On the move

 This is an important time of the year, jobs which are completed now will make a huge difference next summer, I'm not talking about closing the garden for winter, that is still weeks away. Just general plant care, noting bare patches, overgrown plants which needs cutting back into their space, generally ensuring things are where they should be. It's also a great time to buy another plant and find a space for it, this is my 3rd Gaura, I have fallen in love with them this year 

 

I follow Dave_the_plantman on Instagram, he is very good with tips and plant identification. He suggested to remove the seed heads from agapanthus, something I have never done before, so I have cleared the seed heads from two areas and left the third. It does make sense as I always stop seed heads forming on my spring bulbs. 

I have moved my pomegranate in the big square tub, its now behind my seating area, it has space to grow taller, and provide a green backdrop. The mint has been moved into the lower old water tub, it sits better here now, I have cut it all down, it will grow back, I have also popped my parsley in the pot, it should sit above the mint, I have protected the base of the pot so mint roots can't get inside. Most of the herb pots are beside the back door. 

This corner now has the red rose in this pot, which had the mint in, I have given the pot a good scrub, I have popped a couple low plants in and some spring bulbs. At the moment it is not looking it's best, but next summer should be as I want, the rose behind I will cut back, so it blooms lower again. The new gaura is planted in the back by the wall, with another recent new plant, Snow Blizzard, both white flowers.

We have a water feature, we had both seen it in The Range, but was not sure, later on our local facebook marketplace, this one was for sale at less than half price, the seller had ordered it online and thought it was too small. Initially we were going to find a feature for the other side of the garage door, but we settled on this one, it does look good from our seating area. The water trickles around the sphere and does not spill, there are lights where the water pumps out.

I have not managed to remove any more pots, I know I still have too many, this 4th heat wave is telling on how long it takes me to water the pots. I have no huge plans forming for next year, just a few tweaks, most of which we will sort in the coming months.

My flower beds are full of colour mainly zinnias and asters, the roses are having a second bloom, the fleabane daisies look good, I've cut them back a couple of times to keep them low. The forsythia is looking good after the move, I'm really pleased with my late summer garden, I'm not a fan of dahlias, so I'm always looking for different later flowering plants.

It's been another few lazy days, mainly with cloudy starts, which has helped to keep the temperatures lower and life bearable, later when the sunshine shines through it's nice to sit in the shade, our garden has become our perfect spot. Yesterday we had no sunshine, hopefully the heatwave is behind us.

Water

 I cleaned my pond, it was full of green slimy weed, I also redid the pebbles, I had seen a pond on Instagram and loved what they had designed. I collected my big pebbles from around my garden for the front of the pond and added tiny smooth pea shingle, I did purchase just two tiny plants and the yellow poppy.

It now looks more natural, I can't wait for the flowers to grow, I had been given too many silly bits which I thought I should use, I now only have the fake waterlily and a couple of resin fish, much nicer, I won't put real fish in here as they eat all smaller bugs and flies.

I am loving these pebbles rising out of the water and over the edge of the pond, I have tried to mix the stones to make it interesting, the only thing I'm not liking is being able to see the front edge of the container, hopefully the plants will spread and grow and soften the look. 

I have had this rain chain for years, I ensure it is full of water everyday, we love to see the small birds swoop down for a drink, often seeing birds at different levels at the same time, it hangs in the magnolia tree.

This pot was purchased second hand with the intention of filling it with daisies, that did not work, so again we created another water spot for birds, the bigger birds often drink here, it's in the shade under the acer.

All of these features are along the same fence, it's the sunny side of the garden, along with a huge bird feeder full of sunflower hearts, behind our fence is our neighbours overgrown jungle, which is a perfect place for the birds to perch, swoop and retreat. Hubbies water barrel is nearest the house, we do like to see and hear the water splashing, the birds do not use this one very often. 

We do love to encourage birds into the garden, I have been watching them eat the bugs on my climbing rose, we have seen more bugs, bees as well, not many butterflies. We do feed the birds and ensure there is water all the year round, now is an important time as many have young in their nest, we just ensure if they come to our feeders there is always food, our neighbour puts out seeds but often her table is empty.

