A challenge

 The morning was housework - stripping winter bedding off the guest bed, deep clean the bedroom, vacuum mattress etc and washing.  New summer bedding back on.  It was cold in the night though - I put the central heating on for an hour last night, but then put it back to 14 at which setting it will kick in if very cold.  It hasn't for months, but it did last night.  No wonder all the cats were using me as a hotty botty!

This was my challenge, the cobbled (hah!) corner behind the greenhouse which has been ignored far too long.  I had NO reason to carry on ignoring it so have given it about an hour and a half of my time this afternoon, and made progress . . .

Willow trees reduced (will have to try and remove the bottom bits), brambles removed, grass and umbellifers and dandelions with 18" leaves all ripped out.  I need to make an appt at the Tip for next week and then I can clear the area beneath the rubbish.  This was two wheelbarrowsful. I think this area will have a covering of good weed membrane and some bark chippings, so at least then nothing can get rooted into and under the cobbles . . .  Yes D, I am looking ahead to when I Can't Do It . . .

Now I am weary.  I've read a bit more of Rynor Winn's "Landlines" - I have to say I would NOT be walking the Highlands with blisters and plasters ripping the skin off my feet.  When Danny was going to walk Hadrian's Wall, I found some blister-proof socks for him and bought him a couple of pairs and they worked a treat.  His mate, in ordinary socks, had blisters from day one.

I am back to my knitting and another challenge - knit the hidden internal band onto the outer - managed it, albeit slowly, and now I am back to knitting the outside again.  I shall go in and finish watching an old film I found yesterday, Tea with Mussolini, filmed in beautiful Florence.

A lovely spring day

 I have made the most of it.  Some sitting outside in the sun with a good book, listening to the birds and feeling very relaxed.  Then I did some pottering around in the yard - tidying up weed-filled planters and replanting them with Dahlias, Freesias, Nasturtiums etc.  All with labels or I will forget what I planted.  It was 15 deg. today and will be 19 tomorrow, then some rain in the offing.

This is a "before" photo from an area behind the greenhouse which was ignored last year.  Now I will clear it back to scrubbed cobbles again.  I made good progress on it yesterday.

A neighbour dropped me down at the garage and I picked up the car (it's the clutch, and they can't do it until 31st March). I managed to limp home with it via a swift cat-food shop at Co-op, though I had put an order in for an Asda delivery tomorrow as I can't get my grocery shop done in Llandod.

Above and below: The river Irfon on my walk back from the garage yesterday.

Below: Up the hill a bit, a glimpse of the lovely Caer Beris hotel (and ancient castle site).  There is a big holiday cabins site there too.

Sheep and lambs a little further on.

From today's walk.

Then I went for a walk - not that far, about a mile and a half, but I stopped half way on a sun-warmed log and looked across at the hills, and listened to birds again (Jays and Woodpeckers being noisy).  When I came home I started bread dough for a fresh oven-baked loaf (that's cooking now). 

I sat in the living room and read more of my book and suddenly felt really tired. I laid on the sofa and was out like alight for 40 mins.  All that fresh air I think.

Time to Think and Be Mindful . . .

 It is lovely and fresh out and a cool 11 deg. at the moment.   I am hoping that the VERY worst of the pollen is fading a bit now.  I managed a walk yesterday morning - not that far, and just in the town. I couldn't find anywhere to park (there was some very ignorant parking - a pick up truck taking up the middle portion of a parking space for two cars.  That seems to happen regularly.  People can be so inconsiderate).  Anyway, I ended up at the side of the Groe, over by the school, and walked up into town that way to get the paper and my prescription.  I had a lovely chat with the lady at the paper shop, and then wandered over to the Local History Society shop and had a natter in there.  Then as I walked back, a good chat with the lady who has a collectables shop.  Builth is such a friendly place.

I'd like some more of these Hardy Geraniums -  this one is Black Beauty.

The Mullein, which has got LOTS of smaller flower spikes on to last for weeks.  The top leaves are soft and felty, but the giant ones at the base are smoother.

OK, not sure what has happened here.  I noticed these proto-buds??? in the centre of a spent flower on rosa Belle de Crecy.  Perhaps I should not have dead-headed them but seen if they would carry on to bloom?  Never seen this before.

Dahlia Gardenetta Peach.  I got two of these last week.

A nameless Dahlia.  It has gone in a planter which DID have Cosmos seedlings in, until they were nobbled by slugs on a recent wet night, and then Ghengis took to using it as a bed - hence the repurposed seed-stack shelf over a corner of this and an entire planter of what is left of another Cosmos planting.  I should have started them off in trays in May.

I couldn't resist this pot of Pinks, which I had just the container for as the Oxalis which had been in it was another winter casualty.

