tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318928170251830622024-03-13T14:12:56.939-07:00Mum in Wellieslotus design, garden design, allotment, fran forster, fran lawtonFranjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-75323967996914030802015-07-10T14:00:00.001-07:002016-02-22T12:48:30.116-08:00What a summer... Well it was when I started!!Okay so my promise of more blogging is as reliable as the British weather, but I really have been busy! <div><br></div><div>I've had three projects on the go including various consultations (a glorious way to get to walk around other people's gardens and talk shop). </div><div><br></div><div>The project in North London saw me juggling the logistics of child care and m25 traffic, along with shovelling 3 tonnes of top soil and the same amount of Cotswold gravel. I have always said gardening is better than a gym membership. But in this case I wish I'd had the gym membership for about 6 months to make sure I was strong enough beforehand! </div><div>But it was glorious weather (yes this post began back in July, but let's just skip over that part) and with lovely clients the job was soon finished in time for his fortieth birthday. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOE13L6-REA1UVfnZjQhdYRWDSfKplo8_XARHQIeBmV41SCrhkTAL-crZkPhlF5mMUt2k85QPcWJjHkyxYQGoefPNx0a03s8PFGZaMKtBcfp9uDD1u2zry84rdj1OjMdjBsrsabLl1UYZy/s640/blogger-image--335019473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOE13L6-REA1UVfnZjQhdYRWDSfKplo8_XARHQIeBmV41SCrhkTAL-crZkPhlF5mMUt2k85QPcWJjHkyxYQGoefPNx0a03s8PFGZaMKtBcfp9uDD1u2zry84rdj1OjMdjBsrsabLl1UYZy/s640/blogger-image--335019473.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>My other two projects a planting plan and garden design have been phased works. The designs were finished and approved in the summer but the planting plan couldn't start until the autumn (autumn and spring are the best time to plant). This project will be a work in progress as we plant each border when it becomes ready. I'll post some photos when the borders begin the bloom. </div><div><br></div><div>As I am still quite a newbie to Newbury it's taken a while to find a good landscaper who can do the job and to find a time when he is free to start the work. But eventually in February Pete from all aspect landscape started work on my first Newbury garden build. </div><div><br></div><div>I love the beginning of a garden build, it's like putting the first mark on a canvas or the first chip in the marble. I also love the clients reaction when they see the design they have only seen on paper, marked out on the ground. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOU2yZQHocsTrGVgODxWCvd3mKWhYU_ywp7AiFO9VRn6R87lMxRBqh0u6qffA46q48mpybRKLyCH08wfKYlY8O6fn6l_lLm0RiLk-RG6iqQVWf-8H_zwdBBc7igSCP_V_aZ7zY_egLLv2/s640/blogger-image--1977525189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOU2yZQHocsTrGVgODxWCvd3mKWhYU_ywp7AiFO9VRn6R87lMxRBqh0u6qffA46q48mpybRKLyCH08wfKYlY8O6fn6l_lLm0RiLk-RG6iqQVWf-8H_zwdBBc7igSCP_V_aZ7zY_egLLv2/s640/blogger-image--1977525189.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I'll be posting photos as this project develops. </div><div><br></div><div>The beginning of the year has seen, quite frankly abysmal weather, storms, high winds, rain and yet more rain. But to distract me from staring dismally out the window like Sally in The Cat in The Hat, I had the party of a lifetime to get ready for!! </div><div>Venise sous Paris was an 18th century Venetian ball in the heart of Paris. Casanova's Palace! Dress code was of course strict so I set about making a harlequin costume to match ma soeur Colombine. Pinterest had me obsessed again! And the local fabric shop's profit increased astronomically! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1XJkuDWBzk_ytPck7G3AeSfq74bKAsA0bxA9Ox7q45Pn7YoSgm8KJj0UmdIk-9qwoLZPeihqHDUZL5k8nJY8BUiUHcu_VQ1K48jcMBjnzqQ5XC11hYSq3ZRlI4F_OrA9MnfH-Js-XeB3/s640/blogger-image--313466443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1XJkuDWBzk_ytPck7G3AeSfq74bKAsA0bxA9Ox7q45Pn7YoSgm8KJj0UmdIk-9qwoLZPeihqHDUZL5k8nJY8BUiUHcu_VQ1K48jcMBjnzqQ5XC11hYSq3ZRlI4F_OrA9MnfH-Js-XeB3/s640/blogger-image--313466443.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>eBay was attacked with gusto,Two "no sew tutus" and a ruffle later..... All I needed was a mask. So who better to go to than "just posh masks" and one harlequin mask complete with bells arrived to my squeals of delight. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRqpuFjvUoooQtBz4V2sRh7y1kTujdd6lxTjQQZtL-OJFbuIXYdmRsEf73GnGRa8C1p04ImUvAdnDHOHiHVsdc3FAv2xCgd00XfuTdzMkLZljg8UI5wX9bLKTwz51uBFLawS1pb5-KpT4/s640/blogger-image-1078956411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRqpuFjvUoooQtBz4V2sRh7y1kTujdd6lxTjQQZtL-OJFbuIXYdmRsEf73GnGRa8C1p04ImUvAdnDHOHiHVsdc3FAv2xCgd00XfuTdzMkLZljg8UI5wX9bLKTwz51uBFLawS1pb5-KpT4/s640/blogger-image-1078956411.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Ma soeur et moi arrived in Paris, lugged my luggage up six, yes SIX!, flights of stairs (no wonder Parisians are so svelte). It was worth it for the view, champagne, sausage and cheese. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5p4qNU9j14etIoNcM4bDv799dD83EnClmZFnKPCm55za66FZvIbFwbfmpRRA2-_z_s6QScuCJa3Sio0yikxKA0mVSoccjUDWcTbT3jGGlFLrVhv_7yRKmAkRqztomadds5Ddl_raeGiyx/s640/blogger-image--1005148468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5p4qNU9j14etIoNcM4bDv799dD83EnClmZFnKPCm55za66FZvIbFwbfmpRRA2-_z_s6QScuCJa3Sio0yikxKA0mVSoccjUDWcTbT3jGGlFLrVhv_7yRKmAkRqztomadds5Ddl_raeGiyx/s640/blogger-image--1005148468.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>The ball was magnificent. On arrival we were taken into a plague doctors room (it was 18th century Venice), a court of law and a prison (Casanova was imprisoned for 2 years for a close "friendship" with the doges wife) Then an audience with Casanova himself! (Of course he was very charming!)</div><div><br></div><div>Then we danced, not quite until dawn but at least unt my feet hurt so much I had to take my harlequin boots off. But not before I had done the split at the foot of the doges throne!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7kJj4fSaQAG1CdqH9mGc2iw05scWIHQ5tMcgrrx0p0xgRqDV4LMHWqn85yOVWl44pGZkX0qY1nfKmbzTnrpIEjuffP4F4z9XUFFa4hOGxDarkqyHvYHcb6DsNew3UfDm5TnYcRrDvyEo/s640/blogger-image--1992861604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7kJj4fSaQAG1CdqH9mGc2iw05scWIHQ5tMcgrrx0p0xgRqDV4LMHWqn85yOVWl44pGZkX0qY1nfKmbzTnrpIEjuffP4F4z9XUFFa4hOGxDarkqyHvYHcb6DsNew3UfDm5TnYcRrDvyEo/s640/blogger-image--1992861604.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-48896899005180127682015-06-08T10:02:00.003-07:002015-06-08T14:56:53.050-07:00Loving my work<br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spring has sprung, the grass is ris,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wonder where the boidies is</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The boid is on the wing,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that’s absoid</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From what I hoid </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The wing is on the boid!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>the beautiful blackbird - with an unfortunate latin name!