I don't cut plants back at the end of the season, for years I did, I was given a tip to purchase plants all year round and not just in the spring and summer months, this advice allows interest through out 12 months, I have earlier flowering plants to prolong the nectar season and have an open all year space. All these measures will help wildlife of all sizes thrive in our garden.

We have the time to sit and watch the wild visitors who visit our garden, Lilly will chase flies but nothing bigger, we do have mice in the back corner, I often see them as I am working, these we do not mind at all, we have not seen any recent rat activity, which is pleasing, the foxes who live in a nearby garden and visit next door, have left no trace of coming into our garden. 

We had rain last night, I am overjoyed, it's dull and cloudy with the risk of more rain today, I have everything crossed. 

My garden

 The only item purchased on our break was this deep plastic water barrel, our water feature was getting so dirty, and needed cleaning almost weekly, having deep water and setting the fountain higher, we hope this will stay clean, it does look and sound good. 

A couple of years ago I dug out the planter by my back door and put everything in this huge tub, it has never been great, this spot only gets the sun in the evening. One of my hosta pots was rotting away, so the perfect solution was to dig the old stuff out and replant around the garden, I just need some gravel to deter the snails.

I always use my builders tray, it saves so much mess, again I sieved my soil, I took another break before cleaning up and Lilly went to check on my work.

Friday we decided to have a rest day, met daughter and Molly in town, we walked to the pottery place to get our Easter painted items, we were all pleased with the results, both Molly and George items were much better than expected. Here are hubbies planter and my chicken, I will sort him a plant to bring it to life. 

The garden is looking good, I have watered it twice since we have been home, almost everything survived in the greenhouse, I use growbag trays on all my shelves, I flooded each one before we left, and left the door open.

The extra plants and bulbs have mostly found spots around the garden, except my pale pink peony, and 2 aquilegia's they are in big pots for now, all will need growing on before planting. I also planted another 2 potato bags, and sown more peas. I have not yet started my runner beans, they are going to be late this year.

It's been a busy few days daughter fainted on Friday afternoon at Wills school, we drove down to get them all home, hubby took daughter to doctors after a quick check up, we think it might just be the heat. I spent most of Saturday  and Sunday morning with them, just helping out and ensuring daughter got some rest. We had a family BBQ on Sunday afternoon. Today is a quiet day, hubby is out this afternoon, so I will spend a couple hours outside, it's not so hot, so I have seedlings in the greenhouse to pot up.

The MD of the failing Southern Water, Tim Mcmahon has now stated the issues are with the people, we use too much water, if we cut back our usage, water security would be better, we are a dry part of the UK. How about if you used all the funds we pay to stop the leaks and improve the water supply, that might be a good solution.

Repurposing

 Over they years I have got many things for the garden, to use in a different way, this brass coal bucket is a prime example, purchased second hand from a local selling page, it's new life as a pot for my Hosta's. Keeps the slugs and snails away for months, so the plant looks good and flowers, it's tough for outside use and years old. My other plant is in a metal bucket, which works well at keeping the slugs and snails off my hosta's. 

Other things change wildly, this huge fruit and veg metal stand, was purchased to grow flowers in, it worked early in the season, but soon looked scruffy, so I rethought it's use, now it keeps my larger stones to hand whilst looking good. Neither was the designers purpose for use. 

We had been looking for a water feature for ages, I would love a reflection pool but there is not enough space in our garden, this is a fire pit, which is perfect for our needs, adding a solar fountain and some stones makes it pretty and much cheaper than most other water features. The true joy is the little birds use this as a bath, we see them splashing in it every day. 

Even the smallest things can be reused, when my mum moved out of her house, she gave me her gardening tools, this handle was on her spade, which broke and has a new handle, I'm still using loads of her tools. Sadly I've never seen a robin sat on it, I do live in hope.

This unit was purchased second hand back in 1996, it's from a military officers room, we found a shop selling lots of things ripped out on refurbishments. It spent the first 9 years in our conservatory in our last house, it fitted in there perfectly, I took it over when moving here, firstly in my shed, now in the garage, it works perfectly for my garden bits, and not too deep. This photo was from when I first moved it into the garage it's now much fuller and messy.

