A day in the garden!

Hubby had to go to work today so I was left all alone, well not quite Tori was in bed asleep until 10am and the only time she comes out in the garden is to bring drinks or ask me something! So I was all alone!!!!!!!! I decided to do a bit well alot I did remember to take some pics but only after I had started but I think you can tell??

Before photos.............




after photos..............




It doesn't look much but we need to re-route the path. To move the chickens I had to take down a trelis that screened the water butts at the very bottom of the garden. Now you can see the butts from the very top of the garden so we are altering the route. I also did a lot of weeding which I din't take pics of, I finished the edging to the chooks run, they seem alot happier where they are now.......



did you know chooks can be fussy? I didn't I did a cabbage lolipop for them yesterday and it was still there today look....


funny really cos they will eat spring greens? But they tucked into the pointed cabbage lolipop I gave them



and this is all that is left now....



and this is all the rubbish that needs to go to the tip...



but that will have to wait till next week!!

I thought I had better tell you what seeds are growing in the green house....

3 types of salad leaves, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, hollyhocks, sweetpeas, cosmos, morning glory, cornflower, Nicotiana sylvestris and coleus! Think I really should make some space for some more veg!!!!!!

Hubby is now watching the rugby so I think I may go and have a soak in a hot bath to ease all my aches and pains!!!!!!!!!

Eyes and bouquets!!!!

Can you believe it? They have forecast 'SNOW' for next week. Snow in March, having treated us to a lovely week of sunshine, well thats the British weather for you.
Q:- So where should I be?
A:- Out in the garden, continuing my redesigning!!
Q:- Where am I?
A:- Sat down drinking coffee and blogging to you!!!!!!
Q:- Why?
A:- Cos I'm pooped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well it has been a rather hectic week!!

Yesterday I took Tori to the eye clinic at the Great Western Hospital. Boy was she brave, the eye bloke looked at her eye and decided there and then he was going to laser it! He said, what had happened in her eye was quite unusual for someone so young! So she has been zapped and has to go back in 6 weeks for a check up!!! By the way for those people that ever need to be lasered, she says its 'a piece of cake'!!!

Went off to the hairdressers this morning and bumped into 'Gramps' (he's the neighbours elderley father, that I took to the hospital at the other end of the county on Monday) he lives in a very beautiful part of Melksham and he invited me to his flat for tea.

So we went up an alley



past a small knot garden









It was very picturesque, I had no idea this lane was here! Look what I got for my troubles on Monday



aren't they gorgeous, couldn't have picked a better colour!!!
Just to let you know I haven't totally neglected the garden, yesterday I went out and filled the greenhouse to the brim, I'm not sure I can fit anything else in there, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, we will see......

I have been popping the onions outside each day, just so they don't die of cold when they go out. I was going to put them out this weekend, but with the forecast of snow, maybe not..........


the shelves on my stand



the back shelves



the fig just bursting into life



I only hope I can keep this lot alive if it does go cold again!!!

Right got to dash again, off to deliver a birthday card and collect Tori and take her shopping!!!!!!

Cats, pips and other things!!

Today I think I might pass the 3000 mark! Not bad for a blog started last September! Thank you everyone for reading my ramblings!!

I have the morning to play, so whether I will be here reading blogs or out in the garden all depends! Can you take your daughter to see a specialist with 'gardening hands' I wear gloves but it doesn't really help, well it probably would help more, if I didn't keep slipping them off to do a fiddly job then forget to pop them back on again!!! Mmmmm!

I really don't like my cats at the moment. Whilst Kathryn was home, they use her window to get in and out. Each night she moved my plants off her windowsill then popped them back the next morning. Now she has gone guess who forgot!!!! Even though her window wasn't open look what happened



this is one of my dates!!!!


the carpet is covered in soil, I had taken a pic but when I looked at it, bearing in mind I was wearing my 'nightie' there is a reflection of my 'bare' legs in a mirror (not a pretty sight) and I really would not like to put you off!!!!!!!!!! I hate to think what I have done to K's carpet because when I first saw it I panicked (sp?) and tried to scrape it all up instead of leaving it to dry then hoovering!!!!

Fortunately the ginger is still intact



I think I need to repot the dates and ginger, with it all being knocked over I think the soil needs to be a better!!

These are the 2 caster oil seeds that have come through



the third has not so far, but I only really wanted one as these things grow quite big!!! Can you see the green leaf in both the pots? I thought it was a weed to start off with, then when they both had exactly the same I thought maybe not!!!

