Wet, wet, wet

 Oh boy has it rained this week, almost non stop since over night on Sunday, I'm not complaining our gardens and the ground water for our water supplies needs this rain. I emptied this container on Sunday evening. By Wednesday teatime we had 25 ml, Thursday morning almost 30 ml. I've emptied it again to see how much rain we get with the coming storms.

So Austen and Boelo have whizzed through, the garden is quite protected and therefore nothing was damaged, I like a tidy garden so everything was already packed away, the cover came for our outside table, so it's now protected. As for rain, by Friday morning we had 28 ml, and here was the measure on Sunday morning, totalling 40 ml.. The average rainfall for here in Hampshire for October is 76-105 ml.

Just a fat pigeon, not seen the hedgehog for a few nights, Lilly is not out after 10pm, which is very pleasing and means she doesn't come in contact with the scary big black tomcat.

I am not a dahlia lover, I got this one because it reminded me of the bright red pompoms my mum grew in her garden, it is the star plant at the moment, full of blooms and buds.  

Thursday after overnight rain it was blue skies and dry, we had to pop out so we stopped in town for lunch and a quick look in a few shops. I've not done much reading it has been a busy week, and will be busy again over the weekend and into next week.

Friday I slept over at daughters, she had a lovely night out, all three children were so very good, bathtime and bedtime were easy, they each enjoyed one to one time and settled quickly. Will I let stay up later, he went to bed at 9.30pm, again happy. Molly now sleeps later, she woke up just after 7am, George just a bit later, Will stayed in bed much later.

We have had a week at home, no popping out for coffee, daughter was busy on Friday morning, I have had my annual blood test to check cholesterol and diabetes, results should be on my page by Monday. Lilly went back to the vets, she was not happy, the vet checked over her back leg and nothing found, she is walking better. We paid for a dose of flea, worm and parasite treatment, just over £50, with the foxes and rats next door, it's best to keep on top of everything, this treatment will last for 3 months, then we will go back to using the lesser over the counter stuff each month.

Weekend

 Just a lonely clematis bloom by our main entrance, unexpected and beautiful. 

This begonia is normally in the greenhouse by now, it's still full of blooms, such a vibrant colour.

Saturday afternoon we sat outside in the garden, it was lovely, just chatting and enjoying the garden.

We popped to our favourite garden centre with hubby's sister and her hubby, they have put out the snowman seat, we took our annual photo, no grandchildren just us.

Hubby's sister and her hubby arrived Friday afternoon, we had a nice time chatting and catching up with family news. Saturday we popped to Whitley for some shopping and then to Garsons garden centre, I did not purchase any plants, I did get a couple Christmas bits and some nice chocolates for us, all packed away for now. Back home we sat in the sunshine in the garden. Later hubby cooked a nice meal, steak for the guys and fish for us ladies, we had another nice quiet evening together.

Sunday we walked around Portchester castle and then had lunch in the local pub, again a great meal, back home daughter came to visit with her three, they were happily chatting and playing, it was quiet when they went home, our house is not big enough for so many people, another lazy night in.

Today SIL is driving back to south Wales, we have beds to sort and some housework to do, then a restful afternoon. This week we will pack away our outside seating, I will pop tender plants into the greenhouse, and all my birds from the side shelf into the garage, sadly it's time to close the garden, hopefully we will use the sunroom for much longer.

Whose out there

I dug out nerine bulbs from my side bed a while ago, they had spread, I popped them into a pot, my plan was to plant them behind my daisies once the foliage died back. I'm surprised to see some blooms, one already cut and two more buds.

I am cutting back the two vegetable beds a bit at a time, I have leaf mulch to spread over both beds, the leaves have not broken down enough, which won't matter as the worms will do the job. Both beds have net around to stop Lilly using the space, so the leaves should not blow around. I did pick loads of green tomatoes, these will ripen in the paper bags

I've had an early birthday gift from hubby, I have wanted a wildlife camera for ages, just to see who is visiting our garden, hubby has been resisting, this was purchased in an effort to cheer me up, just for fun.

I can do very little outside before backache starts, I try and get things done, hubby will help, but already he is doing loads of things I can't do, both inside and out has been set out for ease as we get older, which is certainly helping me now. 

