Garden additions

How good do these look

 They are just lent against the fence for these photo's

now they are in my shed until next spring.

I have fresh strawberries forming on my plants 

and loads of new growth on the raspberries

I used loads of mulch here

 A very full table, using all the space it gives me

I have not lost any floor space.

It just fits in the space perfectly.

 These are beautiful, loads of my flowers are going over now. 

Some I am leaving to go to seed for me and the birds. 

I have loads of pale pink sweet pea's pods drying on the plant

 These Violets are beginning to spread,

I love their perfect tiny flowers. 

I have done no craft, it's a busy week in the office, ensuring everything is finished by Friday, the muggy weather does not help, I have been resting and watching TV most evenings. I do get into the greenhouse each evening, my pepper and chilli plants are all fruiting well, I have done the 1st earthing up of my potatoes, only 2 out of the 4 show signs of growth. It look as if we might get some rain tonight, which would help our garden, we do have the threat of thunder storms which would ensure every where is well watered.
I have loaded loads of books onto my iPad, I prefer to have a real book, but as I read so quickly, it makes sense to read from my iPad on holiday. We have not done any packing, most everything I require in in my wardrobe, all I have to buy is more sun tan lotion and pack, the temperature in Tenerife today was 29+c, which is great for us.

Material girl

These fabrics was added to my stash last weekend

These fat quarters are for hexagons, 5 lovely designs

 These larger pieces just to enhance my Christmas fabric's
I do like to have a good choice

 More Christmas themed fat quarters

 This really old book, has loads of templates in.

I got a copy on ebay for £2.80

 Holiday reading, all second hand
I loved The Dandelion Years

 My question last time, what do I use this for.

Get a bucket of water, submerse into the water, place thumb over hole at the top, and lift out of the water, hold over plant and remove your thumb from the hole, water flows from the bottom. It can also be filled with water and left on top of the soil and the water will slowly drip out, it's great, I love it, just a bit of fun.

I have already placed the table given by my sister, in my greenhouse and it is full of plants, I have a huge pot with Basil and a big pepper plant on the bottom ledge, and two big trays without holes in the bottom, sitting on the top, the table top should stay dry and clean. Once my tomato plant is finished I will have loads of room. 

I have a confession, the stash fabric above has blown my budget, and my plans to save £200.00 on last years spend is threatened,  you know what it is like, sisters, ladies of a certain age shopping together, I have about £20 left for the rest of the year to stay on plan, oh well there is always next year.
I am planning to make Christmas bunting for our house, and a few Christmas gifts, my sister loved her work bag made here, and has suggested I make her a shopper.
We are eating all the stuff in the fridge, we have just 3 days before we fly off to the sun, I have most of what we require, it's going to be a restful week away, loads of reading, walking and a couple of cocktails, it just can't come soon enough.

Weekend fun

These came home with me after a visit to our local garden center

both are beautiful.

 Another quick pop into Wilko's this morning

This little lot cost me just £5.75, the hand weeding tool being the best value

 These were a gift from my sister, for our 30th wedding anniversary

stunningly beautiful, plus reduced from £36.99 to £18.49 each

 I was looking for something for my raspberries to grow up

my obelisk were cheap and rusty. 

These will look stunning in the fruit bed. 

 Do you know what this is, and how I would use it in the garden ?

My sister Leanna, also came with gifts,  this little unit has been in her garage for ages, not used or required any more, so I have it for my greenhouse, the back section has a table leaf, which can be raised when I need more space in the spring. Extra drawers always a bonus, plus a stool to sit on. I can keep a couple pots on the bottom ledge so it will not take away any floor space for growing things. On wheels so I can move it about, the other stool will be in my shed. 

It's been a wonderful weekend, Leanna and Alan, promised a visit, they arrived early Saturday with my brother Martin. After a true home cooked English breakfast, my sister and I went out for girly time together, first we went fabric shopping, more on that next time, then our 1st garden center, which locally is my favorite center. After coffee and cake we went to our last stop, another garden center, normally not my favorite, it's full of non garden things, but as we got most of the items above as they had a huge sale on. Leanna got a smashing bird feeder pole with loads of hooks and hanging things, it will look lovely in her new redesigned garden.
Later we all went out for a meal, youngest daughter Su and hubby David joined us, we had loads of laughter and good food.
This morning we had a typical Sunday lunch roast pork, now they are all back in Somerset, so just hubby and I enjoying the lovely sunshine. Such a perfect weekend, we will need an early night tonight.
We have got our Euro's for our holiday next week, so I am counting down the days.

