Melons and an Excited Visitor

A dull day but a good gardening day nonetheless.

After the heavy rain yesterday, the soil was perfect for planting.

I cleared some of the forgetmenots, which have been so lovely, and after a light forking over, I put in half a tray of calendula and a half tray of nicotiania.

No worries with the netting up. But I have put down slug pellets.

There is lots more bedding still to go in.

In the polytunnel I put in 4 melons and the tagetes as a companion plant to the tomatoes.

Here is the bean row complete in all its splendour.

Here are the cabbages.......sprouts, red cabbage. Purple sprouting brocolli will go in later.

Steve has planted hyssop as companion planting, to encourage bees and discourage slugs.

I found quite a few nice plants at home for the little nursery.

More will be coming later.

And here are a few additions to the craft cart in the Wool Barn.

All of a sudden the strawberries have gone mad.

We need to get them strawed and netted.

In the herb garden I put in half a tray of parsley and half a tray of coriander.

Again no worries with the netting in place.

Alongside the herb garden the hornbeam hedge is thickening up nicely.

Halfway through the afternoon my very excited great-nephew arrived with Paula, so after much exploring and admiring the new animals, we had a welcome cuppa and one of Steve`s buns. 

Yum yum.

My last job for the afternoon was to clear this area.....covered in old roots and rubble from the pile of clay, some rotting wood and the usual nettles. A couple of barrows of chipped bark and the corner is transformed.

The wonderful willow arch needs a bit of work.

The red campions on the wild area are stunning

We bought this fabulous green pot for half price yesterday.

At home I have planted it up with fuchsia, petunia, lobelia and schizanthus.

We have a resident great tit family in this bottle. They`ve used it before.

I spent quite a while trying to capture a decent photo but this is all I managed.

I shone a torch inside and there were three gaping yellow throats looking upwards.

Our wisteria is wonderful at the moment and has a most delicious perfume especially when it`s warm.

And there`s still a lot of bedding to go in!!!!