I have not done any crafting, I moved my work basket from beside my chair, a certain cat called Lilly was sleeping in there, she is a big cat and my knitting was getting messy. I have suggested to hubby I look for a basket with a lid, which could protect my stuff.

Sunday we had late lunch at a local pub, a good old fashioned Sunday roast, which we both enjoyed, we strolled around Portchester castle afterwards, it was a warm sunny day. On the whole it's been a relaxing weekend, the grandchildren were busy so we did not see them, other than video call. I am feeling slightly more upbeat, it's no use to wallow in selfpity, I've just finished a course of antibiotics, which has helped.

Parcels arriving

In theory I should not need anymore more spring bulbs, the packs on the left I purchased a few weeks ago, on the right are more recent. I was looking for paperwhite daffodils, these are similar, I intend to plant in hope they flower inside around Christmas  time.

My big order from Farmer Gracy has arrived, it's too early to plant them, most will go into pots by early November, the tulips late November, if everything grows I should have a brilliant display in the spring.

These are bulbs which I popped into pots, they bloomed well in the spring, I hope they all come back next year.

This also arrived, I know it's September, but it was on sale almost half price, and those who follow me know I love a bargain. Our old tree is 12 years old and the branches are wobbly. This one is just 5 foot tall, we have purchased a small table for it to stand on. Photo taken from website.

I have been supporting daughter after the disappearance of Noah Woods and his death, George is at runner and can run fast, many times we have chased him, these days I can't take George out on my own, he can be faster than me. The horrendous comments towards the family by ill informed people, daughter has been upset, the parents are going through enough with out negative comments. Through the years nasty people have made unwanted comments regarding our George on daughters social media, her friends and others family with disabled children have supported her every time, we can only hope Noahs family are getting the support they will need.

Friday we took to express bus into Portsmouth, down to the waters edge at Gunwharf Quays, its a outlet shopping area, with plenty of places to eat. We were looking for a good cutlery set, we found a couple designs we liked, sadly the store only had sets of 4 items, knife, fork, desert and tea spoon, we require smaller knives and forks as well. We popped in a few shops, I need to replace my everyday coat, I saw nothing I liked. Most of the shops are brands we do not support, many very overpriced, sadly M&S outlet was closed for a refurb. We did not stop for lunch catching an earlier bus home, we spent nothing, even the bus journey was free.

As autumn arrives

It's time to collect conkers, there is a huge Horse chestnut tree in our park, we picked up a handful, leaving loads for the local children, I love the colour and shine on these, here in a bowl in the kitchen

The second lower branch has been removed from our acer, hopefully it will fill out again, I can then keep it trimmed and not have to cut it back harsh, we want the growth just over the slate area. It will require more delicate trimming to reach a decent shape.

These daisies are back in full bloom, I just adore them, both my snowberry plants have died back, I will rethink the back section of this bed, I would like some height along the back.

We popped to B&Q for some cyclamen plants, I also got a pack of reduced violas as well, I have planted most of them into various pots.

Sadly along the back fence it looks as if my pyracanths has died, the begonia in the huge pot is blooming.

One of my snowberry plants had one green branch, so I have cut all the deadwood off and planted in one of my growbags, all I can do is give it a chance to revive itself. I have also potted up two daisies from my birdbath dish, would be nice to have them next spring as well.

We have ate carrots, potatoes and runner beans a few times, and mixed lettuce leaves, tomatoes and cucumber most days, the veg garden has come to life. Oh we get a handful of raspberries every other day.

It's been a grey dull week, with low cloud and not too much rain, we have not gone out much, most of our spare time is reading, I have picked up my knitting and cross stitching. I do need to sort the last couple of months in my 2025 blog book before November.

For once we have no projects to do, normally at this time of year we have one task, everything is up together inside and out. I have done one big online purchase, which should arrive in due course, we had been chatting and decided we required a replacement, purchased now because it was in a September sale.

Seeing red

 I arrived back home late afternoon on Monday and took a walk around the garden, this beautiful dahlia is now blooming, I purchased it last month, after the initial bloom faded the plant showed no signs of growth, suddenly it has a growth spurt and loads of buds.

This pelargonium is in a big mug shaped pot on my outside table, it's loving the hot summer. 

This rose is its third lot of blooms, it's was struggling until I popped it in a big pot in a sunny place.

A deeper red in this pot, with two shades of pink.

This Gaura is from a cutting, only small this year, such a pretty shade of pink.

