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!!!!

Hazel Poles and Brieze Blocks

Being short of poles for our (hopefully) wonderful bean row this year, we set off for a small bit of rough woodland by the farm entrance. Experienced woodcutters would not be happy to cut wood just coming into leaf, but needs must. It was hard work. The ground was uneven, boggy in places and I stepped down a deep rabbit hole, luckily keeping my balance.

Steve was able to complete the row. I forgot to take a photo.

Today I have planted yet more runner beans. I am determined to have two brilliant rows this year.

Next job was planting the usual dried flower plants.....helichrysum and statice.

Lots of slug and snail trails around the ones I put in last time......the pellets are working!

The ferrets have a new home, one that is much easier to watch them playing.

They were tucked up out of the wind.

We met the new addition to the pets corner......Flash Harry.

He is 40 years old.

I collected 4 brieze blocks from the yard and we used these

to raise up a shelf for some early strawberries in the polytunnel.

Don`t know if it will work but it`s worth a try.

Underneath we hope to grow melons. I`ve got quite a few good plants on the go at home.

I

The acanthus is doing well.....it outgrew its space at home.

And this is a hebe cutting that got a little too big for its pot.

The cob shed roof is colouring up well.

We need to get on with the flooring.

The cerinthe in the garden is very dark. The ones we grow at home are much paler.

This is another project ..... replacing the net.

So very many jobs. 

Never a dull moment.

Blustery Visit

A blustery visit today but at least it wasn`t cold.

The car park was full....lots of campers around, showering, relaxing in the Wool Barn and enjoying the new pets corner.

The ground was perfect for planting so I set to and found spaces for two rows of helichrysum.

This one is at the back of the onion bed where Steve left me a little space.

I planted the tomatoes last time we were there and they all seemed fine....

6 Gardeners Delight, 3 Harbinger and 3 Marmande. 

Last year I learnt the hard lesson of not spacing them out enough so this year they are in a single line.

The strawberries need to be raised quite a way off the ground. I am searching for some brieze blocks next time.

I cleared the corner and put in an Aldi Shake and Rake pack of herbs to see how they do. 

£1.49 a pack.

Nearer the door I put in some of my own herbs.....coriander and hyssop.

We cleared the last of the brocolli bed and weeded it. Steve dug it over and it raked down nicely.

The broad beans and potatoes are coming along well.

The home-saved seeds are all coming up.....sidalcea, and an unknown packet I couldn`t recognise.

I scattered honesty and Ammi seeds in the wild area by the gate after a bit of weeding.

The net curtaining seems to be doing the trick and even the herbs are protected now.

Maybe there will be more poppies this year.

Plenty of weeding to do round the carrots next time. 

The guinea pigs were enjoying themselves.

Frisky Ferrets and Seed Scattering

My main job today was to scatter packets of seeds in various areas in the garden. In the end I held some back for May because they will need to go where the forgetmenots are.

My brother James gave me a prize he won in a raffle.

The new pocket system in the polytunnel is keeping things tidy.

It`s made from recycled curtain fabric.

In this area next to the onions I have put godetia, linum and candytuft.

Steve put up the start of a bean row, that`s if we actually manage to germinate any. We`re having the same trouble as last year with poor germination. We are a bit short of hazel poles.

 

 

The sweetpeas are surviving.

 

 

Harry and William were very frisky, rolling and tumbling all over each other.

When I knelt down to say hello, Harry made a most peculiar noise. I don`t know if it was frustration as I didn`t have any food.

 

The strawberry plants are really starting to green up.

Red campions have just started flowering .

Bumble bees seemed a bit dopey.

The corn marigold looks like it has taken over in the wild flower area again. I think it may be to do with the fact that rabbits don`t particularly like it, though a few tops are nibbled.

Steve moved the hop to the pets corner area. It took quite a bit of digging out.

 

 

Comfrey is coming up all along the big path next to the barn.

It has seeded itself. Bees love it.

 

The leeks have been eaten.....the usual culprits. Looks like I will be making more net curtain fences.

 

 

 

Hope everyone has a great bank holiday weekend.