Monday, 7 July 2025
Friday, 4 July 2025
I don't like Summer...
But the feeling is mutual, Summer doesn't like me either.
I was bitten ten times over two days this week, one was quite nasty and the swelling is only just going down. I've tried all sorts of things over the years that are supposed to stop you getting bitten, nothing I've tried has worked, they always get me!
But apart from not liking bugs, because they like to nibble on me, I have a serious fear of things that flutter, so butterflies, moths, dragonflies, daddy longlegs, that sort of thing, but moths in particular. I didn't go into our back sitting room for two days a few weeks ago because there was a huge moth in there, Mark was away so my son in law kindly came to evict it.
Hubby likes to tell people how I abandoned the car in the middle of the high street once because a moth had got through the air vent, it's true, I did, It was about 10pm and I just stopped the car and got as far away as possible. I stopped a random stranger, who must have thought I was a complete mad woman, but he got the moth out for me. Might sound like a funny story but I would have walked home rather than get back in that car, and in fairness it was one of those big hairy things, ugh!!
Anyway, bugs and fluttering things aside I have managed to get quite a bit done in the garden this week. The greenhouse has had a good sort out and clean, I've washed and organized all the pots and modular trays and taken anything I wasn't going to use to the allotment sharing shelf
But then I came back with this little harvest on Monday and Wednesday and I'm chuffed to bits that I grew this food 😀
It seems I'm not the only one that's been suffering in the heat, my sweet peas at the allotment did really well for a couple weeks and now they are on the turn, the ones at home haven't really got going at all, a very poor show this year. The fuchsias in the window boxes are doing okay, I got them from the garden centre this year and they haven't trailed as much as the ones that I've bought from Aldi in the past although the flowers are lovely and big. Five of the eight dahlia's I planted came up, hoping they will grow a bit now they have been moved, I bought some copper scourers which I've stretched and put around the pots. I got Mark to move the hydrangea in the pot to the middle of the boarder, the ground is just too hard to dig out to plant anything and it fills the place nicely, I can see it from the kitchen window too now.
No grass was growing in this shaded corner so I cut it out and planted some shade loving plants a while ago, so far they are all doing really well, even the hosta has survived, I'm putting that success down to the wool pellets I scattered around.
And a few weeks ago Aldi had one of the pots I wanted for the mind your own business plant I bought in the Spring, I was happy to find one at a reasonable price, although he does look rather stern
Monday, 30 June 2025
Our first outing
Sunday, 15 June 2025
A finish and a day out
Sunday, 1 June 2025
New adventures await us
Tuesday, 27 May 2025
All my plants and seedlings had come on in leaps and bounds while I was away, my new sowings of runner beans were only just beginning to show when I left, they grew about a foot in a week!
The garden needed a good tidying up after being unattended for a week, I spent all day Sunday doing that as well as my holiday washing. Good job I did as it hasn't stopped raining since, looks like I chose the best week to go away 😉
Tons of strawberries just waiting now for a bit of sun to ripen them. The birds have been eating some of the ones on the allotment, we've covered them in netting now so hopefully that will stop them. It's not a problem I've had with the ones in my garden
Friday, 23 May 2025
A little train ride
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
A drive out
I took a drive out yesterday. The Menai Strait separating the mainland of Wales and the island of Anglesey and it's famous suspension bridge is only thirty minutes from Llandudno. I had never seen it, so something to cross of my list of things to see while i'm here.
Designed by Thomas Telford it was the worlds first major suspension bridge. Work started in 1819 and was completed in 1826, it still carries road traffic and is a Grade I listed structure. Before the bridge was built crossing to the mainland was difficult as this particular stretch of water has strong currents and whirlpools created by the four tidal flows each day and the twice a day tides. These kind of structures always amaze me, built without modern day tools and machinery, (and all the risk assessments and method statements needed to do anything today,) they managed to build something that not only looks good but is serviceable and has stood for almost 200 years.