Poppy Patchwork


My little bit of this big World

Sunday 17 March 2024

Joy

Our local village pet shop sells gardening items, including strips of plants, in previous years I have purchased bedding plants. I got 8 broccoli plants for £1.15, I don't eat broccoli, hubby loves it, I have planted 6 in the garden and these 2 in pots in greenhouse, just in case any fail outside. 
I wanted ground cover for the front if the rhubarb bed, these 3 should work well, I am so pleased as I was planting these 3, I noticed new growth on the gooseberry plant, I was not sure if it would grow back. I'm now hopeful it has survived and we might get a small harvest this summer.
I struggle to grow daisies in our clay soil, I got a new plant last year, I'm not sure if it will grow back, I saw this Aster and thought this would look good, I have grown Asters before, for now it's in the greenhouse, until its grown more.
I have been trying to design a frame for the raspberries, it needs to be tall and strong, we toyed with a wooden structure, but was worried digging in the uprights would damage some of my plants. Hubby saw these obelisk and we have decided they will work, one each end if raspberry patch, I will use string to join both and to make a structure the plants can grow up.

My tomato and cucumber seeds are now seedlings, they are in small pots, which means I don't need to do anything with them yet. I have flower seeds sown, it's feeling good, so much promise. I have loads more to start, exciting times. I've also worked out where everything will go this year.

It's been drier again, still having some rain, but not days rained out, I am holding off sowing anymore seeds for a week, we have a busy few days coming up and I won't be able to water and care for much, so better to wait. I am working on the wildlife pond, the liner has settled and the lower section is full of water, I do need to tidy the edges, I would like more bigger pieces of slate, which hopefully I can get in the coming days. Once it a bit warmer I will get plants for in the pond.

Did you see on TV news, a study says we should love slugs and snails, and allow them to live in our garden, they are part of the food chain and eco system, sorry, what, nope, I can't love either.

The electrical goods arrived and are working well, the fridge freezer is the same size as our old one, we have sorted all the food back inside, nothing out of date or opened too long. The cooker is also the same design with a gas hob and electric grill and ovens, so not much difference in it's use, the top is moulded in one piece, which means no joins which are a so and so to clean.  We did a shop at Lidl, so the freezer is now almost full, we also got a few Easter bits, as daughter, SIL and children will be here Easter Sunday for lunch and Easter egg hunt. 

Thursday 14 March 2024

Not doing much

This is so pleasing, Grace has took to this new basket in our office, she sleeps alongside us now most mornings, she is still following us everywhere, slowing getting use to being the only cat. She has always been my cat, but in the last few days she is going to hubby more, she knows he is missing Purdy, she has become vocal, chattering away through the day.

Mummy got Molly's fringe cut, her hair was always in her eyes, suddenly she looks so grown up, but to me this photo could be mummy, other than the blonde hair, Molly is just the same as her mum. The hairdresser did a pretty style and added the 2 daisy clips. George had his hair cut as well, he was not so happy, but did not cry this time, so an improvement. 

I'm going to have another go at growing peanuts, I manage to get this pack of Monkey nuts (it's an English term), the nuts grow underground much like potatoes, which I really find interesting. I will only use a few, so I will scatter the rest for squirrels, in hope they don't bury too many in our garden. I can't remember when I last tried this, could not find anything in my labels on the side of my page. 

This book has characters I already know, it was an earlier story than the one I had already read, which did not spoil the plot at all, again I love it. He is now on my good authors list, book 21 read this year.  I have already stated I have read book 21, but I made a miscount, and this is definitely book 21 read this year.

Another good book, I do love a book with an average person, who is thrown into a difficult situation,  this plot twist and turned, is other people good or bad, are they helping or not, loved it to the end. Book 22 read this year.


It's been mixed here, mad cat woman next door, decided last Friday night to have a pop at us regarding our back garden sensor lights, which have been in place for years, they are too bright for her, she will not close her bedroom curtains, we have both ignored her and not heard anymore, she does choose her moments. 

This week I worked on my 2022 book, adding another 2 months, I hope to have it finished before too long, we also defrosted our fridge freezer in the garage, it had been making strange noises, we then moved the kitchen fridge freezer out to the garage ready for a delivery of a new fridge freezer for the kitchen, neither of us wanted to wait until it fails, the freezer section is always full. In a mad moment we also ordered a new cooker, so both items are due today, and the old models will taken away, both were purchased at our old house, both served us well.

Bloody rain is keeping us inside, we do try and walk around the park most days and down to the village, its not as heavy as before. I am really starting to feel well, just so tired, I've not been to a Pilates class yet, hopefully by the end of the month. Today I have a parcel due to arrive, something hubby encouraged me to get, should be last big things for the raspberry bed in the garden.

