Horsehair Clues and Painted Ladies

About two weeks ago we were in 4 layers of clothing and worried about frosts.

This week I am searching my wardrobe to find the coolest things to wear. Visits to the garden are as early as we can. This did not work today, as we had our first sea swim. It was delightful. 

This is Pett Level on Monday.

Today the tide was right in at 10 a.m..

So our visit was in the afternoon. Oh my goodness it was hot. We were dripping. Steve planted some of the last tomatoes  and aubergines. I`m glad he did it!! This was the temperature in the polytunnel.

The tomatoes are loving the heat.
 

At home we have resorted to pegging up fleece for extra shade as well as spraying with whitener. Outside, both my  coldframes and all my plants are shaded with fleece during the day.

Over the last few days, as the sweet rocket reaches its peak, the Painted Lady butterflies are visiting.

As we sat in shade for our teabreak, bluetits were busily feeding their family in the yellow birdbox above our heads.

The first clue was horsehair sticking out of a crack. I think it is wonderful (if not actually surprising) that the birds are using materials from nearby. 

 

Despite sitting right underneath, it did not deter their efforts.

Bluetit babies need 100 grubs or caterpillars per day. So I was in two minds about the latest infestation of Ermine moth webs 

(we had it last year)

I read up about it. They will not kill the tree. The worst webs are on the little apple tree which I feel is quite vulnerable so Steve did clear them. I don`t think any bird could get through the web anyway, which is a clever deterent. 

I spent my time removing plastic water bottle guards from sunflowers. Soon it will be difficult to get them past the incredible growth. Some needed tying in and some needed stakes.

Here is the first sunflower bud. 

Incidentally, at home I still have 45 sunflower plants to go in!!

The foxgloves are at their best.

 

The weather has been glorious but new planting has to be shaded and watched carefully.

Some rain is coming.

It will be welcome.

 

 

 

A Golden Hop and Pimms

I would not choose to be anywhere else other than here at this time ..... walking across the field for a glass of wine with my sister in the last of the sunshine ..... casting off four layers for a sundress .... seeing whats new every morning .... the poppies unfurling ....... gardening with my brother ..... and visiting the garden to check on everything.

And my goodness, yurters and campers are in for a treat this weekend. Its going to be hot. The garden and farm is a truly peaceful place to be. 

Magical evenings by a campfire, watching the moon come up, the birdsong, the cuckoo, no traffic noise.

(thank you to a very pleasant exchange with a camper in the week for the sentiments in this paragraph)
 

The only thing I planted was a golden hop. It wasn`t easy.

I want it to clamber up the fence which is edged with rabbit wire and carpet so I had to cut through that first. I built up a mini wall around it. Fingers crossed because it its startlingly beautiful.

I did take bedding but it was far too hot to put it in. Steve did put in runner beans  but shaded by fleece from direct sun.

I watered all the new plantings including sweetpeas.

The tomatoes in the polytunnel were droopy .... the temperature was 48 degrees. They got a double amount of watering time on the automatic system.

The first poppies have been opening.

Alongside the outside of the polytunnel, the scatter seeds are just germinating. These are poppies.

Two new cardoon pieces have established well. I removed them from our own front bank. They were always being blown around. In this position they have more shelter.

 

  

Anne purchased this fabulous shower curtain which will soon be a backdrop for the new dinosaur garden,

 

 

 

Such a lovely day so it was home for Pimms.

 

Delightful.
  

 

 

 

 

And through the round window

Many years ago ..... 1970`s ..... we used to watch Playaway on BBC t.v. We both loved Brian Cant who appealed to children and adults alike. There was always a section where we looked through a round window to see real film of animals or the countryside. When I looked at this photo taken today it reminded me of the program.

We were in two minds as to whether to go today as the weather was a bit iffy. But we are glad that we did.

I managed to plant two huge pots of irises and seven dahlias. It is getting very hard to find space now.

In the polytunnel the droopy cucumber has made a miraculous recovery. Maybe the netting has helped. That was put over the new planting because of a rabbit invasion.

 

Another recent idea was to purchase a roll of fine mesh wire and create tubes to protect our new plants. Last night I cut them into lengths, cutters and protective gloves provided, and formed them into tubes held together with wire ties.

Primarily they are to keep rabbits away. They are burrowing right under the beds and we don`t know how to keep them out. Its a bit of a continuing headache.

Some campers spotted a deer at the weekend so I am trying to keep the bottom gate closed. Each year there comes a moment when some plants are eaten by a creature that can reach over the low netting fences .... and its not rabbits. In some years the tops of sunflowers have disappeared.

I took the rotting net curtains off the sweetpea row, weeding and tying in at the same time.

