In one short season

This

became this


And this

became this!

So I guess I shouldn't be too downhearted.

Remember this little beauty? I've discovered what it's called, a Honey Lily, or Nectaroscordum Siculum. I found another batch of bulbs at my local garden centre and being a huge fan, I will plant some more!


But I also finally found what I was looking for in the first place, last year, the Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritallaira Meleagris).

This is from my first garden, many years ago now.

I can't wait to have some of these little beauties next Spring.

Ah, Autumn rears it's head, and we start thinking about Spring again ...

A Nice Harvest

Not a bad haul, on Saturday.

I have officially stopped purchasing tomatoes from the supermarket, for the duration. Yum!

Here's my thoughts on the various varieties.

Hmm, now I had a little map of what was what but I can't seem to lay my hands on it now. And looking back, I don't see that I told you exactly what I planted - but from memory, here goes:

Left to right, Shirley, Plum, Marmande, Beefsteak (oh no they weren't!) and the one on the right I cannot remember, but I shall dig out the labels and let you know. None of them on the far right have even started turning red yet, which is interesting. Hope they do, or I'll be having lots of lovely fried green tomatoes, and may even make some green tomato chutney.

Shirley. Nice and round, on the small side but I think overall I didn't pinch out enough side shoots to get some nice, big juicy ones. Ripening nicely.

Plum. Again quite small, again I believe the same problem. Lovely flavour of course.

Marmande. This was the first ripe baby from a few weeks back, and there are plenty more to come. The meatiest of the lot, with very few seeds. Gorgeous flavour, and I will certainly be growing this one again!












Beefsteak. Hah, hah, fooled you. No, fooled me! I should have known when the plant was half as high as the others - this is some kind of cherry variety, clearly the pot was mis-named, as I'm sure can happen in a busy garden centre. They are lovely, though, just not what I was expecting!

Potatoes of course are next, and I'm sure it's time to start digging. If (1) I can get a sunny day at the weekend, and (2) I have a chance to use my natural arachnid remedy. I will, of course, be digging in my wellies, as to get amongst all that foliage I'm not taking any chances of foot contact with anything eight-legged!

Cats love a Barbeque

Well, I finally put it together, and it's a lovely piece of kit. From Tesco Direct, if you care to know.

This is Big Ginger (Big Brother). I finally have some decent shots of him to show off, mostly because, as mentioned, he has taken to visiting on a regular basis. Not just for the food mind, but for some good kitty lovin'.

He has quite a mighty purr, too. Something of a muted "meow", but a purr that reminds you of a coffee percolator. Nice and deep. I've only just recently come to discover this, mind, and I have to say I am rather gratified to inspire him to do so.

Not that I'm stealing their other cat! Please, no.

That's "our" cat, Little Ginger on the bench, and BB (or BG, whichever you or I prefer) below.




This is what you get when they both want to chow down.

And then they hear something outside, and have a look.

But when the barbeque is fired up? They are ready.

I love a good barbeque. For me, it's not just a social occasion, but another method of cooking food. And a very yummy one too.

Oh yes, they got a bit of a bite from what was cookin', as a reward for their patience!

Pest Control The Sequel

I will be frank with you, here. I hate spiders. Really, really hate spiders.

This has been a problem for me over the last month, the spiders in the borders. For any of an arachnaphobic nature, you may not enjoy this.

I have never worked in a garden that is so replete with the arachnid. I've had many gardens before, one proper garden (I will introduce you to that later) and from thereon mostly container gardens, until this one. I have also spent many happy hours in my friend's garden, replanting her herb border, revamping the side where we took the plants out and spent a whole afternoon lying on the ground digging in manure - oh yes, it was all good.

I've never encountered spiders like here. Just your normal garden spider, that striped kind, but it makes my heart sink every time I go out there to try and weed, or plant, and there they are, hanging around.

Ugh.

I had a bad encounter in the last month where, after knocking down several webs and occupants, (I was wearing a form of the popular shoe, "Crocs" - except I bought them from the market nearby so they were "mock crocs" - har har), I was on the other side of the garden and felt something bite my foot. AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.

Yes, a spider, in my open shoe. UGH. I can sort of deal with them, I don't scream like a banshee anymore when I see one (at least I didn't until this point) and if it's in the house, in the bath - EXCELLENT. Wash it down.

But out there, when I was trying to tie up the tomatoes (again) I felt this and, well frankly, I freaked. Jumping around like an idiot. But I did soldier on.