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Starting

I planted these last week, the 3 packs other than red pompom dahlias all in raised bed in front of the greenhouse, dahlia's planted along the back, freesia's in the front corner, hopefully to give me some beautiful summer colour, the red pompom is in a pot in the greenhouse for now, I can cover the raised bed if frost is promised, so all should grow. 
When looking on my side of the garage, I do look like a real gardener, for years I would keep a bag of compost to use, and maybe a fine John Innes, these days I have many different compost, which I now mix for the conditions I require, are you a mixer or do use use as it comes. I do think we are doing better not using peat in compost, but it does make our compost lacking. 
This spot is outside the greenhouse in the rhubarb bed, the pot with the spring bulbs in will be used for a tomato plant in the coming months, the hellebore covers the front of the pot,  I am loving the primrose in the front of the bed, this one photo shows how I want this bed, mixed with flowers, fruit and tomato plants, whilst providing food to eat, I can still have the colour I crave. The old handle from my mum's fork has sat in this spot for years, sadly I have never seen a robin perch on it. 
The various fruits are doing well, I sorted my strawberry tub and added plants on bottom level, all babies from existing plants, the earlier blueberry has loads of buds, my rhubarb, I can't take any fruit in this it's first year, I have a wire fence around it to keep pest away. I have raspberries coming up, I will need to build their frame soon, the blackberries are beginning to bud as well. I also have flowers on my broad beans, so much promise to come. 
In the greenhouse my plants are a good size, these were purchased small to grow on before planting out, I'm not sure what's in the twiggy pot, I've put it here in case it's something which will grow again, I'm sure it was something I put back into this pot last year. The Amaryllis had a new bud, I cut off the 2 which refused to grow. I have been sorting the greenhouse, making enough room for the busy weeks ahead. I have moved my green tub here for now, we can see the bulbs from the house and garden, with so much rain, I don't want the bulbs to rot.

I have planted one potato bag, it's in the greenhouse for now along with a tub full of carrot seeds, hopefully I can get an early start, we have had a few light frost, but my greenhouse is in a sunny position, I have raised both off the floor. I have already sown little gem lettuce in my raised salad bed, which is covered with glass, I have started tomato and cucumber seeds, these are in my office, the warmest place in our house, I gave all my seed trays a good watering, so I can soon start filling them. 

I had this post partly done on Wednesday evening, last week whilst the sun shone I was outside most days, my garden section in the garage has had a good sort and clean. Now again we have rain, everyday rain, it's again so dull and grey, hopefully for only one week, I have cabin fever. 

We purchased a new cat basket for here in the office, we spend time in here most mornings, it's always sunny and warm, Grace is wandering around under our feet, we are terrified we will step on her,  hopefully the basket will keep her near to us in a sunny warm spot. We popped to town on Monday morning and she was sleeping in the new bed when we returned, everything at this time is about keeping her happy.  

Sunday 10 March 2024

Mothering Sunday

On Friday we had visitors, mummy and daddy came with George and Molly, we were happy with the diversion, so loads of happy smiles, we played outside for a while in sunshine, it was cooler, but running around kept us warm. George was happy to wave goodbye to them and happily played with puzzles, he enjoys them and is not so frustrated any more. 
Hubby got me some lovely flowers, I don't purchase cut flowers anymore, but he decided these would add colour to our room, they are lovely, I do have my cards up, daughter gave me a gift voucher for a local garden centre, they have very good quality plants. Hubby also got me a few bits for the garden, none of them a surprise, all required and will be used.
This cactus flowered last November, it sits on our downstairs bathroom window sill, it's a sunny spot, it did flower more than once last year. I almost moved it to the kitchen window sill, but decided it should stay where it is. Last year after it bloomed I turned the pot around the the other side bloomed, I will do that again, just waiting to see these lovely flowers again. 
Another good book, it started as a husband and wife story, but grew to involve other women the now ex-husband was using, a good plot, clever story, I enjoyed reading it. I have read this author before and always enjoy her stories. Book 21 read this year. 

George was very good, we had dinosaurs in our bathtub, loads of splashing, and after reading books he was tired, he did get up a couple of times before settling, which is normal for him. He slept all through the night, Grace did not have a good night and wondered all through the house, she woke George and myself about 6am. Mummy came and collected him on her own, so we had a lovely chat with her. The afternoon was quiet, Grace was following me around, so I sat and read with her on my lap.

Thank you for your kind comments, it's is hard to lose a pet, Purdy was the younger of our two, so our focus had been on Grace and ensuring she was OK, cats do mask their illness, we were unaware of any issues until Monday evening, on Wednesday evening we knew she needed help and called the next morning. Our vets were wonderful, she immediately saw the issues, and scanned Purdy to see what was happening, Purdy had heart and lung issues which gave us no choice on the outcome. We had made a agreement  many years ago, any decisions would always be based on their health and not our feelings. We do not have any cat insurance, we stopped a few years ago, when both cats stopped going outside our garden, the prices were rising very fast for older cats, and we had never made a claim, hubby walked to vet to pay our bill, they were lovely, told him he could have waited until the following week.  


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