Anne has purchased new rabbit wire and posts so that is a future job. We think the veggie beds have been fenced off for 10 years now but its rusting up and breaking away. I wish we didn`t need it. Its a complete nuisance to weed round it and to always be sure to leave no gaps underneath.

 

The guinea pigs were chomping on their fresh lettuce.

The cuckoo was calling, far away.

Nick brought us celeriac seedlings.

Our teabreak was in the polytunnel due to rain threatening.

I weeded a few paths. Steve bottled up our latest comfrey tea.

The watering was done indoors. Tonight we are due for another downpour. And then we are due for a heatwave in time for the bank holiday. I will believe it when I see it.

And finally .... a rare butterfly here in the UK .... the Wood White, yet to be confirmed. The antennae are distinctive with their white tips.

Definitely a bonus morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frost Nip

 Frost Nip is actually the name
of one of my favourite dahlias.

But my title refers to today`s experiences.

First of all, I woke really early and was up by 6 a.m. Secondly I was pretty surprised when Openreach workmen began working on telephone cables outside our house at 6.20. I thought it was a bit early. And they must have been pretty cold because there was a rather heavy frost.

We don`t usually expect frosts at this time of the year, but the car was covered in a layer .... the first clue, unfortunately it was all over the grass and the birdbath had an icy layer as well.

I had reason to be worried. 

We went to the garden. I was just a little bit upset to find all the lovely new dahlia growth blackened.

The sprout net had blown over a couple and they were saved.

This is the lovely My Love that was shooting so well.

A few days ago.

Everything else seemed to be ok but sometimes you don`t find out til later.

Such was the case with these plants at home.

French marigolds and amaranthus.

 

 

Looking very sorry for themselves.

I am hoping the dahlias will recover with new shoots pushing up. I have since wondered whether they need thinning anyway.

I had one tray of statice Pink Pokers to plant.

 

Oh these bakers trays are so useful.

 

Then Steve and I cut some very thick willow poles. Maybe we will use them to construct sunflower support.

It was great to have the dead hedge for all the trimmings.

 

And great to try out our new short but very strong loppers.

 

And here is the flowerbed we did not start weeding today.

 

Dandelions and Dahlias

At the moment its all about planting out and keeping it watered. There wasn`t a great deal of rain throughout April and so far not much in May. Any new planting needs to be watched carefully

At home we have a lot of bedding still to go in but each day the number is going down by about 7or 8 trays. And the 156 dahlia tubers are gradually reducing. Here are the dahlias sprouting madly after being in the ground all winter.

Today I allocated a bare bit of raised bed for my unknown dahlia tubers so its going to be interesting to see what comes up. There are always a few where the labels drop off.

I have put in a tray of helichrysum and the last of the giant sunflowers. I`m just hoping that we find enough stakes when windy season kicks in.

Steve got the shading over the polytunnel and it brought the temperature down by a couple of degrees immediately.

We were glad of our teabreak as it got hotter.

 

I mended a willow fairy base. They are all round the garden this year. In the photo you can see the empty pots so far.

Two willow fairies on the snug.

 

The purple bearded irises are at their peak. I am interested to note that most of these are deep purple when once they were all cream and mauve. I read up about it and it seems that the darker rhizomes tend to take over. One thing is for sure, these will need thinning out after they have flowered.

Meanwhile the tortoises are happily chomping through their daily lettuces. They also love dandelions flowers. I usually find them a few each.
 

Funny to think this used to be the exit from the garden at one time.

 

Honey Delight and Brandy Wine

Steve and I have ended the day feeling very satisfied with ourselves. All of the tomato plants are in the polytunnel.

There are 30 in all.

The varieties are: -

Artisan Yellow, Costaluto, Honey Delight, Rosello, Marmande, San Marzano and Brandy Wine. 

They are staked and protected with very necessary, old net curtains.

I couldn`t bear to pull up the echium in full bloom.

We have had a good tidy up in there as well. It tends to collect junk over the winter. I found a lot more fairy bits and pieces so they are now in the fairy gardens.

Steve began the preparation in the middle bed. That will be for aubergines and peppers later on.

My other jobs included scattering 21 packets of bought and home-saved seeds all round the garden. Poppies, larkspur, cosmos, tobacco plant, foxgloves, californian poppies.

It will be very exciting to see what will come up.

And I had a tray of statice Pink Pokers .... a new dried flower for me. It was lovely to plant in damp soil after some rain recently.

The aquilegia grow like weeds at the garden and this is their peak time. 

Anne has created this wonderful dinosaur garden with her grandchildren. It was a lovely surprise. Its in an old water trough. Visitors are going to love it.

Things are coming together very well and the rain, albeit scant, was most welcome.