It is consistently at or near 100F (37C) so we are spending a lot of time in the swimming pool or inside in the airconditioning. I just wanted to give you some pictures to give you an idea, and then leave you alone until September.
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Intermission
We are on holiday. Or as they say over here, vacation. We are visiting the grandparents in Oklahoma and having a lovely time filled with sunshine and good food... and a lot of HOT.
It is consistently at or near 100F (37C) so we are spending a lot of time in the swimming pool or inside in the airconditioning. I just wanted to give you some pictures to give you an idea, and then leave you alone until September.
It is consistently at or near 100F (37C) so we are spending a lot of time in the swimming pool or inside in the airconditioning. I just wanted to give you some pictures to give you an idea, and then leave you alone until September.
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Midsummer Garden
It's mid-summer. And as such I thought I should give you a tour/ make a record of what is growing and flowering in our garden at the moment.
The poppies are outstanding. Every year they cross polinate and self seed everywhere. I love seeing where they'll end up and what mix of genes we'll get this time. It's always different and yet always perfect.
What do you think of that bizarre purple one?!
Our rosebed, which we inherited when we moved in, is full of beautiful and huge flowers. There doesn't seem to have been a colour scheme though. It's a riot of clashing colours but they all smell fantastic, and they are all beauties. So I don't mind at all... in fact I only noticed when I was taking the picture. (Isn't it funny how you see things differently when you are looking through a viewfinder?)
I have several Allium Christophii growing between the roses... towering above the chives, which are just like miniatures of these fantastic alliums. They are such gorgeous flowers - and the bees love them (just like they love the chives) which is a wonderful bonus. And then there's the self seeded violas... I just love self seeders.
And over in the veg patch:
Raspberries (untended with grass growing among the unpinned stalks) and strawberries (we didn't have any straw so I substituted shredded paper. Seems to work just fine!
Tomatoes and a chili pepper in the plastic-house. Doing quite well!
And a happy, smiley little Spike - also growing like a weed!
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Happiness is...
...camping and fresh strawberries
We went camping last weekend. It was great... a big gang of kids ranging from 11 to nearly 2. Lots of space to play, no rain and even some sunshine(!). We barbecued, we toasted marshmallows, we talk, ate, drank, played guitar and UNO.
There were skylanterns floating high overhead on our first evening. After the third we thought we would go and investigate. They were handing them out and the kids got to release some too. They were made out of paper, rather like those paper lamp shades you can get. A fuel cell (for lack of a better word) was lit at the bottom and they had to stand there and wait until the hot-air-balloon section had filled with enough hot air. Then on the count of three (it took about three people to hold it it was so big!) they let go and it floated quickly up into the night sky. Then the wind took it and blew it away... it was beautiful to watch.
I have just been out strawberry picking for the first time this year. I went to our usual Castle Eden farm (07802 910255) last week, and there was a sign saying 'next week'. So I went back today, and voila!
They had changed the field though, which surprised me, and when I talked to the girl she said that the late frost had caught most of the flowers on the old field. The field the were picking from this year was the maiden plants which weren't supposed to be 'brought online' until next year, but needs must.
And as maidens they were holding their own. You could tell that they were young plants and that it was early in the season, but I still managed to get myself a basket without much trouble.
So hopefully there will be some left over to make some strawberry icecream with my new icecream maker!
We went camping last weekend. It was great... a big gang of kids ranging from 11 to nearly 2. Lots of space to play, no rain and even some sunshine(!). We barbecued, we toasted marshmallows, we talk, ate, drank, played guitar and UNO.
There were skylanterns floating high overhead on our first evening. After the third we thought we would go and investigate. They were handing them out and the kids got to release some too. They were made out of paper, rather like those paper lamp shades you can get. A fuel cell (for lack of a better word) was lit at the bottom and they had to stand there and wait until the hot-air-balloon section had filled with enough hot air. Then on the count of three (it took about three people to hold it it was so big!) they let go and it floated quickly up into the night sky. Then the wind took it and blew it away... it was beautiful to watch.