The cobbles - all done by hand, and obviously still a work in progress, but it has been let go for a long time and it goes two sides of the stable yard.  The last people used chemicals to control the weeds, but that doesn't remove the soil in between the cobbles, and I would NEVER use poisons to control weeds.  

It is very therapeutic working out here when it is cool (I have to work early or late, as in full sun it is punishing.)  It is mindful work, I have spent hours pondering family history conundrums, or just thinking of the folk I have discovered, thinking of the past.  That includes the recent past and I got to the bottom of the friendship breakdown, which seemed to begin when Keith got his diagnosis and I became a full time carer. A few of us were in a little chat group which started many many years ago now.  As I got sympathy and attention, there became an obvious "edge" in Lost Friend's posts, which became worse and worse.  As long as they got the attention and could be top dog, things were ok.  Last week there was a climax and I'd had enough.  There is a word for the condition, Narcissism.  Looking at the symptoms, gosh, spot on . . .  It is such a relief not to be walking on eggshells any longer.

Hope that those who want sunshine are enjoying it.  I worry about our shared private water supply so won't say no to a bit more heavy rain. :)

Trying to stay positive

 A frustrating couple of days as I left a print for framing last week, with a do-by date and chose a lovely frame and suitable mount.  Hadn't heard anything by Sunday night, so managed to find chap on Facebook and messaged him.  Still nothing, so went to the shop yesterday.  I had no idea of the cost, so needed a quote before he could start.  That came last night and was over £100 so today I went back to collect the print and will have to find an off-the-peg ordinary frame now.  I never realized that having something framed was silly money.  I  tried to get an idea of how much it would be when discussing the frame last week, but perhaps in retrospect, he may have been elusive . . .

Danny, Emma and her little girl last week.  I wanted to check with them if it was alright to put a face-on picture of them before including it on here.

I've been busy in the garden today after having bad news.  I've managed to get quite a bit of weed-clearing done, which is always a positive.  I was working on the bank, pulling out  on one side Nettles, Brambles, small tendrils of Ivy and Dandelions.  Near the "standing stones" there were masses and masses of wild Strawberries, which although lovely to eat in the summer, really take over if allowed to.  I ignored them last summer in favour of eating them, but they are everywhere now.

    Keith is really struggling with the low blood pressure - he is back to where we were in January, having to get around by leaning against the walls and today had to start using his walking stick again.  We see the Parkinsons nurse on Thursday and not a moment too soon.  It is SUCH a worry seeing him like this, and even having to feed him when he gets so tired being like this.

    I have no appetite, so am going down to town to have a walk by the river and buy myself one of those small bottles of wine for £2.50.  Can't overdo it with one of those.

Sunshine = Gardening

Leave me alone, I'm sleepy!

Monday was a beautifully warm sunny day and of course I was lured outside into the garden.  The biggest job was the lawn, parts of which were threatening to become a hay meadow!  I managed the side and the longest bit at the back but am still paying for that as my neck/shoulders sore and I have not one iota of energy today.

I'm sleepy too . . .

I've been busy on the Bank too and have eradicated most of the thicket of wild raspberry canes which made it look a mess.  That freed some space up to plant a big pot of a tall daisy I got last year and which got overlooked.  I also took the mattock to a little bit of the grass hillocks up there and carefully cleared out around two of the three Rhubarb plants and got rid of the grass round a few fruit trees in the orchard.  So progress has been made, but at a price.

No photos of kittens in onesies as I tried one on Lulu (the vet helped fit it) - she got home, out of the travelling crate and by the time she'd fled to the Library, it was on the floor behind her!  I didn't open the 2nd one so will send that back.

I am now going to force myself to walk to the postbox and post a letter, then it will be teatime.  I need to clear my head a bit from snoozing on the sofa, and also making inroads into Manx Wills from the 1700s and trying to work out which William/John/Thomas/Philip is which - WHY did they all call their children the same mix of names!  Finlo and Patrick easier, and there was a Mold earlier on too! For girls it was Eleanor, Isabel, Margaret and the occasional Joney.  Oh, and an Averick, which is really unusual.  Manx records are just THE BEST!

A brief gardening interlude

Just to let me draw breath before I do the next post - we have been SO busy here, working on the house and garden to get it up ready to go back on the market.  The garden is really taking shape now, which is a relief.

I did battle royal with the Paul's Himalayan Musk, 10 feet sprays of Brambles and their conjunction with Kiftsgate moving the other way!  Of course, it meant you could see right into the farmyard, so we put trellis at the back of the rose arbour, and stretched half a roll of weed suppressing membrane right across, and then bought two rolls of split bamboo. We are getting another tomorrow to finish off the left hand corner.  Now, I would have started left to right, but my Dearly Beloved wanted it done the other way round for some reason . . . so of course it was 2 feet too short . . .  I'm planting it with clematis, nasturtiums and other climbers to cover it quickly.

