
For people who are interested in my @octopus.energy Cosy 9 heat pump & how it's performing. Last year in November I consumed £150 in gas & electricity and I was away for a week. This year the first half November looking like £42 (I have been away again) will do a round up at the end of the month.
A graph showing how my heat pump operates a pink bar each day indicates the electricity used to run the heat pump and the green line indicates the heat output which is through radiators and hot water. COP on the graph means how efficient the pump is higher COP means higher efficiency.
November 13, 2025 at 10:46 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
It's a throwback Thursday today. 2024 a visit to Dolmabaçe Palace in Istanbul Turkiye 🇹🇷. Possibly my favourite city. The gardens, history, people, food and culture I find myself wanting to return.
#gardenfeed 🌱
A view from a bright pink flower bed across a formal pool and fountain to a pale colour stone palace which is reflected in the water. In the background are evergreen trees and in the foreground a deciduous tree has bright coloured leaves.
November 13, 2025 at 8:02 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Yesterdays garden was one of my favourites, Bramble Cottage, Atcham. The magnolia has finished shedding leaves so it was time to clear them to the borders. If I mow them it chops them up a little and they mulch well.
#gardenfeed 🌱
A black and white cottage with a large wooden door and a small porch Infront of which stand two square planters with Euronymous White Spire shrubs a nice green and white evergreen. In the foreground a green lawn covered in magnolia leaves in various brown shades.
November 12, 2025 at 7:52 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Yes we had an excellent Tapas lunch with a Sherry flight at Ambiente Tapas Goodramgate a short stroll from York Minster. They have another restaurant in York I believe. We also had bread and oil and it was very filling.
Enjoy it's a wonderful City.
Crispy pork cheek on marinated fennel next to a plate of goats cheese with beetroot chips Mussels Galician style with a Herby pesto next to a dish of marinated olives A flight of three sherries with tasting notes.
November 11, 2025 at 2:55 PM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
So after a lovely visit to York last week it was back to work yesterday. My garden views were mainly filled with leaves and I have been putting them on borders and composting the others.
#gardenfeed 🌱
A garden with apple trees in the lawn and lots of fallen leaves in shades of brown on the grass. In the distance a green garden bag lies waiting for me to gather leaves and take them to the compost area.
November 11, 2025 at 7:43 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Had a wonderful time at National Railway Museum in York today. The exhibits are magnificent.
#Mallard #steamengine #York
The last time I saw this engine was during the 70's at Shrewsbury.
A bright blue engine inside the railway museum she has red wheels and her nameplate is Mallard. The engine's front is curved and she held the speed record for a steam locomotive.
November 5, 2025 at 3:52 PM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Absolutely the best train journey I have ever had.
#FlyingScotsman
November 4, 2025 at 5:47 PM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
That is a brilliant tool, my OH has one and he loves it. I have these two (excuse the dirt!). They are both useful in their own way. The hand hoe is nicely weighted and the smaller more precision one is great for weeds with tap roots. Tape is because I put them down and then can't find them! 😂
Two garden hand tools with wooden handles. One is a hand hoe the other a narrow trowel shape. The wood handles have bright fluorescent tape on them.
October 31, 2025 at 1:09 PM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Off to Upton Magna and Shrewsbury today and enjoying all the Autumn colours. Have a good day. 😊
#gardeningfeed
A pile of maple leaves in the grass. They are various shades of red yellow and orange with hints of green
October 30, 2025 at 6:51 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
How's your week so far? It was dry yesterday which certainly helps at this time of year. I was trying to pile leaves into borders to mulch and getting some cutting back done. My office view yesterday was lovely.
#gardeningfeed 🌱
A slightly sunken lane leads to a stable yard with double gates beyond is a brick stable and the edge of a house with a conservatory. Lining the lane are cherry trees, bamboo, laurel and elder. On the lane there are green bags for leaves a garden rake and lots of fallen leaves.
