Storm Clouds Gathering

 Our visit to the garden today was punctuated by thunder and lightening and torrential rain. Just before the deluge I had time to take some photos in stunning light and chat to returning yurters.

The chicks were sheltering under the mother hen but we could only see the white one.

We set up a new sign to point people towards the tortoises.... so many people miss them.

Then we sheltered in the polytunnel for a welcome cuppa, listening to the rain drumming on the plastic with occasional claps of thunder and flashes of lightening. All very dramatic.

As soon as there was a break in the downpour, we made a run for it, squelching through the gate to the car.

It gave me a good excuse to put on my dressing gown early.

 

Campers and Cute Chicks

 The garden was literally swarming with happy campers today, and in the face of high winds.

I was expecting to find sunflowers down but actually only a few ties needed tightening. It is important to keep dead-heading the muliti-headed ones to lessen the weight.

I picked helichrysum heads 

And I bunched up statice. These are the everlasting flowers.

Lots of lovely weeding after the rain. A lot of plants looking tatty and quite honestly best on the compost heap.

Just before we left Hollie brought the four new chicks along with their mum.

They caused a lot of ooohs and aaahs.

There are three figs on the little potted tree.

The pumpkins have finished growing in most cases.

The pond is covered in duck weed due to lack of coverage. I've fished some out but hopefully there will be a balance soon.

One of the most beautiful things around is the sunflower seedheads.

Happy days.

Giants and Willow Circles

 We have just returned from a wonderful couple of nights in the Owl yurt. The sun was out. The garden looked glorious. Our family had a great time.

The first thing we did was go to admire the new giant who can be found on the fairy trail.

Tim has recently created him and he's looking for a name. My family loved him.

We enjoy the Owl Yurt setting with its large sitting area, under an oak covered in acorns, a swing hanging tantalisingly from its branches, the sound of owls calling in the night, the peacefulness.

And not far away; the woods where we collect the kindling and climb fallen trees, 

Freshwinds Garden where we collect veggies and eat icecreams, the barn where we give Florence apples. 

In the early evening we light the campfire and get the bbq going. There are songs and stories round the embers  goodies to share such as toasted marshmallows.

 The project for those few days was the willow circle. It was here that we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary in 2014.

We trimmed the over-grown willow, saving the best whips for wreaths. Then we pulled it down into loops held in by cable ties due to the strength of the willow.

The next day we finished off the entry tunnel and finally decorated with willow rings and God's eyes plus a few pompoms.

Very many thanks to Anne and Tim for our lovely experience. The children and ourselves will never forget these holidays.

Sunflowers in the Sunshine

 Wow the weather has been amazing. Most of our gardening is done early morning or late in the evening. At midday we are to be found flaked out in the shade with plenty of drinks to hand. Mid-afternoon we can be found at the beach where there is a cooling breeze coming off the sea. The sea is warmer and we enjoy spotting the seal who comes up to investigate.

The sunflowers are good this year. Giants such as Goliath are spectacular but what can beat the multi-headed ones. This one has over 50 heads which beats my previous 27. It is self-seeded.

People have been admiring them as they pass through the garden.

The name of this one is not Teddy Bear as I first thought, but Sun King. The huge flower head lasts ages.

Yesterday, as we sat in the mini-orchard for our teabreak the view across the garden was very colourful.

We picked the plums so I will be jam-making this morning.

The plum tree was pruned of its lowest and highest branches but left me dripping.

The butterflies were busy on the buddleia. They are Meadow Browns I believe.

There has been a spectacular storm in the night which has left the gardens damp and ready for a good feed. This will help annuals etc to last out for longer. 

The garden smells wonderful after rain.

Tomato Relish

 Currently there are nearly 22 pounds of tomatoes in this house. I have to ask myself some serious questions. 

When we harvest at Freshwinds, if campers are around they usually get a pound, carried off in sunhats as make-shift containers. Hopefully they will add a bit of salad to the bbq. 

At home the preserving is in full swing with some for the freezer ....

Some are turned into ketchup .....

Some have been stuffed, some are sliced up with a drizzle of oil and goats cheese crumbled on top. Delicious.

This year we have grown 

1. Costaluto Fiorentino

The biggest so far has been 8 and half ounces.

2. Akron

3. Princepe Borghese

4. Ailsa Craig

We love the big beefy ones for salad.

We are having great satisfaction from the glorious harvest of tomatoes but it takes time to deal with them all.

Too Hot to Handle

This summer there is a greater interest in the garden and gardening than usual. We put it down to the amount of time people have had in their own gardens. And of course wanting to grow their own vegetables.

We get a lot of compliments and lots of questions. Some I can answer and some I can't. For instance the other day I couldn't remember the name of the weed Fat hen! One lady said her plot was full of it. Well I do know thst it is edible. Luckily Steve remembered.

Lots of the children coming through the garden are supervised, thank goodness, unlike the gang of five who threw ten stone ladybirds in the pond!! I was not pleased. The frogs and newts do not appreciate it.

The sun got hotter and hotter.  I picked tomatoes with my great nephew Aiden with the sweat running down my face and back.

The pumpkins are suffering.

I cut back dead bits of lavender until I couldn't face any more.

The waterlilies are in full bloom.

The white everlasting sweetpea is cascading everywhere.

By 11.30 it was too hot to garden so it was home to lunch in the shade.