Monday 5 May 2014

Normal service will now be resumed



Profuse apologies for not having posted in so long, but life has been flat-out, foot-to-the-floor HECTIC here. We have been working very hard on the house and garden, to get them looking as good as possible for the new estate agent's photos.  The garden is still a work in progress, and there are still bits I need to sort in the house, but it's presentable now.

I have, I know, overdone things rather and I am down to an energy-less crawl these past few days.  We had a day off on Saturday to go up to the Antiques Fair at Builth Wells.  No photos as I forgot the camera, but it's the usual sort of scenes you get from me at antiques fairs!  We had a lovely - if tiring - day, and then threw all caution to the wind and did a long day at the car boot sale yesterday - up at 5 a.m. and not home until nearly 3 p.m.  It was worth it, but getting up this morning to repeat the experience wasn't, and we returned home without setting up (it was SO windy and bitterly cold) and I fell into my bed and slept for a couple of hours.

This afternoon I managed half an hour in the garden, setting a few seeds and planting the plants I got from the boot sale and from Morrisons at the end of last week.  Here are some photos of the garden and various plants etc (sorry for the lack of words):


I seem to be spending quite a bit on plants at Morrisons recently, but gosh the savings - £1 and £2 per plant (perennials and climbers and shrubs).


A Clematis Montana rubens I planted last year.


Some of the cowslips about the place.


This is the dark-leaved Jacob's Ladder  I bought at Malvern recently.  The flowers are more purpley than this photo shows.  I got some seeds for it from eBay this week, so will grow lots more - it's lovely.


Another (established) Clematis.  I've bought some more recently and put them in up on the bank which I cleared recently (behind the rockery).


The cheat's garden!  I took out the biggest weeds, ripped out all the spent Celendines and covered the lot with Muck Heap no. 2!!!


There were so many celendines around the apple tree - now put to bed until next spring.


The slightly boggy corner where there is a gigantic boulder buried - one which never made it to being incorporated in the house structure.


All the bulbs have now gone over so I have replanted with Geraniums and small hardy Fuschias.


Ferns unfurling by the pond.


Area by the rockery and planned (and abandoned) cascade now all tidied up and some clematis have been planted across the back where we've put a windbreak-type barrier up for privacy.


My little plastic greenhouse and the new polytunnel at the top end of the yard garden, full of seeds in trays and strawberry plants.


Lastly, the bed in the middle of the yard has been weeded and I've bunged some Nicotiana in the top corner, and spread a few Nigella seeds about.

An early bedtime is calling me again.  Hopefully I shall be able to get up to date with people's blogs now.


13 comments:

  1. Busy time, hope things can settle a little more for you now. All that hard work deserves to pay off x

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  2. Garden is looking good. Let's hope that all your hard work brings the desired results!

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  3. Sigh of relief--you're alive and going about your business [busyness?] in spite of being tired!
    I would love a wander around your garden spaces--I think you are more disciplined in your design than I am--I go a bit wild with cramming plants here and there.

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  4. Sharon - "discliplined" is not a word us Aries recognize! I have gaps at the present but normally spread a few seeds of annuals around to fill them. It looks good at present - until the weeds grow through the muck heap mulch!

    Rowan - I am sending up fervant prayers.

    CT - I have to work really hard now, as come June I have to stay indoors because of the grass pollen. I normally have two bad weeks which now affects my lungs rather than my nose.

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  5. The garden is looking lovely, and I envy the dark leafed Jacob's Ladder plant - pretty.
    Take care X

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  6. It all looks amazing! All your hard work has really paid off.

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  7. Your garden is looking wonderful - all that hard work has certainly paid off. I've bought quite a few plants from Morrisons too - so much cheaper than garden centres and many other supermarkets.

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  8. Wow! Your garden is simply amazing!

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  9. Thanks Debbie, I'm glad you like it. As I think I mentioned, I have cheated a bit with the covering of muck-heap, but at least I can now deal with the weeds as they pop through again!

    RR and Kath - thank you. I am now paying the price with being so tired. But the pressure is off a bit now.

    Thelma - I went straight to eBay and bought some seeds, so I can grow some for my new garden - WHEN we get there!



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  10. Your garden looks really lovely BB! We don`t have a Morrisons near here or I would have a look for plants - yours sound good bargains. Your new clematis is doing well.

    Let`s hope it won`t be long before you are planting up your new garden......

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  11. Your garden is thriving and clematis is a favorite of mine.

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  12. Thanks both. I still buy plants with a nod to the new garden, but lord knows when that will be. With the clematis, I have tried to get a spread throughout the summer months.

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  13. Your garden looks brilliant and well done on all that hard work.

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