Something for nothing

I am trying something new in a bid to stop using the blue slug pellets

These have been spread over the cottage garden bed, 

they stank of sheep, just hope they work

I am using copper tape around my pots.

 Loads of flowers on my melon plant
last year I grew just one melon.

 Kiwi seedlings

I put a slice of Kiwi on top of soil, hoping to get further than last year, 

these should grow well in this small pot, 

so I won't have to move them until they are much larger. 

 Orange pip, again hoping for more sucess than last time

 Melon seeds, just for fun

 This followed me home on Saturday

hubby was not sure about the colour, 

but already I have 3 cuttings hoping for new plants

 Latest flower in the garden, 1st Dahlia to bloom

A bit more sewing last night, 

I love stitching these boxes, hope to get July finished by the weekend. 

I spent an hour in Win's garden after work, just a bit of weeding and a few late plants gone into her front garden.  Plus 30 mins in the greenhouse, as you can see from above I have loads of seeds and pips coming along. My Orchids are back inside, the leaves were being bleached white, which does not look good, so I have them on trays behind my sofa, there is really nowhere to put them in this house.
My garden is looking well, the cottage garden is filling up, in a few weeks it will look beautiful. Almost every thing is now out, just a few English Marigolds and another Fuchsia to go into a pot.
We are eating cucumbers, strawberries and raspberries, I have salad leaves ready for cutting.
I have herbs I will pick over next weekend ready for drying.
So all is well in our little plot, off now to read my book, life is good.

Things are growing

My 2nd cucumber,

 I'm not letting them get too big there are so many on the plant. 

Small fruit harvest

We are missing out on strawberries, most have been ate by wildlife,
we don't mind sharing our harvest, but this year they have been greedy. 

So we went shopping, I will put the strawberry plants in trough's, I have two , they will be placed in front of the raspberries, slightly sunk with loads of drainage,  so it should stay looking much the same, just the fruits will hang over the sides and some will be left for us to eat. Later this summer I will work on my little fruit bed.
 Few other things from my needed list came home with us.
The little plant is for a project I am planning. 

I have started sewing together, picking the hexagons from the box is helping me get the random look. I have a long way to go, but it is fun (sorry to my sister who won't be getting my stash of hexagons) I am glad I did not sew some of the thicker fabrics, this design won't allow me to mix them. 

It was the correct decision to bring this collection in, 

a lovely flower has appeared. Spider plant is doing well, 

still not sure about the Lime plant, but I hoping for new growth. 

I am about to fly through the house with a duster, my brother is coming to stay later this week, so a quick tidy is necessary.
We had more rain in the night (should we be looking at plans to build a boat), every where is looking really good, plants lush and full of growth. Our part of the UK is normally dry, this year we have had loads of really wet days, fortunately not enough in one go to cause flooding, but now we need the sun so we can enjoy the work done in our garden.
I don't think I will get in the garden today, even if it dries, the ground under foot is very wet, I wanted to weed Win's garden, she is coming home on Tuesday, with alot of help (most paid for herself), she should be able to manage for a while.
Lovely hubby is really happy his beloved Wales has won their football match and is still in The European competition. So a good weekend here in Hampshire.
It is sad to see so much worry and anger after last weeks vote, it was interesting to hear an out voter saying on TV he hoped he had done the right thing. Regardless of your vote, and I wanted to stay in, what is done can't be undone, so we have to go forward and make the best of the choices. So positive thoughts, we are British, we are good in a crisis, not that we are there yet.

Beautiful stitching

Postman gave us two great items in our mail

 Pam's patchwork is fantastic

 This beautiful pouch is for me to keep my cross stitch pattern pages in

goodness I will have a smile each time I use it

 Perfect matching Pam, you are very skilled. 

 Postie also brought us these, £39.00 of vouches

every little helps as they say

 I have finished stitching June

I love the bear, I was naughty and used some shades of my own choice. 

