What are you doing?

I have just finished this book, and what a great read, I never saw the ending coming, it was clever and brilliant, up until the last few pages it could of gone a few different routes, but at no point had I picked up on the clues to the real ending. This is one book I am sorry I have finished. 

 I am doing some knitting, but not much, books are calling me. I do love the shades on this sock, this pair is for me, it makes me think of a cottage garden, so green with so many different colours in. 

 I recently used my sewing machine for a household task, the leather on hubby's head rest was marked so I made a cover, it looks neat and has not moved. I will make one for my chair and another for a spare as it will need to be washed at some time. The shape made it difficult and it was hard to make it stay in place. 

I am home alone today, hubby is driving a day trip, and daughter is away, so no chance of anyone popping in, we had facetime with Will, mummy and daddy this morning, it's fantastic we can make video calls, perfect start to the day.
I need to walk to the shops this morning, it's market day, there is not lot I require, so I should not be out long, then I will get my sewing machine out, I have a few tasks and a project for my neighbours daughter. Neither is hard, but I don't have a pattern for either, my mum taught me years ago how to make things without a pattern, how to drape material and shape with pins, I used her method when covering the head rest of the chair.
Once I start I do enjoy working everything out. I really would love to make clothes for myself, but my wardrobe is full and until I wear some of them out, I really do not require any more clothes.
I do fancy knitting something bigger, but can't decide what, I have yarn in my stash, so what ever I do will be using that and not involve purchasing any more.
I pop outside every day in the garden, but so little needs doing, my garden is behind, but it's looking good, I will have more fruit this weekend.
Sign class was fun, our group was again small, loads on holiday, we are still learning the hungover caterpillar, next week is our last class for the summer, after that we meet for coffee each week.

Small harvest

My fruits are starting to ripen, I have been picking raspberries for a couple of weeks, the blackcurrants are now ready, these are for hubby as I don't like the taste.

 The gooseberries are not quite ready, I am hoping the birds stay away, again these are for hubby. The blueberries are not quite there, but there are loads on the bushes. 

Cucumbers are doing well, tomatoes are a bit behind.  

 Whilst I was away over the weekend my Bonsai dried out, I did water it before we went away, so I have given it more rainwater and hope it comes back, my big acer has survived a drought before. It's already looking better. 

 These seeds came in the post from Gardeners world, I will use them all next year.

 I read this book over the weekend whilst away, a very different subject for me, I do like her style of writing. 

We spent almost 7 hours in the car on Friday, the traffic on every part of our journey was horrendous, the journey home on Sunday took 4 hours. Wrexham is a town in decline, the centre like so many others had loads of empty shops and almost no major brands, not that I wanted to shop, cheap shops and charity shops were everywhere. We had no desire to walk around, we did plan to go to Chester on Sunday and have another night away, but the weather forecaste was not good, so we headed for home instead. I am glad we went, husband met loads of people, he spend all of Friday evening chatting and catching up with people. We have been to enough of these meetings for me to recognise wives, we tend to sit together watching our husbands enjoy themselves. But we both agreed this would be the last meeting so far from home, he does meet up every October, when they Ride to the Wall.
It's always great to be home, no Will today he is on holiday with mummy and daddy, Later I am picking up Josh and we will meet with his brother Sam and his mum, we will have tea together.
I have been in the garden, did some dead heading and cut back a few overgrown plants. Rather a lot of my plants I put in the garden have gone, completely eaten, there are loads of bugs this year.
It's dull and muggy here, we are waiting for the promised thunder storms, so my plans are to knit, I'm on my second sock and I have another Jodi Picoult book to read.

Catching up

My yarn selection came this morning, it came from layfamilyarn, I love the colours, these small skeins will allow me to use this yarn before making an expensive purchase. 

I got this tiny pot, looks just like a child for my air plant, I have seen these pots on line and love them, such fun. The air plant I have had for ages.

 My string of pearls is growing well, this was a tiny 99p plant, I got the hanging pot last year, this was put together about 5 months ago, I love the way the beads hang against the pot, this lives in my greenhouse. 

I had a great time with my sister over the weekend, on Saturday we popped to a local garden center, it's an arty one with loads of different things for your home and garden, I got the plant below for my nasties bed, popping in this pot I got last week.

 I have been looking for a lamp for my outside table, I wanted something heavy and strong, most decorative ones are light and plastic, I was pleased to find this lamp, made with metal and glass, it reminds me of a miners lamp, hubby loves it. 

I have not read a Barbara Erskine book for ages, this one was good, huge 576 pages, a really good read. 

Saturday evening we stayed in for a curry cooked by hubby, it was fun to relax together, our local gala was also on Saturday, but my sister did not want to attend, preferring to walk around a garden center. Sunday was a day at home, with a relaxing evening, just hubby and I.
Monday Will came to play, it was just him and I most of the day, it was sunny and warm, so we spent most of the day in the garden, most of the issues in the garden only show on hot days, so our recent weather allowed us to be outside.  I did another local book swap, I have loads of books to read, I do read more when next door is on her mission against us.
Tuesday, I went to sign class, it was only 5 of us a small group, but it was fun, I do enjoy this group of ladies. I stayed in the rest of the day reading, it was non stop rain, this year we are having a true English summer.
Wednesday, we had nothing planned, it was a dull morning, after a very wet night, Will and mummy popped in for lunch, he was a cute as ever, we got him another huge toy car from our local secondhand shop. Later again I read and did a bit of knitting on my socks.
Today is a housework day, as tomorrow we are off for a few days away, going to Wrexham, we have never been there, hubby has a church service to attend Saturday morning, along with loads of ex Welsh guards, but we will have Friday afternoon and evening and Sunday morning to sightsee.

Another reused 'pot'

I found this copper coal bucket on facebook, it was not too expensive, but perfect for my hosta's, which this year is being ate by slugs and snails, the copper will stop them getting to my plants, it should look good once the leaves come back. i would have liked a bigger pot for both hostas, but I will see if this works.

Just a selection of photo's from my planted 3 chimney pots, these have all been purchased 2nd hand at different times. I love to plant them with trailing flowers, as the pot is as interesting as the flowers.  These 2 pots have been moved around the garden to find their suitable resting spot.

 This is my small chimney pot, it sits in my back garden, filling a corner where nothing wanted to grow, I love the begonia which tumbles out the top each year. 

 I like to group the different pots together, and I will use anything as a pot. 

I did this post because I was asked how I use chimney pots, I love to play with the planting, trying now to use plants which will return each year, bedding plants can be so expensive. 

Because this soil level is so high, I do not remove the plants over winter. The soil stays reasonable dry through the wettest months, and most of my plants don't damage in the cold. I have a geranium in one pot, which is 4 years old and has been outside each winter, even in the snow. 

Pot's can be harder work and the soil does dry out quicker and therefore requires watering more often, but the positive side is you can grow anything in them, your soil does not matter as you can get any type of compost to suit your planting. 

The above photo's I have used are from previous years, my pots are not in flower yet, they give height to my garden, and can change a dull spot very quickly. These 3 are true chimney pots, there are always second hand ones for sale locally, I love the look and feel of them, but I will use anything as a pot, here is the tall white pot which was used to hold an old toilet brush, now reused, next to a ice cream dish and on the lower shelf is a china sugar pot.