Garden Bits and Bobs.

Good morning.

Last evening I stood in the Poly House and thought to myself "I am soooo content right now." I was so happy to be there doing what I was doing. This was me, crocks, socks and shorts - not the best look!

The recent much needed rain has really brought things on in the sowing and growing department and I'm loving it. After the slow start to Spring we really seem to be catching up, apart from my tomatoes which are quite a bit behind last year but we're getting there. I have begun potting them on and have put some of the Sweet Aperitif variety in their last growing place with stakes ready for when they hopefully shoot up!

In the fruit patch, still slightly overgrown but getting to that! I'm really confident of a good harvest of soft fruit this year from the blackcurrants and blueberries as you can see here. No point showing the raspberry bushes as they are beasts!

As you may have seen in my last post I have cancelled one of my Twitter accounts. Before I did this I was really lucky to win a pair of gorgeous gardening gloves in a competition run between the RHS and a company called Gold Leaf gloves. Look!

When coming in the cellar back door the other day I saw this! A nest in the corner of one of the nooks. There are four eggs being looked after by a Robin; she happily sits on them even though I go in and out of the door quite frequently it doesn't seem to bother her at all.

I have picked some of the wild garlic, including flowers, and put it in stir fries and on salads; its been yummy.

I am doing my best to get the pesto made very soon as it is already dying back and I don't want to lose all of it. I really hope to be harvesting the first of our salad leaves very soon; as you can see they are looking great.

This is a mixed living lettuce I bought last week; I've planted them out before and they've grown really well so I thought I'd add this into the mix!

I was earthing up the Arran Pilot first early spuds the other day and look what I accidentally brought up! They will be properly ready for harvest quite soon so look forward to crossing that item off my shopping list along with salad leaves.

I'm chuffed to bits with how the main patch is coming on. The sweet peas on the end of the frame are coming on a pace, as are the climbing peas...

and spuds are looking great (see further down the post), I have red and green lettuce in there, too, and the spinach beet is peeking through although I'm not quite sure what it'll look like when ready to harvest!

 The dwarf beans seem to be catching up with the season....

as does the kale, beetroot and turnips in the small bed.

Jon tasted one of the first strawberries yesterday and I'm hopeful for a small but good crop on the two plants.

Right, that is my catch up for now. Visitors coming today and a few jobs to get done. Watered outside, chooks fed and washer on already so just to have breakfast now and crack on.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Sow-cial Media Ramble. Ya boo sucks!

I have a Twitter account for our Airbnb room where I tend to follow Welsh related accounts and things to do with tourism and visiting our fair principality. I really had looked forward to having one for myself where I could get some chat going with other like minded people with regard to gardening and sowing n growing. I set one up but I don't feel I get that - not sure if I am just not on trend with others.

Whilst just vacuuming - I think about lots of things when doing mundane but necessary tasks around the house - I began to come to the conclusion that I'm not getting out of it as much as I'd hoped; I think you are a blogger or a Tweeter. I unashamedly like to ramble more than a bit and Twitter, even with the extended amount of characters, does not really let me express myself enough. I feel like I'm in a rush and I HATE that at any time; that's another reason I don't like or use (just the once I think, Instagram - clue is in the name). Here I go, I like writing letters not emailing people because I love the anticipation of receiving a letter with news and stuff. The immediacy of knowing EVERYTHING about what is going on in general really gets to me at times. "Google it" everybody shouts but I think sometimes why not "find a book"!

Another thing is I did initially think if Twitter got too much for me then I would indeed cancel it. I feel pressured into tweeting something to keep me "out there" and frankly I'm not that bothered. There I said it. To this end I think I will close my Twitter account. I shall continue to love writing my blog - I'm so enjoying writing just now and have a couple of things in the pipeline which I'm very excited about and will carry on trying to find outlets for my rambling.

Thank you for listening, caring if you can be bothered but other wise hope you enjoy reading my blog as I do the ones I follow and catch up with regularly.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

#Ilovemygarden and #IloveWales

Good morning.

Its been a great weekend.

On Saturday we finally got ourselves to the Spring Festival at Builth Wells; I've wanted to go ever since we moved here. Part of our journey, which was just over an hour, took us through the Hafod Estate which was gorgeous in the morning sunshine...

and then we drove along the Elan Valley which is remarkable; we're really so lucky to live in Ceredigion!

I'd really like to look more into the history of the mines near the Elan valley.

We were parked up at the showground by 9am and I have to say there weren't as many people as I thought there would be but it was great, not too keen on lots of crowds. I was rubbish at taking too many photos I'm afriad, too busy enjoying myself and looking at stuff!