I have just been out strawberry picking for the first time this year. I went to our usual Castle Eden farm (07802 910255) last week, and there was a sign saying 'next week'. So I went back today, and voila!They had changed the field though, which surprised me, and when I talked to the girl she said that the late frost had caught most of the flowers on the old field. The field the were picking from this year was the maiden plants which weren't supposed to be 'brought online' until next year, but needs must.
And as maidens they were holding their own. You could tell that they were young plants and that it was early in the season, but I still managed to get myself a basket without much trouble.
So hopefully there will be some left over to make some strawberry icecream with my new icecream maker!
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Just so you know...
1. My Dad has gone home now.
2. It is also raining in Barbados, before you get all jealous of him.
3. The temperature has gone down from 28C to 12C since Saturday.
4. My garden is looking decidedly bedraggled after All. That. Rain!
5. I killed about 30 snails on Sunday night.
6. I also spotted a hedgehog eating leftover Yorkshire Puddings I had thrown out for the birds!
So not all bad. But could be better/warmer/dryer. After all, it is JUNE, people!
2. It is also raining in Barbados, before you get all jealous of him.
3. The temperature has gone down from 28C to 12C since Saturday.
4. My garden is looking decidedly bedraggled after All. That. Rain!
5. I killed about 30 snails on Sunday night.
6. I also spotted a hedgehog eating leftover Yorkshire Puddings I had thrown out for the birds!
So not all bad. But could be better/warmer/dryer. After all, it is JUNE, people!
Monday, 7 June 2010
Half Term Heaven
We've had such a great Half Term.
The weather was wonderful. Warm and sunny and just perfect.
My Dad was with us for the whole week, all the way from Barbados! He had been over visiting the continent and exploring the Alps with friends, and a visit to us was the grand finale before heading home in a few days. So it was wonderful that the weather co-operated and the boys were off school. It all came together nicely.
We even had my Aunt come and visit too, for the first time since before Christmas, so that was special too.
Since the weather was so extraordinarily good we made the most of it and went out walking in the hills and countryside around us.
We introduced them to Geocaching, which we don't do a lot, but we really enjoy it when we do manage to get out and do it. When you have time, and lovely places to explore, as we did, it's perfect. We went on old favourite walks, and looked for 'treasure', and we went on new walks in places we had only driven past on the way to somewhere else and found Treasure.
We watched the wind rippling across green fields. We watched tractors mowing hay. Making hay while the sun shone. We smelled the gorse and marvelled at the incongruity of the Malibu-Beach coconut suntan lotion smell in the North York Moors. We listened to larks and tried to spot them against the deep blue sky. We ate ice-cream and picnics and lay on the grass surrounded by wild-flowers.
It was a wonderful week spent in beautiful places with dearly loved family in gorgeous weather. I can only hope your week has been as good as ours.
The weather was wonderful. Warm and sunny and just perfect.
My Dad was with us for the whole week, all the way from Barbados! He had been over visiting the continent and exploring the Alps with friends, and a visit to us was the grand finale before heading home in a few days. So it was wonderful that the weather co-operated and the boys were off school. It all came together nicely.
We even had my Aunt come and visit too, for the first time since before Christmas, so that was special too.
Since the weather was so extraordinarily good we made the most of it and went out walking in the hills and countryside around us.
We introduced them to Geocaching, which we don't do a lot, but we really enjoy it when we do manage to get out and do it. When you have time, and lovely places to explore, as we did, it's perfect. We went on old favourite walks, and looked for 'treasure', and we went on new walks in places we had only driven past on the way to somewhere else and found Treasure. We watched the wind rippling across green fields. We watched tractors mowing hay. Making hay while the sun shone. We smelled the gorse and marvelled at the incongruity of the Malibu-Beach coconut suntan lotion smell in the North York Moors. We listened to larks and tried to spot them against the deep blue sky. We ate ice-cream and picnics and lay on the grass surrounded by wild-flowers.
