A joy to visit.

For three solid hours this morning I boiled and peeled chestnuts in order to make soup and stuffing. One kilo gram of chestnuts took from 10am till 1.00pm to peel and I ended up with prune fingers as they had been handling hot wet chestnuts for so long. Then of course, I had to make the soup and the stuffing. I'm sure that come Christmas I will be pleased to have the stuffing already made (if it lasts that long without me succumbing to cooking it as chestnut stuffing is a particular favourite of mine). We had some of the soup for lunch and then, joy of joys, we visited the garden centre for a quick wander around and I bought some new gardening gloves after Luke wore my last pair when he was putting a new roof on the shed and ended up with a hole in the finger. I also spent five pounds on a pretty orchid for the house. The one I really wanted was three times the price and I didn't want to pay any more so opted for the cheaper one. Sometimes these things are false economies but I love having flowers and plants around so I shan't regret that one and may even succumb to buying one I really wanted too.
The hens were allowed out as we were home most of the day and it was hilarious watching them all fly out of the runs. They have been cooped up since Wednesday afternoon so couldn't wait to fly the nest, so to speak. Each chicken came out with a ludicrous flight path and little Mrs. Bun ended up flying straight into the raspberry patch - no wonder Luke chopped them all down afterwards. It's time for their annual cut and it's been months since we had the last raspberry although I think the hens may have enjoyed a few more than we did.
The two new hens now have names that we agree on. I think we've turned into proper chicken owners now because I've stopped thinking about naming them. However, the old rule that if something has a name we don't eat it still stands for any animal we own. Once you find out their personalities (and believe me when I tell you that each chicken has it's own individual personality - yes, really), well, you just can't dispatch them.
So Buckster, Lunar, Poppy, Mrs Bun and.., Betty and Silvie are all safe.
Last night Luke had to retrieve an egg by hooking it with the garden rake. Silly Mrs Bun isn't like normal chickens and doesn't hide away in a dark and comfy nest to lay her eggs. Nope, she just seems to lay them where she is standing and then looks surprised to see the egg when she turns around. So her latest lay was just left in the run and out of reach, hence the rake. But that chicken can do no wrong in Luke's eyes and he just rolled it along the ground till we could pick it up and wash it off. Scrambled egg in the shell., no doubt.

Cat (not) on a hot tin roof.

Pleased to see that the cat from next door is making full use of our wood shed.

With the rain for the past, how long? Three months? Here are the salvias that nearly stopped me from gardening. After Luke grew them lovingly from seed, the slugs made short work of them.

Soul destroying! Still, in the greater scheme of things it's not really a big deal.

Hard rock cafe.

The weather still continues to cling onto it's powerful control and things have been nigh on impossible to get in the garden. Yesterday I mowed the lawn as the rain set in only to see brilliant sunshine an hour later. On the whole it has been too wet to venture into the garden but last weekend we did manage to get a rockery built in a day. Check it out..,

 19 pots of bargain plants for mass appeal.

 The original view, before the work was started.

 The plants - six new alpines and some instant colour in the form of the yellow Gerberas.

The mishappen tree that I have tried to correct with pruning but really is not up to scratch so needs must...., out it comes!

 Having a sit down before the hard work.

 

Although the rockery was pretty in the springtime it really isn't anything to look at now so it needs a proper tidy up. With Luke's help we removed the rocks and plants, added compost and sand and then rebuilt the rockery. When I say 'we' I have to admit that Luke did most of the work as a neighbour nabbed me for a chat whilst Luke kept going. He's a wonder!

All the plants and rocks out, the ground is dug over, improved and levelled.

 

 Luke at the bottom of slope, doing all the hard work.

 Here are the rocks, graded and ready to go back in again.

The rocks start going back in.

Nice work, Luke.

 

 

Now time for the plants.

 

 Once the alpines in between the rocks were added we could work our way up the slope.

 Luke has done the hard work - just a shame we don't have more rocks.

 In go all the original plants.

Almost there.

 We positioned the plants to see how they looked before we committed ourselves.

Don't trust me.

