Saturday 14 May 2022

2nd Week of May and Busy in the Garden

The Swifts are back in the village, I saw it on the local Facebook page and then saw them myself when I went round to the Health Centre to pick up my prescription. It's lovely to see them circling around the church. I ended up going back to the health centre twice more - the dispensary are in chaos - like so many others with a shortage of staff and supplies. It used to be so straightforward but now reminds me of the year in Ipswich when it was quite normal for them to take half an hour or more to find either the tablets or the form or neither! 

On Thursday I went up to Morrisons in Diss and met up with Rachel-in-Norfolk. The coffee machine decided not to work the minute I stood in front of it as usual - but I ended up with one and a half cups of coffee for the price of one so that was OK.

  It was a really good gardening week last week as I got all the small greenhouse plants into their big pots...I seem to have rather a lot of tomato plants so should be able to give away tomatoes, make tomato chutney and eat tomatoes all summer! I've got 4 Aubergines and 4 to pass on and 6 pepper plants and gave away 2.
 I bought some wire and threaded it round the greenhouse through the little metal attachments so that's ready for tying the canes to for holding up the cucumber and tomato plants as they grow, also bought some short canes for the pepper and aubergine pots.

 With perfect timing Brother-in-Law Andrew came over on Wednesday morning to finish the connection on the biggest water-butt and to connect the small one at the front and two hours later it started raining - the first proper rain we've had for weeks. It rained on and off for a few hours and was much needed and should have done the shrubs and trees a bit of good, but it didn't put much into the water butts.

Andrew said was I going to let that weed outside the shed get any bigger or I wouldn't be able to open the door! It's not a weed it's a Foxglove and I'm leaving it there until it's flowered.


 


I said big expenses for the garden had all finished but I didn't mention plants did I? 

Just can't resist, so I found myself bringing home a Red Hazel from the plant stall at the Water Mill and 4 pots of Alstromeria plants from last Sunday's car boot.......these were a big bargain at £2 a pot. Stonham Barns car-boot organisers don't allow stalls with only plants because there is an on-site nursery but they don't mind people bringing a few so that means plants for sale are from private sellers and not trade and are cheaper.....like my sage for 50p a couple of weeks ago.

I left a big Red Hazel tree at the smallholding and a huge bed of Alstromeria that I grew for cutting and selling and I tried 2 or 3 times to get Alstromeria going at Clay Cottage with no luck. Hopefully they will do better here. To make room for the Hazel I've taken out a half dead Hydrangea and that's made room for it to get quite big before I have to start cutting it back and from much the same area I cut a climbing rose right back as it was covered in greenfly.


The patio is looking good after weeding.............not with weedkiller, or pressure washing or by sitting on a stool and pulling them out one by one but with the brilliant tool in the photo below. It's got metal bristles that get right in the gaps and clean out all the dirt, moss and weeds.



Job done with just a bit of work.

Hope you all have a good weekend. 
I'll be back Monday after  I've been to 'Weird and Wonderful Wood' and boot sales of course.

Sue


30 comments:

  1. It all sounds like what I should have been doing, had we still been in France. A lovely time of year, deciding what crops to grow, what new trees to plant, etc. I miss it.

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    1. I thought you were heading back there for the summer?

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  2. Weeding a patio by hand is so much easier than weeding cobbles. I have one of those sharp 3-prong hand "rakes" but it still kills my back getting the moss and weeds out. I try and do a bit each day.

    Good plant buys. I miss car boot sales, but our nearest is 34 miles away now! I would also leave the Foxglove in situ until it's flowered. I have masses of Foxglove babies (wild ones) about the place here, so must pot some up for my friend Pam and move some more into the bottom triangle.

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    1. My new patio weeding tool works a treat.
      Hope my one foxglove will set seeds

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  3. The foxglove looks so much at home there, so I am glad you are leaving it to flower. Sounds like you are managing to get your garden established exactly how you like it - what fun! :)

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    1. I'm getting rid of the things I'm not keen on and moving in some favourites

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  4. Yes, saw the first swifts over Pulborough Brooks in West Sussex too on Wednesday, we used to have them over the back of us too, but sadly not for a few years now. I miss their acrobatics and screams.

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    1. There were dozens of swifts overhead on Saturday. I've not seen any Swallows or House Martins anywhere here yet

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  5. The best weeding is always done by hand, bent back and elbow grease.

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    1. I really don't like weedkillers - and my new tool is brilliant

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  6. I should have been out weeding too but it has turned beastly hot here so I have talked myself out of it. Next week the temperatures will be better and I vow to get out then! You garden will look fabulous!

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  7. The place is looking good. Perennials here are rather high. I'm hoping to snag some freebies when people divide theirs.

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    Replies
    1. We are lucky to have lots of traders selling plants at car-boot sales

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  8. Our health centers and pharmacies are also very rushed and seem to be in a state again. The coffee machine coming to a stop and then giving you one and a half cups of coffee is very funny. Did Rachel get the same bonus coffee? The boot sales offering plants is really marvelous. Like you, I'm buying plants too and can always find room for something new. Your foxglove looks wonderful! Mine are currently only two inches tall. Your weeding tool is excellent. I'll be looking for one just like it.

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  9. Your garden looks amazing Sue
    Siobhan

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  10. Something so charming about old fashioned cottage plants like foxgloves, shame so many get ripped up like weeds.
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. The Foxglove is growing in a tiny space between lawn and shed and is huge and looking good

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  11. You've been busy and it all sounds wonderful! Can you have too many tomatoes? There is so much you can do with them and they do make perfect summer gifts. Your patio looks great and I love the weeding tool. Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. Sue, I just checked out the web site for 'Weird and Wonderful Wood'. It looks like it will be a lot of fun!

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    2. I think I will be giving lots of tomatoes away- I'm sure I'll find people who'll enjoy them

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  12. I think plants are in the 'necessities of life' part of the budget,gardening contributes to exercise, nutrition and mental health!

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    1. I'm running out of space but keep seeing things I like!

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  13. My father bult a sidewalk like your patio. The large block followed by an oblong and then two small squares, side by side. It went from our back door to our garage, about eighty feet.

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    1. My patio could really do with some joint sealer stuff to fill the gaps

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  14. Your patio looks great and the tool to remove weeds is genius. I am going to look for one. The foxglove is one of my favorite plants. Your foxglove will be blooming soon and it will be beautiful against the white background. Like you, I love buying plants and adding them to my garden.

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  15. Good job you did of getting weeds out of plant area. We've had alot of rain lately, especially days I wanted to work outdoors, or not feeling good 1.5 weeks. Have a good week!
    Becky
    https://grandmabeckyl.blogspot.com

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