Blooming marvellous

This is my big grey oblong tub, I put both Hosta's in here in the summer with the tiny Begonia plant and the Lobelias, now I have loads of Cyclamen in pots, with a couple Violas, full of colour. The Begonia blooms will last until the frost comes, I will leave it in here over winter, I'm not sure if it's a corm or bedding plant, either way I am hoping it comes back next year. 

This pot is again stunning, I also have a Hellebore in here, which blooms after these have hibernated, I do very little to this pot, just add feed a couple times a year. I added the Fuchsia this summer, the rest has been in here a few years.  

This pot of Begonias is back inside my greenhouse, I can see the flowers from inside the house, it will last for weeks yet, it's a stunning plant I have had for years. I adore Begonias, they are late summer flowering and the blooms last after loads of others have faded. 

Molly has enjoyed her first full week at school, she is eating well without any issues, she already knows she can't eat dairy, mummy talks to her every morning about her lunch menu, and like George she loves a jacket potato, which always is a great option for her. She is exhausted each day, so is sleeping much better, her teacher has noted Molly loves to be involved in everything and is making new friends.

Sadly Georges start has been mixed, we always knew a change of class, teacher and 1 to 1 would cause a wobble, they want him to become independent, but it all takes time, so far he had blocked the toilets with paper after being sent in on his own, and hides other bits in there. He is wearing his glasses all the time, which is great news, and he does like to sit and participate more in class. Daughter has popped into his bookbag a notebook, so they can record his day, good and bad, the teacher or 1 to 1 no longer speaks to her every day.

Will is loving his new school drop off rules, it's just a walk down the secure school path by himself, a good step in his growing up, daughter is happy, there are school people about to watch who is walking, it's not a public path. Hubby and I picked them all up on Friday afternoon, daughter was unwell, they came out happy, it's great to see these children all doing so well, I did teatime and bedtime, it was a pure joy, no tears. Daddy came back for a night, so daughter came to ours and chilled out, all her favourite meals and a lazy Sunday morning. 

Hubby checked under the kitchen floor a couple of times, first time the poison had all been taken, second time there was some left, hopefully they will stop coming back. The poison he uses is a slow acting type, rats are clever and if they know something is killing them they leave it alone, we have not heard any more scratching in the wall, there are no signs they can get into the house, we will never be rid of them, all we can do is keep them away from our property. 

Sunny outside

Sunny days mean just one thing, garden, I've been outside everyday, just a couple of hours, because it's still cold, the sunshine and blue skies only give you so much. Most of my time has been in the back section of the garden, my working area, I've moved pots and made some space. Hubby made this small raised bed, it's covered for now, I will put sweet peas in there, in hope they grow up the fence and give me loads of blooms, the bottom has wire on but sits on soil, so plenty of room for roots. My two hosta pots sit here until they start to grow.

Hubby pinned the huge bug house onto the garage wall, it does not get so much sun, but it is sheltered from most of the rain. There is still space infront to put both my potato bags, as you are aware I try and use every bit of space I can find. This part of the wall has loads of bug and bird houses. I have my huge pot with tulips growing here as well, I will move it soon, afterwards I grow tomatoes in it.

My pond has done well through the cooler months, sadly no frogs, I hope to get local frog spawn, the smaller round pond was adding nothing to this area, I constantly have to top it up, so I decided to remove it, the container is always useful so it's back in the garage.

I decided to move one of my grasses, there is loads of room for it to grow here at the back, I did purchase a few pots of daffodils, I did not want to dig any out elsewhere. I moved a primrose into the hole from the moved grass, so a cheap and easy revamp.

I'm keeping on top of weeding, which has never been much of an issue here, this spring I am getting more weeds, mainly in the flower beds, I think brought in with the plants I purchased last year. I have tidied my greenhouse, cleared space for seed trays, I don't have many seeds, mainly veg, I tend to purchase small plug bedding plants and grow on.

I am feeling so much better, the sunshine and working outside always helps, we have had too many grey days, stuck inside feeling blue. I hardly ever want to go out on dull days and almost never on cold wet days. I have no big plans outside, which is a new feeling for me, having wanted more for years, our garden is truly full.