Then another came running across the path - nowhere near my foot, thankfully, but then I really did scream. In fact, the air was blue. Husband came out to see, and that's when we made our agreement.

I will point them out, and he will kill them. And then for the most part, they don't come back. In the borders, that is, I have an arsenal I have purchased for the inside, which to be honest hasn't been too much of a problem, but I won't, won't have them in my house.

Let's have a look at this. Spiders are supposed to be beneficial because they eat bugs (so do birds). What bugs?

Flies - and what is the point of flies? To dive bomb you when you're out working, or invade your living space until you put up screens to protect yourself?

Mosquitoes - and I ask you, the point of them, unless to spread disease???

Greenfly - to bring my rose down?

Wasps - thankfully, touch wood, no problem here, but I have had a problem in the past, so no, I don't really like them ...

Okay, the good bugs -

Bees. Of course. They never bother you unless you go for them, and who would be fool enough to do that? Honey pots. Lovely creatures. Love bees.

Ladybirds (lady bugs in the States). Love. Eat aphids and greenfly, if you are lucky to have enough of them.

Ummmm... can't think of any more good ones at the moment.

Shoot me down if you like. I HATE BUGS.

I have several natural remedies, which I am keen to try, once the weather cooperates.

Tobacco, lemon washing up liquid, chestnuts.

I long for the fall of the Horse Chestnut. Apparently, spiders hate them. Hurrah! Apart from the two bowls I now have in my house, from an early fall, I will have TONS around the house in strategic corners, once the paths are lined with "conkers". Yippee. Let them fall.

Sorry, but I really, really hate spiders. I've tried, and failed to appreciate them. Just, can't.

Experimentation

This whole 30 ft by 40 ft plot is one big, great, experiment.


One year on, I'm a little disappointed with the left border - not enough of the colour, vibrancy, life that I wanted.




Not exactly Christopher Lloyd.



It's the soil, of course, and my preparation of it wasn't nearly good enough. Lesson one.


But I can say, if you want impact one year on, you can do no wrong with herbs.



Everything planted in there was mostly from a tiny, 50 pence pot. Wow. And yum, too, since I am constantly drying them for storage and use - I seem to use them faster than I can dry them! Fresh as well, of course, and fresh or freshly dried, just a gorgeous bunch of flavourful things.



And here, ta da, are my onions and shallots.






Interesting.


Not sure about them yet, I dug them out of the ground and left them to dry, then it rained the next day, so then I moved them into the shed, and there they sit until the weekend when I can examine them. I thought the red ones should be a bit bigger. Like you can buy in shops. Still, I shall dust them off, and slice them up, and then we'll see.

Lastly if you chance to look in the guestbook, I tried a recipe recommendation for "Fried Green Tomatoes" - and that is truly yum! I think soon I can stop buying tomatoes from the supermarket, as I just picked two ripe ones (okay, only two, but still ...) tonight when I was gathering the green ones for this culinary experiment. Stop me from picking all the green ones as they hang there, deliciously, so I can fry up some more! Thanks to Christine!

Work/Life Balance

Greetings, to any readers who are still there.

I've been at my new job for over three weeks now, and am loving it tremendously. One slight problem, is that the commute is longer so I get home later. Weekends are taken up with doing as much out there as possible (if possible!). I seem to have lost time, somewhere, for writing here. So this work/life balance thing must be addressed, and time must be carved out for this blog, which is important to me!

That week of summer was nice, by the way, while it lasted ...

Actually these last couple of weekends have been sporadically productive, given that we have returned to normal proceedings as far as the weather goes - sunshine and showers. Even today, as I looked out the kitchen window first thing in the morning at the lovely sunshine and blue sky, thinking I must, must, must cut the grass today ... now by midday the showers have returned. So I guess I shall go shopping instead (nothing fun, mind, just groceries. I didn't want to "waste" the time, but with this weather ...).

I did, however, discover this little beauty while wandering around back there in the sunshine this morning, in my pyjamas, coffee in hand.

The first ripe one, of many, we hope!

I haven't tasted it yet. I'd like to admire it for a while. It smells scrumptious, though, completely unlike any store-bought ones.

Meanwhile, my beautiful Dahlia has bloomed, bringing some welcome red into the Left Border.

I've also been busy drying herbs, and infusing oils.

