2 Lovely Days in The Garden. Sat, 10th May, 2009

Jim Back, Car Unpack

Hello everyone. Well, we've actually had 2 decent gardening days. It's been wonderful and today in the sunshine it felt like Summer. Bliss. After Jim's trip the first thing we had to do was unpack the car and find 'homes' for all the 'stuff' he brought. The unpacking didn't go too badly. We put all the boxes in the kitchen/diner. He had brought his lovely old desk and that just about goes in our 'snug' for now. (Tiny living room). I guess he'll have it in his office later on. Jim also bought me the world! I have , for a while, wanted a world map so that I can see when things are on the news, where exactly they are. And now I can see where all you lovely bloggers live too. It's brilliant and will go on my new room wall. He also bought me 2 new pairs of gardening gloves. One is zebra striped! Sorry Rachel. Sadly no chocolate!

Having unpacked the car, we did much wandering around the place admiring things! We managed to waste quite a bit of time doing this. We went into the extension from the outside and hung out of our bedroom window. It's simply such a wonderful view. I'm a bit disappointed with the size of the guest room's window but it's in now and Jim thinks it's too late to change it. Ah well, I suppose people aren't there that long and it'll still be a lovely room, next to the bathroom and the views through the little window are still super.

Gardening

Eventually we did manage to get some gardening done! Jim pricked out and planted his growing seedlings. I attacked the bank the other side of the fairy hill, where the stream runs down. It had become very brambly again and the sticky bob was taking over too. Sadly after a while I was being bitten to death so gave up and went inside, as did Jim. I worked on Kitty's wall hanging, sewing on a couple of embellishments and it's looking good.

Today it's been even better. I carried on with the bank I was clearing and finished it. It looks so much better. I have to stand in the stream to reach much of it and Jim crept up with the camera!!


Here I am in my best clothes, standing in the stream weeding!!












I thought I'd pose and give you a slightly better angle! I hope you notice my non matching rubber gloves! Both of those have holes in now...













Jim set to and mowed the lawns. In the sunshine, the front garden looks wonderful:



View of the 4 lawns up to the parking area and our car, (Jim thought I'd said 'The forlorns', miserable people..... Ha ha).







The view from the top barn across the lawn towards the fairy hill and the hills of County Clare beyond. I love this one. By the way, Jim had the camera for most of the time today, so he gets the credit for the photos.








Boots, Bottles and Shoes

Having finished the river bank, I did some ivy pulling above it. That's an area we've not really tackled. As I dug, I unearthed all sorts of rubbish. This was obviously an area once used as the family's tip! We have collected several unbroken bottles, one for hair dye and one for hair restorer. I will photograph the finds at a later date. We have already unearthed lots of leather shoes in previous 'digs' here and as I dug today, I unearthed dozens of boots and shoes. Maybe the owner at that time was a shoe maker or repairer? Lots of them are work boots with big nails in the sole. Quite amazing how many there are. There was lots of broken pottery and the spout of a teapot. A brown earthenware one. So I wasted much time until the midges descended scrabbling about in the dirt, with Buster's help occasionally. He thought it was great fun and started to eat one or two of the old shoes! Dirt was flying all over when he started digging.

I once did a 'dig' in my garden in Thetford, Norfolk and uncovered the complete skeleton of a piglet. My brother came and collected it and has it to this day, as he is an archaeologist.

Tea Break

We had a break for afternoon tea and Buster joined us. He does love to share a cup of tea:


Can I have some? Jim drinking his tea, Buster watching closely.



















Buster gets the last drops. What a spoilt dog!









Back to it and the time seemed to fly by. How wonderful to feel the sun on your back. The swallows chattered away on the telephone line, while whimbrels and curlews flew overhead, making their characteristic melodic cries. In the hedge, an angry robin kept up a vocal attack on Sandy, who was sleeping peacefully below him in the compost heap! Later on he caught and killed another shrew, which Jim and I buried!

Garden Photos

Jim took a few photos of the garden, so here they are:





Cowslips














False Oxlips and a close up below





























A stunning photo of the ferns. Some of them are completely out and others not even at this stage














Such beautiful symmetry from this dandelion clock














Some of the sweet peas about to be planted in a half barrel












Sweet Peas planted with natural willow canes for support. They will hide the mucky barn wall!

















An orange tip butterfly on the honesty













If you click on this side view you can see its proboscis











Bundle Day

I am taking part in 'The Disintegration Project', organised by Seth Apter, see "Bundle of Bundles":

We had to make a bundle of anything really and hang or place it somewhere where it would be open to the elements. Mine has hung from a tree on the allotment and today I took it down:


My parcel on 17th March, just made and hung in the tree





















Here I am, reaching to cut down my bundle

















Here I am displaying my parcel. The bee has faded a little but the papers are very tatty.







I will take it apart tomorrow and photograph the contents.

Poppy

A couple of photos of Poppy as someone had requested them!




Jim's daughter Jenny took this one















Big Eyed Poppy!

















Ali (Mum) and Poppy, May 1st, 2009















I had to put this one on as it made me laugh so much!