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay so I've been doing a lot of phonetics with holly at school and it seems to be creating all sorts of trouble with the old rhyme my dad used to say when the spring arrived. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's well and truly arrived, well on some days anyway. The rest of the time it seems to be caught between pooh bears blustery day and Pygmalions rain in Spain. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Nectaroscordum siculum, out and dancing in the <br>sunshine in one of my gardens in Thatcham</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But with everyone itching to get out into their gardens I've been getting calls to design gardens and create planting plans, which is awesome!! While it's been great designing my own garden and working at the allotment. Getting the opportunity to create something special for someone else is always exciting. I love creating. It's so satisfying to see the look on clients faces when they like what you've come up with. It's always nerve wracking the journey to their house as I take my precious ideas to them. How will they react? Is it going to be a disaster? Will there be tears, and if so, theirs or mine? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far I'm my career it's always been positive, and I breath a sign of relieve. It must be something to do with my need for acceptance! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>one of my garden designs, inspired by peacock feathers</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So as I've been juggling surveys, designs and meeting new landscapers, my own garden has been growing, and growing. It seems to change every day which is very exciting. I still love walking out every morning to see what's flowered, if anything needs attention. But now I have a list as long as my arm (or maybe two arms, they are quite short!)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>the bees are so busy it's truly difficult to photograph them! Geranium Roxanne and Alchemilla mollis staying still for the camera.</b></span></td></tr>
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Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-3383223472256272712014-09-24T10:41:00.001-07:002014-09-24T11:37:41.620-07:00Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkdlTAmhmQ-UpGP-n0zb5jxQa6I4XlCxD9orYZjF0y13FnzruMa01T-P34AN362CEGTKUlQW9Bmsw3_zQrMmJyeQ-UY_FOefRJTVlXgazNZZgLwsVlNxF92n0RGQvzDXoX_W4ZJa6aV18/s640/blogger-image-1443617299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkdlTAmhmQ-UpGP-n0zb5jxQa6I4XlCxD9orYZjF0y13FnzruMa01T-P34AN362CEGTKUlQW9Bmsw3_zQrMmJyeQ-UY_FOefRJTVlXgazNZZgLwsVlNxF92n0RGQvzDXoX_W4ZJa6aV18/s640/blogger-image-1443617299.jpg"></a></div>August is a fabulously relaxing month in the garden. The tall grasses glint and shimmer in the languid air the bees buzz lazily from flower to flower catching a nap on the Cirsium when so full of nectar the can go no further. The sun shone and okay the rain rained too but we so needed it. </span></div><div><br></div><div>The summer holidays coming to an end and we spend more afternoons at the allotment, harvesting beans of all sorts, lettuce, patti pans, cucumbers, tomatoes.</div><div>But along with the harvest came some unwelcome visitors. I donned my marigolds and I squashed a lot and I mean a lot of insects and bugs. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrx75Xg6zTkg2L8sbg9PXSrhWeFAHMZbE6CIQ-GZG8jZBYjOiJWIRxnyO9UhJ5w5ph6qHnKFvuL7YRVubsybLOoc6tahUaixeLbEH0FJxuR4b9PN9v5R0WqdK4gV3BIswip9EumUPYQzF7/s640/blogger-image-1398088163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrx75Xg6zTkg2L8sbg9PXSrhWeFAHMZbE6CIQ-GZG8jZBYjOiJWIRxnyO9UhJ5w5ph6qHnKFvuL7YRVubsybLOoc6tahUaixeLbEH0FJxuR4b9PN9v5R0WqdK4gV3BIswip9EumUPYQzF7/s640/blogger-image-1398088163.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>My favourite to squish was the asparagus beetles and larvae. I squashed so many that I even ended up sqooshing them without my marigolds. Slugs got chopped in half with spades and caterpillars trampled under foot (but not while my girls were about, thanks a lot Eric Carle!)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsMTAvP0ujtenKV2nrpqiibf-9d9w5byMx8e8juh3fBWJB1N7rTb2xtLUsBM_vI3kff36q8iRalH1KpxPe2Zx_5gXONndnSWibh1tBNEJInNh7yOpYQevErenbt9Ljv8HMgW1PCTBgjln/s640/blogger-image--778416068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsMTAvP0ujtenKV2nrpqiibf-9d9w5byMx8e8juh3fBWJB1N7rTb2xtLUsBM_vI3kff36q8iRalH1KpxPe2Zx_5gXONndnSWibh1tBNEJInNh7yOpYQevErenbt9Ljv8HMgW1PCTBgjln/s640/blogger-image--778416068.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>But it wasn't contained to the little beasties above ground. I had holey potatoes and nibbled carrots. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgN-Fcm9PXj3WfbbrxxMMLzglCSiEgDaa_JiK9KzR2C4sFbqsWjcC8t09A5R6JcjHy8MUfDyteB30ZvCwYemqwUFjTqTBAGuEDY4BBXrPkQCR_7-Nvou9KzOGdDm3QhM1pJfP46GXzkvc/s640/blogger-image-1104332599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgN-Fcm9PXj3WfbbrxxMMLzglCSiEgDaa_JiK9KzR2C4sFbqsWjcC8t09A5R6JcjHy8MUfDyteB30ZvCwYemqwUFjTqTBAGuEDY4BBXrPkQCR_7-Nvou9KzOGdDm3QhM1pJfP46GXzkvc/s640/blogger-image-1104332599.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I think that the potatoes had eelworm, apparently it is quite common in allotments and especially recently cleared allotments. Having done some research it can last in the ground up to 4 years even if no potatoes are grown! A little more research and I found this article. http://www.farmersweekly.co.za/article.aspx?id=4807&h=Using-radish-to-control-cyst-eelworm</div><div>Apparently the larvae see the radish as a host but once feeding on it can only turn into male worms! It can reduce the population by 95% and is a green manure. I shall be trying this next year. And only planting early potatoes (the worms are active after they have been harvested). </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_iiWThhWlMCAXpNflsfPLD7TqPMLAcOdFVHRQ_4J-fR-xqB78lYg7riatWqhobgUIRYRLJLr_RMV-CsS8Cf9E8SxeO-wZLM5Wm6XWckBY0hxJHU54er4fisEiVmIwwQdrvIKzujFqdH4/s640/blogger-image--1799861867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_iiWThhWlMCAXpNflsfPLD7TqPMLAcOdFVHRQ_4J-fR-xqB78lYg7riatWqhobgUIRYRLJLr_RMV-CsS8Cf9E8SxeO-wZLM5Wm6XWckBY0hxJHU54er4fisEiVmIwwQdrvIKzujFqdH4/s640/blogger-image--1799861867.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>As for my carrots they shall be surrounded by marigolds. (Carrot flies can't fly that high)</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-37048209504152502282014-08-04T12:27:00.001-07:002014-08-04T12:47:03.193-07:00It's too darn hot<blockquote class="quoteBody" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 25px; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation.</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Gorgeous sunflowers from the allotment</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a very busy and very hot July. The kids social calendar went crazy, the weather went crazy, and the plants went crazy. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got my creative hat on and made tea cups for Alice in Wonderland at <a href="http://peaceinthepark.globalretreatcentre.org/" target="_blank">Peace in the Park</a> at the global retreat in Oxfordshire. The festival was fantastic. Not only did it have the best Wonderland and happy performance of Alice, but we could make our own dream catchers, memory sticks and of course face painting! Best of all it was all free, we will definitely be making a return visit next year.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>a glorious mad hatters teaparty</b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's big sisters for you!</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also made some carnival signs for the school fete then spent two hours painting many cat, dog and frozen faces in the amazingly hot and very successful fete. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the builders transformed out 1970's bathroom into a 21st century one I got on with painting the fencing and finishing off the obelisks. Some people might find painting fences boring but for a bit of peace and quiet and to stand in the sun catching some rays, for me, its heaven.</span><br />
