Flowers

We popped to a different garden centre yesterday, I got a pack of 6 primroses for the back section of the garden, I plan to pop them in the front of the bed with the rhubarb in. For now we can have instant colour, they can stay in this dish for a few weeks.  I also got 3 packs of seeds, all were half price, a low spend visit. 

My pot is looking good, some of the bulbs are starting to show, should be nice for weeks to come. There are no drainage holes in this pot, so regularly I am tipping out water.

My repotted plants are doing well, as are my alpine cuttings I took ages ago, still tiny, each plants had a nice root, so they should all take. My greenhouse is ready for seeds once I can start them, they are sorted into sowing months.

Daughter popped in with George and Molly on Tuesday, it was nice enough to play outside, both got their Pepper Pig balls out and played football, it's so pleasing to see them run around with out any different levels to trip them up. Loads of laughter and lots of sad faces when mummy said it was time to pick up Will from school. 

I walked to our library to return some books, I did not get any more as I have a few to read, I prefer to pop in often to see if they have anything new, they generally pop them out on Mondays. We  have not been to the village much, what few bit's of shopping required we got from the local Co-op, which is the opposite direction, often ensuring it's on the final section of our daily walk, hubby has now used his voucher. 

I have done more on my 2022 book, I am half way through the year, I am trying to have one morning a week sorting it, I would like to catch up this year. I have also been looking on my Pintrest page at cross stitch designs, the plan is forming, all I need to do is pick up my needle and get going. 

Tonight I am sleeping over at daughters for a couple nights, she has an appointment early tomorrow morning and is going out on Saturday evening, sadly daddy has been called into work for the weekend, so I am on nanna duties, which I love. I am looking forward to an evening together with daughter tonight, I will take a bottle of wine, won't be a late night as Molly is an early riser, and all Saturday together, I don't see so much of Will now he's at school. 

Garden dreams

The garden is untidy, we had a delivery of fence panels and post on Friday, we moved the bench, hubby propped the panels along the garage wall and painted them, 3 times. Pots are all popped up by my greenhouse, it's messy up there. Nothing much on the metal table, it's too wet for my summer pots to come out of the greenhouse.

The bench will stay here, to stop me from tripping over the post and kick panels, everything will be fitted on Tuesday. All the bulb leaves are going over in the side bed, soon I can get some plants in, I just want to see colour.

I just love this tiny section of the garden,

it makes me smile every time I pass. 

New strawberry tower is much better, I have stronger healthy plants with loads of flowers, 5 levels, a total of 16 plants, I have not put strawberries in the bottom layer, I have a few rockery plants there. 

All these were cutting, which I popped into my Sphagnum moss, which I keep very wet with rain water, it's in a big plant pot saucer in a corner of the greenhouse, and is thriving and roots the cuttings quickly and strongly. I got just one packet of moss from a licenced supplier in Northumberland a couple years ago, it is going to last me years, 

We spent Friday morning in the garden, I planted some bedding plants in the old herb garden, I also potted on a few plants, my new Azealia was pot bound, so I was pleased to get it sorted, the plant has loads of buds on. It looked like rain,  so we rested inside all afternoon, me sewing hubby reading, no rain it just got really cool.

I have mentioned before I dream of my perfect garden, which would mean the garage knocked down and a new building which incorporated a greenhouse and potting shed, along the back fence, it's never going to happen, but I can dream. One job hubby wants done next year is to remove all the decking and have paving, which is making us think, sadly we rarely use the wooden table and chairs on the decking the flies and smell from next door is bad in the sunny hot weather. 

So being me I threw a completely new idea to hubby, which moves the patio to infront of the garage, on the other side of the garden, just have a wide walk, in paving outside the patio doors, and move the lawn down closer to the house and make it wider, with a flower bed at the back. That would give me more space at the back of the garden, room for a couple of small raised veg beds. 

Hubby is still talking to me, we have paced it out, it could work, we could reuse the decking boards to make raised beds, use some of the fake grass for paths in the veg section, lots of the work we could do ourselves. Just new paving and grass, all costing a bomb, so we would have to save like mad. If it went ahead I would want it done next spring, so I can move plants before they are in full growth, hubby is still talking to me, I can see him working out how much work it would take. 

October blooms

 There is so much colour in my greenhouse, my tender plants are still blooming, the bright colours can be seen from every part of the garden. These are on the top shelf and will stay there all winter.

This coleus is full of flower, there are 3 plants in this tub, it will get very straggly over winter, I hope it survives enough to take cuttings in the spring. I have managed to keep them alive before, it's another plant hubby loves.