I hadn't realised until today that I cannot be trusted. What did I say to you a few weeks ago? "That's it, I'm done with gardening, I'm fed up of paying out for plants only to watch them drown and peter out". Then last Sunday Luke reminded me that the Patens Blue Salvias that he had to lovingly tended from seed were ready to be planted up in the garden. So, to heck with the black and white border I decided. I will plant those eight Salvias - bright blue - in the part of that border that was sadly lacking any life form....., or so I thought. After another three days of torrential rain followed by a brief spell of sun Luke checked the Salvias and found them gone! No, they hadn't been dug up and removed, nor pecked to bits by inquisitive beaks. They had just disappeared! On further inspection Luke found two bedraggled millimetre high stalks, completely depleted of any leaves and with a tell tale slime on them. Those ruddy slugs!
As he told me about all his hard work and patience being noshed overnight by those slimy critters I repeated my new mantra, "That's it, I'm done with gardening."
I wasn't done with D.I.Y. though and my friend offered to lend me her pressure washer to clean the grimy decking. At least I thought I could improve the look of the outdoors in some way that didn't include plants. So after collecting the pressure washer I started to drive back and thought what a lovely (rare) day it was turning out to be. Should I visit the garden centre, shouldn't I visit the garden centre? You must remember that I have been addicted to gardening for over fifteen years and it's a hard habit to break. As I drove home I had this inner dialogue going on, "Should I go to the garden centre in case they have some bargains?" followed by, "I have no money and there is no point going". For five miles I had this conversation with myself until it came to crunch time at a T-junction. Left for home; right for the garden centre. Shamefaced that I am you know which way I turned! I'm so predictable. Sigh!

Well, anyway- it's a fair cop. I did go to the garden centre but to assuage my guilt I went straight to the bargain section because right now I have no money to spare (My poor Mum is feeling guilty for having the audacity to have a birthday in the same month that we have had a £1000 worth of bills on top of the usual ones). But here's the rub.., they had BARGAINS galore. Pots and pots of plants for £1 or £2 per pot. I'd wanted to put a swathe of colour in the front garden at the top of the rockery. The original rockery looks great in the Spring but not so good now and it's been such a depressing year with nothing much prospering so I just wanted something that moved int the breeze, was blue in colour and cheap enough to buy enough to make it look impressive. Ahhhh, just what I was looking for - Isotoma, a compact bushy plant bearing masses of starry flowers. There must have been seventy plants there, all just one pound a pot. I bought nine without hesitation (they were 75% off original price after all) and after hermmming and humming I put back the three Salvias that I had picked up too.
Once I'd paid for my impulse buys I drove back home, unpacked the car and had a cup of tea before starting my day's work.

Because I wanted to pressure wash both the front and back decks I thought it best to mow both lawns first and once the chickens were free to roam I got the mower out and soon had a large mound of grass clippings for my efforts. Next up was the front deck with the jet washer making quick work of it. I had to clip back the leggy honeysuckle and clematis to get to the ballustrade. Then it was onto the front steps and then back out to clean the conservatory roof, the back decking, the dividing wall between us and our neighbours and then the slab of concrete that fronts up the shed. I don't know how I managed it but I ended up drenched so I had to change out of my scruffy clothes and put on something dry. The friend who had loaned me her pressure washer was calling over for a coffee but it gave me just enough time to nip back to the garden centre and buy a few more bargains. No fool like an old fool, huh? Just as I got back tot he bargain section my mobile rang and it was my friend asking where I was. "Where am I?!" I smiled to the garden centre assistant who had just commented that I had spent a good deal of time there that day. She blurted out, "She's at the garden centre," loud enough to give the game away. So much for sisterhood! Anyway, I rushed back in time for us to sit out on the front deck with a cup of coffee and a chat. After she'd gone home I planted up the front with the Isotomas (nineteen in total), two Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue' and two 'Pink Mist' then three Veronica 'Red Fox' at the top of the bank for a little colour. (There will be photos to follow).
So much for giving up gardening!

1 week later.