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<b>My own mix of paint With the help of <a href="http://www.mikspaints.com/" target="_blank">Miks paints</a></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then to the final bits of planting, I was definitely squeezing plants in towards the end. (Though the climbers are still staked and not on wire yet, poor things!). All I can say is the garden has bloomed and is bursting with colour, shape and texture. The Verbena bonariensis is reaching for the sky and the Miscanthus is coming into flower with delicate fronds of red and gold, mixed in with umbles of Sedum matrona and the large soft silver leaves of Stacyhs byzantina Big Ears.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miscanthus Flamingo flower heads with Verbena bonariensis in the background</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the earlier flowering plants are starting to go over and produce sculptural skeletons that will keep their shape well into the winter if the weather does not batter them too much, Alliums, aquilegia, opium poppies, they all have great seed heads and I'll leave some and collect the seeds off others. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allium Purple Sensation seed heads</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other plants I can cut back the dead flower heads and they will produce new flowers, the geraniums always benefit from cutting back and they produce new leaves and flowers. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hemerocaulis Stafford is producing deep red stars with fabulous yellow throats. And I delight in going out every day to deadhead yesterday's flowers and see the new flowers and buds. (They're not called day lillies for nothing!)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Agastache are going and going and going, the vibrant purple shining against the white of the Hydrangea Annabelle and the red spires of the Persicaria amplexicaulis Rosea. Spires and pom-poms, I love it!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(It's always difficult to write this while a 3yr old is crawling over you asking to play ponies !)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July saw the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer holidays. The end of term went with a bang, or rather bangers, as we organised for some of Holly's friends to go for supper in the woods with the woodland imps. A fabulous playgroup in the middle of the woods <a href="http://www.adventurechildcare.co.uk/" target="_blank">Explorers Toddler group</a>, with all sorts of woodland play; mudpie kitchen, balancing logs and stare at the canopy hammocks. (I'm sure these were for the parents!). All followed by campfire hotdogs and marshmallow s'mores. I too home two very grubby, tire but contented children asking when the could go back to see the boggles. </span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holly the chrysalis</span><i> </i></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was swiftly followed by our first family camping experiment. I was expecting rain (a cloud will go 100miles out of its way just to rain on a tent I'm told), screaming childern (SPIDERS!FLIES!), and no sleep (late to bed and early to rise). I was so wrong. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under the sea! Under the sea!</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weather continued to be amazing, the kids were fascinated by the wildlife and actually asked to go to bed! The experience was made all the better by delightful company. (2 other families with kids the same age all playing like Swiss family Robinson)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With only one week away the allotment has gone nuts! Not only am I now inundated with purple beans, long beans and runner beans, lettuce, sunflowers, mooli and our first red carrot, the bindweed that I cleared two weeks ago has taken over everything. Another blast with round up is required. I also had a welcome call from newbury tools to say that my strimmer was ready to pick up! This will lead to a much better relationship with my very understanding allotment neighbours as I strim the jungle that is the back and the edges of my plot.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Supposedly helping but actually just eating.</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is too much going on plant wits to fill this page so I will continue another day as the heavens are about to open and I am sat having a quite moment in the garden and I'd rather not get drenched. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mooli, red carrot, purple beans, patty pan and much more!</span></b></span></td></tr>
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Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-38310192375426836262014-06-29T08:23:00.001-07:002014-06-29T08:23:14.084-07:00Perfume<div><br></div><div><article class="quoteContainer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 15px 10px; position: relative;"><div class="quoteContentContainer" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-left: 35px;"><div class="quote" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; position: relative; border-bottom-style: none; padding: 0px 10px;"><blockquote class="quoteBody" style="text-indent: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it."</span></blockquote><div class="quoteDetails" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 25px; padding-top: 10px;"><br></div><div class="quoteDetails" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 25px; padding-top: 10px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> I think Patrick Suskind writes it perfectly so I'll just add some photos of the beautiful flowers with lungfulls of persuasive fragrance. </span></div><div class="quoteDetails" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 25px; padding-top: 10px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5DFLoh_evJ7vu2iELt3BpY6DzbvU1ZKK-NrZG6cl824lD-FSV_kqePFz07V2OHcOmQ42MLm0xtwZ7BH-MSYxRT7glA_xpPFaJr66JjxoRFifmW-DzVi1gIKW3uQ1S0NL2SysIIIC5JHt/s640/blogger-image--1596239051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5DFLoh_evJ7vu2iELt3BpY6DzbvU1ZKK-NrZG6cl824lD-FSV_kqePFz07V2OHcOmQ42MLm0xtwZ7BH-MSYxRT7glA_xpPFaJr66JjxoRFifmW-DzVi1gIKW3uQ1S0NL2SysIIIC5JHt/s640/blogger-image--1596239051.