The boys had a go at the shooting range belonging to British Association for Shooting and Conservation. 

They declared it was easier to shoot the air rifle we have at home!

We saw rare breeds of sheep that were as big as a miniature ponies and goats with five horns, count 'em! There were mahoosive chickens along with gorgeous pigs.

I visited the Smallholders Centre and picked up lots of useful information.

I managed to catch up with Kim Stoddart of GreenRocket Courses and Badly Behaved Gardener fame as she was hosting the Speakers Corner. which was lovely. I popped back later just in time to hear a talk from the Wiltshire Horn Society; they breed sheep which don't need shearing as it malts- very interesting and I had seen these wonderful sheep when we first arrived at the show.

We watched the farriers working on the horses and this chap was very accommodating and just stood there looking wonderful.

We took a picnic and enjoyed it in the shade under one of the huge trees although it wasn't too hot when walking around the stands. (We didn't sit under this one!)

We headed home, seeing these wonderful beasts on the way, 

and were back by about 2.30pm which was great as Jon could get on with his jobs and I could get out into the garden!

**I made sure I sat down at 7pm to watch the royal wedding highlights; I'd managed to avoid any of the screens at the Spring Festival.



It was just lovely; Harry looked very handsome and I thought Megan's dress was simply gorgeous. I loved the dress James Blunt's missus was wearing, no surprise Posh was in black and not really smiling and of course there was Swooney Clooney!!

Anyhow back to the great outdoors at home. The weekend weather has been perfect, not too hot with a bit of a breeze. I've really enjoyed myself sowing seeds outside for more Dwarf Beans and Climbing Peas as well as some broccoli to go in the Poly House. This photo was taken at the end of last week I think, love it.

I've decided to make the best of the weather and use the Poly House as a pergola sort of thing, what with it being totally al fresco just now! 

We are planning on recovering the PH and putting the glass in after this coming weekend when a major project is finally finished. With the weather being so warm everything seems to be surviving very well at night with some kind of protection and then there's the propagator which is doing a brilliant job - it gets soooo warm inside!

I've ditched some seeds, including Moneymaker tomatoes, which had not germinated as I think the conservatory was just too warm for them. I potted on six of the Sweet Aperitif plants which came from Thompson and Morgan, sowed red n green lettuce and more spring onions in the sink.

This photo was taken at the end of last week I think and I love it; 

everything is coming along great guns; 2nd earlies,

Charlottes (excuse the surrounding weeds)

and the Climbing and Sweet Peas.

I have taken the decision to put a mole trap in the carrot patch. After thinking all was well when there's been no sign for a good few days the beast is back! I hope this will do the trick - thankfully its not going after the radish / parsnip sowings!

Jon has organised me a new outside tap as when the weather is dry and the butts are empty I can't get water to the beds,which I'm chuffed about.

Another titbit of happenings. I've written a small piece for our local, promotional glossy for Aber called EGO; I hope it'll be in the June edition.

Right, after all that went on at the weekend its a bit of an inside day today.The washing is already on the line, one bed changed, the bread is on the go, chooks fed and I'm about to have a brew before my next jobs which include making lemonade for the boys after school.

Looking forward, as ever, to seeing what you've been getting up to over the weekend.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Fun In The Sun, A Sowing And A Growing!

Good morning.

Oh my what a weekend! On Saturday we spent, as a family, 3 and a half hours putting up the greenhouse gifted to us by friends; where they live was apparently too windy for them to use it so they asked if we'd like it. You betcha!

It was a bit of a task but we did it in the end, all but the glass - Jon will get to that after a couple of other jobs around out little Homestead; there are a few broken pieces but he has some in stock so no trouble there.

We started putting it together where it will eventually be set down but it was a bit of a squeeze so we moved across to the other side of the garden to complete the task.

 I took this one as Harry was tightening up all the nuts and bolts.

This photo is after I'd re-sited the blackcurrant bush that was in the doorway, can you see? Its loaded with flowers and smells fab, as does the other bush, and I'm very confident of a good harvest, as long as I can keep an eye on them regarding the birds....

I now have to strim the area, it will be secured, I'll put some membrane down for this year and Jon said he'll build me some staging. Next year I'll see about having some raised beds but I'll have my planters for the tomatoes and other things this year when I get organised - v.excited!

Sunday was a great day! I got outside after a hearty breakfast I cleaned out the chooks with some great shavings I use from the sawmill. I sowed cabbage Offenham direct into the bed outside the Poly House. I have some in the conservatory in pots but thought I'd go belt and braces as really hope they come out as well as last year but just more, barring caterpillars. 