I love to use old chimney pots, they add height and interest, I've got a few square plastic washing up bowls with handles, which are really useful, I've tried many things, I did try and few arches in different places, I even go this arch second hand, but it did not work so I sold it on to another happy gardener. My greenhouse has an clothes airer hung in the door space every summer to keep unwanted animals out whilst allowing air in, that was hubby's brain wave.  

I am a follower of Dave Northsider, he is a expert in reusing all sorts of thing on his plot, and I'm sure he will approve of my clever reuses, I use china kitchen pots and jugs for houseplants, infact anything can have a second life and in my house often does. 

Better outlook

Our garden, this is our view from the outside table, we sit and chat, watch the small birds as they feed from the hanging containers in the tree. We have noticed they hop around the veg beds, hopefully feeding on any bugs, it's good to have so much wildlife in our space. The bigger birds always swoop next door, where she has an open tray bird feeder. 

The garden is a working area as well, laundry on the lines, gone by lunchtime on warm days, hubby packs the lines away after use, this back end of the garden is earning it's keep with harvest of veg to come. At the moment this is my favourite end, so much growing, the broad beans are swelling in their pods, soon be time for a harvest. 

This area along the fence we have not used for years, it's a sun trap, but sadly the flies and smells from next door keep us away. The water feature is new, it's a firepit with a solar fountain, I wanted a low feature, everything else is years old, we both love this space now. Once all the plants in the big tub start to grow the area will be full of colour. 

Being aware on how much I am spending in the garden, we popped to B&Q to get some cheaper plants, £32 spent, one plant almost half price, I cut part of a rooted section from a scabiosa, making a small free plant. Every plant was pot bound, the roots in each case tightly wound around the bottom of the pots, I released the roots and planted, I prefer plants being pot bound rather than weak roots. These have all gone into my side bed. 

I have cut back all the yellowing leaves from the spring bulbs, the bulk being in the long side bed, my composter is now full, but it does break down quickly, I could now see the gaps in the ground, most of my focus will be on the side bed this time, I have bedding plants to go in for a couple of weeks, then the bed should be done. Last year there were Salvis hotlips, but they grew far to big, engulfing everything, whilst they are beautiful, it's not what I wanted in this bed. 

I have twice this week slept over at daughters, she had booked a break in Budapest, which both daughter and SIL needed, the children were very good for me, we had loads of fun, I did not want them to cancel the trip and lose money. As the children get older they are easier to look after, not so much lifting, and they can play well together, I did drive back here for one day, on sunny days they prefer to be outside. 

I am on hose pipe duty most nights, ensuring the broad beans are well watered, along with other new veg plants, all the new flowering plants had a good soak. I was really please using my Hori hori knife, I'm always wary with knives, they do scare me, both my garden knives are tucked away in a drawer with my secateurs, the drawer is a bugger to open, it sticks all the time, which makes me feel they are safe inside. 

New this season

We are both extremely happy with our water feature, both in the look and the cost, we did not want to run electric to a pump, preferring not to see wires. This was sold as a firepit, I thought it would look good with water in, the stones I already had, pre-used on pots as a decorative top layer. The pump has black net around it and is tied underneath, with a stone placed to anchor it to the middle spot.

I saw this idea from a gardener I follow on Instagram, his pot was bigger than this, I wanted to use a pot we already had, already the middle plant is giving off babies, hubby loves these succulents, this pot is on our metal table, which allows good drainage, and will stay outside all summer.  

I got theses plant frames online, they were not as sturdy as I expected, hubby has tied them together, there are three here, this should give extra support for this climbing rose. In front is my pomegranate plant grown from a pip, I cut it back last year as it was getting woody, now it looks fantastic.  

Why are cloches so expensive, I have been looking for metal ones, but won't pay the ridiculous prices, I have nets but it's can be a bit of a faf to get them into place. In B&M this week I saw these, food protectors, 2 for £4,  not as tall as I would like but they work, I have a smaller one protecting my french bean plant. 

I have a few huge pots which needs digging out, I struggle to loose the sides from the pot, my garden knife is neither long or strong enough for the task. I have been hankering after one of these Hori hori knives for a couple of years, hubby went online and sneakily got the one I wanted, I am one happy wife and gardener. 