Hubby is much better, he's bored which is a sign he's doing well. Last evening we walked around Portchester Castle, it was a sunny warm evening, we enjoyed the views.

It has been thundering most of the day, every where goes dark, a few rumbles of thunder, heavy rain, and then back to sunshine. Another storm is here, the sky is lit with lightening and loads more rain. 

We have been out to B&Q, for a few items, more on that next time, plus a garden center for some compost and plants. I do not buy compost from B&Q any more the quality is always poor and not worth using for the lovely plants we have. My spend match to last year was much lower this month, so this trip out has blown my budget. 

Later we will have the football match on and I can do some stitching, no plans at all to be outside. 

The country has made the decision to leave Europe, I don't know if it is the right or wrong decision, but it is made, so the next few years are going to be changes for us. I expect some things will be better, but first we have to get through the next few economic months, I just hope it is not a rough ride.  

All together now

I have stitched a few each of these last colours and designs

 Here are the mixed design hexagons I will be using

 I have picked four of each

 To help with my OCD, I have put them all in this box

Starting with the hand made hexi, the hope is I pick one from the box and sew it, no putting them back trying to match, I want to make it fun without my added stress of trying to make it look random. 

 I have rather alot of these hexagons, I think about 1400

but I have a few other projects I want to make

 and if I hate the whole putting them together

someone (my sister) would love to have them.

 I have one pile to finish sewing

I lost an hour cutting out paper template hexagons
but I am loving doing it all the old fashioned way

this box is just a perfect project box, just looking a bit empty now.

Firstly hubby is feeling much better, he had repairs to his left shoulder the tendons had torn, he has his arm in a sling and is taking things easy. So I am chief cook and bottle washer for a few weeks. So thank you for your comments.
Not much else happening here, I'm just so tired, it's been a pretty eventful couple of days, so an early night is called for.

Glass walls

Flipping cucumber again, almost a decent size

I won't let it get too big, I have loads on this plant

I will have a glut soon.

 First tomatoes forming, this inside 

The outside plants are further behind but do have flowers

just noticed I have a shoot to pick off

 4 pepper plants, I moved them to get the sunlight

I have flowers forming and one pepper

 Salad bed looking good

will need to sow some more

All my family and friends are fed up with my cucumbers, it's the plant which is growing the best, I can't wait for harvest. I did pick a hand fill of raspberries, not enough to make anything, but they tasted good. Yesterday afternoon we had sunshine, which was a much needed break from the rain.

I am not in work today, going to pick hubby up from hospital after a small operation, he was not going to spend the night, but at the last moment they kept him in. So I will be home looking after him with time to potter, read and rest. plus a lovely blue sky to start the day.

Moonlit walk

Last year I posted both my daughters did a moonlit walk for a local hospice.

I did not join them, I felt 6 miles was too much for me at the time

But I made a promise to youngest daughter

 Last night at 10pm we joined 1000 other people to walk for this years sponsored event.

 Each year they have a different colour T shirt. 

After just over two hours we made it back, and was given our medal

My 1st medal for walking

We were home and in bed by 2.30am, we sat up for about 30 mins, drinking tea and relaxing. On the walk a lady called Margaret tagged along, she was walking on her own. It was interesting to see all the costumes, hubby wore a dress  just because he could and he found one in the charities shop which fitted him, he was not the only man in a dress.

In our world the media is great at showing all the horrors happening, but last night it was simply people power taking time to support a well loved, well run hospice, Rowans Hospice, which survives on charity. Between the three of us we raised enough money to hold our heads up, not huge amounts. Everyone together pledged almost £70,000, which is huge.  I was proud to be part of this event, and will be back next year for the 10th walk, but I'm not promising to do 12 miles.

It's wonderful to know events happen most weekend where everyone comes together for a wonderful charity, puts the smile back on my face. 

Today is Father's day in UK, if the weather is fine later we will pop out with our cameras, but mostly it's a lazy relaxing day. 