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>Rosa centrifolia. One of the plants from the fields in Grasse where JOY Parfum is made.</i></b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cUxcKDiRAMzSORUmAyp_-6U05FXb9iVeKBqv_dzCYuIxUwP7GgpNgAynREdgjcSBsotyfoQooY8hmISpH7Oa6ghleC7ijnn-gFE0K1fQeYTGX3fWALPKjYML2rXF2E1YDWrmyYC9MpmY/s640/blogger-image--221044780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cUxcKDiRAMzSORUmAyp_-6U05FXb9iVeKBqv_dzCYuIxUwP7GgpNgAynREdgjcSBsotyfoQooY8hmISpH7Oa6ghleC7ijnn-gFE0K1fQeYTGX3fWALPKjYML2rXF2E1YDWrmyYC9MpmY/s640/blogger-image--221044780.jpg"></a></div><b><i>Phlox blue paradise one of the best fragrant phloxes </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i><br></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUHYCQ4a_B5tebHwG2yTy2z4roGf6ZiiRVq4JTK3YP4bNdHmJ8rgjjJwDo2AB7Fl5HOizf4zsdjBX_QhZwU_76TXmWYwzir6yKA2h68jPVrxgfwH-uaezztWG5T5_R70QB5bTYOvhJraz/s640/blogger-image--58934158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUHYCQ4a_B5tebHwG2yTy2z4roGf6ZiiRVq4JTK3YP4bNdHmJ8rgjjJwDo2AB7Fl5HOizf4zsdjBX_QhZwU_76TXmWYwzir6yKA2h68jPVrxgfwH-uaezztWG5T5_R70QB5bTYOvhJraz/s640/blogger-image--58934158.jpg"></a></div><b><i>Trachylospermum jasminoides, star jasmine is a great evergreen climber with whorls of cream jasmine scented flowers in the summer.</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i><br></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2WcBxozNahICkTk1lZKotZnFrlHRpP91ZbdpfjQUwxqh2NQEVs6Wl6Tk_aCR_rRZ8V13zBrojExvW596b2AWlrfDXXPZmsFs_K7IZdyK6PsZ_DcbiOlFpu7ZprnB40W1LDTgLijDVWgJ/s640/blogger-image-344612179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2WcBxozNahICkTk1lZKotZnFrlHRpP91ZbdpfjQUwxqh2NQEVs6Wl6Tk_aCR_rRZ8V13zBrojExvW596b2AWlrfDXXPZmsFs_K7IZdyK6PsZ_DcbiOlFpu7ZprnB40W1LDTgLijDVWgJ/s640/blogger-image-344612179.jpg"></a></div>Lavendula Hidcote. A reliable garden favourite. </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i><br></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyedYSlV1_4NvaV_NdwMvPgPWv1yqqSIdguOnIViScUOGl-yVAqoYhFAQbG9y50oPD4M2_a1-5p2n8p-MCPHgQq9853kM5iCYDc1OwbjOysfXNyU3xqByxi3CloTAMTy_91zlV6DHFVqa/s640/blogger-image-796852934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyedYSlV1_4NvaV_NdwMvPgPWv1yqqSIdguOnIViScUOGl-yVAqoYhFAQbG9y50oPD4M2_a1-5p2n8p-MCPHgQq9853kM5iCYDc1OwbjOysfXNyU3xqByxi3CloTAMTy_91zlV6DHFVqa/s640/blogger-image-796852934.jpg"></a></div>Agastache Blue Boa. The flowers aren't fragrant but the leaves are very aromatic. It's a great free flowering summer perennial</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i><br></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd52f_bm_XyhIxEal3wFt7xsjyXS_ASM42NUSmAjjt7KXApYgGEn25IdFBIzY4qrQz9Z_Yhp2HpBPoK10SnnXujF_7W6eK67kbHkoJo0UO8PYf2uML9p_JwWUyHBVRKqA1yIAAR73RTY8K/s640/blogger-image--358875678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd52f_bm_XyhIxEal3wFt7xsjyXS_ASM42NUSmAjjt7KXApYgGEn25IdFBIzY4qrQz9Z_Yhp2HpBPoK10SnnXujF_7W6eK67kbHkoJo0UO8PYf2uML9p_JwWUyHBVRKqA1yIAAR73RTY8K/s640/blogger-image--358875678.jpg"></a></div>Rosa rugosa. A vigorous free flowering fragrant rose. It's extremely prickly!</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i><br></i></b></div><br></span></div></div></div></article><article class="quoteContainer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 15px 10px; position: relative; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><div class="quoteIconWrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 10px; position: absolute; top: 15px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/39402.Patrick_S_skind" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(16, 75, 139); text-decoration: none;"></a></div></article></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-71759626121923554062014-06-22T12:37:00.001-07:002014-06-22T13:04:32.177-07:00Curiouser and curiouser<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk9nKio3jiFjBBd0JSoFNzHv2miD8CfXj1gLbTR9snHaxj2HMEnPRWaBzyEUBJN1KgEY09SkZ23cctxknxM1MhSbNeedL0kMRUUvsbPceUNfawL-zM2jDmFPB9m2vhR4QkFOrulG6F411/s640/blogger-image-520736113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk9nKio3jiFjBBd0JSoFNzHv2miD8CfXj1gLbTR9snHaxj2HMEnPRWaBzyEUBJN1KgEY09SkZ23cctxknxM1MhSbNeedL0kMRUUvsbPceUNfawL-zM2jDmFPB9m2vhR4QkFOrulG6F411/s640/blogger-image-520736113.jpg"></a></div><table id="tbl_qt_0" class="QuoteThought_Quote" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 5px; cursor: pointer; width: 374px;"><tbody><tr><td><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b><i>Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers, but she could not even get her head through the doorway. . . .</i></b><br></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">This is how I felt in the dark winter. I could see a beautiful garden in my head but squeezing it through the small passage from my imagination into reality seemed almost impossible. </span><br><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">Looking back on these posts I realise how far we have come. The last you saw was a photo of Bjorn laying the aluminium edging in the rain. Since that we had a delivery of Buxus ants to create the hedging and some very large Buxus cubes which we fought with to get into place. </span><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9P5OlXCQeOfkKa50HqASswnqfzm09bz_k2dI80CsQy2o5hYwkKqbsU2b-dQC5-j1qiW_KA96QG4NLvNuc0jvwqyaYhtzWIZ6j_5Z-pR5T-zelTpvpBKUlt6OYOl1thzemLTcjAmggGND/s640/blogger-image-419639117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9P5OlXCQeOfkKa50HqASswnqfzm09bz_k2dI80CsQy2o5hYwkKqbsU2b-dQC5-j1qiW_KA96QG4NLvNuc0jvwqyaYhtzWIZ6j_5Z-pR5T-zelTpvpBKUlt6OYOl1thzemLTcjAmggGND/s640/blogger-image-419639117.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>The new box hedging on dove grey limestone </i></b></div><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">The lawn went down and the raised beds went up. The play area was barked and a willow tunnel attempted. </span><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd8HijI6M1ekGwOUERNWdilbR0PqvqH1iHsWBmjSRSrgbMbohXj0q14splLDcz-NVQabpNhTgWjoDy_0of-jSFGN7rh2BPbuKwS5-VZFNl-RmIq86WiSu619_w7A6JhrqHxNvXDUdPC_4/s640/blogger-image--185560098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd8HijI6M1ekGwOUERNWdilbR0PqvqH1iHsWBmjSRSrgbMbohXj0q14splLDcz-NVQabpNhTgWjoDy_0of-jSFGN7rh2BPbuKwS5-VZFNl-RmIq86WiSu619_w7A6JhrqHxNvXDUdPC_4/s640/blogger-image--185560098.jpg"></a></div><b><i>One lawn down one to go!