I think that is more than enough. Sorry it's so long but there seemed to be a lot to say today. I will just mention that my son Jason has started his own blog, it's mostly about him being a Dad to Jack, my lovely grandson and has some super photos on his first 2 posts. He has called it Father Jason which I think makes him sound like a priest!! Hey ho! http://father-jason.blogspot.com/
This is it!

I hope all those for whom it was mother's day had a good on at the weekend.

Let the sun shine on.....

More Garden Clearing, More Flowers, 14th April, 2009

Path and Stream Clearing

It's been a very busy couple of days in the garden. I've been carrying on with our new 'path' and 'stream' project. It is just full of brambles and stinging nettles and my poor hands are a mess, in spite of wearing supposedly bramble proof gloves. I tell you B & Q, they are not!




Pile of rubbish, trees on the bank and old fashioned pussy willow trees at the top left











Where you can see the lower patch of blue sky is the boundary of our land, the stream runs right to the top then runs parallel with the boundary.















Jim snipping the willows, lots still to trim as you can see from the tall ones behind him.











This dead tree was has been freed and placed on the bank. Where I've cleared all the nettle and ivy, you can now see through to the mini orchard at the top of the vegetable area.






The Dam Builder

Yesterday I paddled up and down the stream as it was much easier than walking on the area I've de-brambled, which is looking a little like the Somme! Luckily my wellies are waterproof. I was pulling ivy and brambles off the bank to clear that too. I did get a bit carried away and reverted to my childhood. My parents used to have a caravan on the Isle of Sheppey and my brother, sister and I used to make dams in a stream that ran down to the sea. It was really pure mud and clay, but we loved it. So, I made some dams in our stream! They were great for washing your wellies in!! What fun I had. Jim threatened to bomb them and was singing the theme from The Dam Busters Film. How childish!!




















I stayed outside until it went dark and then lit a bonfire. It wasn't wonderful as it had rained the previous night, but I did manage to reduce the pile a bit.

Dinner

When I went indoors, Jim had been on the phone all evening, so we ended up having dinner about 11pm! Spag Bol too, which was lovely, followed by rhubarb crumble and cream, also delicious. We had to stay up quite late to work off the food.

Tuesday

Today it was quite sunny most of the time and I once more set about tackling the would be path. Jim did some mowing of the meadow paths, built another cold frame and kept me supplied with refreshments. What a fine husband. By this evening I had almost reached the boundary of our land. It's hard going up there, wall to wall stinging nettles and brambles which I had to mattock out. I also trimmed some of the willows while I was at it. The next run to meet up with the top path is just as bad and looks daunting. Still, we'll do it I'm sure.

I started the bonfire a bit earlier, while it was still light in an attempt to get rid of as much of the rubbish as I could. It took ages to light properly but once it caught, it went like crazy. I managed to burn most of the rubbish and really we only have the piles of cut willow left. We may use some of that for Jim's super willow fences. As it was getting dark, Jim brought me a warm hot cross bun and a coffee. Then Buster returned and wanted some of course. He stayed out with me for ages, eventually settling down on the pile of cut willows, near the fire. I was really tired by then and lay down on the willows next to him. He then climbed half on me and we snoozed a while. The sky was clear and the stars twinkled. All I could hear was the trickle of the stream and the dog's gentle breathing. His warm body kept me warm too, plus the heat from the bonfire. It was bliss.

Dinner

As it started to cool, we went inside and had dinner tonight at 10pm! That's the trouble when it stays light until late. Chicken pie, broccoli and roast potatoes with gravy awaited me and we topped that off with a Magnum ice cream. Delicious.

Garden Colour

Before I started work in the garden, I couldn't resist taking some more photos as parts of it seem a riot of colour.




These 2 ferns are growing out of our steps










This yellow broom is fully out and smells amazing. This is on the Fairy Hill











Pretty variegated bugle in flower (plus lots of daisies).













Cream tulips, these have several heads on one stem. I love their subtle, soft colour



















Look at the pieris forestii now

















This is a variegated pieris





















Raggy Tulip almost fully out


















perennial alyssum












Tiny yellow and white spring bulbs, not sure what they are, maybe a kind of tulip








The Fairy Hill with old farm machinery to the fore










The top of the Fairy Hill, taken from the side view













Tulip Heads













Tulips, narcissus and Magnolia stellata












Red/Orange tulip in the sunshine


















The Disintegration Project

Most of you know I'm involved in the disintegration project where I had to make a 'bundle' of papers, pictures, whatever I wished and put it somewhere outside until May 1st. This is what it looks like today, after some serious rain:




Looking decidedly raggy






















Even the bee's turned his back on us














Seth Apter's blog can be found here:
http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/
and there is a photo of my parcel when it was first placed up the tree on that page.

Gina Rescues a Shrew

I heard Sandy making a horrible 'I've caught a mouse' noise, so went to investigate. He had caught a tiny shrew and it was still alive. I thought it might be worth rescuing, so called Jim and we managed to keep the cats away and caught the little chap in a flower pot. He seemed none the worse for his adventure so I took a photo of him:



Do enlarge the picture by clicking on it and you can see his cute little nose.










He scuttled off into the field and I felt good.

That's about it for now. Sorry if you're sick of tulips. The black ones will be out soon. The Judas Tree isn't yet in flower but you can be sure it'll be well photographed when it is.