Well, you didn't think I could keep away, did you? If my poor old plants can struggle on despite having their roots practically rotting whilst their buds whither from an almost continual bashing by heavy downpours - well, I can at least tell you about them, can't I?
Let's do all the bad news first.
The potatoes are nearly all suffering and I know when we dig them up each spud will have a coating of scab. The peas, who usually love the rain, are yellowing up because they are totally waterlogged. This year's crop of raspberries has been very poor - of course it doesn't stop the chickens hopping up and down in brave attempts to dislodge those red jewels from their settings. Many a time I've seen Mrs Bun pull half a raspberry from the stem and then hop up again to break off the remaining half and wolf it down. We've always shared the raspberries with the hens because I think it gives them some interest as well as a little exercise so the bottom few have been the property of the chickens whilst anything from 15 inches up has been human fodder. However, I'm finding that the few we have just don't want to ripen up very well and then they seem to get mould on them within a day. I've not had enough to make a summer pudding again but there are a couple each day ripe for the picking.
The alpine strawberries have not been touched by the chicks; not sure why but they have been allowed to come to fruition and are scarlet dots in amongst the lush green leaves of the plant. The red currants are taking forever to ripen although they are slowly getting there. The new cherry has withered and died but the apple, bought the same time but placed at the top of the garden, is doing well.The box edging around the herbs is filling out nicely and so far, touch wood, Luke's tomatoes have resisted the blight although I do not know how long they will hold out for - it seems inevitable.

The hens are enjoying being in the garden though, we've enjoyed a good few bird visits here as so many young birds use the peanut and seed feeders as a ready source of energy. How does this benefit our girls? Well, the wild birds are messy eaters so our four hang about underneath the feeders and have the crumbs from the feeders. Very canny. We've had three sightings this afternoon of an august russet breasted Bullfinch. What a very handsome visitor he is and I'm transfixed each time he makes an appearance, clinging to the rose stem or perching on a plant.

The roses continue to produce a mass of buds although many of the flowers have dropped off without being able to open - just a cushion of soggy petals bound tightly together before they fall.
This morning, before the latest downpour which had me running to collect the week's washing from the line before it was completely soaked, I planted up Luke's favourite Salvia; Paten's Blue. It's a rich, bright blue and startles people with it's bold, almost gentian colour. We had a lonely spot in what used to be the monochrome corner before it kept surprising me with stray random pinks and purples. Now I just am grateful if anything pushes through the bog-like soil.
Having visited a lavender farm yesterday, Luke returned home with three new lavenders for the garden. Lavender should be the easiest thing to grown and cultivate but I seem to kill everyone of my lavenders if I get anywhere near them. I am thinking of just keeping them for a few years without cutting back as, no matter how frugal my trimming is (and I never cut into the old wood) I seem to finish them off. So I have a huge one in the front garden that I will try to take cuttings from before pulling it and it's woody stems up in a couple of years and a lovely butterfly one by the greenhouse door that should see me good for a few more years. The knives though, are not out for this plant. I shall let it keep it's head and spread itself freely before replacing with a newer plant once it's got too straggly. Look how good the field of lavender looks though....

Beautiful, isn't it?
They also had a wild flower meadow which put my teeny patch to shame. Here's how it's done!

I am so envious!

We did have a very quick wander through a field down the bottom of the hill from us. Within minutes the weather had turned and we had to nip back pretty sharpish to the safety of the car.

Most of the plants I bought earlier this year are now half price in the sale because there is so much unsold but I'm fine about paying full price for my feather Bronze Fennel. I'm always pleased to reacquaint myself with the Giant Scabiosa - a tall, bobbing yellow flower head on a long bendy stem - the flowers are as tall as I am. Sadly, my plant is pushed into a corner and is not expanding but I may well buy another and leave that one where it is (but that is for next year).
The gypsophilia around the large agapanthus is like a froth of cappuccino foam and really brightens up that little bed. I lost two of the plants I put there but this one plant makes up for any disappointment.
We have lots to do in the front garden although the two wooden steps down from the elevated decking to the grass have both split and cannot be used now. The beautiful, Crown Princess Margarita roses are doing me proud (I bought them as a tribute to my father after he died and they always make me think of him when I see their bright apricot flowers grouped together.) My plan is to remove the misshapen and half dead conifer one side of the decking entrance and to replace it with a mirror image of the planting on the other side; a honeysuckle, rose and lavender although with this temperamental weather this will almost certainly not be happening this month.
On a more optimistic note I have today removed the electric blanket from the bed. I am currently wearing a woollen jumper and there hasn't been an evening without the wood burner going but I am hoping we are getting towards more seasonal weather. Well, you've gotta have hope, haven't you?

