Growing stash, growing stuff

Tea towels and half meter of lovely fabric from Dunelm.

 Two dishes and a glass pot, all below £2 each, all for plants

 Just £5 from a local fruit and veg shop

 From our local market.

 I want to try growing figs from seeds, 

and a couple of seeds from our Magnolia tree. 

I have had a good day, my daughter collected me at 10am, we went to a local village to visit the charity shop with the great craft items, nothing much caught my eye, I did get my Orchid with 4 different stems in the village.
We went to her house dropped the car off and walked to her local Dunelm, I managed to get a new super king size flat cotton sheet, which was expensive, but I am very limited to what we can use on our bed, the quality means it should last for years. I got the two glazed pots in their sale, plus the tea towels and the fabric,  I need to make our 2nd DIL a shopping bag, and both daughter and I though she would love the bird fabric.
Early this morning I walked past the market as they were setting up, I saw the Hosta's, but did not have any money on me, so late this afternoon hubby and I popped down for our fruit and veg, and he purchased this Hosta, we only have one in the garden and the slugs have chewed it right back, so we can replace it with this one, and the chewed one I will put in a pot and bring it back, ensuring the slugs are kept away from both.
I have not done anything in the garden and very little craft, I did some knitting on my socks. I do need to sort my head with everything going on, I am this week sleeping better. I have done loads of walking, it's one way to be outside.
The fruit and veg man gave me the figs, they are over ripe, I want to try and grow from seed, the two green seeds are from our Magnolia tree, I going to try and germinate them, plus I have another avocado stone balanced over water to see if it will crack and grow.
Hubby is home for the rest of the week and the weekend, we cancelled our planned BBQ on Saturday, but we have new plans for the evening. Saturday it is our local Gala, held in the castle grounds, normally we miss this event as we are often away, but we are looking forward to the parade and all the family fun.

Sunny Sunday

Today has been sunny all day

so I played in the garden

 I moved things around here to look less cluttered

I love the pots of fruit bushes along the fence. 

 It's a really sunny spot

 I have sorted both little greenhouses

Got rid of loads of pots and other stuff

 Just two of the three tulips I am growing

They are stunning

 My Cucamelon, which I thought was gone,

I have replanted them to see if they want to grow

 Last but not least a tidy shed

hubby laughs at me cleaning in my shed

it's small so it needs to be sorted. 

I have not done any planting outside as yet, it needs to get warmer first. I have put my chilli peppers in large pots and they are now in the green house with the cucumbers, all have cloches over for extra warmth.
I have separated my lemon and lime plants, The lemon is thriving at the cost of the lime, both are growing well.
Hubby did a run to the tip, I threw away loads, I hoard in the garden, every thing just might come in handy and I never use them.
The green little table in the top photo, hubby is doing up and youngest daughter will have it, I want to find a crate to display my cactus and small alpines.
Gardening is my therapy, out in the sun shine, replacing compost  in pots so flowers will grow again this year, clipping back shrubs to ensure they stay the correct size for our small plot. Six hours is a long time, I will ache like mad tomorrow, but later tonight I will sit and look out over the garden and a smile will appear on my face, satisfaction in a day well spent. I have a list of things to do, the side flower garden needs sorting, a few plants have gone mad. I have veg and herbs to plant. Most of all I have a garden to enjoy.
Hubby wants to grow the tomatoes again this year, but after last year where he did so very little and we had a poor crop. I am trying to get him out in the front garden, taking a step back and allowing him to grow what he wants there.

Sharp shot

My new camera lens has arrived, so loads of flowers

Outside

Inside 

 Purdy always watching

 I am very pleased with the lens, it's a Tamron 18-200, better for wide angle photo's, I can't wait to pop to Portchester Castle and capture the Spinnaker Tower across the water, I'm sure I can get a better photo.
We are away tomorrow and will take our camera and lens with us. I love the fact we both enjoy the same hobby.
I have done more stitching, but it will be packed away until after the weekend, I am only taking a book to read, we do have busy evenings, tomorrow we are meeting up with Kev's brother and wife for a meal. No plans for Thursday evening as yet.