Everywhere feels so good when the sun is shining, I'm outside most days, I have potted on all my seedlings, mainly flowers and a few herbs, other plants are in the ground, I have re-sown my peas, the pigeons nibbled them back to the ground, I have used a different pot, and placed in an area we can see. In the other pot I will plant a courgette, not my favourite veg, hopefully home grown will make me love them again. I moved both hosta's down to our seating area, I have a spot which is in shade most of the day, once the flowers are over I will move them to the back of the garden and put a begonia there. 

We popped to our local town, just a few decent shops left, TK Max, Next, B&M and Waterstones, we don't normally go on a wander around and get bits and pieces, but it was fun for a change, we had lunch out, very brave after our last 10 days. I dropped off a birthday gift to a friend, we had a lovely drive along the water front, Stokes bay and Lee on the Solent, beautiful blue skies, it was nice just to slowly drive through, we do live in a wonderful part of the country. 

Thank you for all your recent comments, May is a challenging month, 1st Monday of month, we said goodbye to Grace, 2nd Monday sat talking to doctor, hubby's kidney failure, very scary, 3rd Monday, sat in garden in sunshine, wondering what the hell we have been through. I've always bounced back, I hear my mum's voice in my head, 'get on with it', but for once I needed time to reflect and process everything. 

June round up

I have spent alot on my garden again this month, I got a 3rd water butt, we both felt this was necessary as our dry periods are longer and the rain not so heavy. I also got 3 Acers, all together in a pot, I have been promising myself I would get a acid green Acer for ages, the final big thing was the lights for the greenhouse. I also purchased yarn, I have a pattern ready to start knitting and I paid for another Christmas advent pack. 

As it's the end of June I have my half year figures, I have spent more than I hoped, but I have a few structure items, greenhouse shelving and water butt was not on my list to do this year, it's still much less than last year. 

I am waiting for an answer for my refund request, from the purchase of 'Clark's shoes', I don't hold out too much hope, I do think I have been had. 

We filled the car middle of the month, 1st time since March, nice double saving made by not using the car and the petrol prices being so low. 

We only did one big shop in June, we are trying to keep our larder and freezer full, who knows when this virus will allow anything like normal life and at the end of this year we have Brexit, we do most of our fresh shopping local, the village and local Co-op needs all the support we can give them. We do have another big shop from Waitrose in early July, just to have a few different items and I have been popping to our local Lidl's. We are having to ensure we check all our food in the fridge, normally we would pop to shops a few times each week, going once a week means we have to watch dates on fresh food. 

Our waste is very good, we paid a man to clear some of the bigger garden waste, I did not want to have to wait for hours to get into our local tip, we are not wasting any food and are ensuring we watch our water usage, we don't have a meter, but with so much hot weather, at some point water will get low, our water butts are full again for the garden. We do have loads of plastic carrier bags again, but we will ensure they are used as much as they can, before putting them in the bin. 

Things to come

We now have a 3rd water butt, these 2 slimline ones are just outside our gates, collecting water from our house roof, I have another bigger butt by the garage. Hubby has put all the over flows in, one from the higher butt to the lower, and another in the top of the lower butt to the drain, already one butt is full and there is water in the 2nd.  

I am watching just how quickly the cucumber plant grows, it stays inside the greenhouse, there are 2 plants in this grow bag. The 2 tomato plants are outside in separate pots in front of the greenhouse, so the glass reflect the heat and light. I have a 3rd plant growing but I have deliberately ensured it's behind to lengthen the harvest period.  

Fruit bushes are full of fruits, I'm going to have great harvest this summer, Blackcurrants stems are full. I have 3 blueberry bushes, 2 in the big tub, one is an early cropper, so the season again will we longer for us. The bottom photo is my pink blueberry bush, my sister gifted me this bush, it's in it's 3rd year and I hope to have some fruit this summer. We covered these with my pop up fruit cage to stop the birds eating our crop. We are already eating raspberries, I sorted the summer canes last year and for the 1st time we have early raspberries, and soon we will have a few strawberries. 

