Hello Dhaaarlings...
Princess has continued to remain busy despite trying to slow down...
Over the past few weeks the palais grounds have been snipped, slashed, pruned back, weeded, mown, raked, fed and watered, dug up and replanted to within an inch of it's life... and is now looking more like a garden again rather than an overgrown jungle of weeds and neglected plants...
Even Spot did some supervising...
Even Spot did some supervising...
It's been hard work but I'm feeling good and after 10 trailer loads of green waste have become best friends with the person on the gate at the local tip/green waste recycling centre...
At least the orchard is looking neat and tidy... even if the Apricot is struggling with fruit this year... We got pruning a little late...
The roses have been a picture... "Blue Moon" continues to climb over the arbour but sadly I lost my favourite "Black Boy" Climber. It finally succumbed to the dreaded "Black Spot" despite regular spraying... but it put up a valiant struggle right until the end... You can see what is left of it in the picture above with "Spot" the dog supervising... It will be getting dug out and replaced with another very soon...
The pink climbing rose "Leonardo de Vinci" has been a stunner this year but is somewhat shaded out by the Apple Tree...
The Vegetable patch had been very neglected and most of the bathes were only growing weeds over autumn and winter...
But now look at them..
Sno Peas Chard/Silverbeet and varieties of minuette lettuce
Many of the lettuce are self sown from last years crop going to seed and are also popping up all through the surrounding lawn areas...
A bath full of Zucchini/Courgette with a self sown Tomato... Sweetcorn and Lebanese Cucumbers in the bathe to the right...
The first of the Purple Dwarf Bush Beans are just starting to reach harvesting size...
Sharing a bath with climbing string less beans that are engaged in a battle with the Wisteria for territory on the climbing frame... (Between you and me the Wisteria is in for a pruning tomorrow)
The bed base in front of the beans and tomato plants is one of two that I scored for free that were on their way to the tip.
I think they will make a terrific climbing frame for cucumbers or beans or Sno peas or cherry tomatoes next season
Zucchini with it's first crop of fruit not quite big enough to pick just yet but give them another day or two and well have fresh Zucchini Slice...Mmmm...
Sno Peas still manage to astonish me with the rate at which they grow. Pods that are too small to pick one day almost double in size overnight ready to pick the next morning...
I have had the same parsley plant growing in the same pot for about 10 years now... It has survived the worst of the droughts by growing smaller leaves and when water has been plentiful it takes off again producing large lush bunches of leaves... I walk past it every day but barely even notice it...
Today I stopped to examine it a little closer and to see if it needed some more soil
I was surprised to see the size of it's stalk!
It is quite huge...With another offshoot about half it's size half way along... Now I know why the plant always looks so bushy... it could probably do with a top up of soil but now I'm worried that the shock might kill it!
This is what it usually looks like when just walking past it...
I've planted tomato bushes in both pots and baths this year, hoping to be able to harvest enough to preserve and or make sauce... we will have to wait and see... Last year we managed to bottle cherry tomato's which have been well used in batches of bolognaise and added to pasta for a quick healthy meal.
When they start to fruit I'll post mor pics...
Until next time darlings you know where to find me...
I'll be head down and Bottom up somewhere in the garden...