</i></b></div><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">For quite a while the borders lay empty with just the odd plant that had travelled from London to make it feel like it wasn't just a giant mud pit. Finally a few weeks ago I finalised the plant list and ordered masses of herbaceous and grasses to fill those brown wastelands. </span><br><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">With the glorious sunshine warming my back I dug and dug. I now have brown shoulders and a peaceful riot of colour and texture. </span><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98uvGq-4chjjrnSUyCoAdeeOZe4zGMkVY_4M11OtzAM6FeZ72JtjL8tZFfKNx25XkuGrSGBCgyQOGACY6SbyAfeMka6y8UAIRoi_H68GiCvVNOeGeJLHngEmJWrRHQ9mdU-2wScPQknzW/s640/blogger-image-138800425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98uvGq-4chjjrnSUyCoAdeeOZe4zGMkVY_4M11OtzAM6FeZ72JtjL8tZFfKNx25XkuGrSGBCgyQOGACY6SbyAfeMka6y8UAIRoi_H68GiCvVNOeGeJLHngEmJWrRHQ9mdU-2wScPQknzW/s640/blogger-image-138800425.jpg"></a></div><b><i>Obelisks painted in my very own mix</i></b><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">There are still places available for some of the seedlings I have been growing this year, Gaura, Rudbekia maxima, angelica archangelica among others. </span><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPM9lySJdRSEPM_qJPNVAwJMy-1uB1i6JaKtYn-y8pCJszynK3sjpdyhwruzCmZ4TE1hXGz28WEEyohfPDHPjYiKZSzm3tawvBHHhFh3Kw9Rwk_VSIEopO5M4hrcoAzp0Avm8ZStqtqNR/s640/blogger-image--1419264283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPM9lySJdRSEPM_qJPNVAwJMy-1uB1i6JaKtYn-y8pCJszynK3sjpdyhwruzCmZ4TE1hXGz28WEEyohfPDHPjYiKZSzm3tawvBHHhFh3Kw9Rwk_VSIEopO5M4hrcoAzp0Avm8ZStqtqNR/s640/blogger-image--1419264283.jpg"></a></div><b><i>Filling the borders with colour and texture</i></b></div><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">There are many of my old favourites muscat this Flamingo; a tall beautiful grass with pinky flower heads late in the season, Verbena bonariensis; with its sprays of purple on tall stems.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMPA4leSeW1JuWffieKGoimpI-1hUUsYuc5OEBlAN7yNg7Zy-QK-3hGyuaxMb3YoMb4NtYwBrOQ7BlRrt_PxiQv2s2KrJxwGwd4hD9n3YE5LMJkyFkhr23oqfXqdgsD2CLj0FlyTKjdAm/s640/blogger-image-1456881232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMPA4leSeW1JuWffieKGoimpI-1hUUsYuc5OEBlAN7yNg7Zy-QK-3hGyuaxMb3YoMb4NtYwBrOQ7BlRrt_PxiQv2s2KrJxwGwd4hD9n3YE5LMJkyFkhr23oqfXqdgsD2CLj0FlyTKjdAm/s640/blogger-image-1456881232.jpg"></a></div><b><i>My Miscanthus hasn't flowered yet so here's a library photo</i></b><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht13fhd5nv0tXzoqdNeiFECfLUbXnCO5nBOLMsDtzvH9514lCmhAC1bK7TXO91ruKwq_AxsukpA6Q_hlMJGrxOCbdPMXKvQ6a0BIvZySHBXop0oM028FvgFrXrZJQPtgY4f-xuKnam0f1X/s640/blogger-image--1676993635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht13fhd5nv0tXzoqdNeiFECfLUbXnCO5nBOLMsDtzvH9514lCmhAC1bK7TXO91ruKwq_AxsukpA6Q_hlMJGrxOCbdPMXKvQ6a0BIvZySHBXop0oM028FvgFrXrZJQPtgY4f-xuKnam0f1X/s640/blogger-image--1676993635.jpg"></a></div><b><i>Verbena bonariensis </i></b><br><br> I've been inspired at Chelsea and by one of my favourite designers Piet Oudolf. Lysimachia atropurpurea Beaujolais was all over Chelsea and I saw some at one of my local nurseries Wolverton Plants, I immediately asked Julian if I could have some to which he replied that he'd got them to propagate next year... but if I wanted one I could have it! So I will have my own attempt at propagating, too! The <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAeV5d4gFRq1OAUQOMVr5-_Qa7ocCWC8IPzYUNbsGkWyHK7C16ZTsThELne7dKzBOXb83H0Q48W-jA9gVRaqZ0afnIGlaVX1MpSmEmZKcrMxg8c2POAjhBGXN3cJdJ1fVxkg0RphvU1zM/s640/blogger-image--1622202499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAeV5d4gFRq1OAUQOMVr5-_Qa7ocCWC8IPzYUNbsGkWyHK7C16ZTsThELne7dKzBOXb83H0Q48W-jA9gVRaqZ0afnIGlaVX1MpSmEmZKcrMxg8c2POAjhBGXN3cJdJ1fVxkg0RphvU1zM/s640/blogger-image--1622202499.jpg"></a></div><b><i>My Beaujolais </i></b><br><br>Piet Oudolf influence is Sanguisorba Red Thunder, it's small oval flower heads are are a dense deep red that wave on long stems through its planting companions </span><br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMZZ8OGKnJN0c1sYU3-G6QymPk5LQoM6mQpIOq_gGuRt2kztQwg4DW9QVyL0jBFaNMkqtult-EFwkdbf0hp6JZ5ezf4_-RBPUcxepYpoJ8iJHxHhQu5zVSOcFGdE0VvkNj8FkqLgYlsyp/s640/blogger-image--1562768320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMZZ8OGKnJN0c1sYU3-G6QymPk5LQoM6mQpIOq_gGuRt2kztQwg4DW9QVyL0jBFaNMkqtult-EFwkdbf0hp6JZ5ezf4_-RBPUcxepYpoJ8iJHxHhQu5zVSOcFGdE0VvkNj8FkqLgYlsyp/s640/blogger-image--1562768320.jpg"></a></div><b><i>Sanguisorba Red Thunder</i></b><br>There is still much to do, finish painting the fence and raised beds, putting up the wires for the climbers. But even now I can sit in the garden in the evening and feel at peace listening to the birdsong and watching the plants grow. <br><br><br></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-92182855568805323522014-06-16T01:47:00.001-07:002014-06-16T05:16:30.367-07:00I have a confession.....I'm going to ignore the fact I've been very slack over the winter and spring and jump right in with what's going on right now at the allotment. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60YfAzWTgGMG3fLmM_3KnQYR0WLTbHCwQVYrJqjsRnn_2CNj3oO7UZ8mXJE98bfbUK0tw29CsQ66Ko1FML5Qt1WYoDCfPeN3xpRZfjzYD9jxooVpN7GeTr7mbzOMfI6y9EMjWpERYSZ6i/s640/blogger-image--2027403605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60YfAzWTgGMG3fLmM_3KnQYR0WLTbHCwQVYrJqjsRnn_2CNj3oO7UZ8mXJE98bfbUK0tw29CsQ66Ko1FML5Qt1WYoDCfPeN3xpRZfjzYD9jxooVpN7GeTr7mbzOMfI6y9EMjWpERYSZ6i/s640/blogger-image--2027403605.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>Great new way to get to the allotment</i></b></div><br></div><div>As I said previously Winter was a wash out and I was aware that half the allotment was like a scene from Waterworld and was terrified to go and see for myself. So I stayed away, till March!! That was in hind site a little too long. By the time I got back it was a meadow again. I had a fabulous crop of purple flowered selfheal, unfortunately not what I was hoping to crop. After a couple of days solid weeding I discovered to my joy that 5 out if the 10 asparagus had survived! That may not seem like a great achievement but seeing how they had been decimated by asparagus beetle last summer I was pretty chuffed. All my fruit shrubs were still intact as were the onions and garlic that I had planted in Winter. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-II5VHvKTbJio76ZL9Bd-Qa4v-Jxr57fF8qw7juoAoQKPXhP7wUUkDztDQGLxblvVg5XRpEeGjs0i6PMz3daUN5b4V9Wp8GmGNxe3imZygNs8ch9n2lAG_7J0NKmQMCy5UFusQt-LIva4/s640/blogger-image-243026449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-II5VHvKTbJio76ZL9Bd-Qa4v-Jxr57fF8qw7juoAoQKPXhP7wUUkDztDQGLxblvVg5XRpEeGjs0i6PMz3daUN5b4V9Wp8GmGNxe3imZygNs8ch9n2lAG_7J0NKmQMCy5UFusQt-LIva4/s640/blogger-image-243026449.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>Selfheal, very pretty on masse but not when I want to plant beans!</i></b></div><br></div><div>I lifted the weed surpressant that I had put down last year after rotarvating the second third of the plot not expecting much bit it had done its job well and with a little light digging it was ready for planting. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBpWQvu8LgrJJxCv47jqWNDMyrVxbIstjWjZAjHAM6KwLipsndG5dyaAg5i7t6D76H_Qr-XHBzaSOaQ7SoeQaWOcH2h-0cx0ndKJWlr5p1oDfow3nlR5kYLuSWgr9OiCH5yVmDHAtsO9V/s640/blogger-image-1573382264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBpWQvu8LgrJJxCv47jqWNDMyrVxbIstjWjZAjHAM6KwLipsndG5dyaAg5i7t6D76H_Qr-XHBzaSOaQ7SoeQaWOcH2h-0cx0ndKJWlr5p1oDfow3nlR5kYLuSWgr9OiCH5yVmDHAtsO9V/s640/blogger-image-1573382264.