October 28, 2025 at 6:48 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Just used my #FreeElectricity from @OctopusEnergy to boost my hot water using my Cosy 9 heat pump. Got washing in tumble dryer and cheese scones and spiced biscuits baking. We love free electricity ⚡
A screenshot of Octopus app showing my boosted hot water using free electric
October 25, 2025 at 12:07 PM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Just put a little Thank You gift together for my son and his partner who kindly looked after the dogs this week at their house whilst @octopus.energy installed my fabulous new heat pump. Sadly I don't have an octopus cookie mould 😔 so squirrel it is.
Cardboard box lined with tissue paper and filled with squirrel shape spiced biscuits. The tissue paper and box are blue and white. The biscuits are a deep brown almost like a red squirrel colour.
October 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Someone needs to tell the Christmas cactus that it's still October.
#bloomscrolling
🌱
A vibrant pinky red flower of a Christmas cactus opening against the blue green of the succulent.
October 23, 2025 at 7:57 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
So at the end of day one of the installation of my heat pump from @octopus.energy everything going swimmingly. Thanks team. 😊
A grey heat pump with a curved front. It has a large grill to protect the fan in the middle of the grill is a pink octopus with a smile and big eyes.
October 20, 2025 at 4:21 PM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
What a fantastic evening we had at Birmingham Hippodrome last night. Moulin Rouge was just as good as when we saw it in London.
A woman on stage in a showgirl basque and suspenders with stockings in front of an illuminated red heart. At the front red neon lights spell out rouge
October 18, 2025 at 10:13 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Morning I had to share this lovely rose still looking beautiful in the October garden. Have a great Friday all. 😊
#bloomscrolling 🌱
A beautiful soft pink rose with many petals around an open centre which has touches of yellow. The background is darker green leaves
October 17, 2025 at 6:02 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Morning all, off to garden in Upton Magna today. I know that Amanita fungi are in many cases poisonous but this Amanita muscaria is beautiful (it causes sickness as well as hallucinations) This one is from Mortimer Forest South of Ludlow.
#fungi 🍄
A red cap fungi with white spots and shiny cap in the grass underneath birch trees. The stem is almost pure white and at the base it looks wider. It is a classic mushroom for fairy illustrations
October 16, 2025 at 6:35 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
It's hump day already still rather grey in Shropshire so here is some real garden zing! A deep burgundy dahlia that has fallen into the young growth of the choisya.
Hope the day goes well. 🙂
#bloomscrolling 🌱
A deep burgundy colour flower with many long narrow petals that look like an exploding firework has fallen into the new growth of a bright yellow and green leaved shrub
October 15, 2025 at 5:42 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Morning I thought this sunflower looked like Autumn. Have a great day 🙂
#bloomscrolling 🌱
Multi head sunflower in shades of burnt orange and ambler with a dark brown centre.
October 14, 2025 at 6:47 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Good morning looks like grey skies dominate this week so here is a throwback to last Monday. Have a good week all. 🙂
#gardenfeed 🌱
Sunshine filters through trees in this garden highlighting the changing colours of the leaves to golden yellow and orange.
October 13, 2025 at 5:49 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Morning it's hump Wednesday and I have to admire this dogwood. Cornus sericea next to my clients pond. The stems give wonderful winter colour and just now foliage and berries. #gardenfeed 🌱
A shrub with red stems and green shield shape leaves with a cluster of blue white berries with dark spot
October 8, 2025 at 7:02 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Morning from Shropshire yesterday was a fungi kind of day.
#gardenfeed 🌱
Off to Tai Chi soon before my first garden of the day. Have a good one 🙂
A number of tiny beige and white fungi growing on a decaying piece of timber. A larger brown fungus growing on old timber amongst fallen leaves A type of boletus fungus not a cep growing amongst ivy fallen leaves and other vegetation near a silver birch A cluster of fungi in cream and beige growing in a lawn it resembles a brain shape from a distance
October 7, 2025 at 6:25 AM
sgdesigns.bsky.social
Today's garden client gave us chocolate cake. ☺️. She knows how to motivate her gardeners.
A slice of dark fudgy chocolate cake with ganache filling with a mug of builders tea on a tray.
October 2, 2025 at 4:50 PM