The Olive tree is full, it looks beautiful, but if not enough of these drop, I will remove some, the tree is ornamental and whilst I would like some Olives, I don't want to weaken it in any way. The smaller bush which I brought back from the brink of death is not showing any signs of flowers or fruit, if it has flowers I will knock them all off before they set to fruit.  

We are both pleased with the gardens front (hubby's) and back (mine), after 11 summers here they are sorted and not too much hard work, I don't suffer with many weeds in the back, and hubby pulls any small weeds out before they can root down. 

I am overjoyed with the greenhouse, I am always in it, I will want to purchase some more nasties, I have room for more in my display, but I have no desire to go to any garden centres, I might look on line. I have already ordered a pot with 3 Acers in, I have wanted an acid green Acer for ages and had decided I would get one this year, before the lock down stopped normal life, the company had loads of recent (in June) reviews and they were on the whole positive, I will have to wait and see what arrive, plus it's attached to Amazon, so I have their backup if I need it.

Husband has finished sanding and staining the outside bench and again it looks fantastic, he had to replace some of the screws but now it's strong and looks like new, just my chair and the table to do. It has made the outside dining set look new again, and I love the shade of oak, you can see the grain, which I love.   

The only space not producing again is my raised bed outside of the greenhouse, it should be for cut flowers but again it's almost empty, I have popped all the spring bulbs from my pots in for next year. I have a couple of Dahlias, but I would like flowers sooner, I might check our local market on Wednesday, but they need to be plants I can cut and bring into the house. 

The recent rain has helped the garden, it's looking great, with having fake grass it is always green, and always makes the garden as a whole look good. We have never regretted removing our natural grass, I was unsure at the beginning, but it works well for us. 

I often say the garden is finished, but I'm always making plans, what are you planning in your garden this summer. 

November round up

I purchased just 3 reduced plants this month, plus a couple sets of larger knitting needles,  nothing on yarn, glass or any crafts, I have been using items from my stash. The garden is now sleeping, so nothing required for a few months.

No clothes or footwear again this month, I did get my boots reheeled, they have so much life still in them.

I spent £27.97 on Christmas decorations, all purchases will add to my decorations, giving them an fresh look, plus having a new grandson, we like to see them on the tree.

Nothing purchased on Black Friday, I was going to get last year's blog printed into another book, but I am having troubles with uploading my work. Maybe it's a sign for me to stop making these books.

Expensive time at opticians, new glasses required, it was not a shock, I was expecting it, but as one song said 'I can see clearly now'

Nothing purchased for the house, nothing required, hubby has done a few small task. I did take a few things to the charity shop, a couple of nice dresses and shoes, which I have not worn for a couple of years, I don't required so many dressy clothes, I kept a couple I love, I'm loving the extra space in my wardrobes.

We opened our savings jar and counted £194.00 which we have banked, we have used some on our trip this week to Cardiff, but that's why we save our coins.

Nothing to report on waste, we still stop as much one use plastic as we can coming into our home, and reuse or recycle as much as we can. It has become second nature to us to look for better packaging, we also bake more at home, which is better for us and no packaging. Even in winter we are still watching our water consumption, it is another good habit.

We have had quotes for renewing our boiler, there are great discounts in the winter months, and it's only 1 days work, a whole day for us, we will have to replace the pipe from the meter to the boiler, our's is smaller than todays standards. We have booked for the work to be done in january, just waiting for dates.

June roundup

Another month where I have spend more than I planned, whilst above shows my spending for June and my half year spend, and below is my intended spend for the year, broke down into different crafts. 

I have blown most of the budget in just 6 months, my target was £1,000. My spend on yarn has used most of the craft budget, gardening is another section I will over spend on. 

I am able to ignore all clothes and shoe shops, I've spent nothing again this month, but yarn and garden centers still call me. I have enough yarn and fabrics to last me months, cardmaking stock is good. So gardening is my weak spot at this time of year, I'm not going to set myself a new budget, I'm lucky this is only a guide, something I do for myself. I have been looking at my stash and trying to decide if I will use everything I own. 

I saw this on the internet and thought it was good enough to share. I have been following this rule for over a year, we have saved loads of money, and if it's not in your home, you don't have to recycle it. Until your eyes are opened, it is so hard to imagine the amount of waste we have, cheap clothes being the worse.

