The Sun Shines so it's Gardening Time. 20.5.09

Gardening

In spite of a rainy start, this afternoon the sun shone. It was really warm, too and I had to go and change my thick gardening trousers for a thinner pair. These are in worse condition than the others and have rips on both knees. More patches!

Jim has left me again, off to the UK for a meeting on Friday and to visit family, so there could well be one or two Poppy photos in the next day or so. He has just rung me and sounded a bit fed up. However, before he left, he gave me instructions on what I could plant from the cold frame. I did quite a bit of work before the planting. The grass around the edge of the front lawns was long, so I tidied that up. Part of the front rockery was really weedy so I cleared that, put some potting compost in it and planted some 'garden flowers'. Jim has sown them from seed so we're not sure what they are. It'll be a fun surprise.

Then I moved over to the 'semi-wild' bed which is just by the path up to the vegetables. It has lots of primula in it and primroses, loads of aquilegia and other odd bits and bobs. I weeded first then planted some of the 'wild flowers', also sown by Jim. I can recognise that some of them are poppies but I'm not sure about the rest. More surprises.

The path up to the veg plot had very long grass either side of it, I mean, about a foot long. So I managed to find a pair of shears and cut it all down. It looks so much better. I did take the odd photo of course:



They look a bit thin and scraggy but should firm up now they've been planted out.











The grassy path on the right is the one up to the vegetable patch











The grass on both sides was as long as that shown here on the right! That has gone now, as has the pile of builder's rubble. I'll take another photo tomorrow if it's fine.






I also did quite a bit of work on the compost heaps. They have become very weedy on the outside, so I pulled all those out and the honesty, which has finished, so now we have a lot of ready compost to put on the beds. Compost we can actually get at!

I came in at 10pm eventually! A quick dinner (yesterday's leftovers) and here I am. The back survived today but I might have a soak in the bath before bed to ease it a little.

ATCs

I received 2 ATCs from Cris, Artist in Oregon this morning. They are lovely, as you can see:



If you click on the picture, you can enlarge it and see the details.






It's so exciting to look in our post box and see what goodies have arrived from all around the world.

Builders

The builders have been working for the past 3 days. They are about to render the outside of the extension and the guttering man is also supposed to be coming tomorrow and the electrician on Friday.



Joe is putting wood around the windows and doors in readiness for the rendering - look at that lovely hawthorn on the right.







Flowers

With the sun shining, I took some photos of the flowers and I hope you enjoy them:



This little rockery plant spreads like mad and is covered in tiny blue flowers











rhododendron. This really doesn't like our soil and the leaves have yellowed, but the flowers are still gorgeous. This is the first to open










The dark sambucus 'Queen of the Night' is growing daily. The lupins have flowers coming too. The pale, circular leaves at the front are on The Judas Tree










talking of the Judas tree, this pea like flower is almost out. Maybe I will get to see one after all
















Jim recently bought this bottle brush shrub. We have one in the UK and it's gorgeous
















This is our medlar tree. It has strange fruit and you are supposed to leave it until it goes soft before you eat it. You can also make medlar jelly. This year it is covered in flowers












Medlar flower

























I love the glossy leaves of the pittisporum. The green ones will turn purple later in the year











The pink azalea is still flowering












This is a wild strawberry and came originally from an old school friend of mine who lives in Suffolk. I love the pink of the flowers











These two acers are a picture together




















The delicate flowers of London's Pride are a delight


















This huge bee was resting by the cold frame














I couldn't resist a photo of the alchemilla mollis after the rain











These tiny heuchera flowers still attract the bees. I think they are so pretty


















Common or not, this geranium flowers where nothing else will survive










This is also a perennial geranium and has rather unusual cut petals. Jim doesn't really like it as he things they look raggy!











The lovely Hilary from down the road called today. She didn't want her photo taken. I can't imagine why, she is so slim and attractive



















This really does need enlarging. Do click on it. You will then see the bee snuggling down at the bottom of the one on the right! They are white cornflowers




I wasn't so pleased to see this wasp on the flower head. It's a little early for wasps.

















We brought this ornamental thistle from the UK too. Here's a montage of the flowers, plus the odd bee gathering pollen




That's it for today. It's a funny time of year, the bulbs have finished and the flowers are on their way, but some of them not appearing yet. It has been lovely to see so many insects around today. Butterflies, bees, hover flies and moths, plus little beetles scurrying along the ground (and across my floor in here).

I can't believe it's 1am, it feels like about 11pm. I hope the sun is shining where you are.

My Son the Poet, I get Presents. 10.3.09

If you didn't see my last blog entry, it was about Buster getting a new bed as his old one was too small for him. My big son J left this comment yesterday:

Buster's Lament by Jason Green

Why oh why, I cannot seem to lie
With my head in my bed, oh my.... oh my.
It's not that big, "dog head size" I'd say,
But I poke it inside and it flops out all day!
Oh deep joy, it seems my problems are solved,
A huge doggy bed from England I'm told!
Now I sleep soundly, after running amok,
It fits my dog head and my small doggy bot!
My sleep is so peaceful no longer so tuff,
Snoring all nite, to get up not so "ruff"!

I reckon that's one cool poem!! I told Buster that Uncle Jason had written one about him! He said 'woof'.