It looks a bit raw at the moment but I have some green wood stain I may slather over it to tone it down a bit.  We had to cut the Corkscrew Hazel back severely as it was taking over half the garden, and now have a bed beneath it I have planted up.  Against the green wire "trellis" we put up we have planted a Clematis Montana rubens on the right, and a later blooming white Clematis to the left (its name escapes me).  A whole bag of compost went on to tidy it up.

Today I have been carrying on ripping up the Yellow Archangel (Dead Nettle) which has romped its way round the garden and the top of the yard too.  Bloomin' stuff - won't have it in a future garden, that's for sure.  It had tangled with masses of Ground Ivy, and Nettles popped up too, so it's been quite a job digging them all out.  Anyway, these remaining plants are meant to be there and I've put a sack and a half of compost down and planted Gladioli - Purple in this bed, and White under the Corkscrew Hazel in the previous photo.

The Apple Tree bed has also been weeded and covered with a bag of wood chips.  It's costing me quite a bit to get it all up together for the new launch of the house on the housing market, but needed doing.

Have a lovely Easter.  I will try and make the other Wightwick Manor post at some point over the weekend.

Permission to be weary

Above and below: On dry days last week, I got out in the garden - it was time to declare war on the Paul's Himalayan Musk.  No before photos, but take it from me, it had got half way across the apple tree in the middle of the garden and was heading for the house!  Action was needed.

I treated myself to this unusual plant at the Car Boot Sale last week ; - Podophyllum "Spotty Dotty".  It likes shade.  It has been transplanted into a bigger pot now it's home rather than being planted in the ground - you never know, like the roses it may eventually travel with us to a new home.  I live in hope.

Phlox "Blue Paradise".  Another temporary planting/placement.  As we had to replace some rotten trellis, and cut back lots of undergrowth (!), this is in a gap, though scarcely filling it.

We went to two wet car boot sales this morning, but bought nothing.  We have had a busy few days since Wednesday - Abergavenny Fleamarket and Tretower Castle & Court; viewing an auction; attending an auction for hours on end whilst the Other Half was doing a tiny Flea a few miles away, back to the same area yesterday to meet up with a client, and today up early for the car boot sales.  Tomorrow is a bye day, and then the rest of the week is pretty well spoken for already!  SO many things to get on with, but only one early start.

I've caught up with this week's Archer's Omnibus whilst baking a Chocolate Apple Ginger Cake for the freezer. 

There are more Tretower photos but as folk seem a bit underwhelmed with them, I shall leave them.  History isn't everyone's cup of tea.  Right, lunch is called for.

Sowing and Sewing . . .

Although I had felt poorly on Monday, yesterday's sunshine lured me out into the garden.  My first jobs were to clean off the plastic cover for the seedstack, and then the one on the little cold frame.  I set the seed stack up against the south facing wall in the yard, just to one side of the door to mum's old flat in the Dairy.  I weighted down the base with two slabs of concrete, as when we have had a blow in the past, I have had it upended.

First of all I planted up the bargain Pansies I bought from Tesco earlier in the week, then I sewed some Scarlet Emperor runner beans, using seeds I had saved from my plants last year, which in turn were saved from plants the previous year - you get the plan?    Then I cleaned out a long thin planter which had had Pansies in it last year, and planted up one end with the first batch of Pak Choi (I sew them regularly throughout the growing season.  Those I can't use quickly enough, I wash, chop and freeze for stir fries later in the year).  The other end had the first batch of Spring Onions (ditto).  Then I used some multi-pot trays which had had Pansies in (those got planted up yesterday - I got 2 big trays reduced to £1 each in Tesco - they'd forgotten to water them by the look of things but all have survived).  Into each cell went a single Dwarf French Bean.

Then I had a rest, and as we now have Amazon Prime and a Firestick, and Series 2 of "Outlander" starts on Saturday, I thought I would have a rerun of Series 1, though to be honest, I have read the first book several times and practically know it off by heart!  So, as I relaxed (still not feeling 100%), I picked up the hexis and sewed the last of the 70s "gardens" together.  I have bought some gorgeous materials from Strawberry Fayre at Chagford.  I first came across her stall at the Friday Fleamarket at Chagford a few years ago, when I met up with blogging friend Em, from Dartmoor Ramblings, who is taking a break from blogging at the moment.  Anyway, I have had several orders from Strawberry Fayre since, and they are excellent.  This time I bought:

All the yellows - half a dozen cheerful colours for my stash.

This was one of their Bargain Bundles - a selection of various prints.  Just what I needed.

A Bargain Bundle of plains.

