Trying to Blog

I really used to enjoy writing my blog and interacting with other bloggers and readers, but it seems that I have ended up hardly doing anything at all. This morning I was thinking about it and was wondering if I could get back into it again. I have come up with a plan (a cunning plan perhaps?). I think the most enjoyable part of reading blogs is looking at the photos that are posted of houses, gardens, pets, vintage

 finds and outings etc so I wondered if I should try and do a weekly post of the photos reflecting what I have done the previous week? I wrote some posts like that in the past and it encourages me to take photos too.

So, if anyone is actually reading this after all this time, do you think? 

Shall I start one now as it is Monday morning...a good time to reflect on the past week and perhaps think about what is happening this week....

Last Monday Mr C and I had breakfast at The Canteen in Nailsworth.

I am working on a new flower bed and look who moved in!

I bought a new waffle maker so had to try it out for breakfast.

The Boy earned his keep by mowing two acres of buttercups that had exploded like invading zombies while we were away on holiday.

My garden roses are looking so pretty.

Our big exciting news is that we are getting a new puppy. We went to visit him again on Saturday, he is 6 weeks old now and Mr C is in love! 

There was manic puppy love for 10 minutes and then he promptly fell asleep upside down. He is a little Italian Greyhound and he comes home in two weeks time so brace yourself for lots of puppy pics.

We bought the puppy a little igloo bed and look who managed to squeeze himself in! 

Finally, this week I am looking forward to the next V&H Vintage Jumble Sale in Box where there will be vintage bargains galore. 

CHEERY THINGS ON A SUNNY DAY

 New strawberry bed made from a pallet that the horse bedding came on - the idea is that the fruit will grow on top of the wood & keep it nice & clean.

Morning cuddles...

Treacle tart...

Car boot buy...

Snoozing in the sunshine...

New shoes...

...and a nice cup of tea!

Hope you are all enjoying a lovely day.

Squash, But No Tomatoes!

This year the only vegetables that have grown well in my veggie garden are courgettes & squash. Everything else has been pathetic including the tomatoes grown in the polytunnel. Usually I have more tomatoes than I know what do with, but not this year. Ditto my cucumbers, peppers, chillis & aubergines. Even my apple tree has only produced 2 apples - one each for the horses! The herbs have done well though.

This Saturday is the annual WI Flower Show at the village hall & I doubt I'll be entering anything this time. Last year there were bumper entries but I think that the fruit & veg classes will be down due to the poor wweather. I have once again been asked to judge the craft categories & am looking forward to seeing the entries.

Chilli Jam

Once again this year I have a bumper crop of tomatoes & chillies. One of the things I like to make to use them up is chilli jam - delicious with cheese or cold meats, on sandwiches & toasties.

The recipe I use is here! It is definitely worth making, but double the recipe as it doesn't last long! I made a batch today & doubling the recipe fills two 500g kilner jars.

Delicious!

My First Ripe Pumpkin

Today's Harvest & Freshly Baked Sourdough

All the above were picked this morning & the sourdough bread I baked yesterday.



PS.....for those who were wondering....the pattern on the bread is from a bread
proving basket!
You put the dough in it to rise & then tip out to bake it & the basket makes the pattern.

Garden Creatures

I found this rather interesting looking creature in the polytunnel today - it is a lovely pink & green colour & I have identified it as an Elephant Hawk-Moth. After taking it's photo I gently evicted it as I don't want it laying eggs on my veg! Apparently they enjoy the nectar of honeysuckles which is probably what attracted it as we have a large old honeysuckle by the back door.

As for this creature ....he was caught red-pawed stealing strawberries!!
If you click on the photo to enlarge it you can just see the strawberry between his teeth!

My First Strawberry

The first strawberry from my giant strawberry plants! Deeeeelicious!

You will notice that the splint is OFF my finger! I still have to wear it at night for another 6 weeks & can't lift anything heavy or ride yet. It is very stiff but that should improve with physio. Can you believe I broke it in January? The hand doctor said that it takes much longer for the tendon to re-attach than it takes for the bone to heal.

It actually feels quite weird without it on, but I'm happy!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

With a lot of hard work!

Here are the baby vegetable plants that I nurtured in my kitchen during the cold "spring" months which eventually could be potted up & moved into the polytunnel to grown on a bit.

Here they are today - almost ready!




Today Tamzin & I were out in the garden nice & early & worked out there all day except for an hour of "Active Fitball" at the Leisure Centre (I'm going to be stiff tomorrow) & a quick bite of lunch.


The patio was swept, the weeds removed & the pots filled up with compost. The terracotta pot on the wirework stand are awaiting some colourful geraniums.


This is my old peg basket which now has a hole underneath so I'm going to reinvent it as a hanging basket - I'll have to show you what it looks like planted up later.



Some of my galvanised bath tubs which I use as planters.


Of course no gardening session is complete without a break for a drink served from a vintage jug with an African beadwork cover.....


Note the "vintage" 80's leopard print scarf which was mine way back then...



Come on....shoes back on and back to work.....


It took us quite some time to construct this "cage" to keep the birds off of the strawberries!Yes, they really are that big - they've done so well this year.


The polytunnel had become a dumping ground & hidey hole for homeless spiders over the winter, so all the junk had to be removed, the long grass pulled up & spiders & snails evicted.
With the addition of homemade compost in the beds it's ready for vegetable plants - the cucumbers were the first to go in.



After all that it was time to stop & smell the roses....




The feathery girls on the other hand weren't too impressed with the heat so retreated into the shade for a siesta!


From left to right....Tinkerbell, Hermione, Nutmeg & Henrietta.

I think we are going to sleep well tonight!

Cheery Cherry Tree

This cherry tree is my most favourite tree in my garden - the halo of confetti style flowers is enough to earn it's keep for the rest of the year. We bought & planted this tree shortly after we bought the house - it was just a stick in a plant pot then & considering that the hedge behind is about 8 feet tall, look at it now!

Bountiful Harvest

Not so long ago I was posting about creating a new raised bed for vegetables (see post for comparison) & two short months later both vegetable plots are full to bursting & we are picking lots of vegetables.
As you can see, we are not of the Straight Rows School of Gardening!
Oh no! We just pop everything in & let it get on with the job of growing & providing fruit & veg for the kitchen. The beans are even growing up the sunflowers!




Inside the polytunnel the tomatoes are doing their best to reach the roof & have little fruits already. In fact they have grown even more since I took this photo a few days ago.


We've had a number of cucumbers off this plant already.



Here are today's pickings - fresh from the garden & straight to the kitchen & later to the plate.


I like to try different vegetables so often buy seeds for black beans or striped tomatoes just to see how they turn out.

As you can see, you don't need a very big space to grow quite a big variety of vegetables & be self sufficient all summer long!