What I really want to accomplish this weekend, weather willing is (1) cut the grass, (2) pull out the onions and (3) plant some more lettuce, rocket and spinach. At the very least.

I'd also like to put out new barbeque together (why, I hear you ask? Doesn't sound like barbeque weather to me! Ah, but I live in hope ...)

Fingers crossed!

Summer Week

Every once in a while in this country, we get a week of summer. :-)



Kidding. I love it here really. Just, I grew up in some hot, hot summers in the Midwest of America. And to be honest, apart from last year, summers in my memory over the last 19 years here haven't been too bad. I love when people complain about the heat here (me: "you ain't seen nothin"). And when they complain about the cold (me: guess what I say!).

Did I mention that about two weeks ago, we had one month's worth of rain in one day? That was fun. Uh huh.



But this week, it's going to be summer. Yippee! No need for a coat/cardigan/cover "just in case". No need for anything else but the clothes on your back when you leave the house in the morning. Just, really, nice, weather.


And lots of watering.


Even when I came home tonight, the first day of a week of warm, sunny weather (but it ain't hot, yet), I felt the need to water. Now, it's been odd (and here we go with me obsessing about the weather again), but even if we are promised rain, it sprinkles somewhat but I realise, it's not enough. A few spits and spots is not going to actually water the garden. Don't forget the tomatoes - "little and often". I musn't!


And I feel the left is suffering too, including the newly planted (or re-planted) plants. Anytime one plants something, one waters in well, and keeps watering until established. That includes the plants I dug up and then re-planted on the left, when improving the soil.





I think that worked, by the way. The whole exercise needs to be spread to the rest of the border, come autumn, when everything else dies down. I think it will be well worth it.


So! Maintenance this week, includes a careful eye on the water need situation.

Tomatoes - going wonderfully mad.

Lettuce - being enjoyed by one and all, after the two bags I cut, cleaned and shared.





Onions - I'm keeping an eye because I think they might be ready soon - must consult Mr. Titchmarsh about harvesting.





Dahlia in the left border (on the right here) about to pop - nice.











Summer - yes, bring it on! As long as it lasts ...

Maintenance and ... Cats

I find that at this time of year, it's all about maintenance. Weeding. Pruning. Tie-ing up. Feeding.



Admiring.

Big pat on the back for me, when last year was a kind of wilderness!

Herbs growing beautifully on the sill. Basil of course, and a new pot of dill. Both won't last through the frost so I will make the most of them as I can.




And also, cutting and using. I am up to my eyes in salad, and so have just cut, cleaned, and spun two large bags of salad, which I'm taking in to work tomorrow for the general delectation of my colleagues, many of whom seem to be salad eaters. Yum!

Well, then I had a bit of a thing with little Ginger.

I decided, since it is obvious he has fleas, that I would use a potion I purchased back in the States, when I was at my parents last Christmas. A "Hartz" thing, whereby you squeeze this little tube in between the shoulder blades ... seemed like a good idea at the time, considering I've been bitten to buggery and he clearly has the pesky predators. He bites and scratches himself all the time.

No. Not a good idea after all - Ginger was very mad at me! I think he's forgiven me now, but it took some doing.

Firstly, big brother, Big Ginger, is now a regular visitor, and doesn't just want food, but also wants some kitty lovin' - yikes. I think he's still "their" cat, and not ours, but he does come round on a regular basis (like, every night). So Little Ginger was off his food, having licked himself and spread the stuff all over him, and was seeming a bit sickly. He was curled up, back by the back fence. Big Ginger was in my kitchen, eating food out of my hand. Don't ask.

I decided to fetch Ginger in, as it was near bedtime, and so went to get him, and also offer some of the treats Big Ginger was getting. I picked him up, and he hissed. I took him in, plonked him on the bed, and for the first time in ages, he decided to curl up on me.

After several minutes, when I realised I couldn't move and it was time to ready my own self for bed, when I tried to disengage, he gave that low, gutteral cat-growl. Like, don't even try it, because I'm really, really pissed off.

Yikes.

I did disengage, both myself and husband watching in fear, and he did sleep for a while. He woke up middle of the night as usual, went and had a bite, then I soothed him and brought him back to bed, for a bit.

He woke up again, I refilled his bowl, he had another bite, barfed it up, and then asked to go outside. I let him.

We seem to be okay now, and it was meant well! Cats. Fleas. Bites. Hope that's over, for a bit!

