Hello, hello! Wow this month has felt busy and lovely and full of family. But I am tired and I am seem to constantly have laundry to do!
Not sure if you remember but a couple of years ago we made a pond out of a big old wooden planter and added a barrel as a water feature. Each year I plant out the barrel with flowers, but this year we decided to do a bit more of a rockery so that it would be nice in the Winter too and last week we did it! The grass and plant next to it will grow about a foot tall and I can't wait to see it all fill out!Usually by now my greenhouse is full of seeds growing, but I have been a bit behind this year with only a few trays done but I am going to be grabbing every free moment this weekend to get them done!
Have you been getting much soil under your nails?
How are your crops coming on?
I’ve been picking tomato’s for the last month, cucumbers for the last week and today some runner beans! 🍅🥒🫛
It is my first year growing cucumbers so it’s very exciting!! They are lovely and sweet and will definitely be growing them again 😍 The potato’s in potato bags haven’t done so well but there seem to be lots in the compost heap and even in with the beans that are doing very well! 🥔🥔🥔
I also wanted to give a little shout out for Bill’s ‘snack garden’ that got Silver in Hundred House Show! 🥈
Are you growing anything new this year?
We are so happy it’s the weekend here in our little wooden house ... the boys are exhausted and we are counting down until the end of term! Billy and Jack had a talk on carnivorous plants this afternoon and came home with this beauty! It is a Sarracenia Purpurea, lives outside and drinks rainwater.
I said it needs a name, so Jack in his usual fashion suggested ‘Plant’ I said how about ‘Peter Parker, from Spiderman’ but Jack said ‘no, it needs to be something more like a plant name.’
‘Like Daisy?’ I asked ... ‘yes, just like Daisy!’ replied Jack
... So meet Daisy, our new fly catcher plant!
My mum has a Nepenthes ‘Bloody Mary’ in a hanging basket and it is amazing!
What is the most unusual plant you have?
We have our first very ripe strawberry of the year! Always an exciting day and usually quickly eaten by one of the boys! I am also growing cucumbers for the first time and I have loved watching these grow and I can’t wait to eat them when they are fully grown!
What have you got growing this year and what is your first fruit or veg that its face?
First day of the Easter Holidays and I feel like my Summer garden hopes for this year are going well!!! Our side yard is at last a lovely place where the boys can ride their bikes and play and now we have somewhere lovely to sit and eat! I am eating every meal outside that I can (Please don’t let it snow next week!!)
Do you use tea leaves in your garden? As a big tea drinker there is never a shortage in our home and as tea is filled with antioxidants not only are they good for you, but your plants love them, too! Tea leaves contain potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and various trace minerals – all of which are particularly delectable for your plants.
You can just pop the tea bags in your pots around your plants, mix them in a jug of water and water your plants or the lawn or just sprinkle them direct on to your lawn to thicken it! If you are planting grass you can soak the seed in brewed tea before seeding your lawn, or plant your lawn with used tea bags.
Also certain compounds in tea can act as a natural repellent for pests like slugs and snails., which is great news to any gardener!!
Hello! Hope you’ve had a lovely week ... I have cleaned out the greenhouse and made a start of sewing some seeds.
Are you a veg or a flower grower? ... I am a bit of both! My favourite vegetable to grow is runner beans, there is nothing like picking them and eating them straight away ... and tomatoes straight from the vine are just delicious!
I have also got some hollyhocks and aubrietia growing (just because they were some seeds that I had to hand!)
What have you got growing?
Hello, hello! How are you all? I have been enjoying the sunshine and every free moment I can outside in the gaden and loving at last having a greenhouse ... I have hardly been on my phone and its been so good ... I feel so much more less stressed and more peaceful! (Reading this back … so much more less stressed … does that make sense??
I have not had much of a sense of smell since getting Covid, but over the last few weeks I have been enjoying gorgeous herby scents again, so here is a lovely diffuser blend:
HERB GARDEN
2 drops of Lemongrass
1 drop of Rosemary
1 drop of Basil
1 drop of Lime
This applies to the garden, but you can also use it at all points of entry in your home. While I know that spiders are a crucial part of our environment, I have a little boy that doesn't want them in our home, and the same applies to mice! Turns out both of them hate peppermint, so get your spray bottles ready. A few drops of peppermint in water, well shaken, will do the trick. You can also add a little washing up liquid too if you want. Spray around your windows and doors to turn these little punks away.
To keep them out of the garden, apply a drop or two to a cotton ball and place them strategically around your plants. It doesn’t harm them, but they hate the fragrance and will look for a new place to hang. Do not apply in direct sunlight.