We have more rat holes coming from next door, one was big enough (or maybe a fox digging) to worry about Lilly escaping, hubby dug out a deep trough along our fence and poured in concrete, not ideal but hopefully it will stop them, we have sorted so many holes, there aren't many places they can get through.

Better day in the garden

Tomato plants doing well, both planted in their final place

50p tumbling yellow in greenhouse

Red fruit outside greenhouse door, I forget it's name, with the extra strawberry plants

 The back fence is now clearer, I like it better this way. 

 Path to raised garden all clean and clear

 I planted up my raised bed, a few of the plants are small, but if they don't survive I can replace them, I have more in the greenhouse. I have the old plastic greenhouse door which fits over this bed, which I am using each night. 

 Finally fruit on my gooseberries, this was their last chance, each year the plant has been eaten by sawflies. I could do with the huge pot they are in for our rhubarb, but I will wait until end of season sale to get another huge pot. 

I moved our blackcurrant bush onto our decking, with my other fruits, I was concerned the birds might have a feast later when the berries are ripe, we feed the birds at the back of the garden, plus a cheeky squirrel is often at the peanuts. But they don't often come onto the decking. 

 I have French Marigolds in my new planter, these are growing nicely. 

This is a fruit and veg basket from TK Max, much nicer as a plant stand. 

 Another look at my tulips, these are lasting for ages, 

the pot next to it has 3 box plants, I want to make a low design, 

which will take a bit of time.

Both Saturday and Sunday, I did work in the garden in the mornings, planting as much as I can, I normally do not plant this early in the year, but the fore caste for the next couple of weeks, show nigh time temperatures not dropping too low. Plus some of my pots were looking past their best, I do have spare plants if things go wrong. The only bedding plants I require to purchase is red salvia, I love the flowers, but can't germinate them from seed.
I also tidied my herb bed, the naughty squirrel digs in the 5 pots and can pull out newly planted herbs. I cut strawberry collars to size and popped them around the plant, looks really good and hopefully will stop any digging.
I have sorted a couple of places where Purdy was watching the fence, area's where it looks as if rats can get through, I know I'm not going to be able to stop them, but if we can keep the numbers down.
My last two post were so negative, but as you know I love my garden and enjoy time outside.
Both Saturday and Sunday afternoon's and evenings was spent relaxing outside, Saturday with hubby, and a nice BBQ, Sunday I was home alone, and relaxed in our recliners for ages.
Today we are walking to our local Co-op, after that Will, mummy and daddy back off their holiday are coming to walk to the castle and then later a BBQ, all so very relaxing.
I do hope your long weekend is as much fun.

An unnecessary dig

This was hard work

 At least we found where the rats are coming in

 Hubby putting layers of chicken wire

 All the soil we removed 

 Plants

 More plants

We know we have stopped the rats entering my raised bed, each time they make tunnels they throw my compost everywhere, and I can't keep replacing expensive compost. Hubby was a wonder, he helped dig out the whole bed, and then did the necessary to stop the rats coming back, three layers of chicken wire all attached to the frame, plus loads of concrete blocks (from a neighbours skip) and then refilled the bed.  I had planned to refill the bed today, but it was great to get all the hard work done yesterday.
We know they will come in else where, but there are now only a few places they can dig under, and our cat Purdy will let us know where any come through. This could be resolved if the woman next door would allow traps in her garden, we know they are coming into our garden from her's, but are not able to track them back to their nest.
Last night we had the most amazing shower, and then resting together and an early night.
Later this morning I will replant the raised bed, I did not do it yesterday as I wanted the compost to settle, I have had an early walk around the garden and everything is looking OK. The back area needs a good clean, there is compost every where.
Our plans for this afternoon - nothing, lazy in the sunshine - hope your afternoon is restful as well.

Flowers

These are stunning

 Lovely just outside our back door

 I moved my Peony last year, it's come back great

 I removed some of the tubers, and they are doing well in this pot

 Sweet peas planted last year, they did not flower, 

so I am hoping this year I get loads of flowers 

Plus my new Clematis, this is much slower growth.