All potty

Can you please help me

I don't know what this plant is, I had loads of seeds I threw into this bed, and stupidly I got rid of all the packets. I am hoping it's not a weed, because the leaves are so pretty. 

 My Hosta has gone mad this summer,

 it's under our Magnolia tree and at the moment slug free.

The saucer on top is a bird bath full of water. 

My Thyme is loving the chimney pot, the soil is free draining which the plant loves.  

 Another chimney pot,

I normally get white flowers, but decided on a change this season.

 Growing from seeds and pips

A couple of melon seeds shooting 

and an orange pip also shooting. 

It's so pleasing to see so many bee's in the garden, 

this path by the greenhouse is now Bumble Alley

 I have brought one pot back inside

This little arrangement is far too pretty to stay in the green house. 

We are going to pop out soon, a walk to the village, we did not get to the gala, it looked like rain, but it did stay dry. We have been outside all day so far, no real work to do just a bit of trimming back.
Looking forward to a few lazy hours, then out much later.....

Paula, Toad in the Hole as done by BBC

Grow eat and sew

These cucumbers are growing at a fantastic rate

I have loads of flowers on the plant

 Tiny new leaves on two Orchids. 

 Hubby has been baking, these are for tea tonight with sausages

his take on toad in the hole

with diced roast potatoes and fresh veg. 

 I started June and I'm loving the bear. 

It's been a great week, work has been good, we are doing different tasks within our department, so it slightly more rewarding and less tiring, which means I come home with more energy.
Our garden is looking great, everything is loving the rain, we had heavy downpours last night and this morning. My green house gives me enormous amounts of pleasure, I pop down the garden each morning to open it up and the after work again to check things and close it down. I so wish I had got it many years earlier, I have so many things I want to try and grow.
I have started another book, I am loving the light nights, turning the TV off and reading, simple but lovely times. I have been loaned more books to read, so I'm in heaven.
For the past two nights I have done cross stitch, it's nice to pick it up again,  with Grace on my lap and a needle in my hand.
We have the weekend at home, we have our local Gala tomorrow and the weather should be dry, so  afternoon out, plus a busy night tomorrow, I will reveal all on Sunday.
Mum asked the name of my plant on our bathroom window sill, it's a Masdevallia Orchid and it's beautiful.

Grow, green leaves

Cucumber are forming and growing quickly

 My raised bed, salad leaves showing through, I do have other stuff sown here.

I am using my plastic panels to cover the raised bed, 

I need a wire door to stop cats coming in for now this does the job

 4 different chillie/pepper plants, all doing well

 Orchids look much better, 7 pots here

Fuchsia are potted on, soon they can go out in front garden.

 Bathroom window sill, looking pretty

 Sad lime plant, I left it outside and the leaves fell off

I have re-potted it in citrus compost, just a couple of good leaves

this is in my office, so I can keep an eye on it.  

I have mice, I've stitched half of these

they are cute and fun. 

I finished my book, it was OK, I have another to read, between the garden and reading my craft time has shrunk. The July section of Joyful world has been published, I have not as yet stitched June, I'm not worried to get a bit behind. I have plenty of fun with the hobbies I have. We are not watching TV, football does not interest either of us, so peaceful evenings where we read are blissful, plus loads of birds and wild life in the garden. I was worried putting up the greenhouse would scare off the birds, blocking their route to the feeders, but we still have as many visits as before. Plus our hedgehog is still popping in to see us.
Grace had a blood test on Monday at the vets, they were worried she has lost a bit of weight, and at 12 years old they were expecting her to have problems, I am so please all the results came back good, the vets tested her for everything. We have a different food for her to snack on, to see if it helps with her weight, but she is a small cat.
Work is good, busy, but we are getting things done, it feels like normal time again and not so hectic. They are employing more people which is a sign of a healthy company.
It's a sunny evening, so we are popping out, after the dull day it's nice to see blue skies and better to be outside.