These cuttings are mixed results, a few have died but loads are thriving, roses are doing well as is a white lavender. I think sphagnum moss is a great medium for growth, it's in a huge deep plant pot saucer,  I only use rainwater and I have a plastic cover over it to keep it moist, it sits raised off the floor in a shady spot, I think next spring I will get another pack and double my capacity.

Another huge success is this Albuca Spiralis Frizzle Sizzie, its a bulb and after thinking I was loosing the plant, I read up about its care, they do die off, but with good conditions they regrow. Hopefully I can bring it into my office so and enjoy it every day, it does love the sunny warm spot on my desk.

I ordered a storage box for behind the garage, it will help keep the space clean, I got it from Wowcher, but was cross at the delivery charge, you purchase the voucher and then redeem with the seller, there was no delivery charge in original selling details, OK that's not an issue, extra few pounds still makes it cheap, but I had to pay £14.99 for delivery, which I think is way too much. Note to self delete Wowcher, not such good value. The storage box will be my junk area, I can store bigger pots and other stuff I don't want all around the garden, everyone needs a space for useful junk. 

I did plant my pansies in the garden and a couple of violas and cyclamen in pots, I won't add anymore, my garden is too small to have space for too much winter colour, I do leave the plants not cut back, hoping there is food there for the birds and bugs, I do like to see the spines and branches bare in the cold months, I think it give the garden interest. I have not sorted the greenhouse yet, maybe next week, I'm still aware of my back and don't want to do anything stupid. 

Busy crafting and reading, my second sock is almost finished, I have plans for another pair for SIL, he loves previous pairs I have made him. My cross stitch is growing, I'm thinking of the next design,  photo's next post.

I went to sign group yesterday, which was fun, I've not missed much as they are revisiting previous class topics. Today we have Molly on her own, Will is at school and George at nursery,  should be fun, loads of books and games, Molly loves books. We are trying to choose nursery photos, we both love different photos.

Growing

 I said in my last post I had taken cuttings for plants along the soon to be exposed back fence panels, I'm trying something different, I got sphagnum moss last year, I have kept it in a huge plant saucer, keeping it wet with rain water. I have popped all my cuttings in it, in hope they grow sturdy roots, I don't expect success with everything,  but hope some will grow, I have a plastic cover for when it gets cooler. They have been here a few days and still look good.

I have repotted our rosemary plant into a bigger pot, the pot was from the front garden, the heather's had died and hubby did not want it. This section is looking nice, we moved another big pot to stand by the gate, without the motorbike, I can spread out in this space. When digging out the heather's 2 had new growth, I have potted them and left them in front of the Olive.

Hubby did clear the first space in the garage for my shed things, I love this wooden unit, it's very useful, I emptied it before moving it, gave it a good clean using linseed oil, and then sorted everything before filling it. Loads have been thrown and a few other things have found a home here. Hubby has to sort a couple of his shelves, he is sourcing some longer planks, so I can have both shelves above. We have had this unit since the late 80's, and I'm pleased it's still in use, now all our gardening items are together in one place. I still have loads to bring out of the shed.

My shed was purchased back in 2014, so 8 years old, it fits into the space behind the garage, but as it's such a tight fit, we can't get to do outside maintenance, since Pauline built her summer house with a rubber roof covering, the rain water blows directly onto the back of my shed. Hubby will help me clear the rest of the stuff. 

It's much darker earlier each evening, my lights around the garden are on much longer, now the mornings and evenings are cooler, any warmth in the daytime quickly disappears. We still have our summer quilt on the bed, but it is defiantly cooler, the season is changing. Shh! we have not had rain for a couple of days, managed to get all the laundry day. 

I have lost my way with lowspend-nospend September, with my sister here we spent more on food, and this weekend we have husbands son and daughter here for lunch, 8 adults and 8 children plus us, again expensive, hubby is hoping we can have a simple BBQ, with the children playing in the garden. I also purchased the christmas fabric, and I will need some pansies for the garden as I sort the rose bed. 

Today my youngest daughter is 40 years old, how did that happen, both daughters have their own families and lives, we see our youngest 3 grandchildren most weeks, our oldest 2 grandsons are busy with their lives, so we don't get to see them, but they prosper and are happy. As a mum all you want is for you children and their children to be happy. 

What's in the greenhouse

I was asked what do I grow in my greenhouse, I've not done a post for a while, so nearing the end of June, here's peak inside. On the left is my work space, this side often changes through out the year. The lower shelf is my plastic pots and jugs and sprayer. Underneath I keep some of my spare stones, slate and crock. 

