Gardening Weekend

Well the weather was pretty pants yesterday, forcing me to spend the time I had planned to spend in the garden, in the potting shed instead.  This was however time well spent, with planning what I might do in terms of a different layout.

 

Last year most of our tomatoes succumbed to blight, as did many peoples' who kept them out of doors during the summer.  This year we are planning to bring them on right through the summer in the potting shed, to try and avoid this.  So yesterday was spent moving pots and things around in order to create the space that we will need.  I finished that this morning and am quite pleased with the result.

 

It meant that today, many of the flowering plants that we had planned to plant out, had to do just that.  So out into the flower borders went three roses, two fuscias, and a trailing carnation.  Taking their place in the potting shed, are some more tubs of tomatoes, lettuce and leeks (in toilet roll tubes).  The sweetcorn that was planted in this way is going great guns, and has been planted on into bigger pots, with their toilet roll tubes, as these haven't completely rotted through yet.

 

I notice that my broad beans aren't doing as well as some of those growing on the local allotments, but I assume that this is because those on the allotments were planted before the winter, and have had a few extra (albeit cold) weeks to grow on a little further.  That said I am rather proud of mine.  My runner beans have also just poked their little leafy heads out, so soon they will probably start to grow up the can pyramid, that I put in the pot when I planted them from seed.

 

I've stopped for the day now because I wanted to get to the garden centre for more pots before they close.  The lettuce that was planted a few weeks ago didn't take too well to being transplanted on, so instead I thought of sowing the seed in large troughs, and letting them grow straight through without the need to transplant, hopefully they will then produce some nice plants without the need moving between pots as they get bigger.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

I did something this morning, that I have probably only done about three times since Christmas. I put a wristwatch on. I'd like to say that I have just gotten out of the habit of wearing one, but it's not that. It's more that I care less about time passing. Now I still get to work, meetings and most places that I am supposed to be on time, barring circumstances beyond my control, and I am still (almost anally) someone who makes sure that I have "enough" (sorry maria) time to get there. I still broadly know what the time is most of the day (there are clocks everywhere, plus I still have my mobile phone and that has a clock), but I'm not so bothered anymore.

It's liberating in a way. Less tied to modern convention, slightly off-grid. It started with an extension of my weekends, I've never worn a watch at weekends and one day it extended into the week. Since then it's been a daily thing, except for a few odd days. Despite having it on all day, I've not looked at it, instead referring to where it has now been a habit for me to look; wall clock, mobile phone, computer screen.

It might also be something wider than that, my txt comment to my GF today that I'd rather be doing something else than work, despite the fact that the wages pay the bills!

In the meantime though if it is a symptom of something more than just not wearing jewellery, I'll keep my off-grid ways.

Where Do Goldfinches Go At Night?

It's fabulous that we have a pair of Goldfinches nesting in our garden. Most of this week one of them (the female, according to the link above) has been siting in the nest constantly. The male bird has been visiting regularly, and looks as though he been feeding his mate as she sits. I assume there are eggs in the nest and they are incubating them.

The rest of the time he sits in the top of the Hawthorn tree nearby and stands guard. He sees everything, but is very tolerant of our comings and goings. As the sun sets he disappears, I am assuming he just drops down the hedge, and gets in, out of sight and into relative safety.

With the weather we have had this week and last, with everything from storms to blizzards, he's been on station, and she's been on the nest. Their perseverance to succeed makes me proud, to think they chose our garden to build their nest.

As they have very kindly built their nest in full view of our conservatory window, it's possible for us to see what they are up-to without disturbing them in the slightest. It's a kind of reality tv wildlife show.

@willkay

Gingko

Exactly What It Says On The Tin?

When I buy something I expect it to at least contain what it says on the label. A while ago I brought some shower gel that said if would reinvigorate my skin with the "gingko and volcanic mineral extract".

So you think it would be safe to say that it would contain gingko and volcanic mineral extract, or at least have gingko and volcanic mineral extract or perhaps even volcanic mineral extract and gingko in the ingredients list someplace ? Perhaps not surprisingly however neither ingredient appears on the list on the bottle.

So no gingko and volcanic mineral extract, I guess means no reinvigorated skin.

Audience Participation 3

Will picked the following Twitter

Just about to unpack my birthday chiminea

and asked:

Was it fun? Have you lit it? Did you have a good b'day?

Well, actually Will asked that ages ago, and I didn't really want to type a post that said, "No, because the weather's been lousey and we didn't want to sit in the rain just to try it out."

However on Friday, after we'd got back from the hospital, the weather was good, and we had everything we needed so I unpacked the Chiminea, filled it with combustable material, and the rest speaks for itself. It was only a light dinner, with a couple of burgers each and some beer, but I'd say we christened it perfectly, and it kept us nice and warm as the sun went down.

I can see it getting a lot more use too, as it's way more convenient than getting out the whole barbeque when there's just the two of us to cook for. All we need now is the right weather, and not the snow that we've had all day!

We Have Logers

This guy is one handsome chap, and is siting at his guardpost watching over the nest that is in the neighbouring tree.

We realised a few days ago that the Goldfinches were back in the garden, and I checked that the niger seed feeder was in good order and that we had plenty of stores to keep it topped up.

It wasn't until yesterday however that we noticed that they were busy building a nest in our cherry tree. It's difficult to spot because it's well hidden, but from a distance (we're giving them loads of space because we don't want to disturb them) it looks like a tight little ball of twigs and fluff.

Anyhow they've been really busy today, still nest building I think, and so watch this space (and my twitter feed) for Goldfinch watch:

The Results Are In (Nearly)

Tomorrow we make a trip to the hospital for the results of all the tests my GF has had to try and find out what is wrong with her.

If you have nothing better to do around 2pm GMT, please keep your fingers crossed for her that;
1. The results are a diagnosis
2. That there's a treatment

Not Just Any Football Match

So this weekend is the FA Cup semi-final.

Surprisingly my local team are favorites to win at the moment and lift the cup overall. Can they do it? I sincerely hope so, but you never know. I shall watch with bated breath the whole march.

Play up Pompey.