I really should be packing, I have a mental note of every thing I need to take, I am charging batteries to ensure I have power for every thing. Our plan is to get up early tomorrow and be away by late morning.
I am pleased with the garden all the new plants are looking good. The Alpine pot is really pleasing, I have it on the back table at the bottom of the garden, I will ask Kev to move it tomorrow, it's a bit too heavy for me. On a sad note, my Avocado has done it's best and now it's looking rather sad for its self, I don't think I can get it warm enough, so sadly this will be my last post. Every thing else grown from pip and seeds are doing well, the lemon, lime and orange are all looking great, I have started feeding them with lawn food, tip from the internet. My Kiwi seedlings are slow but very healthy.

Freebies

It started last summer with a lemon and a Lime pip

Now they are healthy plants

 Avocado stone followed

 Orange pip

 Oca from Dawn

 Kiwi seeds

I am always swapping flowers with neighbours, it's fun to help each other out and a great way to remove all the self seeding plants growing around the plot.
Most I what grow I start from seeds, veg and flowers, so not free but very cost effective.
I also love buying tiny shrubs and growing them on to larger plants, which helps fill my collection of pots around the back garden.
My lunch with a friend had to be put off, she has car trouble. Hubby and I was going to have lunch out and stopped at our local which has been done out, it's a Hungry Horse, we checked the menu, all fried food, so we stooped off at our local Co-op got a few things and had a much better lunch at home.
Hospital went well, I don't have to go again, just take the tablets until end of year, then I am free of treatments, so another good result, all I now need is to lose some of this weight, I have had a couple of good weeks, so I am 4lbs lighter.
If the sun starts to shine I will be in the garden this afternoon, I have my bigger net for the small fruit cage. Plus loads of pottering, which I love, I would also like to finish spraying my table and chairs.
It's nice having a Friday off.

Stitching progress

I'm nearing the end on this

Just a couple sections to finish

These stitches have been done over the past few evenings

 So simple and yet so effective

my stitching taste are changing

 Now I must start thinking about my next project,

section 3 for Carrie Rose is not due to May

1st photo is my orange pip, with the smallest of shoots, to say I'm pleased is an understatement, lemon and lime plants are still in the warm green house, I won't put them outside until next month, they are still a bit small, so I want to give them all the help I can. 

 The leaves on my avocado as such a beautiful colour, they often droop, but so far the do come back, again this lives in my warm greenhouse. 

 Staying on the Mediterranean theme, 

my olive is outside on my decking, and is looking good, I added blue slate to the top of the pot, looks much neater and keeps moisture in.  

Our passes came today for the garden party, with dress code and a huge list of things not to do, including taking photo's. How am I going to manage not being able to take photo's?
On a plus side I am going shopping this weekend for a new dress, I have a nice jacket and hat, but it will be nice to wear something new, and to make it better I have a couple of weddings this summer, so it will be worn more than once.
I have finished Girl on the Train and have passed it to Fliss to read, I also have a few other's who will read it before it gets passed to a charity shop, a very enjoyable style of reading.
We are enjoying the beautiful weather, plus I arrive home each evening by 4.30, which gives me time to relax and time to get out into the garden, each evening all the solar lights work so we have an enchanting view, life is very pleasant at the moment.

Happy times

I had loads of stitching time early evening

resting after a busy afternoon in the garden

I purchased these from the Farmers market

I always go to the same producer

Yellow gooseberry

3 types of Chillie and tomatoes

4 thymes.

Climbing French beans, which I have already planted half, 

the rest are in a pot, just in case the first lot fail.

None of my seeds have done well in my little greenhouses

 Hubby has been busy, painted the first gate. 

I was worried regarding the green paint, but now I like it

 My Lemon and Lime plants are loving their bigger pot and life in the greenhouse. If you look in the second photo, you can just see green shoots for roots on the orange pips, small beginnings, but a whole lot of fun to grow. 

 My Avocado plant is not at it's best, the leaf colour is beautiful, 

I have just watered it here and the leaves have closed. 

I don't know if this will thrive , but it is the warmest place I can put it.  