I do love my carnivorous plants, there are 3 in this little tub, I keep it topped up with rain water, each plant has flowered this year, the Venus fly trap has shrunk, but there is new growth there, I cut the pitcher plant down each spring, the furry plant, I'm not sure what it is called, they all work hard and keep bugs at bay. 

I love this Jade plant, it's in a pretty biscuit pot, it has lived in here for a few years. 

Always loads of cuttings and plants from the garden which are not doing well outside. I have a baby pineapple and some amaryllis seeds all doing their own thing. In the spring these will spill onto the shelf below, I never have enough space. 

In here are the Hellebore seeds from my black flowering plant, I suspect they need the cold of winter before the shoot, I have plenty of time to see if they will grow.  

To the right are the cactus and succulent displays, this side stays much the same, I have a couple of smaller wire shelves to display some of my smaller plants. This is the sunnier side of the greenhouse. 

I regularly get blooms on these plants, and always have different pots, I love the gravy boat, purchased at a charity shop for £1, the plants in the gravy boat are new to me this year. 

My spider plant I over watered when in the house, so I cut it back and popped in in a shadier spot, it's now ready to go back in the house. 

I grow both 1 plant of cucumbers and tomatoes, both this summer inside, both are doing well, I have already cut some small cucumbers from the bottom of the plant, once they touch the soil they rot, so best to remove them early. 

Tucked to one side are my 3 Amaryllis, they flowered in January, so I popped the bulbs in here to dry and each bulb have produced new leaves, no bud stems. Plus 4 Orchids, they are tucked in the shade, I am hoping for new growth at some point. These sit on the floor at the back in front of my potting table, and loads of clay pots, most purchased 2nd hand. 

This lemon balm is in a pot with no holes in the bottom, and got waterlogged in the recent storms, it can stay in here to dry out. This plant if planted in our clay soil would take over the whole garden. 

I love these pots, they are washing up bowls, from our local cheap shop, in this one I have salads growing, spring onions, radishes and cut and come again lettuce. At £2.29 per 'pot' they are great value.

This beautiful string of pearls has hung in here for years, the pearls always fade in the summer but they do come back, this was my mother plant, I have 4 others around the place. Behind is another waterlogged pot, should dry out OK. Also coffee pot filters, I dry them out and use them in bottom of pots, they slow down the flow of water out of the pots. 

It's not as full as other years, most of my plants are strong enough to be out in the summer garden, I have lemon, lime and orange plants, who spend most of the year inside, all grown from seeds, my olive and pomegranate trees now stays outside the whole year. I do have other tender plants which will come back inside September time.

For once I have space to walk around, the floor is concrete, so it stays dry and clean in here, I don't shade the glass as our Magnolia tree gives shade for part of the day, the door is open 24 hours at this time of the year and the window has an automictic opener, so most of the time it does not overheat. 

I have started my hotbin, followed all the instructions, it's a case of wait and see if the temperature rises, I still have stuff in my white garden bag, I will pop it out next week for collection and then hopefully I won't need it again. I am checking and pleased to see the temperature gauge is rising, it is on the lid so I don't have to open it to check. 

What are you doing?

I have made a blanket for the car/pushchair for both Will and George, so with baby number 3 due, it's time to start another, but I will be making 2 as yet we do not know if the baby is a boy or a girl.

I have always used Patons, Baby Smiles 4 ply, its 100% Acrylic, so very easy to keep clean and very lightweight, these are the leftovers I have in my stash. Sadly nowhere have I noted how much yarn I used, when I next see daughter I will weigh a blanket to give myself some idea, as yet I have not ordered any colours, I will start the pink based one 1st, I will also at the same time make the blue/green one, I will need more yarn. 

I am pleased with the start of this blanket, I will make it as much as I can before shopping for more yarn, I am trying not to have too much left over this time. I know my daughter would not just want pink and white, so I've added a few pale colours, I do like these colours together. 

2 more books read, these were from The Works, 3 for £5, both I enjoyed, both I did not find the ending any surprise, I have a Peter James book left to read. Books 25 and 26 read this year. 

More sweet peas from the garden, with a couple of daisies, 

I am very hopeful I have cracked growing sweet peas. 

My Christmas cactus has just 1 bud, I re-potted it earlier this year, it's still on the bathroom windowsill.

I took cutting from my cactus and now have more plants, the herbs in these pots did not do as well as I wanted, so hopefully these will have a pretty role in displaying these. 

