Living in a Box

April Record

It seems that last night was the warmest April night on record, according to the lovely Claire (the weather girl) on GMTV. Temps dipped to a sultry 15C in some areas.  If this is a sign of things to come, I shall soon be looking at the tropical plants section of our local nursery !

Below are a few scans of photos of my garden in Zimbabwe. I left Zimbabwe to come to the UK at the end of 2001. The photos were taken in 2001. I really miss my garden !

Me - in front of the beautiful petrea. 

My mother and 2 of my dogs - Lily & Gus.

   

Timmy's Tray

This is my youngest grandson's (Timothy's) seed tray. He sowed the seeds at the weekend, and is constantly watching my windowsill for progress. He chose the seeds he wanted (I didn't interfere). I told him how to sow them - what to do - and he did it all. My seed tray is standing next to his, and seeds are sprouting left right and centre. (I sowed mine a few days before he did). So now we wait. It's hard to be patient when you're only 11.

And...I just thought I'd mention - you don't need fancy equipment to propogate seeds if you can't afford it. The large blue drip tray contained pork chops bought last week (washed very well, of course - not the chops - the tray). And the seed tray contained chicken pieces at one time !! And...we used a general potting mix - although I wish I did have some seed compost as this mix is a bit too rough.  That's next on the shopping list.

Another Early Riser

I plan on planting a few potatoes this afternoon. There is no room for them in the garden of course - but I am determined, and decided to investigate planting in bags. I visited our local hardware shop yesterday afternoon, and discovered these sturdy little things.

Just the job !! So, I'll be using them for the few seed potatoes I've got. Goodness knows where I'll stand them...but where there's a will...... ! I'll keep you posted on my potato progress.

April Showers

At last - April showers have come our way. I'm really very thankful.  It's been drizzling on and off all morning - the garden smells wonderful - and it is so mild. The temp will be over 20C today (68F).

I had such a lovely weekend. Yesterday, all the children came for lunch (even my youngest son came from Bristol). It's so nice to see them all laughing and having fun together. I really feel blessed to have such loving children and grandchildren.

In the late afternoon, daughter Fiona and I went off to B&Q to have a look at their garden section (she wanted some herbs), and look what I found.

I am absolutely thrilled with it. It is going to be such a help to me. (I can start more seeds now ! LOL !!) It cost £19.99. Maybe I could have got it cheaper if I'd shopped around. (Please don't tell me if you've seen them at a lower price - I'll be kicking myself.)

Look what else I bought. I'll get a better picture when it's a bit brighter. I took this one last night.

It's a piece of willow trellis. I've put it behind the clematis. It look so nice against the green fence. Aaaah. Lovely !   

Relaxing

I had a very quiet day today. Baz spent the day on the settee, or in bed, (moving from one to the other). His knee is very painful, but he is managing to do the exercises as he was told. It should start to feel better soon.

I played in the garden. I spent some time repairing pigeon damage !! They flattened a few seedlings that needed first aid. I put up a net to stop them from getting to the area they seem attracted to. I also weeded and tidied, and planted more seeds. I know I'm going to have way too much of everything, but it was so much fun. I cannot help myself.

The weather was gorgeous. We really are having a mild April, and it looks set to continue. We haven't had any rain for a couple of weeks though. My garden is still very damp. It has such poor drainage. I hope to correct that this year. I'm considering digging up the whole garden, one square foot at a time, to a good depth. Then I'll replace all the soil with really good compost & topsoil. I won't start yet though. I'll wait till summers almost over. 

Green Fingered Friday

Have I got green fingers ?? I'd say so !!!

I managed to get the back fence finished this afternoon. Only the left side to go - about 18 feet. I'll tackle that tomorrow.

I had a great afternoon, and got a lot done. I've fed all the plants on the right hand side of the garden, and will feed the left side tomorrow.

I planted the long trough with herbs a couple of days ago.

Today I potted up some sage & marjoram in this gorgeous blue pot. (This was one of the pots given away by the folk on our local freecycle).