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>The front of the allotment now looks a little more respectable</i></b>. </div><br></div><div>All the seeds that I had been nurturing in the greenhouse were bursting out of their seed trays and I was relieved to finally have space to put them. So in went the sweetcorn (I've also got popping corn but you're not supposed to plant them close to each other as they cross pollinate with disastrous affect. Hard sweetcorn and soggy popping kernels); potatoes, broccoli, mooli, french beans, runner beans, carrots and lettuce, so far.......</div><div><br></div><div>So here is the confession. The final third of the plot I have reluctantly sprayed. I so wanted to do it all by hand and without chemicals but it was just too much for me to be planting growing and doing heavy duty clearing and digging. I feel bad about it, but it's done now but it does show how strong and destructive herbicide is!! I'm desperate to strim it and rotarvating it but my strimmer is in the shop being mended so I must wait. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCxt7rXlfFAgeq7-AAIxrtq2Li5OM4P_kf9yX81kKYrJkNaRJwlrL26BhZUaN1TOb8GccSBbRz4MAVDgQUWmENB1F6L6ok5_2AUThL05UgnoIiXEq2khRYESfBFVMtKJ29SDQKEEWUqLE/s640/blogger-image--1277615801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCxt7rXlfFAgeq7-AAIxrtq2Li5OM4P_kf9yX81kKYrJkNaRJwlrL26BhZUaN1TOb8GccSBbRz4MAVDgQUWmENB1F6L6ok5_2AUThL05UgnoIiXEq2khRYESfBFVMtKJ29SDQKEEWUqLE/s640/blogger-image--1277615801.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>Freshly blonde!</i></b></div></div><div><br></div><div>In the mean time I and about to stuff the little space I have left in the other two thirds with yet more. With the success of the squashes last year I have three more varieties to plant. Jack of all trades for Halloween and snake gourds for the kids and Golden Hubbard for me!! I think I've found out why my sweet dumplings didn't look anything like their pictures last year. There are five species of squash (this includes cucumbers and courgettes) the most common are cucurbita pepo and maxima. So when planting make sure you don't plant squash from the same species as they will cross pollinate with interesting results. The two I've planted Jack of all trades and Hubbard are different species so I should get the real deal!! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pwv5t3dl7MhYC4ihmnyLfLjrhJln5SaG3dYfhIV533s0jGFGxPJ_wuUnvmF3eqGwDpUSF1OFtm_dbYajK5ag7gsC73glEAGTa5NdkAOTr-5dszqhWXNi1Z2Js-0lSqkLM2tSq5LwnQ-A/s640/blogger-image-1015823337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pwv5t3dl7MhYC4ihmnyLfLjrhJln5SaG3dYfhIV533s0jGFGxPJ_wuUnvmF3eqGwDpUSF1OFtm_dbYajK5ag7gsC73glEAGTa5NdkAOTr-5dszqhWXNi1Z2Js-0lSqkLM2tSq5LwnQ-A/s640/blogger-image-1015823337.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>Golden Hubbard, not mine, but I can dream!</i></b></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqMD2xAIK76ff1C27E0RSYeTlVL_kI-M1DE3wZK3EcT7eXx20Ny4nZ5w-cJAO_AJRHFiGjzihRF0gDTq0Rm4aNcOosAUv7_njfYOlox9kAhI9g0RDTGARa54rZIbARnu3_a9FYM2e5gnA/s640/blogger-image-877037813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqMD2xAIK76ff1C27E0RSYeTlVL_kI-M1DE3wZK3EcT7eXx20Ny4nZ5w-cJAO_AJRHFiGjzihRF0gDTq0Rm4aNcOosAUv7_njfYOlox9kAhI9g0RDTGARa54rZIbARnu3_a9FYM2e5gnA/s640/blogger-image-877037813.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>Lottie thinks we are growing real snakes</i></b></div></div><div><br></div><div>So finishing my lazy breakfast and with the sun shining I'm off to plant the squashes and some cabbages!!</div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-34694513856216894322014-06-01T12:27:00.001-07:002014-06-04T11:03:11.289-07:00How did it get to be June!!!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFG_NA63brOchQyVbOFLjpXx_MHxxtLwAYDXelug05SO-3jlcTDBwbySyxxIhiw0BAwAPkCVNDaPdj9e76XFeBBvrDvncg2c7XwzdoVTV7pTjzq9DdWtvlZaP-wI-uLgWxh0rf_LG07-1w/s640/blogger-image--554501126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFG_NA63brOchQyVbOFLjpXx_MHxxtLwAYDXelug05SO-3jlcTDBwbySyxxIhiw0BAwAPkCVNDaPdj9e76XFeBBvrDvncg2c7XwzdoVTV7pTjzq9DdWtvlZaP-wI-uLgWxh0rf_LG07-1w/s640/blogger-image--554501126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFG_NA63brOchQyVbOFLjpXx_MHxxtLwAYDXelug05SO-3jlcTDBwbySyxxIhiw0BAwAPkCVNDaPdj9e76XFeBBvrDvncg2c7XwzdoVTV7pTjzq9DdWtvlZaP-wI-uLgWxh0rf_LG07-1w/s640/blogger-image--554501126.jpg" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Tokenkyo a paradise on Earth</b></span></div></div><br></div><div><br></div>I seem to be having a problem with my blogging (not only have I been silent all Winter and most of the Spring. I've written this post about three times and keep losing it!) <div><br></div><div>I managed to get to Chelsea Flower Show for the first time in ages and oh! what a joy it was. The crowds are hideous and I always wish I could have been there on press day or the build up when there is much less people and much more excitement! But I took my life into my own hands to be elbowed and jostled by the RHS silver surfers! </div><div><br></div><div>The gardens were as always imaculate, built with the precision of a motor engine but with the beauty of nature.</div><div><br></div><div>The artisan gardens (previously classified as courtyard gardens) were little pockets of Eden. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0q-p48Yj3OeaQApm3inRjLq-GnpGT3a1Xc2_AD1qXRQy4AtmfjND-ez_0p0GI4epq6YoBQynhT_b_6YnR6Gmv8mMJE0Bp5cMG7QHN808F-D5rLOIVnuIPi3WjUPNh6v01HXmXMpp1cabj/s640/blogger-image-407999845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0q-p48Yj3OeaQApm3inRjLq-GnpGT3a1Xc2_AD1qXRQy4AtmfjND-ez_0p0GI4epq6YoBQynhT_b_6YnR6Gmv8mMJE0Bp5cMG7QHN808F-D5rLOIVnuIPi3WjUPNh6v01HXmXMpp1cabj/s640/blogger-image-407999845.jpg"></a></div><b>The moss details remind me of Princess Mononoke</b></div><div><br></div><div>I could rattle through them all but that would be boring. So my favourite two were Tokenkyo a paradise on earth by Kazuyuki Ishihara, and the dial a flight potters garden by Nature Redesign. Both very different in style but beautifully executed and full of detail. They were the kind if garden that you could sit in for days and still find something new and beautiful to look at. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TKeLPuLed4_ymEU_PK0wXGsw9VxIBsS15IBH2kajz0YMeUItZxVtVg2EqSMbYXmdl_aJytX1tzwLZ0ccaowu4RDexQjjnPyBgKWObLpDtb-BTsVCu3diAK9pEpkcw-GD1luYnqCiFat8/s640/blogger-image-699558585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TKeLPuLed4_ymEU_PK0wXGsw9VxIBsS15IBH2kajz0YMeUItZxVtVg2EqSMbYXmdl_aJytX1tzwLZ0ccaowu4RDexQjjnPyBgKWObLpDtb-BTsVCu3diAK9pEpkcw-GD1luYnqCiFat8/s640/blogger-image-699558585.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Beautiful planting in the Potters garden </b></div><br></div><div>Ishihara's garden reminds me of the beautiful mountains in Yamanashi near Mount Fuji where the air is so pure and the mountains springs so cold. It is a true Japanese paradise. It could have come straight out of a studio Ghibli film. The exquisitely positioned miss not only covering the ground but up the walls and the gate, softening the surfaces and creating a safe environment to forget all your worldly problems. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshhvx5p1UNP9S4AGsnPno5tVUgrUOaR4O94QzpVfmCCpSGSJ1AITrXJvuLrpbvl7q1uZevfla1b3j-z8HK9P3WH6X3qGXwfyG5KymBmaIqlFzDsh_vpvqWh46gLDELCdMRQGUEe7p2JCp/s640/blogger-image-960074720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshhvx5p1UNP9S4AGsnPno5tVUgrUOaR4O94QzpVfmCCpSGSJ1AITrXJvuLrpbvl7q1uZevfla1b3j-z8HK9P3WH6X3qGXwfyG5KymBmaIqlFzDsh_vpvqWh46gLDELCdMRQGUEe7p2JCp/s640/blogger-image-960074720.