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Garden Diary – Goldilocks weather didn’t last
Last week started with perfect Goldilocks gardening weather, sunny but not too hot, it meant I could get some well needed greenhouse jobs done. Mainly potting plants on into bigger pots. Because we’ve had such an amazing spring everything’s been growing like mad, and it’s hard to get the timing of potting on just right, even a week too late and the plants can suffer. Understandably so, as being in the greenhouse on a hot day makes me suffer too! As the week progressed it gradually got hotter and I tried my hardest (in vain) not to moan. I do struggle in the heat, it just zaps my energy. And…
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Garden Diary – I thought the tulips were over, then 2 princess’s came along
It’s been an amazing tulip year, thanks to the weather playing ball for a change. But all good things come to an end, at least I thought. Just as I was feeling a bit sad the season was nearly over I found a pot hidden behind some larger pots and it was full of little orange tulips called ‘Little Princess’, what a lovely surprise! Then in the woodland border I found a couple of ‘Princess Irene’ tulips had popped up. So the princess’s were making a fashionably late arrival. The garden continues to produce sentimental blooms, coming from the dicentra which I took a cutting from an elderly friend donkeys…
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Garden Diary – Another bizarre weather week
Well, yet another bizarre weather week, starting with the most beautiful day on Monday, so nice that I sat with my elderly mother by a village duck pond. You almost needed sun-cream! This of course was followed shortly by, yet more rain. I’ve scarcely seen the pond so full of water. And when I opened a new bag of compost, that had stood outside for weeks, it was saturated. By Thursday it was rather chilly, but gloriously clear again, so clear in fact that most of the country were treated to an extraordinary view of the Northern lights (photo provided by my nephew), except for me! I was blissfully unaware…
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Garden Diary – Rain, rain go away, we must be due a sunny day?
Well, and then they wonder why us Brit’s talk about the weather all of the time! I think we’d all like the rain to go away for at least a while now. It really does feel like it’s rained on and off all year. Luckily here, we are in no danger from flooding being on top of an ice-age sand and gravel deposit. All that cursing when we first moved in and we initially tried to dig the garden with a spade, then a fork, finally settling on a pick! Now feels like a worthwhile sacrifice for the excellent drainage. I have dashed out in between the showers to pick…
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Garden Diary – Alfresco cooking with aliens lurking
With the beans up to full production now, the ‘acting head-gardener’ has been making lots of bean curry (half a freezer full!). And as the weathers been reasonable he’s taken the portable hob outside for some alfresco cooking. I’ll bet the neighbours thought it was an interesting smelling barbeque lol. At this time of year the garden can provide breakfast, lunch and dinner, and quite often does. With various fruits starting the day, tomatoes and cucumbers or soup at lunchtime, then plenty of veg to make dinner. The plums were finally ripe this week, and despite not being that many they were incredibly delicious and as you can imagine, didn’t…
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Garden Diary – Insects and harvests
So just like in lockdown the garden and the weather are helping to keep my sanity as I struggle doing nothing whilst my back fractures heal themselves.Ironically I have spent rather a lot of time sitting and lying on the hammock I tripped backwards over, that put me in this situation! As the pain has lessened and I’ve been able to concentrate again, I’ve rediscovered the joy of reading. So catching up with the last three Brunetti books by Donna Leon, I’m transported to Venice where her books are set, whilst sitting in the sunshine with bees, butterflies and mating ladybirds – finally more numerous – flying around me. Trying…
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Garden Diary – All the B’s, Bees, Butterflies & Blueberry cake
I’m pleased to report even more bees & hoverflies this week, in fact more flying insects of all kinds including butterflies. I’m so happy in my summer garden with buzzing wings all around me. The blueberry bush has cranked up production this week and once it gets going there’s no stopping it! I’ve made two lots of cakes including one evening after work. All a bit tiring but worth it at the weekend when we have it for breakfast. After a really slow start the garden has finally caught up with itself this week with much more colour from the flowers and yummy things to eat around each corner. Happy…
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The Garden is Calling!
I’m sure you all think I’ve deserted you over the last few months but I just haven’t had a minute to let you know what’s been going on in the garden. Truth is, the bare minimum but every now and again I feel the garden calling! The house renovations continue at a slow pace, sometimes two steps forwards and one step back! But it will come to an end – one day! And I will be able to devote much more time to doing what makes me truly happy and relaxed – gardening. In the meantime I’ve just about kept my head above water with the gardening jobs, although we…
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Cosmos – Lost and Found
I say lost and found, as when I first started gardening a long time ago… I always grew cosmos, but then I discovered perennials and gave up growing annuals for years. Last year though I rediscovered what wonderful plants annuals are and particularly. 2021 – Cosmos came back to the garden It came about as I created a small wildflower border last year, I bought a few packets of annual seeds including cosmos. Coincidentally a friend had also grown cosmos last year and gave me some of her seedlings – it was meant to be! Gosh I really had forgotten how lovely they are; how big they grow; how prolifically…
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My Wildlife Pond – Dragonflies, Frogs & so much more!
I know I bang on a lot about the pond but… It really is so hard though, to describe quite how much pleasure the pond gives me. And it’s one of the few things that makes me stop! I’m always thinking that I’ll take a coffee outside and have a sit down. No sooner have I finished my drink, or sometimes before, than I see something that needs doing, which of course leads on to something else that needs doing, resulting in little or no sit down. But when I crouch by the pond it’s hard to drag myself away, watching all the creatures living in there. Even the builders…