I had a great time with daughter and children, the accommodation was really good, plenty of space inside, not too hot, the kitchen was fully equipped, we only used the cooker top for breakfast bacon, the toaster, kettle and dish washer. The site has been extended, our area was only added in the last year, the club house area was very busy, the pools were full, other than having lunch in the restaurant, and the children having time in the arcades, we stayed at our accommodation, the children loved the hot tub, they spent most of the days in the water. Daughter took Will and Molly to a china painting session, I stayed back with George, who loved having the hot tub to himself. Molly went dancing with mummy each evening, Will was not interested in going, George would hate the crowds.

Monday we had lunch with Grandma and Grandpa, it was lovely to sit outside, it felt so cool with a lovely breeze, we all agree we show a united front to our little ones, their dad might not be present in their lives, but grand parents are.

It's pure joy to be home, I slept well last night, we have nothing planned for today, just a lazy day at home, Wednesday I will pop to daughters to sit for an hour, then Molly is coming for a sleepover.

There is rain in the forecast, its cloudy and muggy, no rain here yet.

Still life

 Finally some flowers on my runner beans, I don't think I will get much of a crop, it would be nice to have at least one meal from them, only half the plants survived.

My tomatoes are finally turning red, not a great year for them, we have a few more cucumbers growing as well, both in the same bed. 

My grapevine is loving this spot, it has put on loads more growth, the raspberries on the other side are doing well, not as high as last year.  I plan to grow french beans in this space next year are they help the soil conditions for the vine.

These pelargoniums, which I still think as geraniums, whatever you call them have loved this summer, they require very little water and will thrive in poor soil conditions, all I do is remove the dead flower stalks,

As the summer progresses it's now begonia time, I love these blooms, often choosing the trailing ones for pots, the corm's stay in the pot all through the winter, as long as they don't get waterlogged they survive. 

It's a very different garden this year, so many of the flowers have finished early, it still looks good just more green than other years, I have left many of the dropped leaves around the place, they won't do any harm.

I have started a messy log pile behind our huge pot with the Olive tree in on our patio, we still regularly see our hedgehog, so I am trying to give him space nearer the house if he want's it, hubby is looking to build a house as well, I have a messy corner behind our garage and by the side of the greenhouse, both at the bottom of the garden.

I have to dig out one of my mulch dustbins in the coming days, I will add it to the veg beds, this week we are having our Magnolia cut back, the new growth is far too much this year, hubby will shred the soft wood and huge leaves, which will break down for next years mulch, normally we would do this task ourselves, in this heat it's better to watch the experts do the work.

I've had a quiet few days, housework has been done, the wooden floors get so very dusty, the spare bedroom is clean and tidy again, I have been dead heading in the garden and watering, mainly the fruit and veg section. Mostly I have been reading inside, hiding from the sun, George loves the garden so for 3 days I sat outside, I really would love a wet day, cool air, it's been cloudy most mornings and very muggy. 

After the tennis

 Another great book, it hints at a secret 3 friends have from school, with flashbacks filling in details, the school grounds are sold for development, which is a deep worry to one of them, what should they do. Book 47 read this year.

I do like this author, he has interesting plots, you meet your ex girlfriend and have become a couple again, she has a huge secret and you are drawn in, loads of twists, a very clever written plot, I could not put it down. Book 48 read this year.

Another brilliant plot, very different, you are abducted and forced to live in a hut in the middle of a huge forest, already there is another woman, terrified of the men, how to escape and find your way home. Book 49 read this year.

Sunday we had the last slice of lemon cake, Monday we had a red velvet cupcake from Molly's batch. Midweek we had scones for a couple of days, I only have cream on one half. Hubby then made a marmalade cake, we do love home made cakes with our morning coffee.

Just 3 gladioli blooms this year, they are beautiful, sadly in this heat wave the flowers are not lasting long.

Hubby has always cooked from scratch, we eat very few process meals, I enjoy a slice of cake, it's rare we have scones and cream, I don't eat bread, we are eating salads everyday, often with my homegrown new potatoes and lettuce, the cucumbers and tomatoes are slower. 