It was a wonderful week spent in beautiful places with dearly loved family in gorgeous weather. I can only hope your week has been as good as ours.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Glorious
So after the last post where I was Bad Gardengirl I decided something needed to be done.
And since the weather yesterday was nothing short of perfect (shorts! t-shirts! sunglasses!) I got my butt in gear and started doing things.
In my defence it's not like I haven't been doing things all along, it's more that it taaakes foreverrrrr.... Everything takes SO much longer than you would believe!
So. Yesterday.
Dug over last year's onion bed to make it a home for the last remaining strawberry plants. The others had been planted a few days earlier into the raised beds that used to be drawers (remember them?). I had planted shallots (why?? mini onions which means you have to peel, like 6 of them to have enough for anything! Pain. In. The. Butt!) and asparagus (which died... or failed to grow at all... sad sad sad) in them last year. So we have strawberry plants. Probably WAY too late and we may not get much from them this year, but hopefully they'll do something and then we are ahead of the game for Next Year. Hmm...
Continued to dig, weed and de-stone the rest of the veggie patch. I swear it's like I never grew anything there ever before. Where do all the stones come from? Do they grow too? I picked out a bucket-full just yesterday! Did I not notice them last year? How?!
Resurrected last year's beanpoles and started creating the trellis for the peas, at which point: STRING! Took my string to church for some craft thingy and never got it back, which means I am stringless and unable to finish the bean-pole project. WaH! But since I am on such a roll I gather my minibeast hunting offspring up and we scooter over to our neighbourhood mega-store and buy some STRING, which allows me to finish that project and get the wee pea-lets into the ground. Yay me!
Also got the bedding plants in which had been sitting around for a week looking sadder by the day. Now they are in their new homes and all they have to do is get big and lovely and grow lots of purdy flowers which the happy bees and butterflies will love.
So here you go, evidence of productivity!
Oh, and by the way, the baby robins have fledged! Maybe Momma and Poppa Robin will manage a second brood? We have some version of a tit (blue? great? too small and quick to tell) nesting in the nestbox at the end of the garden. Which is very cool. Maybe they are all making up for lost numbers during the winter? We've never had so many nesters in our garden.
And since the weather yesterday was nothing short of perfect (shorts! t-shirts! sunglasses!) I got my butt in gear and started doing things.
In my defence it's not like I haven't been doing things all along, it's more that it taaakes foreverrrrr.... Everything takes SO much longer than you would believe!
So. Yesterday.
Dug over last year's onion bed to make it a home for the last remaining strawberry plants. The others had been planted a few days earlier into the raised beds that used to be drawers (remember them?). I had planted shallots (why?? mini onions which means you have to peel, like 6 of them to have enough for anything! Pain. In. The. Butt!) and asparagus (which died... or failed to grow at all... sad sad sad) in them last year. So we have strawberry plants. Probably WAY too late and we may not get much from them this year, but hopefully they'll do something and then we are ahead of the game for Next Year. Hmm...
Continued to dig, weed and de-stone the rest of the veggie patch. I swear it's like I never grew anything there ever before. Where do all the stones come from? Do they grow too? I picked out a bucket-full just yesterday! Did I not notice them last year? How?!
Resurrected last year's beanpoles and started creating the trellis for the peas, at which point: STRING! Took my string to church for some craft thingy and never got it back, which means I am stringless and unable to finish the bean-pole project. WaH! But since I am on such a roll I gather my minibeast hunting offspring up and we scooter over to our neighbourhood mega-store and buy some STRING, which allows me to finish that project and get the wee pea-lets into the ground. Yay me!
Also got the bedding plants in which had been sitting around for a week looking sadder by the day. Now they are in their new homes and all they have to do is get big and lovely and grow lots of purdy flowers which the happy bees and butterflies will love.
So here you go, evidence of productivity!