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Japanese maples draw your eyes in towards the house</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtH2rPncfVDWYlmzc83n4WL-A5xgNzvWE6ACW0BatudJcNZzCXxr8HU25oKtalqdBQO1SyA-Z4GTebJFD2d3_3jr-g6uUKCoCQnya6LR6fBRANvMOjSkuqDrzXkMGZhNXLdMUnZGtnWZoN/s640/blogger-image--911515013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtH2rPncfVDWYlmzc83n4WL-A5xgNzvWE6ACW0BatudJcNZzCXxr8HU25oKtalqdBQO1SyA-Z4GTebJFD2d3_3jr-g6uUKCoCQnya6LR6fBRANvMOjSkuqDrzXkMGZhNXLdMUnZGtnWZoN/s640/blogger-image--911515013.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Pine tree designed on the gate surrounded by moss</b></div><br></div><div>The Potters garden on the othe hand was asking us to remember. Abandoned in the war of 1914 it is brought back to life lest we forget the great sacrifice those men and women made for their country and the sacrifice the armed forces continue to make to this day. It was the detail that made it for me, the barbed wire and birds on the pots, the discarded belt shells and the little clay plaques with messages from the front. The planting was dense yet delicate, frothing with country favourites. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HlNPQZclzU33fsBG7NdagWvyEkDrC-iVDuBA_zp6SZfa3GIQ8L1ZQx66ih7_hYJk7dnURNcf-mwbxRpDYlBYP8nNDY3EHtPbv1HXLDY7cSF4A8IgcDn5imLHPJRVS6QWEtn6ehKOh7-C/s640/blogger-image-172911806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HlNPQZclzU33fsBG7NdagWvyEkDrC-iVDuBA_zp6SZfa3GIQ8L1ZQx66ih7_hYJk7dnURNcf-mwbxRpDYlBYP8nNDY3EHtPbv1HXLDY7cSF4A8IgcDn5imLHPJRVS6QWEtn6ehKOh7-C/s640/blogger-image-172911806.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Purple honesty</b> <b>in front of the pear tree</b><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HlNPQZclzU33fsBG7NdagWvyEkDrC-iVDuBA_zp6SZfa3GIQ8L1ZQx66ih7_hYJk7dnURNcf-mwbxRpDYlBYP8nNDY3EHtPbv1HXLDY7cSF4A8IgcDn5imLHPJRVS6QWEtn6ehKOh7-C/s640/blogger-image-172911806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak-D5tn2V3zaI5lbb4I-sruK8g0l6YGOMlTLvsTdydCtdNAgML-0J5ORrJlxbSY8Q7uA0EjEgGG1_hMqykjqTz0jAdFX4AAAdXXp9WdpuLOVYfkDaUjnQzoai76WnD0d98S9nwYeYxKtF/s640/blogger-image--1850180303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak-D5tn2V3zaI5lbb4I-sruK8g0l6YGOMlTLvsTdydCtdNAgML-0J5ORrJlxbSY8Q7uA0EjEgGG1_hMqykjqTz0jAdFX4AAAdXXp9WdpuLOVYfkDaUjnQzoai76WnD0d98S9nwYeYxKtF/s640/blogger-image--1850180303.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Nature reclaiming the garden from spent bullets and shells</b><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This could turn into a very long page so I will save the show gardens for another blog. </div></div></div></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-38666728421435587062013-11-16T13:20:00.001-08:002013-11-23T09:55:27.673-08:00The ole too busy to write excuse, again<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>What can I say, I've done it again. At roughly the same time of year as well. It must be something in the late summer air that makes me allergic to typing. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJkFahwQZD339aaQ9yQCCjlM4FWcNxaytj4CFmqQFDhagTpJTL4dvWCJjxE0fmVrGPoPb2yutob5Hb9rYl_XZSvU88Tf9N-_dp4QZAawiotgNdmOVqOgJ0JEyp7EdTNPVCd3rhUl_Lxl5/s640/blogger-image--212084121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJkFahwQZD339aaQ9yQCCjlM4FWcNxaytj4CFmqQFDhagTpJTL4dvWCJjxE0fmVrGPoPb2yutob5Hb9rYl_XZSvU88Tf9N-_dp4QZAawiotgNdmOVqOgJ0JEyp7EdTNPVCd3rhUl_Lxl5/s640/blogger-image--212084121.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div><div>Anyway I've been told off by more that one person and had a verbal kick up the bum (thanks Becky Burns). So I'm back with a swift catch up and hopefully a more regular check in with the blog.</div><div><br></div><div>Okay where to start from? August? August? What happens after that? Ah yes September! Veg was growing and patio slabs were going down. My super duper husband was toiling away at the coal face (or rather patio face) working out falls and cross falls so that all the rain water would run away from the house and into the trench that he had dug deep enough to bury a wife in! This was promptly filled with pea shingle (not wife) the slabs went down without a cross or three in a line join in site! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3KGwtSHeQh056eBr00nVmIAgohrVV4f1eA7MCwwdN5QbtJi4zt_xyu1YaDEz7BGCmpLe5SfO-7FmKfKVl7GZzlfUnn9myagkym3RrMy-AtSYUoSqCdUyBrAvE4KL64s5BtWap4s6Do1G/s640/blogger-image-1735130288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3KGwtSHeQh056eBr00nVmIAgohrVV4f1eA7MCwwdN5QbtJi4zt_xyu1YaDEz7BGCmpLe5SfO-7FmKfKVl7GZzlfUnn9myagkym3RrMy-AtSYUoSqCdUyBrAvE4KL64s5BtWap4s6Do1G/s640/blogger-image-1735130288.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Even with the paving ungrouted the girls couldn't resist playing outside!</b></div><br></div><div><br></div><div> Random paving slabs are a lot more difficult to lay than one would think! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzxLY7yTfHAF7GDuI9VQb-dSIGKiFoXRIbpUAj1sHOgl7GtZZjRlLcJzzuA-opGfirOHxFU1HiZ482qrqqY9O1xJcqKUn-SgxZNzJ7nq04dLQilNPvPI8XZqT1hAZfpwMlX5gRh2QHQSH/s640/blogger-image--63725872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzxLY7yTfHAF7GDuI9VQb-dSIGKiFoXRIbpUAj1sHOgl7GtZZjRlLcJzzuA-opGfirOHxFU1HiZ482qrqqY9O1xJcqKUn-SgxZNzJ7nq04dLQilNPvPI8XZqT1hAZfpwMlX5gRh2QHQSH/s640/blogger-image--63725872.jpg"></a></div><b>Grouting done and the patio looked beautiful.</b> </div><div><br></div><div>Rushing through the Amish shed raising (thanks Dudley and Lucy) and the oak sleeper raised bed, the extremely flat base for the gravel path and onto the shiny aluminium landscape edging! This has been what I was really waiting for! </div><div><br></div><div>Again if it wasn't for Bjorn is still be digging out old turf in the garden. He bent it and shaped it and recent it when is forgotten to tell him about an additional design area, until finally you could truely see the shape of the garden layout!! It has turned a corner! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wQzvfGK85qKToHSe71x2rmQbil_VmW1Ifl_2VNGz4LLj9Aq6twRNHVsAhm3HzezUM6xUg7J3qjoVWxJ3FCb3pgBi3dBsuwQndfte1ngtIieq_0xRUXC1SNWfuE6900fIJXNYdPjw1d4T/s640/blogger-image-1210757391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wQzvfGK85qKToHSe71x2rmQbil_VmW1Ifl_2VNGz4LLj9Aq6twRNHVsAhm3HzezUM6xUg7J3qjoVWxJ3FCb3pgBi3dBsuwQndfte1ngtIieq_0xRUXC1SNWfuE6900fIJXNYdPjw1d4T/s640/blogger-image-1210757391.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>It must be love! Laying aluminium edging in the pouring rain!</b></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>So we took a we deserved break and off to Totoro land ( or as the rest of the world knows it as Centre Parcs). Half term! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-HrQoprrS9kCTWdRAC2KUvV3NxPkYzipJT1IA1zZr8fGvRC2ZzlNJdjEi1O4Bo0NUL8F6RFclDBaFPcFDLvM8ATArHsYM-LOZ20k_xWFyRsylbn0h3ig_IA3buM5iTTwsbF-UNd1W33l/s640/blogger-image-1390671578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-HrQoprrS9kCTWdRAC2KUvV3NxPkYzipJT1IA1zZr8fGvRC2ZzlNJdjEi1O4Bo0NUL8F6RFclDBaFPcFDLvM8ATArHsYM-LOZ20k_xWFyRsylbn0h3ig_IA3buM5iTTwsbF-UNd1W33l/s640/blogger-image-1390671578.