I am also after a Paulownia tomentosa which is a Foxglove Tree, for my tropical garden. I am watching some on ebay and can't decide whether to buy a plant or buy some seeds grow them then sell them on ebay later??? The plant is in Worcester so I have sent a message to ask if I can collect it when I next go up (2 weeks).

I have just looked at my hands and bearing in mind I picked up all that soil earlier I think its a garden morning!!! Although I really ought to do some housework as my sister 'may' be coming to visit this weekend!! Choices, choices!!

Right must dash, have to take Tori to school!!!

Sadly lacking!

I am sorry that posts have been sadly lacking this week, and will probably continue until the weekend! I haven't had a moment to myself!!!

Yesterday I took my friend with MS out and I said I would take her anywhere she wanted! So she chose a garden centre!! Kathryn was with me and after touring round we sat and had a coffee, when she said ' I'm depressed now (looking at me) and its all your fault for bringing me here'!!!!!!!!!!! You can't win can you!! I must admit she used to be an avid gardener!!! and it must be hard but really!

Today I am taking Kathryn back to Uni! Tomorrow another trip to the hospital with Tori to have her eyes checked! Friday I think is free, oh! no I have a hair appointment, so it is partly free! Then I can play in the garden!! Provided it doesn't rain of course!

I will play catch up with all of you, until then {{hugs}} to you all!

What a Monday!!

I had planned to post on Monday as I had found this



my clematis, and this



my dwarf hop, both beginning to sprout and they are on the north side of my house, so spring is really on its way!!!

Kathryn and I had planned to go to Avebury the local stone circle and take you all on a trip but that all changed when my neighbours elderly relative who is house sitting for them, could not be raised by me! I eventually got in and he was in such a bad way I got him to his GP, who then wanted him taken here



Bath Royal United Hospital A & E, Medical Admissions! and I didn't get home from here until 20.30 hrs. It is very difficult to answer questions for someone who has failing memory and you know nothing about his health or medication, his grand daughter has been keeping an eye on him, but by 18.00 when they decided to keep him overnight, I thought enough was enough. She should be here! So I admit to telling a 'porky' and saying the hospital wanted to see her!!! Mark collected me , as thank goodness K was home so was able to collect Tori from school and took the car! The ironic thing was on the way home I got a call from the grand daughter to say she wasn't surprised he was unwell as he she thought had taken 4 days medication in one day!!!! Now couldn't that have solved alot of problems if she had been there! I know this family always roll there eyes when he's about. Some families are odd and don't know how lucky they are, my daughters would have been thrilled to have a grand father as they have never had one! He is such a lovely man forgetful but lovely.

Look at the sky as I was leaving, beautiful!

Trauma!

Sorry for not posting yesterday, it has been a bit traumatic here since Friday!! I feel very sorry for Kathryn, who on Thursday, as you know signed the contract with her 3 bestfriends for the house they will live in next year! They all very excitedly then went out for a celebration meal, planning the things they would do, take etc. etc.

Friday I went to get her and her 'dirty washing'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had been home exactly 20 minutes when she got a call from S to say, A was pulling out and had phoned the landlord to tell him!! The reason being she couldn't afford it!! This has massive implications as the contract says if one defaults they are all liable! So K, taking Tori with her for company drove back up to Worcester that evening to talk it through with everyone.

They returned early Saturday with the situation unresolved and K in tears. I think she is more upset that A didn't talk to her of her worries as she considers A her bestest bestest friend!

All through her life Kathryn has had some amazing 'best' friends. Every single one of them without fail has a) seriously let her down. b) gone behind her back, c)something else serious to end the relationship beyond repair! I thought it was only a phase!

Anyway before you start thinking well if A has money issues we should bear this in mind, she is taking 3 holidays this year one of which is to a Greek Island! By the time K got up to Uni, because the holiday's had been pointed out to her, had changed her mind on why she couldn't join them in the house. All the girls knew about A's financial situation and had been checking with her all the time they looked for a house that 'are you sure', 'is this cheap enough' etc.

Options available to them now, find someone to fill A's space! The problem here is they are renting a terraced house and none of the bedroom doors have locks on them, so they will be inviting a stranger into their house and have no way of securing their valuables. The landlord is currently unhappy to fit locks on these doors as they are firedoors!

They do know a girl who all four had decided was a serious no, no becuase she has such awful 'paddies'. This girl was due to share with 2 other groups but these other groups went off and signed a contract without her, I think that says it all! But sadly looks like it maybe the only option, unless the landlord lets them off the contract! (Unlikley)

I will keep you posted.

I did do gardening yesterday, but forgot to take pics. I will be more organised today! But I did get a lovely photo of the sky at dusk! The rest are on my sky blog!