I really enjoyed the afternoon in the garden, I have done most of the jobs I wanted to do. I have planted a few more small shrubs around the back garden.
I also have loads of Aquilegia plants and summer bulbs coming along well, these will soon be ready for planting out and filling gaps in the garden. I also planted my Cornus, it can be seen from the house giving a bit more winter colour in the garden. My Snakes head Fritllary has been potted into a larger pot and is loving it, loads of new growth.
 Half the herb garden is done, I will finish it tomorrow, I want to plant the thyme around the bed, I would like it to form a carpet around all the bigger herbs. I have planted loads of herb seeds so later I will have a few more to plant, basil and types of parsley, coriander and tarragon.
We did not shop in town, I was pleased we passed all clothing shops, did have a quick look in Wilkinson's, I managed to purchase a hand held tool, much like a rake, I will be able to weed my raised bed. I spent just 15p in the posh shop on bias binding.
Our coffee filter machine is playing up, for this house that is a major problem, both hubby and I enjoy nice fresh made coffee at home, will have to check on line for another machine. We have not called into a coffee shop when out and about, we now purchase our favourite coffee and drink only at home, the coffee is more expensive, but the savings we make on passing the coffee houses are greater.
This morning is dull again, but the promise of a sunny afternoon, I have a bit of house work to do this morning and then out into the garden.

Mothering Sunday

Hubby always get me a gift on Mothering Sunday

I have been after a couple of old chimney pots, but they are normally expensive, we saw some in the week at £60 each. Hubby saw these yesterday at £20 each, but took me back to make sure they were what I wanted, asked for a price for two, £30. So now I own them.

The first one will stay in place under the tree, I hope to plant forget me nots inside and have beautiful blue flowers. The second pot is placed at the back of the herb garden, this is not it's final place, I want to put it in the side garden, but I have to wait until the plants have grown, to sort a free space.

The avocado is now in the green house along with my lemon and lime plants, they have all settled in and now do not look as wilted. I am not sure I can keep the avocado, but it has gotten too big for the house.

My olive tree in it's new pot, I think they look great together. 

I have two smaller stone pots which I purchased in the 70's, 

they will be put with this display.

Stitching

I have done all the unpicking and re stitched
hubby watched a film last night, not to my liking,
so I was able to get loads of stitching done. 

Green is almost finished, I am liking the blue,

Just two more colours to add.

Hubby is cooking lunch today, soon our girls will be here, and a family afternoon can begin. It's dull today, so not sure what our afternoon plans will be.
I really enjoyed my time in the garden, so much is coming together, just wanting to be able to sow in the veg plot, and see everything growing.
I hope you all have a happy Mothering Sunday, with loved ones and loads of laughter.

Thank you Pam

Beautiful stitching, Pam is a wizz with her sewing machine

she is set herself a challenge to raise money, 

she started with £5 and aims to make as much as she can

these are her 1st items made, so I requested to buy them, read her post here 

 It's a lined knitting bag, 

but great for my cross stitch, no more carrier bags, 

everything fits in, including the sewing frame. 

No progress on Skaters, not one stitch. 

 The cacumelon seeds have come up, I planted 5 and now have 3 seedlings, I'm please with that, I will only require one plant. Lemon and Lime plants are doing well, soon they will require another bigger pot and placing them outside, greenhouse first, then summer in the garden. My Avocado, is very tall,  has 18 leaves on it, it needs another pot. I have read on the net, it can take up to ten years to produce fruit, which would give me winter storage problems, so I will plant it out for the summer, if it survives next winter I will be very lucky. I have been very pleased I managed to grow the stone on 1st attempt.

Been shopping, Jo from the good life, has given a tip on how to ensure you have colour all through the winter, I think it's a great way to ensure I can build colour. Here's my 1st purchase. I will get a plant from the garden centre in March, it's a great way for me, who does not have a huge knowledge of plants to enhance the garden. Lovely tip, Jo thank you.

 My greenhouse staging collapsed over the winter, hubby was going to make me wooden staging, but this is much cheaper, bigger than the last one, but more space to grow things, if it works as well as I hope, I will get another for the second greenhouse.

We went to a few shops this morning, Wilkinson's for cleaning products and a nose around their gardening section, which at this time of year is full, I only purchased the two items. On to the The Range, dangerous ground for me, loads of craft, sewing and gardening. I only purchase a round pot stand on wheels, for my new pot, I really don't want to risk damaging it. I resisted on the craft dies, we got our cat food at the best price and stocked up.
I have not stitched at all, we watched all three programmes of Cilla, recorded last year, Sheridan Smith plays a fantastic lead role, well worth getting it on catch up, if you have not seen it, it was on ITV. I am still very tired, but the third section of Maryse SAL, has arrived, so I will do that next. 10th March my 2nd part of SAL Carie Rose is published, so I want to be free to stitch that. I also have more patchwork to do, next week is shaping up to be a busy week.