Wild about the wild things.

This year I am trying out a wild garden at the back, behind the hen house. It's got a way to go but I'm pleased I've started it. I hope next year I will have learnt a little more about the wild side of things..

The foxglove looks like a big exclamation mark!

Knowing my onions.

You may recognise the purple pom poms in this bucket of clippings as members of the allium family - or more simply, the onion family. In fact it's the smallest of the edible onions and the flowers can be used in salads though personally I've never used them for anything but garnish.

 The reason for the bucket was because it was time to trim the box hedging back, I'd given it the Chelsea Chop (a good old cut back of plants directly after the Chelsea Flower Show) and it's now starting to merge into it's neighbouring plant.

The plan is to have a mini knot garden to edge the herbs. Like most of my plans it will almost certainly decide it's own fate and I'll have to put up with what I get but that's okay - I'm not precious about it...., well, not much!

I just can't help it!!

I can't imagine a nicer way to spend money than to buy some favourite plants and then have the afternoon in the sun, planting them up.For what I could spend in an evening I have had the most enormous fun today. Maybe it's sad to admit I love gardening more than a night on the pop but I'm loud and proud about it - it's good exercise, looks lovely for weeks if not years to come and ....., oh, who am I kidding, Yes, I spent too much again!
In my defence I bought most plants for half price or less, only deeming to pay full price for a blue poppy and two rust coloured verbascums. I'll add some photos once they've been uploaded. Just had time to mow the back lawn and down came the rain, perfect timing.

Great heights.

This may be the littlest of the chicks but she knows how to get ahead!

 First she hops onto the door of the run....,

... before ending up on the roof!

When is a plant a weed?

When it's in the wrong place - here, an acorn has thrown up a little oak - half a metre from our conservatory. That needed to come out straight away - not bad for a year's growth, is it?

The scourge of the gardenl  these little pieces, just snapped off from the main root system, have produced new shoots of bindweed. Left to it's own devices it will strangle any plant around. Pernicious little blighter, this one!

Pot bound.

I bought this agapanthus recently and when taken out of it's pot this is what the root system looked like - healthy but getting a little pot bound. There's nothing wrong with knocking the pot off if you think the roots may be too tightly packed, This plant is okay but it's important to carefully loosen the circling roots so that they can reach out into the soil and get their 'feet'. Five minutes after I'd teased them out they were ready for planting.