I picked the little ones up from school on Tuesday, daughter was at Will's school, it was review day, his work as always was so good, it's a shame he's not enjoying school. Wednesday daughter and I had a day together, she wanted to thank me for helping recently, I don't need thanks, I believe it's part of being a mum, and I will help whilst I am still able. Today hubby is out all day, so I am home alone, a quick flick of the duster, as my mum would say and then reading, still too hot for much gardening, I do have a couple of small jobs I want to get done, once the temperature drops, it's almost 5 weeks without rain here, and none in the forecast next week. 

I have already received my all clear from the mammogram last week, I got an NHS text with a link to the electronic letter, such an easy way to get results, I checked my NHS portal and my blood and stool tests are no yet back, I do like being able to see my data, I don't always understand everything, a quick chat to practice nurse always fills in details. I do keep and eye on my cholesterol and pre diabetes status.

Growing and picking

 I adore these fleabane daises, I cut them back a couple of weeks ago and now they are in full bloom again, this bed at the back of the lawn looks so good, all through the summer the daisies are the star. I have planted more around the veg section in nooks, hoping it looks as if they made their own way there. 

A few more blooms around the garden , yellow rose, gladioli just four this year, an unexpected aquilegia, again I have 4 plants in the daisy bed, this one broke as it grew, so with new shoots some late flowers. The white spikes are new this year, a £5 small plant from our market guy, which I have grown on, Physostegia, crystal palace white, it should return every year, it's in my side bed. 

My white lavender is huge, I have take some cuttings in hope of more plants, I have agapanthus growing in 3 spots, these tall flower heads add structure, and look very pretty. I have started to add flowers which tumble over the edge of the beds, which I do like the look of. 

I have new growth on my grapevine, I read online what to do with it, the first year in the ground like most plants is important, I put mulch around the soil where it is planted and I have an old white tea towel protecting it from the fierce heat of the day, just for a few weeks until it is settled. 

I saw a meme, 'no one wants to see your first tomato harvest', sorry this is mine, two different varieties, the plants are both full of flowers and fruits, my cucumber is producing more fruits, my lettuce has slowed down in this heat, I do have more on the way. 

I can't do much in this heatwave, I water on nights when the garden requires it, I do enjoy the task, I can take note of everything growing, we are not sitting out much, the tennis has been our company most afternoons and evenings, this is definitely the year to sit and watch the garden. Our hedgehog has been missing for a couple of days, we have plenty of birds all sizes, the bigger birds can't get to the feeders, they come in for the water. 

I do everyday ensure the birds and other wildlife have fresh water, I have 3 different spots plus the pond, the pond is full of slimly weeds, there is not much I can do, I try and clear as much as I can, I tried a barley straw bale, which did not do much, as always I checked online and basically my pond is too small and in too much sunlight to keep it clear, the weed does not impact on the pond and will clear once the weather changes. 

Hubby noted some damage to a rack when cleaning his new BBQ, B&Q wanted to send him a new BBQ, hubby declined, he spoke to manufactures, who could/would not sent out spare part, back to B&Q, the choice a replacement BBQ or £50 refund to close the matter, hubby chose the refund, he can live with the slight damage.

Back in my garden

 The recent heatwave has scorched my raspberry plants, just the top new growth leaves, this is a very sunny spot, so far my summer raspberries have ripened OK. 

My runner-beans are also scorched and not growing well, it's another sunny spot, I have another rouge potato growing.

I have planted my grapevine in one of the veg beds, the roots are in a shady spot, the vines grow into the sunshine, I hope to train the vines along these arches, which are placed for the tall raspberries on the other side.

I transplanted this red rose to a big pot last year, it struggled in the ground, I am happy to see this bloom and more buds, more red here from the crocosmia, lucifer. I pulled these out years ago, and most years I pull out the new growth, this year I decided to let a few grow in with the agapanthus.

We did not have many blooms on our magnolia tree in the spring, the squirrels ate most of them, so again I'm pleased to see so many blooms, the tree is looking good.

We seriously need rain here, the last time it rained was 10th June, over 3 weeks ago, my water butt levels are dropping fast, we have had a couple 10 minutes of fine rain which dried up very quickly, there is no rain in our forecast. I have purchased a rain measuring unit, just so I can see what amount of rain we get, I might bore you over the coming months with results. Southern water is bringing in a hosepipe ban soon, luckily we get our water from Portsmouth water and they have a statement saying their water supplies are good.

