Saharan Dust and Brocolli Soup

Our run  of lovely weather is set to change, here in the South East. Today began mistily and it was chilly. I left the greenhouses shut until lunchtime. The days are exacting for the best handling of the greenhouses ..... sometimes too cold and sometimes too hot. Luckily both new ones have automatic vents. They are very helpful. Tomorrow we might get some rain. Just the other day we had red Saharan dust blowing across the country, most noticeable on the cars.

I have been sorting through my seeds ... packets and packets of them. They are usually in drawers according to the month but I am finding I need subdivisions ... half-opened packets, give-aways, ones to scatter. I intend to do the scattering on any bits of bare ground quite soon, though where that is I can`t think. 

I have tried again with the yellow rattle. Steve warned me to sow the seeds with grass as they are parasitic but I did not heed his advice. Now they are sown with grass seed. I hope they are still in the same soil somewhere. 

I have sown corncockle into our wild bank. I mixed the home-saved seed with soil, mixed well, dug clods from the bank and deposited a handful in each.

At the garden the first scarecrow is outside. 

Buddy the new puppy, was completely confused yesterday when he spotted her for the first time. He barked and barked and wouldn`t go past the bed. Today he seemed a little more used to her.

We don`t have many bulbs at the garden but these are particularly lovely at the moment .... in the old water trough.

And these double dafs were rescued. 

 

I have started on the last flower bed. This will be the wildflower bed come summer. A bit of rain will help to break the soil up ready for planting later on.

I put the finishing touches to the fairy palace by adding some butterflies. The pastel fairies are new residents.

The gnome home is waiting for its residents alongside.

Then it was off home with a big bunch of brocolli which has been made into our soup supper.... it was delicious.

 

Can the Buttercups Stay?

My first very welcome experience at the garden today was a peacock butterfly flitting round a newly opened red tulip. I didn`t manage to capture the butterfly but enjoyed seeing it.

It was a day to be out and about.

Tim and Anne were busy putting up the Owl Yurt and trundled by in the workmax, loaded with tools.

I found the next flower bed too claggy to work on ....

.... wish me luck. It is full of buttercups. Part of me wants the buttercups to stay.

I moved onto the veggie beds where Steve had already planted broad beans. The soil was breaking down nicely as I weeded. This part of the garden is in sun full-time. 

These beds are almost all ready for planting up. Still covered over, are the broccoli plants. We have just eaten some in a cheese sauce ..... delicious.

I decided where my sweetpea row will go. Next time I will get the posts and canes in.

 

Thrilled to see damson and quince blossom coming out. Let`s hope there are no late frosts.

When Anne came to the garden, she checked on the tortoise and he was awake. He is the one who buried himself in the tortoise run. Here he is.
 

We discussed a new idea.

Watch this space.

 

Pompom Bonanza

I am having my usual sort out of craft materials. I came across some very soft and very old cream baby wool  (100%) I decided that it was time to use it up. And so began my pompom bonanza.

 Over the last week or so I have made over 100 pompoms using my pompom makers. This makes things very quick.

Quite a few years ago I was given a huge quantity of tapestry wool .... a craft shop was closing down. With this wool I was able to make multi-coloured pompoms. I used all shades of blue to make bluebirds of happiness.

I sold some of these at the village coffee morning which boosted the funds a bit.

I used shades of pink for bunnies with Easter in mind.

And lots of grey for bunnies as well.

I also keep a pot of smaller amounts of left-over wool and I like to use these for pompoms too.

And finally some demon spiders with red eyes and dangly legs.

 

 

The funniest thing of all, was that at that same coffee morning I was given a lot of really lovely wool .... so everything I used on the pompoms has now been replaced twice over!!

So much for trying to use stuff up. 

Will I ever be able to say no!!