A fool and her money...,

are easily parted, as the old saying goes and it's certainly true to for. After vowing to go nowhere near a garden centre because I had spent so much money last month (or was it this month? I have absolutely no idea) where did I find myself today? Oh, don't even answer that question - we both know! I know I shouldn't have but I got chatting to my next door neighbour but one (I was borrowing Jack's washing line as we still haven't put one up yet) and we were both in agreement that we'd rather go plant shopping than clothes shopping. That was enough to make up my mind and off we went. First of all we did walk around Roath Lake to see the goslings and ducklings - all down and fluff, bless them. Once we'd had a genteel walk through the rose garden, along the lakeside and back to the car it was time for me to spend some money. As I guiltily admitted to Luke - it takes me all day to earn what I can spend in fifteen minutes (but then again what is the point of working so hard if it can't be spent on something that will give me such pleasure and we are careful with what we spend - unless I'm delusional which I may well be). There are so many bills in everyday life; mortgage, water rates, council tax, electricity ad gas bills, food and travel costs.., the list goes on so there has to be some niceness in there. Anyway, have I bored you with my justification? I know I have bored myself and the phrase, "methinks the lady doth protest too much" springs to mind. Enough. I spent some money, I enjoyed what I bought and I've had a super day planting it all up.End of!
So, what was I seduced by this time? What wasn't I? If I had my way I would have bought some annuals to fill the half barrel with colour but good ole Luke marched me towards the tills when I hit the £50 threshold. He's a saint!
Do you remember me mentioning I'd seen a beautiful agapanthus; white with blue tips? I was pleased with myself for leaving it behind and buying the pure shite version for the little bed I recently made. Who was I kidding? It was just a case of delayed gratification as I finally bought it today. It's called 'Queen Mum' and should prove a showstopper.
I saw a David Austin rose called' Clare Austin' that I've liked for a long time. It was down from £17 to £10 so in the trolley it went then another great find, 'Buff Beauty' - a lovely light apricot blush of a rose that was down in price from £10 to £5. So, one for the back garden's fence and the cheaper one for the front garden when I've (or maybe Luke?) have removed the scrappy old conifer that resides by the raised deck - for now!
There were 3 for ten pound offers on small perennials so I bought six of those. Every real gardener knows you should buy plants in quantities of three or five at least and that it can look quite sparse and 'dotty' if individual plants are just plonked in. I've still not reconciled myself to doing this though, it seems so indulgent on the purse strings. The day I do allow myself to buy three I'll feel I'm a proper gardener.
Luke had a little doze in the hammock (it was a lovely 26 degrees today so there was a real summer feel to the place. We had a Cornish cream tea; scone, strawberries and clotted cream with a fresh cup of Golden Needle tea; all very decadent and then it was time to garden.
The first job was to read the information label because there is no point spending proper money on plants that are going to end up struggling in the wrong conditions. Luckily we get plenty of sun and so the plants which all needed a sunny spot were placed around the borders then I stood back, squinted and imagined each plant at it's full height and width. Once happy with their siting I dug a deep hole, watered it well, added some compost, teased the root system out from each plant and then popped them in the hole, infilled with the soil and firmed them in with the heel of my sandal then finally watering very well. I also planted three of my small round Buxus (Box) to add some form to a border. As it's an evergreen it will look good throughout the year. Whilst planting the Box I realised that the huge rose I have already planted by the conservatory is - a Clare Austin. I didn't even realise I already had one of those. Ah well, I'm two thirds of the way towards getting my three of the same plant but certainly not by design!
Throughout the afternoon's planting I was joined by the big chicks whilst "The Tweeters "(our three growers who still chirrup away rather than make the "buck buck" sound of the bigger girls) stayed by the compost bin with the occasional foray into the hen's run and a sneak taste of 'grown up' food (layer's pellets - they are still on grower's pellets). Now I have to be on hen alert to ensure all my hard work and money is not wasted with a tasty five minute chomp from the girls. It's like chastising a child, "No, get away from those now. I won't tell you again" from me,. "Grumble grumble" from them, as they strut off - they know I mean business.
We've all had a very outdoorsy day and should all sleep well tonight. I've still got the sheets to iron first though so off I go - photos to follow.
Oh, one more thing...., I've enjoyed the final part of the day just sitting in the hammock with the laptop and typing up my news and the friendly, photogenic robin is just a metre away from me, on the peanut feeder.. Oh, this is the life...., shame it's Monday tomorrow.

A heart warming tale.

Well, more a heart racing tale. I had the pleasure of chatting to one of the gardeners in Roath conservatory yesterday. There were so many people enjoying the warmer temperatures and whilst it was too early for the rose garden to be flowering it was such a joy to walk through the park with an icecream.
There was a plant sale and though I only had enough money on me for one campanula I admired the Digitalis in a pot. I explained that the expensive digitalis (foxglove) that I had bought for my new bed was stripped by the big chickens when my back was turned. The gardener was surprised that there had been no ill effects to the birds as digitalis is used in heart medicine. It's used to strengthen and regulate the heartbeat.
You can see here how well they did at eating it  and it's accompanying plant within ten minutes. I can tell you that my heart beat could have done with regulating when I saw how destructive they had been.

And so to bed.

Slowly the grass is being eradicated just as it was in the previous garden. That one was a lot smaller though so this one can lose a little lawn without it mattering too much. I've always liked the idea of several gardens within a garden; little surprises that delight the visitor. Without loads of space, time and money that won't be happening anytime soon but this way I can have a point of interest that still makes one's eye stop for a moment before searching further behind to the rest of the garden.