We are doing good with waste, almost no food, any raw veg peelings are going in my wormery, our recycling bin is only ever half full, which is truly pleasing and the main bin is never full, we are starting to look at other ways to make changes.
I take almost nothing to charity shops, we have so very little to pass on, most inside our home will be used and worn, I still have more clothes than I need. I have decided any clothes and shoes will now be given direct to donating bins, not plastic bags collected at the door. Charity shops are good for passing things on, but the really poor still can't afford to buy, so clothes and shoes will be donated direct, it's just another small step.

Did you know July is plastic free month, we will be taking part, I know we will fail, as good as we are, plastic is so entrenched into our lives, so many times we pick up a box to find plastic inside, we order eco products which come in a plastic bag. It will be interesting to see how much we have learnt.

I did see on BBC news for the 1st 4 months of 2019 the UK produced more renewable energy than from other sorces, what great news, after all we are an island, we have a windy climate, just hope we can find a cheaper way to harness the power of the sea.

May roundup

Over my target spend again, most on the garden, but we have almost finished the garden, just waiting for a few bags of blue slate to pop under our tree. I did not record all our spend on the garden, a lot of the cost came from the refurb fund, which we had not overspend on. The Olive tree would have doubled my garden spend, but hubby agreed to add it to our refurb budget.

I have not purchased any clothes or shoes and nothing for the house, it is really rewarding to see the value of every thing we own, we have everything we need to have a comfortable life style, and no desire to add any more clutter to our lives.

We got a few second hand items from our local Facebook selling pages, the trike for Will was a brilliant bargain, and all my clay pots have found homes in the greenhouse, I have already used some of them. I also got some more free books and I have passed loads on.

We had another online shopping delivery, they offered 30% off and free delivery, which we are happy to use, and it saved us going to a supermarket over the bank holiday weekend.

Our biggest rise in spending again is at our local Co-op, it is so easy to walk down for one thing and come home with loads, we always check out their yellow stickers, and plan meals around what's on offer. We do need to eat from our freezers, we have 2 small ones, and they are full.

We have stopped using the pouches for cat food, they can't be recycled, so we are back purchasing tins, they are much cheaper, one can last both cats 2 days, Grace does not eat much wet food, but she does love the jelly from the tins. Tins are recycled.

Both water butts are full, and I am using them, saving water as much as we can. We are looking at ways to save water from the house, but in a small garden storage becomes an issue, it would be lovely to reuse our shower water.

It's been a good month, I think I am going to have to look at my budgets, I'm spending far more on yarn, I do love to knit and crochet, and enjoy the fact I have time to craft.

On my hook

My newest blanket is growing quickly, I have no design, just using the leftover yarn from my bedcover ripple blanket. I am making a oblong using the granny stitches, simple and quick, it's a perfect use for the huge bag of yarn. I am not making full rounds, I have loads of colours in various sized balls of yarn, I just pick a colour and use it all up, then on to my next colour.
I normally love to work neat, tidy with defined lines, but this is fun, I have no idea how far the yarn will go, and how it will look in the end, the only rule I have is to use the smaller balls first, working toward the bigger balls as the blanket gets bigger.
My hope is a lap blanket, if it gets bigger than that it will be a bonus, I still have a long way to go, but it's great to be making something so free and fun.
Wednesday we popped to town to our bank, we did wander around the shops, but only purchased items on out list, we are getting very good at looking at things and then leaving them in the shop.
Today we have a delivery of decking coming, we got the best price from Travis Perkins, the boards are treated and extra length's, we have to wait in today for their delivery.
We have been given a bigger water butt for the garden, so this morning, I am going to empty the smaller butt, using the water in pots around the garden, any left over will be given to our Magnolia tree. We will put the bigger butt by the garage, handy for me to use. The smaller butt is going just outside our gates, it will be handy to have more stored water here.  I do have to move my violets and a lily from the corner of my side garden, I will leave the lily in a pot until I can find a new home
No planting this Easter, still far to early, but I will tidy up a bit. I must have the tidiest small garden in the land.