Everything in the garden looks happy and healthy. I was a bit worried about the night temperatures dropping, but so far we have been lucky. The garden is so small, and fully enclosed - so it does warm up quickly. If I discover that temps are going to plummet, I'll make sure I cover everything.

The peas are looking great !

I got quite a few seeds sown in trays (and a few hardy annuals outdoors). Where I'm going to plant everything I just don't know. I think I have been over-eager...but I can always pass things on to the children.

I planted 60 Crocosmia corms in a drift (well...a little drift ! LOL) - just because I love them.

Of course, I had help !!!

And the gang were all here.

All in all - a fab Friday !!       

What's it all about, Alfie ?

A friend is wondering why I would want an allotment when I have started on our little garden, and therefore have something to potter in. She just doesn't understand. And unless you have soil and worm-juice running through your veins, you never will !

So, what's it all about ? Why would my little patch not satisfy my need for gardening ?  Well...there is so much more to gardening than planting a few annuals ! (which is exactly what I've done). Okay...there was a LOT of digging involved - and that was hard work.

To me, gardening starts with the planning, the anticipation of the growing season ahead. That can really bring on an adrenalyn rush !! There are beds to plan, mounds of earth to dig, weeds to be eradicated (never ending) compost and manure to be brought in, so much soil to sweeten. And then there's the planning and buying of seeds ! What a glorious job that is. Poring over seed catalogues. Do I have enough ? Better order more ! What about last year's leftovers ? Will they germinate ? Then the pruning, the splitting of clumps of perennials, new paths to be laid, new structures to build. On and on it goes. The planning...the toiling and the anticiption.

Then the planting - seeds in plastic pots all over the house, shed and greenhouse ! Marking...labelling...losing labels, staring at pots not knowing what you've planted. Ordering more seeds because you don't think you'll have enough. Then the waiting game, watching over the pots like a mother hen over her chicks. Not a time to rest though. Keep weeding...keep digging and raking. It's backbreaking work at times, but it's a labour of love !

What joy when the first little stems start to peep through the soil ! The nurturing begins. Carefully, they're pricked out, watered, loved, talked to until they're finally in the ground. It's not over then...it's just beginning. Then...then there are weeds to be removed, all manner of pests to be controlled, as the tiny seedling start to make their way in the world. The pleasure of watching something you have planted grow into a full strong plant, bearing flower and fruit, is unbelievable !

And then the harvest !!! Oh, the bountiful harvest ! Nothing tastes as sweet as a home-grown tomato. Nothing melts butter like a home-grown potato. No florists bouquet can match the beauty of  a vase of home-grown wildflowers. The backache is forgotten as the gardener fills basket after basket with home-grown fruit, veg and flowers. As the summer ends, the mind is already racing ahead to the next growing season. The clearing and cleaning begins...winter crops are planted, spring-flowering bulbs are bought and delighted over.  A quieter time...a time to regroup, think about the successes and failures of the last season. On and on it goes. For the gardener, life in the garden never ends. 

So...what's it all about ? Will my little plot of annuals satisfy my needs ? I don't think so somehow. It's lottie hunting I go !

(I found the photo above on the Internet with no credit unfortunately. If it's yours, please let me know, and I will either remove it or give you full credit. Thanks.) 

Clematis

I took a photo of the clematis with it's flowers open (not a very good one !), and said I'd show it. The first is the photo from last week.

And here are the flowers open. Aren't they lovely ?

Surprises

Our house is the end of a terrace of four houses - all the same. At the end of our house, is a driveway to the parking area and garages around the back. Along the side of the house, is a small raised bed.  I plan on getting stuck into it in the near future.  There's not much in it, but I do get the odd surprsie now and again.

I Want One !!!!

I am going to show you something that is making me turn green with envy. The photos below are taken from my upstairs back-bedroom window. They overlook our garden - you can see the top of our fence. Behind our fence is a paved area leading to garages, and then another fence. Beyond that fence are................

................Allotments !!!!! AND I WANT ONE.

I am going to get hold of our village council to see if there are any going. One lottie looks very neglected. I hope it's free. I'll let you know.