Do you remember a few weeks ago I sprinkled sand on the grass in the rough shape that I wanted for a small bed just in front of the veg patch? Well, it is almost pay day so now I've been able to put my plans into practise. First off, I had to cut the edges of the new bed cleanly with an edger before slicing up the grass and then getting the fork to aerate the ground and remove the copious amounts (again!) of stones.

it

Not wishing to waste the grass I popped it into the greenhouse for the chickens to nibble at. After all, we all need our greens!

Once it was the shape I wanted I moved to different parts of the garden to check how it looks. I also took a photograph from the bedroom window to ensure if looked well from all angles.

So, next was the planting scheme. I buy my plants, as I've said before, like I buy my wardrobe. I choose what I like without much thought of what will match. I also like a bargain but this time I wanted to choose plants that would work together. I wanted evergreens for year round interest and some perennials to reach up to the sky and give some vertical interest. I also wanted to soften the whole effect with a frond type plant and ground cover too. 

I had a bit of a dilemma when reaching the garden centre as there were some simply stunning plants in blue and lilac shades that begged to be taken home and I was torn between colour and the luminosity of white plants. I stuck to my guns though because I wanted that area to shine rather than be too showy.

Imagine my horror when I got to the till to find that I had spent £68! Oh my goodness!

For that I bought four crackled glass solar globes to dot around the garden and the rest was for my plants for this little bed. Blimey, it was only meant to be small project.

So let me tell you what I got for my money..,

3 Saxifraga, normally used in rockeries. Slender, compact stems with a creeping habit so they will cover the ground nicely. Two of them have white flowers in the Spring.

2 Gypsophila (Baby's Breath).. One of them is a dwarf variety, only two inches tall, with tiny trumpet white flowers. The other Gypsophila grows to 18 inches tall and will be like a mist of tiny white snow flakes. 

1 Plectranthus (sounds like a dinosaur, doesn't it?). This plant is often used in hanging baskets or pots and whilst it does have white flowers I bought it for the bright green leaves, edged in white.

Similarly I added a Hosta, Ginko Craig that has slender ovate leaves, lush green with bright white edges. These will give some leaf interest without having to be too showy..

Deeply planted were 8 Gladioli Nanus Alba. As you may know, Alba is Latin for white. It's recommended that they are planted every few weeks over two months (April till June) for continual flowering. Sadly I bought the last packet so that won't be happening..

Onto the show stoppers, a lean Digitalis, named Camelot White that will be three feet tall and quite majestic 

Then there is a beautiful Delphinium which always takes up more room in it's second year than I ever expect. This one is called Galahad. They also had Guinevere and Lancelot which made me smile. Arthurian legends brought to life with different Delphimiums. One was a rich purple, one a dazzling blue and the one I chose? White, of course!

It is the tallest plant in this bed with spikes of flowers above clumps of leaves. This is another typical 'cottage garden' plant, much like the foxglove and lupins. 

Last but not least one of my absolute favourites, Agapanthus 'Artic Star'. This robust plant is an evergreen and has arching leaves with stems that hold big balls of white flowers. 

As usual I have planted everything rather tightly because I want them to bustle and compete with one another to create a strong form from ground level up to four feet.. 

So, now the planting. Once it was all brought safely back (I always drive home like a new parent bringing a precious newborn home after once buying an expensive agapanthus only to knock it's head off as I loaded it into the car) I laid it out in various ways in the bed. Still in the pots this allows one to stand back and evaluate.

When I was happy with the planting scheme it was time to give them all a good soak, dig in some organic matter and firm them in. 

Right now it doesn't seem like much but I am hoping for some good growth over the next few months.

After a day of sun and a morning of fine but persistent rain it could not have had a better start.

Watch this space.

..................................................................................................................................................................
Well, three days later there is now a chair over the bed. Mega chicken has developed a taste for the Digitalis leaves and stripped the plant within a few minutes. In order to give it a chance to regenerate I've made it somewhat out of bounds but I don't hold out much hope for it whilst I'm so indulgent of those hens!

My view of the world.

My trip to the chickens' house this morning .......,

The right corner of the garden, looking over to Jack's workshop.

The left corner, starting from the monochrome corner and looking up the fruit border to the veg patch and the hen house.

My three bottles with candles in the base. Taken at seven this morning.

Small chickens, big shadows.