As today is World Bee Day, I thought it would be fun to share some diffuser blends that the bees would love!!
BUZZING AROUND
2 drops of Rosemary
2 drops of Lemon
HERB HEAVEN2 drops of Marjoram2 drops of Fennel1 drop of ThymeFLORAL FAN2 drops of Lavender1 drop of Rose1 drop of JasmineFRESH MORNING2 drops of Lemongrass2 drops of PeppermintHERB GARDEN2 drops of Rosemary1 drop of Lavender1 drop of ThymeCOTTAGE GARDEN2 drops of Geranium2 drops of Lavender1 drop of Sage
It is World Bee Day tomorrow and I just love seeing bees busy in my garden. Have you ever wondered what to plant to benefit honeybees and native bees, and attract them to your garden? One of the best things you can do for both honeybees and native bees is to plant things that they love and avoid using pesticides or fertiliser's. Why not create a little nectar and pollen haven for the bees in your neighbourhood and for optimal results, try a combination of herbs, annuals, and perennial plants!
Here is a list of some
BEE FRIENDLY PERENNIALS:
Basket flower
Black Eye Susan
Calamintha
Candytuft
Creeping Thyme
Crocus
Dame's Rochet
Echinacea
Foxglove
Gaillardia
Gayfether
Geranium
Globe Thistle
Goldenrod
Helenium
Hosta
Lilac
Lupine
Money Plant
Nepeta
Peonies
Poppy
Rock Cress
Rose
Sea Holly
Verbascum
Veronica
Winter Jasmine
BEE FRIENDLY ANNUALS:
Ageratum
Alyssum
Anchusa
Angel's Trumpet
Baby Blue Eyes
Bachelor's Button
Butterfly Weed
Calendula
Cape Daisy
Coreopsis
Cosmos
Honeywort
Runner beans
Stock
Sunflower
BEE FRIENDLY HERBS:
Anise
Bee Balm
Borage
Catnip
Chives
Clary Sage
Comfry
Fennel
Hyssop
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Lemongrass
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Rosemary
Thyme
Valerian
I am sure there are a lot more ... comment below of any others!
What are you going to grow this year that you never have before that will attract the bees? ... I have a few that I have had in my garden for years, like cadytuft, geranium, roses, poppies, thyme, mint, lilac, lavender, chives and rosemary and often grow runner beans, cosmos, sunflowers and stocks. This year I am growing sea holly, which I never have before!
If you are like me and want to be more natural with what we use in the garden, I am going to be sharing a few ways over the next few months to avoid nasty sprays and chemicals.
Did you know that you probably have some awesome garden fertilizer right in your kitchen? You can boost your soil and all the nutrients it will need to produce healthy plants just by sorting through your food waste.
EGG SHELLS: rinse out and dry your egg shells. Crush them up and either till them into the soil, or sprinkle them into the bottom of the hole where you’ll be planting your seeds or starts. This is especially effective for tomato plants! They’ll transfer calcium into the soil, which helps build healthy cell walls within each plant.
COFFEE GROUNDS: If you don't have these you can pick some up from your favorite coffee spot. I've heard that Starbucks often bag them up and puts them out for gardeners to snag on their next visit. Using coffee grounds as fertilizer adds organic material to the soil, which improves drainage, water retention and aeration in the soil. They’ll also help microorganisms beneficial to plant growth thrive, as well as attract earthworms and repel slugs and snails. And over time they boost nitrogen levels.
BANANA PEELS: We go through bananas like crazy so this is brilliant. You can use them a couple of different ways. Just chop them up and bury them about 4” deep before planting, or soak them for 48 hours to make “banana tea”. Then water your plants with it! These are amazing for the garden because they are filled with potassium, phosphorus, and calcium, along with a host of other minerals, that your plants need.
What do you like to use in your garden?
I am in love with this dahlia that I have grown ... and all the more because at one point I thought it was no more! My grandfather's garden was full of dahlias and so was something I had always wanted to grow.
Back in June a car crashed off the road and into our yard knocking over the wall we had liturally just put up and all my tubs that I had put ontop of the wall while we did some more work, were knocked off and crushed. My little dahlia plant included.
I thought that was the end of my little dahlia plant, but Steve, without telling me, re-potted it and by July I was so surprised at how well it had recovered!
In early September I got my first bloom ... this little plant had been through so much and was so beautiful!
And now here we are in September with the most beautiful flowers ... each one is perfect and just a pretty peachy/pink colour ... I am so thankful that Steve gave it another chance as I honestly thought it had been crushed and was no good! Just shows how well plants can recover!
I can see I will be growing dahlias for years to come, but this one will always be special to me!