Then it was back outside to do some more work.  A bit of sweeping the ash keys in the yard.  Some deep weeding of the other arm of the L-shaped raised bed which edges the lean-to "Back Place" - last year it was a mass of Nasturtiums, but I would rather I grew something edible in it.  Anyway, an hour's weeding cleared 2/3 of it, and the plastic cold frame is now in there, suitable weighted down at either end to stop it having flying lessons.

Then I had to have another rest, so I sat in the sunshine on the patio with my EBB biography and a cool drink.  The sun was really quite warm (unlike today, when we are back to Grey and scudding clouds).

I got my husband to move the black plastic which has been covering much of the vegetable plot all winter, and quickly dug that over.  NOW watch the weeds spring forth!

Today I am feeling feeble again, my brain has gone walkabouts so I shall just potter about.  I need to do some baking for the weekend, and then I really SHOULD do some housework, as it  doesn't ever go away . . . .  Breakfast first though.

Gardening

I have been very busy in the garden. Here are the main vegetables I intend to grow this year.

Above and below, a more detailed photo.

The onions, parsnips and carrots I have several packets of, as a friend had been given lots and so I benefitted too.

Just a few flowers to be going on with.  The sweet peas are late, I know, but currently in soak and will be planted in little pots today.

On Tuesday we had a big bonfire of the brash from the Ash tree which we felled last year.  It looked very untidy up that end of the yard, and we had plans for it . . .

As I said  . . . untidy!  When I say I spend 8 hours gardening a day, it is more THIS sort of (clearance) gardening than a little light weeding sort of gardening!

My OH putting sand over the ashes of the bonfire, which has killed off most of the weeds below it.  We have a plan you see!  The path by the Rhubarb was about 75% COVERED in grass and other opportunistic weeds.  I weeded it this week and put down several barrowloads of fresh chippings over the old layer.  The pathway membrane goes on for about 3 feet beyond the end of the chippings.

As I ripped the grass/weeds/soil combo away, the membrane saw daylight again for the first time in about 6 or 7 years . . .

Cleared, for my . . .

polytunnel.  My OH figured it was best up here as then I had the use of my entire veg plot for planting beans, peas, brassicas, carrots etc, and I could have my cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, chillis etc in pots in here.  Oh and strawberries, as I had about 50 feral plants around the place, so they are all potted up and hopefully will thrive in here (and the birds won't get them this year.) I know - it looks a bit drunk - I think I didn't straighten the cover up after we'd carried it (already made up) from lower down the yard where we had tethered it overnight.

Meanwhile, Theo was having his version of "meals on wheels" !! in the hallway . . .

Meanwhile, I am re-reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which is such an inspirational book and is the code by which I try to abide, although financially it is not always possible to afford meat which is locally sourced and from a named farm.

This is an excellent book a friend sent me for my birthday one year.  I can recommend it heartily to any breadmakers out there.

This is the recipe I am trying - for Italian Pugliese bread.  Hmmm.  Slight problems with the "biga" starter, but I shall report back.  I made the mistake of putting it in the sun to rise yesterday, and the sun was so hot it put a skin on the "biga".  It was meant to rise for 8 to 10 hours (guess who started it at lunchtime . . .) and in the end I was SO tired I left it overnight.  I will see if I can make an edible loaf with it today, despite the overnight abandonment!

Anyway, I don't feel in a gardening mood this morning as I have not a jot of energy, so it is going to be bread and then a couple of Apple Gingerbread cakes, one for the freezer and one for now.

Life gets in the way

This is flowering again, and I still can't remember what it is! These pretty flowers are followed by gigantic leaves.



I have had a partly-written piece about our visit to the Pre-Raphaelite Exhibition on the back burner all week and STILL haven't had time to finish it. I will, have faith.

I have had a busy week, one way or another, but am glad to say that spring is definitely putting in an appearance - heck, I even got out in the garden yesterday, and what's more, TOOK MY FLEECE OFF! Gosh, 5 layers instead of 6 . . .

I spent two hours tidying up down in what was my mum's little patio garden. When I ripped off the sodden dead leaves of the irises, there were cheerful little green shoots pushing up through the soil. I cleared away 3 whole wheelbarrowfulls of dead leaves (mostly oak) and dug through the soil, dragging out the endless wiry grass roots which are always trying to make a return. I cut the Hydrangea back, and noticed the crisp pinky-green ruffled leaves of the Aquilegias kept snug beneath their blanket of leaves. It was SO satisfying.

Then I moved up one of my big glass cold frames into the raised bed which used to house the herbs, and has grown tomatoes in since. It is a proper hot bed as it is raised, and in a south-facing plot. I plan to start some Spring Onion seeds off in the ground beneath it today, and also some peas in pots, the sort which rot down in the soil so I don't disturb their roots when I come to plant them on.

It will probably snow next week now . . .