I forgot to sow peppers after the first lot didn't germinate so I've, again, gone for sweet pepper Romano and California Wonder. Because of the extra space with the greenhouse I've decided to sow gherkins again as they did sooo well last year.

I've direct sown sugar snap peas in the main bed and used some more willow canes for a little support. I've got a really mix going on in there just now. I was only thinking this afternoon that I must work out where to put things once the first early spuds are up as there is broccoli to think of, too, that is currently in the conservatory - nowhere near ready to go out yet, though.

I am continually checking my books and magazines for things I can sow just now, and as our weather is set to be great for the next week too I have to hold myself back! I'm lucky to have a good sized area and the new greenhouse, too, but it is never enough is it😃?

The raspberry bushes were getting properly larey so I've tied the other large one to supporting canes and noticed where they have self-seeded so will have to deal with that soon. Last year our neighbour gave me some raspberry canes and I planted them at the fence line between his and our garden and completely forgot about them. They are now well established now and it looks like there will be a great crop from them this year! 

We popped to Aber after lunch and I came home with four more bags of compost. Just out of interest, what do people pay for it where you live? I can get 200 litres for £10. Work clothes back on and with new supplies I planted out more sweet peas, this time in a planter with one of my trellis (2 for £1) and willow canes so that should be a lovey sight outside of the Poly House. 

I could finally put the last of the maincrop spuds Cara in! I admit to some of them being spoilt with overheating so I had to ditch a few.... but they are in the second massive tyre and one growing bag.


I clipped some of the big weeds before strimming and checked that it was ok for some to go on the compost; I also turned over one of the compost bins to see how it was progressing.

We managed to get some of the grass cut and it looks so much better - lovely view from the Poly House. Hope to get the rest done this week.

In other areas of the garden the three blueberry bushes are really coming on well - not sure if there will be any fruit this year.

The end of the small patch where the parsnips and radishes are sown are now quite defined by the radishes which is good to see.

The Marketmore cucumbers are peeping through after being put in the propagator in the Poly House after not doing well in the conservatory so its great my recycling has worked.

Right, have to get on. Just enjoying the weather today really, not too many jobs outside apart from drying the washing. Back to Slimming World tonight after a couple of weeks away and then Welsh tomorrow, also been off for a couple of weeks as life just got in the way.

Oh, in my quest to do a bit of writing where I can I've had a piece about learning Welsh accepted and is going to be published in our local mag promoting Aber. go me!

Looking forward to seeing what everybody is getting up to on your own patches of paradise in this fantastic weather we are enjoying just now.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Dw i'n hoffi garddio - I Love Gardening!

Oh boy oh boy what a weekend that was!

The weather was bloomin' glorious from Saturday until yesterday - not the same today by any stretch but still pleasant, and secretly a touch of rain would be good! Although I've had other things to do like welcoming Airbnb guests on Saturday afternoon, popping over to our local, annual plant sale and running the boys around I got out to work on my little patch of paradise and its been absolutely fab, really!

Over the weekend I've managed to put more compost in one of the massive tyres, in which I've now planted 12 of my Cara main crop spuds, and done a bit of mixed planting by putting in swede with red 'n' green salad bowl leaves in the main patch. I finally have the pea netting up on both sides of the frame, yay! (so promise I'll stop going on about it now) along with willow at the ends for the sweet peas - a few of them I have out out but more are almost ready to go out.

I had a good tidy up in the Poly House. Just because I'm going for the al fresco look it doesn't mean I don't have to keep it tidy....

At least I have a cracking view of everything!! Whilst having a tidy up I dried all the polythene I'd been using to cover everything up in the winter,

folded it up and it now lives in a couple of compost bags to keep dry until need it again.

Also I've been keeping two strawberry plants in the conservatory, as you may have seen, and I figured it was time to get them outside so I've made use of a shopping bag that is just a ridiculous size so here is how I have utilised it.

Jon was unable to cut the grass as the guests were enjoying sunbathing in the sun but we hope to get that done soon. Likewise I have a bit of strimmer tidying up to do - oh the joys of good weather and how it makes you want to just DO STUFF!

Talking to Tracy over the weekend we could almost see each other's smiles through the What's App because we were having so much fun just being outside in the sun doing what we love. 

I completely understand how gardening can be an aid to those struggling with mental health issues. I myself can feel the endorphins being let loose as I spend time outside, loving giving it a go,seeing how things grow and being excited about looking forward to enjoying the fruits, and veg, of my labour and my achievements later in the year.

Hope everyone had as much fun as me whilst making the best of the lovely weather. 

Today is an indoor jobs day. Bread is on the go, vacuuming everywhere is on the to do list because things, as expected, were neglected over the weekend but, hey, whatever.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx