I can’t believe how quickly this year is flying by. One minute we were baking during a heatwave and a drought, now it’s slipped quietly into autumn with lots of rain, chilly winds and cool temperatures. Given how much time the front garden [new build] has taken up has resulted in the other gardens being …
Sadly, Curly Cat passed away a few days ago. He was due to be put to sleep at home last Friday as he had suddenly become very frail. When I went into the study Friday morning he had passed away. I’m hoping he died peacefully in his sleep, as the thought of him suffering is …
The new build in the front garden is far from complete. You know how it goes….the builders have ground to a halt as they are waiting for the digger man to clear a mountain of soil from where hubs new shed will sit, and the digger man has gone AWOL for a few weeks. Still, …
And so it begins. Two weeks in and the entire house is filled with dust. How these poor guys cope with constant dust clouds amazes me. They say I’m like their mother as I’m constantly asking them to wear masks to protect themselves, finally, they’ve caved in and started wearing them. Until last night we’ve …
Between the rescue, caring for our adorable Littl’urchin [always a pleasure] and frantically digging up and repotting the remaining plants from the front garden and having a social life has resulted in life being a little busy of late. We’ve been trying to weed/prune and cover all the borders that will remain in the front …
I always plant three crops of potatoes in succession as seen above, now my third crop is coming up, despite Buddy sitting on it. I seem to have potatoes in barrels and pots everywhere this year, along with onions, but I always think a gal can never have too many potatoes or onions. Last year’s …
We haven’t had a drop of rain in weeks now and if it doesn’t rain soon I’ll have to get the hose-pipe out, a job I loathe as my hose is riddled with holes and watering all three gardens takes about four hours! Honesty has self seeded all over the gardens this year, purple in …
I’ve decided to attempt to grow shiitake mushrooms on logs. If they take, and it’s a big if for a newbie like me, I should get two flushes a year for five or six years. Initially, hardwood logs must be cut from healthy trees and cured for a period between two and six weeks. The …
Read more “Growing mushrooms on logs, new succulents and cactus and a pretty scary spider.”
I’ve never seen so many ladybirds as I have this year, up to twenty at a time can be found hiding under leaves on individual shrubs and bushes. Now that hubs has been clearing leaves, the wrought iron birds are actually visible again. Spring flowers are popping up across the gardens… and cherry blossom is …
My mini allotment, Little Lotte, has been busily growing leeks, lettuce, winter greens, spring onions, kale, onions and garlic throughout the winter months. Now the weather is improving I’ve planted potatoes and more onions and garlic and I’ve sown runner beans that will ramble up the fences. Now that so much clutter has been cleared …
