Birthday girl

Another year old (not necessary wiser though) and I have some lovely flowers from Luke and the excitement of a bunch of garden vouchers (thanks to Gayle). Mum came down for my birthday which was the best treat ever and she had to keep an eye on the trolley in the garden centre whilst I bought some absolute bargain tulips for $1.00 a pot. I had no idea why they were so cheap but I bought seven pots which were basically all that was left after people had been loading them into their trolleys like they were the last bottles of water in a drought. I've just planted them into the fruit patch, dotted between the strawberries and circling the rhubard forcer (the old chimney pot). Hopefully they will come up next Spring before the strawberries take over.
My gladioli from Crocus, the mail order company I get my usual tulips from, arrived a few days ago. I also bought a few Lilium White Heaven which are heavily scented lilies that are fully hardy and good for cutting too. I've gone for green, white and deep purple gladioli and I'll put them around the bird bath in abundance to create spiers of interest in the summer.
I've been looking at climbing roses to soften the tall fence at the back of the garden. As it's the last part of the garden to enjoy sun; still well lit by 7.00pm, I'm thinking I should go for warm apricot colours and the beautiful orange Crown Princess Margarita that I've got in the front garden and have appreciated for it's lush shade. These will glow in the evening light and tempered with a blue or purple clematis and maybe softened with Mm Alfred Carrier (a 20 foot tall climbing rose in white rose) should make te fence more interesting.
I can't do anything yet till Luke has put his muscle behind that last fence post that is embedded in the middle. Once he's done that I shall get my roses. plant them up with plenty of compost as they are greedy plants and then work over the ground once more, levelling it out and using sharp sand to create shapes in which to sprinkle the wild flower seeds we've bought for this first year's colour. We'll just have to work out whether we erect the other chicken house and run parrellel to the original chicken house in order to allow the hens to have each other's company without Lola, the big hen, using their house as her home. The two original hens tolerate her but I think prefered their old way of life with just the two of them and no huge beak towering over them, ready to peck if they get something tastier to eat than she has.

Almost there.

I just haven't got as far as I had hoped to this weekend. Yesterday I only managed two hours digging before having a girl's outing with my friend, Michelle.So, today, having had a cursory clean of the house I took advantage of the last expected sunny day and mowed the front and back lawns before getting on my knees and plucking the straggly grass from close to the fence. After that I decided to make use of the compost we'd made over the past 18 months.

Not having the luxury of two composters I had to lift the compost bin and fork out the top half, the uncomposted vegetable peelings, fresh grass clippings and broken eggshells into the wheelbarrow before digging the bottom, composted half into the ground between the shed and the greenhouse. Having used all the vegetable patch already (which leaves no room for succession planting) I have prepared this strip for the sweetcorn and may be some more peas.
Within moments my companion gardener, Lola, the big chicken we've inherited was in the patch, scratching over it and looking for fat worms. The soil here was already good and so she did not have to wait long before unearthing a few wrigglers.

The soil over behind the hen house though is almost lifeless. I shall have to dig in lots of compost and before long it will encourage some activity. Although I ended up continuing to dig that stretch of the ground I didn't finish it, preferring to sit by the hammock and talk to Luke who was happily swinging in it. Another hour and every part of the ground we can use will have been worked over. Is it then time to start on the front garden?
Nah, I still think I have some scope in the back. Gardens evolve and just because I have it how I want it now that doesn't mean I won't be changing something. Still, keeps me out of mischief!