Always at this time of year I have loads of different things on the go, the garden is my 1st place to be, but as I have said before I can't sit and do nothing, so crafting and reading helps fill my time. We both now enjoy our coffee breaks sat outside, in sun or shade, our new pergola works perfectly, we linger longer chatting together, after all the hard work in the garden over the past 11 years, we can now enjoy our outside space. 

It's another stay at home week, we have walked to local shops a couple of time, I was really pleased I popped corn flower seeds in last month and nothing came up, I love these blue flowers, so I was so pleased to get 3 plants in our local shop, I already have white daisies, and 1 small poppy plant, all in my raised bed, I love these 3 flowers together, I use them in my profile photo. I also have my sweet peas in the same raised bed, so maybe this summer I will get a corner full of colour. 

Youngest daughter is in her last 4 weeks of pregnancy, she is not feeling so good, been to local maternity unit a couple of times, we are all on standby, when the time comes, I will move into her house, much easier having the boys in their own environment, so exciting times are coming, so no idea if it's a boy or girl, either is great, but can you imagine how we will be if we finally get a girl after 8 grand sons, she might get spoilt a bit. 

Sunny garden

Colourful blooms are opening around the garden, 

I love this time of year so much promise. 

As always pots rule here, all of the pots here are newly planted this summer, I did manage to get a few French Marigold seeds to grow for hubby, 

I love daises and in this pot they look good,

 it's under the Acer, so the colour pops out. 

I've planted my two long pots and whilst emptying the old pansies, I found these in one corner, next to the white Hellebore, There are 4 small seedlings, I don't want or need anymore white flowers, so if these grow I shall pass them on. 

Can you imagine my excitement as I watch these flowers on my lime plant, it would be lovely to have some fruit, sadly no flowers again on the lemon or orange plant. 

I planted out the bedding plants on Saturday, it was such a lovely sunny day, it was sad to pull up the pansies as they were still in bloom, some I put in another part of the garden, but my bedding plants were almost all pot bound, so they needed to go in. I spent some time sorting the new pots above, the garden should be full of colour this summer. 

We also moved the 2 water butts by the house, one we emptied and moved, it was half empty as it's always the 1st one I use, the 2nd we caught the water and popped it in the 1st butt, so not all of the rain water was lost. The big butt by the garage is full of rain water. The man started on the front of the house, and already it looks so much better, he will work on our house this and next weekend, he is really busy, but has fitted us into his schedule, he is a family member to our lovely neighbour and is happy to get us sorted, he says his work means he works 7 days a week often in the summer months. 

Sunday was dull, I was not too worried, a dull day after planting is always good, allows the plant to settle before the sun beats down, I had nothing to do, I did need to stay at home, hubby had a bike ride, so left at lunchtime, we/I had been invited to a BBQ, but declined, I do love a day at home to myself. I had just finished a book and had another to start, I should have got my sewing machine out and make cushions for our bed, but I was not in the mood. 

So it's Monday morning again and the start of another week, in a few weeks we will be half way through another year! hopefully our dull start will blow over and we will get another nice day, we are having a true English summer this year. 

Saving money in the garden.

This is another lovely plant, I took a cutting from a plant in my raised bed by the back door, I was worried it might die in the winter months, the parent plant survived and is now showing loads of new growth. So this cost me just time.

I purchased this plant in July 2016, it cost 99p and was tiny, I was making a garden in a broken pot, it grew and grew, I cut it back last year after watching Monty on TV, and the 3 stems all grew and the stem of the old plant grew again. So this year I cut back the 3 newer stems and potted them all in this pot, they all look healthy. 

I have loads of soft wood cuttings, both the Lavender and Salvia hotlips have rooted and are growing. I have another 3 cutting of hotlips on the go. I have eucalyptus which don't look too well, but they can stay for longer, I am hoping one might root. I have passion flower and clematis cuttings, in hope I can create new plants. 

I watched Monty on TV Friday night he did hydrangea cuttings in Purlite, no soil, so hubby wanted us to have a go, so here are 2 hydrangea, 1 clematis, 1 rose which we did on Saturday, all looking good. In the second pot I have 2 acers, they were from very long branches, my thinking always is 'if I don't try I will never know'.  

My next project is with this Oak sapling, I purchase a sage plant and this was growing in the pot, there is no way I would want an Oak tree in my garden, but I was not going to let it die, so it's tiny, I love Bonsai tree's, I am going to pot this in a shallow dish ( I have a spare one), use the restrictive compost and see what happens. I still have my Acer Bonsai, but it has no leaves, it's not dead, just not growing.

Most of these plants here have cost me nothing or just pence, the green shrub came from a neighbour, the Agapanthus I separated a plant in my garden and moved some here. The Salvia hotlips cost me £1 for 2 plants. Not so cost effective are the eaten French marigolds, I got them cheap from Lidl's, they still have some growth, so I will leave them, they might come back. 

I hate to waste anything which comes into our house, I still use a coffee filter jug, I looked at pods for just a short time but did not like throwing away the pods. Through the summer (hot) months, I save my ground coffee and filters, they dry out quickly, the greenhouse smells wonderful. This gives me a good supply to last through the year. 

The dried filters I use in the bottom of pots, instead of crock, I prefer the filters as they allow water to drain, not so quickly as crock. I do keep broken pots to use with the filters in bigger pots. The coffee I pop on the surface of my garden when I have problems with slugs and snails, they don't like going across the gritty coffee. I don't use huge amounts to upset the balance of my soil, but I do use more around my roses and on acid loving pots. Most days we make 3 pots of coffee, so I do have a good supply, the drawer I store these in smells wonderful each time I open it. 

I swap plants as often as I can, I separated primroses last month and passed on loads of new plants, I have new strawberry plants this year and will keep all the runners for new plants. My daughter purchased some white lavender plants, which I potted up for her, a bit fell off one plant, so l planted it, it would be nice to have a white plant. I have got very brave on splitting plants, something I refused to do for years. Later this year I will dig up my beloved Peony, both daughters want a plant, so I will take roots from the edge, I would be devastated if  I killed this plant, the new plants will be tiny, and will have to be grown in pots for a few years.   

I look at our local selling Facebook pages and have purchased loads second hand, our garden is established and most times I don't want to add brand new items, they always stick out, which is only good if like Kirk I want a statement pot. 

I always purchase good compost, I have had some terrible outcomes with cheap compost, I do get through loads of plants, I garden organic, and bugs, slugs and snails as well as the birds have their feed, I do try and limit the damage, but I can't use chemicals, we do have hedgehogs in the garden, whose numbers are in decline and I can't risk hurting them. 

I think the honest thing to say here, is I spend more on my garden than all my other hobbies, as my stash spend list shows each month, but the joy I get from working outside, and the joy we both get for sitting watching wildlife, looking at the plants is immense. We both love to stop for morning coffee and cake and just sit, often for an hour or more, because that's what a garden is all about, enjoyment. 

Back outside

Hubby cleared the decking and oiled it all, it does look good, it was a full days work, it's the sort of job you are pleased with once it's finished. I can't think of anything else he has to do outside, but I'm sure he will find more to do.

 We had to move this very heavy alpine dish from the round table, I had a thought, we popped it on the birdbath stand in the herb garden. I love it, I had been looking for a place to put this as I wanted to be able to use the round table, this was almost as big as the table, as seen here. The water never stayed in the birdbath, most of the birds use another bath in the garden. 

   I have started work in the greenhouse on my raised bed, I can sit here for a short time and start to sort, the small stones are in a bag, the bigger pebbles I will put elsewhere, I have started potting up some of the plants. I will work in here every other day and rest my back in-between.  We have both decided not to reuse this frame in the greenhouse, hubby will take it apart and store the planks, we are on the hunt for some shelving.

 I have a few softwood cuttings, Lavender, Salvia hotlips and Clematis and 4 pineapple babies, these have been here for a while and hopefully they will start to root and grow.  Most are for our garden, I have done more than I require in hope I get what I need, sister and neighbour will have the rest. 

Our fence panels have finally been replaced, not the easiest of task as the guys were not allowed into next doors property, but they managed the whole job without her shouting at them. She saved that treat for much later, apparently everything is wrong about the fence, stupid woman.  

Friday we were outside a few times, at 11am for 2 minutes silence, 2pm for afternoon tea, we all decided we wanted to have tea earlier than the suggested 4pm, all our lovely neighbours were out. we also went out at 9.30pm to see the lights from Portsmouth dockyard, they were promised to light up the sky, but it was not dark enough, so all we could see was a glow from the direction of the dockyard.
Saturday we were inside all morning and until mid afternoon, social distancing from the fence guys, after they left we popped the big items back along the boundary, no mess to clear up as they left the place really tidy. They even managed not to damage my raspberries along by the tree, I have loads of summer fruit berries forming. In the evening we had pizza, red wine and watched The Darkest Hour, a film we enjoyed.
Sunday is was much duller and cooler in the morning, we got another huge box of photo's out, it is such fun to have all the memories in one place, most of our photo's are from 1980's and before, since then we have not had many photo's printed, I store all my digital photo's on a huge external drive, these include tons of videos of grandsons from various phones.