Hot Hot Hot!!

Today has been a baking hot day. We have made the most of it.

When we visited Freshwinds, we sat for nearly an hour talking to Anne about all sorts, including some of the future plans for the garden and we soaked up the most welcome sunshine.

But that was only after catching the new baby guineapig which had escaped in the Wool barn.

 This is the new guineapig home. They are too shy to come out yet.

I dug up the dahlias uncovered last time. I was a bit dismayed to find them rotting away. The smell was apalling and has lingered on our trugs. They`ve gone on the compost heap. 

Looking on the bright side, at least I don`t have to find good homes for them all. I am, however, concerned about the other beds of dahlias I over-wintered in the ground.

One of the problems is, that the bed is heavy with clay and somewhat water-logged. I spent most of my time digging the bed over and breaking it up with well-rotted manure and some chipped bark that has broken down. Quite a bit still to go.

I was very excited when we found our first asparagus spears under the protective netting.

The radishes were up.

Steve planted broad beans.

The pear blossom is just about to burst.

I`m not very proud of this......blanket weed on the pond, but I did see and hear two frogs or toads jump in after sunning themselves round the edge.

Blanket weed is caused by too much sunlight and too many nutrients in the water. More of the surface needs to be covered with plants....difficult when you are first establishing a pond.

The first plants are on the nursery table.....all at 50p this year.

The wheat is just showing.

The first Comma butterflies have been out and about as well as huge bumblebees.

This time last year we had seen no butterflies.

It`s going to be a great year.

At home I have just completed a cushion which is 

a mixture of old and new.

The central blue panel is old embroidery and I am not sure where it came from.

 I made a patchwork frame which was sewn to a pink background. I embroidered flowers on the plain pink.

This is a present for a friend who will be 100 in May. When I first retired, I did her gardening for her until she went into a care home. She is as bright as a button and a joy to talk to.

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