My week so far

I have been in our attic

These two pieces came from The Gambia, many years ago

 I have had these Christmas fabrics for years

I got them cheap in a January sale.

Each year I use some, but still loads left. 

 Plus fat quarters

I am thinking of making some Christmas gifts. 

 Out of the Shadows, a great read, not the best subject matter

Last dance in Havana, ready to go. 

 From last Sundays walk, looking towards Portsmouth

A walk without picking blackberries, the brambles were empty

And because I have already used the Christmas word

My potatoes starting to grow, for our Christmas lunch. 

Our garden continues to look after itself, just giving so much pleasure. I am starting to think about winter colour, hoping my cyclamen start to regrow, I will get one box of small winter pansies for my pots.
Tuesday was our Pearl Wedding Anniversary, 30 years married, 32 years together, how quick the time flies. We did not do anything special, just a nice home cooked meal together, we do not give gifts, but I will have a bunch of flowers for the weekend. Saturday evening we will go out for a meal with my sister and her partner, just simple pleasures.
Wednesday our oldest grandson Josh started senior school, he looked lovely in his new blazer, so grown up, how fast the time flies. Sam looked as cute as ever. Logan's uniform is not so traditional, but they all looked smart on their 1st day back.
I have a few plans whilst my sister is here, we have a lovely localish shop which stocks cotton for patchwork, loads of cross stitch and a fantastic gift section, should keep us happy for a while and then on for afternoon tea.
I have not decided what to sew, I'm going to have a think, it would be nice to make a few items, I have enjoyed the shopping bags I have made, but now I want something a bit more interesting to sew.

Garden in photo's

Still loads of colour in our garden

 These two pots always have so much colour

Hubby cleared the brambles from the top of my shed

they grow from the garden behind us

 Lots going on inside the greenhouse

Cyclamens seed and corns under cover

I have re-potted my spider plant

and my miniature garden 

 Lemon plant

 Orange plant

I don't have a lime plant, 

I keep buying limes without pips in. 

 Loads here 

 I have a fantastic mixture of seeds for my cut flower bed

I love this corner with the old chimney pot

 the new place for the bird seed feeder

 Full range of feeders

We have finished in the garden, I do love to potter for an hour when I can.  Later we are off for a walk, here, I'm taking a plastic food container to collect wild blackberries, we have seen loads of berries, just hope there is enough to pick this afternoon.

Bargain shopping

Wilko's have their end of season sale on

Our friend who works there told us Christmas starts next week!

Lights £2.00, seeds £1 per pack

 I loved this rabbit, but would not pay £15.00 for him

at £7.50 he came home with us today

 Just a £1.00 and loads of fun

 Later walking past out local shoe shop

these were priced at £2.99, 

I got a pair last year reduced from £9.99 to £6.99

so these are a great bargain. 

 I had to unpick my knitting, I could not get the pattern right

so I am please I have done so much, 

this is the back of a sleeveless top. 

Lovely to see the bee's in our garden

this little fellow stopped long enough for me to get a photo. 

It was good to pop into town this morning, again we were not in there long, as the 1st Saturday in the month there was a farmers market, but in truth there were not many stalls. It is very over caste here and we are expecting rain, but we are going out in the garden soon.
Hubby purchased for me another bird feeder pole, I am moving the seed hangers, the birds throw the seeds every where, one feeder has been all around our garden, the seeds always grow when they hit the ground. So we are placing over the concrete path in front of my green house, the pigeons will eat all the seeds on the ground.
Next weekend my sister is visiting, she has had new decking in her garden and is bringing me a few of the better quality lengths from her old decking, hubby will make me a small raised bed to sit under our rose arch, all the seed I purchased this morning will be put in this bed, I am planting a cut flower bed, so I shall have flowers inside next summer. Plus it makes a corner which is getting messy again into a tidy spot.

In the garden

The strawberry tubs are done, 

these plants are now a good height off the ground, 

the raspberries behind have been thinned and moved about.

 I have moved my cacti tower pots to the back of the garden

They look good here, I always love this view

 Loads of peppers on these two plants

 A sneaky purchase, I love these flowers. 

 Another good book, I enjoyed it very much. 

I came in under on my spend for August, another good month

The garden is still looking good, I was pleased to get the few jobs done on Monday afternoon, most of the time all I need to do is dead head and enjoy all our hard work.