Oh, and by the way, the baby robins have fledged! Maybe Momma and Poppa Robin will manage a second brood? We have some version of a tit (blue? great? too small and quick to tell) nesting in the nestbox at the end of the garden. Which is very cool. Maybe they are all making up for lost numbers during the winter? We've never had so many nesters in our garden.Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Busy garden
Look who's nesting in our garden! We have an extractor fan by the back door. It doesn't work, and never has. One of the vent covers on the outside is missing, and the other day we realised that some friends had decided that it was a Des-Res! We had a quick peek while Mom & Dad were out and two little mouths opened wide - so we skedaddled and left them alone. We have been able to watch from the kitchen as the parents fly back and forth all day long with beaks full of worms. It's SO cute!
It's spring, don't you know, and so all over the garden things are happening. Not just in the nesting department. The apples are in blossom - nothing quite like apple-blossom, is there?
Except for Garden-Boy's favourite flower, the cornflower. We have lots. He would happily let them take over the entire garden.
And how can you not love these bright, cheery, colourful flowers! Tulips may just be my favourite flower. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!
And so, after months of neglect I am back in gear and doing some serious gardening. I have been weeding the flower-beds thoroughly, which is a Big Deal. We have Snowberries (what's their official name? I don't know. They have white berries about the size of large blueberries, and they send up runners/suckers everywhere. Leave them alone and they will take over your garden). We have been trying to get rid of them, which is not easy. It takes a lot of digging and vigilance. They come up through the grass, through the plants you actually want, everywhere. And then there's couch grass and creeping buttercups... I am a Bad Gardener. It hasn't been pretty.
But I am trying to remedy this. I think, like the robins, I am suddenly in the midst of an irrepressible urge to tend things. Not my children, of course, who are still being raised according to the benign neglect/free range method. But my garden... weeding, digging out unwanted bushes and stones, digging in sand and compost, planting lovely perennials, sowing seeds (everything from gourds, tomatoes and peas to butterfly-friendly flowers that came with the latest issue of National Geographic Kids). It's looking a lot better, but there is still a long way to go.
And I MUST get those strawberries in! But first, of course, I need to finish weeding the veggie patch and dig in all that sand and manure! Urg. And the pea seedlings are ready to be planted up the yet-unconstructed wigwam...
So to distract you (and me) from those unfinished jobs, here's a bedtime serenade from Spike:
It's spring, don't you know, and so all over the garden things are happening. Not just in the nesting department. The apples are in blossom - nothing quite like apple-blossom, is there?
Except for Garden-Boy's favourite flower, the cornflower. We have lots. He would happily let them take over the entire garden.
And how can you not love these bright, cheery, colourful flowers! Tulips may just be my favourite flower. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!
And so, after months of neglect I am back in gear and doing some serious gardening. I have been weeding the flower-beds thoroughly, which is a Big Deal. We have Snowberries (what's their official name? I don't know. They have white berries about the size of large blueberries, and they send up runners/suckers everywhere. Leave them alone and they will take over your garden). We have been trying to get rid of them, which is not easy. It takes a lot of digging and vigilance. They come up through the grass, through the plants you actually want, everywhere. And then there's couch grass and creeping buttercups... I am a Bad Gardener. It hasn't been pretty. But I am trying to remedy this. I think, like the robins, I am suddenly in the midst of an irrepressible urge to tend things. Not my children, of course, who are still being raised according to the benign neglect/free range method. But my garden... weeding, digging out unwanted bushes and stones, digging in sand and compost, planting lovely perennials, sowing seeds (everything from gourds, tomatoes and peas to butterfly-friendly flowers that came with the latest issue of National Geographic Kids). It's looking a lot better, but there is still a long way to go.
And I MUST get those strawberries in! But first, of course, I need to finish weeding the veggie patch and dig in all that sand and manure! Urg. And the pea seedlings are ready to be planted up the yet-unconstructed wigwam...
So to distract you (and me) from those unfinished jobs, here's a bedtime serenade from Spike:
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