Our poetic genius obviously runs in the family.

Our first job today was to empty the car, which was packed to the gunnels with 'stuff' from the UK. The new bathroom suite, 'Innocence' it's called, is in the top barn with a large roll of polythene for the polytunnel, plus sundry assorted boxes for the bathroom suite, taps, traps, you name it.

Jim bought me a pair of new Wellington Boots. Now these are your straight forward black ones, but they fit a treat. I also received some new gardening gloves, highly essential when I'm brambling. 6 little delightful conifers came too, plus a pink deutzia shrub. Also a pot of varnish for my papier mache creations then 3 months supply of contact lenses (I'd run out) and my prescription medicine. I need that as it's my anti depressants. Not exactly a present, but highly vital all the same. Jim also brought back the plants in a basket that I had bought him for his birthday. All the little daffodils are out now and it looks a treat.
The builders have been busy all day and this is where we are up to now:



Martin waving and Joe climbing up the ladder
There has been much noisy drilling today as they have been fixing the roof joists to the wall of the cottage.






We have managed to find a plumber willing to do all the heating and bathroom suite, towel rails, etc, that's one worry removed. He seems very pleasant but speaks at about 100 miles an hour and he has a strong Irish accent. I just smile and nod.



The first of the miniature red tulips is almost out. Luckily the cows missed these. Can you see the weeds? They've all gone now. I weeded this bed this afternoon and half of the other bed on the arboretum. The ground is so wet, it's really hard work.




Jim spent some time trying to lose the cow holes. It was funny watching him jump up and down trying to flatten the grass. I tried to catch him in action:




It does look much better already











Jumping Jim. Where's your horse? I washed his very filthy red coat while he was away. It positively shines now.






While Jim was in the UK he went to see all 3 of his children and of course his first Grandchild, the lovely Poppy. Here are 4 of the photos he managed to get while she wasn't crying!




Hasn't she grown? If you look carefully you can see Jim's birthday basket in the background

















She has a wonderful surprised look!

















A bit of a smile here













'That's the best I can manage' says Poppy











Time for a bit of blog reading.

Spring into Ireland - Extending Extension

OUR GARDEN IN SPRING...

It's been so lovely today, even more of our spring flowers are opening already. More narcissus, crocus, celandine, snowdrops and daffodils. Vinca major has made an appearance too, though a bit tatty. I have been getting to the bottom of the bank I was clearing at the side of the vegetable plot. It looks so much better and will let much more light onto the vegetables. My back has suffered a bit but it's usually ok again by the following morning.

At the bottom of the bank is a way through to the willow plantation and if you turn left, to the arboretum. This path has always been a bit muddy but now is almost impassable. I have started to build a path to replace the mud - watch this space. I know I only took photos 2 days ago but I have more today, the flowers all look so pretty. They do look better enlarged, click on them and you will see:





More of the narcissus have come out. They look so cute with their bobbing heads.
















An early Vinca Major, a bit tatty but a lovely colour









3 new snowdrops. It rained overnight so they have jewel like droplets of rain on them. This is my new desktop picture





The little bunch below seems to be growing daily














Not a flower yet but the first leaf of one of my very favourite plants, Alchemilla Mollis. The new leaves appear through the old brown rotting ones of last year from velvet buds.







Broom's welcoming yellow is all over our land

















This celandine, along with others, is now in full flower. I love the heart shaped leaves, some of which seem to be variagated.








Forgive me for more crocus photos, but they came out so well. These are really large ones for crocus.













How unusual is this shot? Like little treasure troves, guarding their secret contents.










This beautiful bright yellow primula seems to have appeared overnight.
















Finally in the garden I came across this shining copper red grass. The ones behind have had a haircut!





The red reminded me that while Jim and I were looking out at the bird nuts today, there was a gorgeous red squirrel wrapped around them. I reached for my camera but BlackJack spotted it and scared it away. They are so much more attractive than the grey ones and quite a bit smaller.

EXTENTION

The extension, having not moved for ages a month ago, is also growing daily. Jim and I have walked around in our 'rooms' and I'm getting very excited now about actually living in them, though I know it will be a while yet. The photos below show from floor slab to the state of play today. Oh, and our very pleasant Blockman is called Declan:































Declan on the right in the 'sun room'













Jim outside my patio doors! The window you can see will become the door to my room.














The Great Wall of Doorus and Jim's shadow















Declan balancing on Jim's shoulders?












Jim went into town today and bought a super collection of bulbs. He knows I hate planting them so that will be his job. He bought some beautiful gladioli, dahlias (corms), some lilies, mixed montbretia and some of the dark red montbretia, 'Lucifer'. (Leatherdykeuk - Jasfoup beware).

We are both uplifted by the weather and the speed of the building work. I am off to Spain (Porta Banus) on Monday until Thursday to visit my youngest son Ben, who has a bar there. I'm quite excited about that too as I last saw him for a few hours on my 60th birthday in September. It was his birthday on the 18th February, 25 years ago. It hardly seems possible. The wonderful thing is I now keep in touch with a lot of his old school friends through Facebook. They are all grown up now and making their way in the world. Finally, a photo of a celandine that was too bright so I played with it!