I dug out my 3rd bag of new potatoes, we are cutting lettuce every day, and my cucumber plant is producing more cucumbers, the tomatoes will be ready soon, I pick raspberries a couple times a week, the strawberries have finished, we have stopped pulling rhubarb, but there is plenty in the freezer. Sweet peas are still blooming.

We are having to watch Lilly, the huge black and white male cat from next door has started coming into our garden and attacking her, hubby has chased him away a few times, we have loaded our big water pistol with lemon juice to squirt at him, it does not harm him, cats dislike citrus which stays on their coats after the water dries and hopefully will deter him.

I've done very little since coming back from our break, my tummy is playing up, my doctor wants to repeat my blood test, and I will do another stool test, the surgery gave me the wrong test last time. I'm living on salads, steamed fish, avoiding breads and any flour based products, tonight I will make a paella seafood for me, chicken for hubby, I have two small pans and I'm happy to make different flavours.

Out front

 Hubby takes care of the front of the house including our side entrance, this clematis has gone wild this year, flowering much lower and earlier in the season, the hope is to have an arch of flowers. On the other side we planted this philadelphlus last year, it was a small plant and it did not grow too much, this year its putting on loads of growth and hopefully at some point white flowers, we would love them to meet at the top and tumble into each other.

We spent an hour cutting back all the tall overgrown shrubs along our front wall, our neighbour planted everything next to the low wall on her side, it's all very overgrown way past the height of our roof, we now don't get much sunlight in our office in the mornings, at least we were working in the shade, it all encroaches into our space, so it needs sorting a couple times a year.

After all the rain the back garden is looking good, I chopped back the fleabane daisies they were going wild, they will grow back quickly. Just a few gaps to fill, I have loads of smaller plants not quite ready.

I love this time of year, seeing plants returning, growing our fruit and veg, only small harvest, enough to keep us happy, we try to keep to seasonal produce, which means we enjoy them for just a short while.

Our little people had a trip planned to visit their daddy, a short flight from Southampton airport to Netherland on Thursday morning, sadly George pick up a sickness bug which was going around school and is staying with us, daughter was really upset on leaving him, but cancelling the trip would upset his brother and sister. Friday morning he was better, sadly no way of getting on the trip, so we plan loads of extra special fun together. 

Hubby was not too happy with me, I'm still not 100%, family is everything, mummy will be back on Saturday, just waiting to see if I get his bugs.

I'm not going to say it...

 We are sitting out this heat wave, I do a bit of gardening first thing, I water later in the evenings, I have a lance on my hose, its a longer pole with spray at the end, allows me to water the base of plants without bending, this is when I am most grateful for a small garden. These roses are stunning, they change colour as they open, I cut it back last year so the flowers are lower. They hide the gap between the fence and garage, by the end of the summer they will reach the top of the fence.

I adore this bed, just 3 years old, these fleabane daisies are a froth of colour, the aquilegia behind are new this year, four plants, I'm happy if they propagate and I have loads more, my snowberry plants (2) are slowly growing and will fill out in time, my astilbe is in the middle and should shoot up soon.

I love pots you can give plants the correct environment to grow, Kirts grass hair is better than I imagined, I do like to have a few pots displayed together. Just a few of the pretty flowers here in our garden.

I will trim our olive tree, its full of blossom and getting bigger than we want, another tree we both love, we have had this tree since 2019, I feed it once a year and clip it often.

Another loved plant is my pomegranate, I started a seed way back in 2017, its been in this pot since 2022, it was moved to behind our seating last year, I've stopped clipping it and would like it to grow higher, its not a tree. I do have herbs in pots at both ends of the seating area.

I have been careful when purchasing new plants to remove weeds from pots before planting, I also prefer to grow from seed, which helps keep weeds at bay, so I don't have too bigger issue. I am pulling the buttercups from my back fruit bed, they are taking over, lesson learnt, they need space. In my side bed I have meadow rue, it's a pretty low green ground cover, all through the summer I am pulling it out, it spreads by root and can be a thug, I do like it around my big herb pot.

We did not see daughter and little ones on Tuesday, they stayed home, where they could play inside in the cool, George was going to have a sleepover, but he's not sleeping well, so we postponed it, whilst sad not to see them, we understand their welfare is always most important. I found sitting outside under the parasol with the slight breeze best, the morning temperature was 29°, as it got hotter we later went back inside.