bank holidays – Gardening within LiMitS

Random continues…

I drove a little way away from LGC and bought some gravel. Four bags full. I am now questioning why I do these slightly random things? Not part of the giant scheme of things for sure and not identical to previous freecycled gravel…

All will come good for sure. Maybe it’s the time of the year or the random things that being stuck at home do to you. Maybe I need to go and take the lumps out of the patio slab space? Then we can use the gravel from the herb garden to level it… not sure how, we don’t have a roller?

And today the umbrella was moved so the corner I’ve been eating my lunch is sheltered. More weeding and pruning was needed as bindweed went mad unchecked. Lots of areas being changed for the better and trees are being dug up too.

This spiky plum? tree which has only produced fruit this year is being pruned heavily. The gooseberry bush at its base had dried up so much it literally snapped apart so I could get to the ivy on the wall that was running amok. That’s given me a dry throat so needed pulling for sure. But spikes and dust made me want to stop for lunch. Bon appetite!

You can see the woodpile behind the ramshackle shed after clearing that corner…

Father’s Day! We didn’t Forget!

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Early start with a cooked breakfast then a drive with a walk round Weston. We’ve never done this one and according to Samsung it was 1.8 miles. (Apple had it at over 4,000 steps…) Walking through fields I didn’t spot the electric fence corralling the large cows and I’ve realised I get anxious which I never used to. The dog doesn’t seem interested but it is a sheepdog and although very obedient, still a fairly new thing to worry about. I’m going to have to meditate later.

But we also had a tip off! Hubby and I drove to a Stevenage garden centre where they had tipper carts less than half price so less even than the wheelbarrows I saw in my favourite Woolworths (sic) which remain out of stock (when I was looking before).

And after a lot of bad words, it is assembled and in use. Not quite needed for picking our first potatoes but we have some of those for dinner tonight. And those were grown using potatoes that went to seed in the cupboard earlier this year. Little one spotted a big one (nearly a baker!) but we’ll see what we make to work out whether it just gets boiled. Something well worth growing.

Rashly ordering gadgets…

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My front hedge is starting to look like the individual bushes it is, so I ordered a hedge trimmer. Let’s see whether delivery will be tomorrow? Oh I’ve hexed it now! I even nearly applied for a job, until I realised it was not in Stevenage (the email header lied!) but as a medical editor with six years experience was required I baulked when I realised it was actually in Cambridge. It was three days a week! My ideal! But not if it involves an hour a day of travelling which I can’t/won’t be rushing to do.

The kids are on holiday! Yay! But it’s halfway finished and my husband is still working in the shed. And in case anyone thinks I spent a lot on the trimmers, I did not! This brand was not a household name and it was less by £9… thank you! I know there are all sorts of arguments about buying local but when shops are not open, what you gonna do?

We are still planting stuff and weeding. Next door gave me white cosmos and my gardening magazine (my reward for braving Tesco?) came with acquilegia seeds. Lots to do today and no need to be glum. Even children have spoken to me today!

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Of course it’s raining ☔️

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Have we ever had Halfterm without the heavens opening? It chucked it down after my trip to my favourite Woolworths replacement, looking for a wheelbarrow. Which of course hasn’t been in stock for two weeks… what was I thinking? Pandemic supplies 🥺

So I guess I need to find an alternative shuffler to move my heaviest bags of soil/clods of turf. I didn’t think that one through at all. Sand and cement will be ordered methinks, as we are not going to shift those with the tools we have… I filled the old wheelbarrow with seeds because it rusted through – again not thought through…

A new blue! No idea what I planted here…

I am sat in the car as we followed the rules – one of us does the shopping – but he didn’t take a list so we’ll see what he saves by not getting a breakdown of meals, and I wonder how much pasta? We have plenty to be honest. The cupboard isn’t bare, but oldest has decided she likes fried eggs now so eggs are being devoured at warp speed.

Broad beans have pods! I thought they got taller?

Sun is out now so garden turf may still be lifted. Joys of bank holidays in lockdown.