Monday 9 June 2008

Hanging baskets, hanging baskets everywhere

Week 25, Sunday, 8th June 2008

After church and lunch we finally got round to getting out all the paraphernalia to plant up our hanging baskets. Jacquline and I managed to get seven baskets planted up and hopefully they will give us months of lovely colour. They are now hanging in a cool place to allow them to recover for a few days before we put them into their final positions for summer. Must admit that they are looking very sorry for themselves and sulking somewhat!

Went and had a look at the prospective house for Mom, Jacquline and the kids and it is wonderful. It will fit them all in without a problem and there is so many cupboards and hidey holes they will not know what to do with themselves. There is also a lovely little front patio/garden area and although the back garden is overgrown with weeds and in desperate need of a little TLC we will whip it into submission quickly. It will be a lovely, private garden that they can sit in or even have a barbecue. Fingers crossed the owner decides to let up rent it! It has already been 6 weeks of indecision on his part and it quite frustrating.

Sweet peas, baby pumpkins and black fly

Week 24, Saturday, 7th June 2008

The weather was wonderful today and Mom, Rosemary and I managed to get down to the lottie at 11:30 after feeding the birds, watering the greenhouse and tomatoes at home.

First I tackled planting out the celery whilst rosemary planted out three rows of sweet corn. Then I planted out two rows of leeks so that we have some lovely soup this winter. Whilst we were doing this Mom tied all the French beans and sweet peas onto their respective frames. I then put straw down in the strawberry bed and netted the whole thing. Hope this will be enough deterrent for the birds to leave our strawberries alone. I then planted out about 6 more Violette cauliflowers. Not sure what the kids are going to make with purple cauliflowers.

I then tackled the plum tree and reduced the new growth to 2 – 3 pairs of leaves. I did not know that I could do this at this time of the year but my lottie neighbour said I must do it or else next year all the fruit will be too high for me to reach it! I then also cut off all the tips of the cherry tree that I could reach as the black fly this year is horrendous this year. I Must remember to bring down some washing up liquid next time to spray the spring sown broad beans as they are being desiccated by the black fly – despite having nasturtiums all around them.

There is no fruit on any of my trees this year except a couple of sickly looking cherries but after speaking to my lottie neighbours he says that he also does not have any fruit this year. I can’t believe that last year this time we were thinning the poor apple tree out as it was groaning under all the fruit.

I must keep a close check on the greenhouse that I do not get anything going in there – I dare not leave the door closed in this heat or else everything will frizzle. The first early potatoes have still not flowers and actually are not looking too well – unless Maureen weeded all the haulms away last week-end. The Ambo orphans that we missed last year have come up in the corn bed this year and are flowering their socks off – I will have a root around next week-end and see what treasures lie hidden.

The pumpkin that we planted onto the hot bed has romped away and there is already two little baby pumpkins formed. I have now removed the lace netting that was protecting them as they look strong enough to deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at them.


We then picked all the peas and yellow mange tout and Mom even managed to get a whole bunch of wonderfully scented sweet peas for all her efforts.