 This summers project, I got this birdcage and did not use it.

So inside are two corks from Prosecco,

 our aim is to see how many we collect this summer. 

 My Tulips are still doing well. I love the colours. 

Lettuce seeds grown on used tea bags, I am now saving teabags, the only difference I would do next time is cut the bags and use only the tea, plus I think next time I would mix tea with soil. 

I took these photo's yesterday, I was feeling calm and relaxed in our garden, the sunshine has arrived, and everywhere is full of hope.
Later we noticed Purdy (cat) was sat back in the corner watching, we took a look and the rats are digging through our raised flower bed again. Oh I was so foolish to think we had stopped them, we have never had to deal with rats before. Our raised bed has no bottom, it sits in front of our greenhouse, but about a third is on compact soil raised to the level of the concrete base. So later I am going to dig all the soil out of this raised bed, hubby will add chicken wire to the bottom and then some rubble from a neighbours garden (the bed is knee high), I can then fill and replace the plants, I am hoping this early in the season, I can dig out the flowers and pop them back giving them time to recover. It is not what we had planned to do, but it's the only way to keep them out of the flower bed.
We know they will find another route, and will have to deal with it as we see them, we are placing poison in proper boxes, which our cats and our local hedgehogs can't get into.
If you have any suggestions on this issue, please leave them in comments, we could do with any help you have.

Been shopping

B&Q, reduced to £3 from £8, I have dead headed

there are loads of buds ready to bloom

 50p, it was cold and wet

This is after an hour in the greenhouse, I can see this making a full recovery.

 Another bargain

I wanted an ornamental  grass for this pot, not a big one, I got a plant with 2 small new plants growing in the same pot, which are now in here. 

 Mummy plant is still in her pot under this plant stand, at some point I will find a nice pot for it, or raise the square bed and plant it in the ground. 

 We were given a rhubarb root and did not think it was growing, hubby picked up a second plant, when I went to remove the dead root from this pot, it was growing, so for now we have two plants in one pot. There is loads of farmyard manure in here. 

 Snakeshead fritillary  next to bloom in this pot

We popped to The Range, B&Q and a local garden center on Friday morning, I was pleased with the reduced plants from B&Q, I also got some slugstop and organic mixture, which comes packaged in a box, so double win. 

Hubby found a dead rat in the back of my greenhouse, it's sad to see any animal dead, but it was the physical proof of the infestation, I purchased 4 bags of pea shingle and poured them along part of our fence on our side, it is very deep and should stop the rats entering our garden, the rest of the fence has kick panels which stop them. 

Hubby is really pleased he has put back all the bird feeders, our garden is full of wildlife. We had a fox visit the garden again last night, they show no fear watching us, it only ran away as we opened the door.  

I have popped in some lettuce plants (purchased for quickness) and some seeds, it's time to be growing our salad things again. I have two potato plants growing in my raised bed in the greenhouse, they must have been leftover from last year, I don't need the space so I will let them grow, who knows maybe we will get a free meal.
The best bit is I have worn sandals for two days, worst bit, I have very sore hands, not use to hard work.

Good, bad and Ugly

Spring is trying hard to arrive

 First of our bluebells, and loads of buds on the peony after I moved it last year.

I am really upset for our Magnolia tree, the second set of buds were burnt by the last lot of snow, this time last year this tree had loads of blooms. 

 Not so good

Above is one of many holes dug from the house next door (mad cat woman), we have seen rats running in our back section around the greenhouse. We stopped feeding wild bird seed in the bird feeders last year, so there is very little food on the ground, but there is a group of them coming into our garden. Our neighbour is totally unapproachable, so I called in Environmental Health, who agreed us trying to stop the rats on our own would be a losing battle, so letters will be sent to all homes in the area, asking for access to set rat traps. 
I was hoping to spend some time in the garden, but Monday was busy in other ways, I do plan one afternoon in the greenhouse, rain is due, but the temperature is not due to fall too much, so I can sort seedlings and sow more seeds. 
On my walk around I can see loads of new life, loads of buds on my plants, I love the promise which spring brings.