Well hello

I have been lax, in this interim period, between the old life and the new. I started my new job today, and I can tell you now, I am very happy. But my apologies for letting the side down - not in the garden, I can tell you, but in letting you know what I'm doing.

I had a weekend, and two days off. The weather gods have been most kind. SUN! I cut the grass on Monday, I planted some of the things I purchased on Saturday ...

Back up. My local council has a "People's Day" every year, in the local park which is five minutes down the road from us. The best thing about this for me, is the herb stall.

I bought plants. Oh yes. I can tell you that pretty much all of the plants in my madly growing herb border came from this stall last year (and here's my plug for them, as they grow some gorgeous stuff - www.herbalhaven.com). Now, all I really wanted, which I didn't have much success with seed-wise, was a Lovage. Beautiful plant, with a celery like flavour and smell, and which I use liberally in making my home-made chicken stock. That was my want, and of course it was there. (check those cat feet too!).


But no, I didn't stop there. I bought another parsley, a Myrtle, an Amaranth (more on that later), and found a "semi-hardy, perennial" basil which is gorgeous.




I love the Amaranth for it's purple leaves, and apparently it gets quite tall and wide, too (5 feet tall?). So as the herb border is absolutely mad, I'm not sure where to put the beautiful thing now.




I'm having a think.

The other thing I did was, mix up the soil on the left, with some gritty sand. Yes, I've finally tried to improve the left soil problem. I pulled out the Choisya and the Blueberry and put them to one side whilst I dug the sand in, also digging in some Ericaceous compost for the Blueberry, and then planted them back in. They seem happy enough, although there are no berries on the Blueberry yet this year. It wanted much more well-drained soil, and I hope it will thrive now.

I also moved the new red Verbena from where it was, amongst the spreading Euphorbia, (which if you remember I was going to see how that panned out, having self-seeded all around itself), to in front of the Choisya. I think the eye-watering red of the Verbena will be gorgeous against the bright yellow of the Choisya leaves. I'm very excited about this positioning, and I hope this red Verbena does the same mad growing thing as the purple one on the other side. It's actually looking much better than this already! There is some beautiful red coming through!

I shall update you on the vegetable patch next - oh, my, we have some tomatoes coming.

Lots of green tomatoes coming through, on every single tomato plant. Oh joy, joy, joy!

Summer is here

It's what we all wait for, as gardeners. The time when the borders go mad, and flowers, fruit, vegetables, are growing at a rate we can sometimes hardly keep up with.




The rocket (arugula) has bolted. Well, I had a few bags of it in the meantime, so I shall pull it up (it gets bitter if you don't eat it before bolting) but it's difficult sometimes to incorporate rocket into everything, as it has a peppery taste, not to everyone's liking. I shall use the last bag I have, before I plant some more, to make a lovely risotto (with saffron and tomato. Yum).




The lettuce is so close to bolting I need to cut and cut and wash and dry - no big problem, because it is so beautiful and I shall offer some around the building, to those upstairs and even my friends at work! Planting, growing, sharing, what could be better?

Oh, and the potatoes are flowering too!

Apart from the stunning vegetables, the border is truly beautiful (even though the soil still distresses me). I could spend hours just sitting and watching. If I had hours to spend, sitting and watching and doing, I would. But mostly, when I come home from work, I prowl the sides, then I prowl the lawn, then if I'm feeling hearty I prowl the back mess (border) and think. But really, what bliss.



Then I have a sit and just look, smell, and look.

Heaven, eh?

Speaking of tomatoes, the winner so far in the tomato stakes, is the Marmande, in the middle. It's the tallest and most robust of the lot, and putting out lots of flowers.

But then, you might think the one to the right isn't looking all that hearty - I think so too - but it does actually have a tomato forming!! Wow! That one is the Beefsteak. Maybe it's shorter and stockier, in order to produce those big, round, fat, juicy, red tomatoes. Mmm.

Tonight when I got home I did do something practical - I'd tied up the tomatoes, again, and then watered them (little and often, remember!). It is a nice summer, better than last year I think, but still not the hot, sunny summer of the Midwest - still, musn't grumble. We have had a lovely week, with some short sharp showers on and off (well, of course, it is Wimbledon fortnight so what else can one expect?). But nothing that I feel really waters the garden. And so even though it might rain tomorrow, I have put the sprinkler over the vegetable patch for a short but thorough soaking.

And then I sat, and inhaled, again.

Ah.

And a Hearty, Happy Fourth of July to my American readers!