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>An ink cap, showing why it got its name.</b></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><div>Yes Holly is now a fully fledged school girl and loving every minute. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFBwKf_EGcKFLjNkGdRiSGyRk-MG0fuAsGeuCuk8FiEWoecgA_8DmvvUR1Zz-mXsLWDfzbvgFunfPFQzkmWRLz0iO6vUung5YATU3MB9L1UIHOB2xRUEtrPfmZFzzfaN777a_jWOL5wh0/s640/blogger-image--1033695205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFBwKf_EGcKFLjNkGdRiSGyRk-MG0fuAsGeuCuk8FiEWoecgA_8DmvvUR1Zz-mXsLWDfzbvgFunfPFQzkmWRLz0iO6vUung5YATU3MB9L1UIHOB2xRUEtrPfmZFzzfaN777a_jWOL5wh0/s640/blogger-image--1033695205.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Max is not impressed</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div> I think I was more nervous standing in that playground looking around at all the groups of moms who already knew each other. We have both settled in now and got to know many new friends, play days and after school teas are becoming a regular occurrence. </div><div><br></div><div>I digress. Totoro land was full of cycling, swimming and Halloween tricks, and oh too short but we had a Halloween party to get home and organise!! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzH3Bvsf5j6TpYNEiD-HEskWvH7gbg2lAZilKIZldxcRwDwd81cNOsuVocgxx5fKksiUf6dDJVE-bM34D6IFaN9fLkDo6IioNzfvBw0htge-ZmEnfkXZLLgFizD5tlKzQZ0L-N4kJvRqyA/s640/blogger-image-777366406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzH3Bvsf5j6TpYNEiD-HEskWvH7gbg2lAZilKIZldxcRwDwd81cNOsuVocgxx5fKksiUf6dDJVE-bM34D6IFaN9fLkDo6IioNzfvBw0htge-ZmEnfkXZLLgFizD5tlKzQZ0L-N4kJvRqyA/s640/blogger-image-777366406.jpg"></a></div><b>Nothing like muddy puddles</b>.</div><div><br></div><div>I carved four pumpkins, far too early in my excitement and the ended up mouldy and slimy before Halloween had got spooky! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5_vEgZJLNHAKJTWuzg7h8QxexSuZbE5iupA0QIikiwtuO81xaiQgRhKeA0BwHbgDca5nydRPzSLIqFoOswWH4zdeR_FHYrKYFaa7lOyoIY8z-ecOPcbegkHj6vOmhidxrWsvYfgj6uBD/s640/blogger-image--961624553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5_vEgZJLNHAKJTWuzg7h8QxexSuZbE5iupA0QIikiwtuO81xaiQgRhKeA0BwHbgDca5nydRPzSLIqFoOswWH4zdeR_FHYrKYFaa7lOyoIY8z-ecOPcbegkHj6vOmhidxrWsvYfgj6uBD/s640/blogger-image--961624553.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Cinderella has a choice of vehicles.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Luckily we had two more up at the allotment so with child and buggy in tow we collected those and pegged it back to our spooky house (Bjorns comment "you've tidied up in here then"), and set about the pumpkins again. </div><div><br></div><div>With witches and cats consigned to the dressing up box for another year, or couple of months at least, it was back to school and back to digging the garden. And waiting for the delivery of buxus plants!!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_ZQ0XjCP-2hrNFNlqyu7E7sPJOBo4aeZIhn-I_pWRLAK9Oo7s3rs_xtsJVru7m_Bfd1dwzJYKNjzjC06KbvHt41Pjf0huxUzAM25FoCNF4FJHc1R0gncNyHfU-ciDwSrgUsVu1_OshaJ/s640/blogger-image-1648034745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_ZQ0XjCP-2hrNFNlqyu7E7sPJOBo4aeZIhn-I_pWRLAK9Oo7s3rs_xtsJVru7m_Bfd1dwzJYKNjzjC06KbvHt41Pjf0huxUzAM25FoCNF4FJHc1R0gncNyHfU-ciDwSrgUsVu1_OshaJ/s640/blogger-image-1648034745.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Mexican day of the dead face paint. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_ZQ0XjCP-2hrNFNlqyu7E7sPJOBo4aeZIhn-I_pWRLAK9Oo7s3rs_xtsJVru7m_Bfd1dwzJYKNjzjC06KbvHt41Pjf0huxUzAM25FoCNF4FJHc1R0gncNyHfU-ciDwSrgUsVu1_OshaJ/s640/blogger-image-1648034745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0U8H4poxDln-M_5Aqo54j8j4N68kIN3Ue875zG4lZxMrjsPF2Fku4UQe8gh7OgalcwRnsARX_0JncGqGf8lRzBIJRgAMZjCyDzpJMibsnO8P7i17Y0K5bTIszAakiJRd-Mmz4eZV7jfK-/s640/blogger-image--1550315410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0U8H4poxDln-M_5Aqo54j8j4N68kIN3Ue875zG4lZxMrjsPF2Fku4UQe8gh7OgalcwRnsARX_0JncGqGf8lRzBIJRgAMZjCyDzpJMibsnO8P7i17Y0K5bTIszAakiJRd-Mmz4eZV7jfK-/s640/blogger-image--1550315410.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Auditioning for Andrew Lloyd Webber. </b></div></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0Newbury Newbury51.386739 -1.32608tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-56242247634543860942013-08-25T02:23:00.001-07:002013-08-25T02:23:17.967-07:00A sense of worth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><div class="quote mediumText " style="width: 625px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(215, 215, 215); padding: 10px 0px; text-align: left; "><br></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><i>A persons worth is measured by the worth of what he values.</i></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><i>Marcus Aurelius </i></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">I don't know if this affects other stay at home moms (I hate that phrase but "full time mom" is even worse, every mom is a full time mom). So let me say since I have stopped working for money I'm constantly searching to prove my worth. Who I'm proving this to is a mystery. My husband appreciates all I do, my kids shower me with love. So it must be me. I'm not in employment earning my wage therefore I must persistently prove to myself that I deserve this glorious existence. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">So I do laundry, cook, read stories, make play dough, taxi to gymnastics, paint, (cleaning comes last on the list here). When I'm not with the kids, it's digging, planting, designing, sewing and now I've added a web design course. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">If I'm going to restart my garden design business then I need a website and since I can't afford someone else to build it I'm gonna do it myself. I'm lucky I've got time to do it properly and build it slowly. I'm just getting started so theres no HTMLing or CSSing yet. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Away from the negative ions of my computer the allotment is abundant. I have harvested my onions and garlic. <div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwH9D1aeUpCdAxrAIUauE1palnKaIcHxSh8uEq0r73hPNECjjjDonbbKf5nzker6cD3Y6Kv-pIUKwrbxlyVhrfsOihLiLWG2EtbmUoqtApkvmpEAgzqBlB1_KcKRbTFyT4qwkwRZLmA5G/s640/blogger-image-1398776365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwH9D1aeUpCdAxrAIUauE1palnKaIcHxSh8uEq0r73hPNECjjjDonbbKf5nzker6cD3Y6Kv-pIUKwrbxlyVhrfsOihLiLWG2EtbmUoqtApkvmpEAgzqBlB1_KcKRbTFyT4qwkwRZLmA5G/s640/blogger-image-1398776365.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><b>A small but hearty onion harvest</b></div><div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; clear: both; "><br></div><b> </b>I Would have plaited them but they seem to have disappeared into cooking pots quicker than I can plait. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">There have been more potates, purple beans and although not ready to harvest the squash are growing big!! <div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pfbKv5u-jLgHKm4zREW2i2E-CXli7opv_Tifwn5rlMR9XPtbbcKbeHxwDe_EyOq8J4nWJ3zkiPaanjlDTcJD2TOUeCcBUAjlhrz4bvF_pIGOD88fbTgVL3fHfZzjAvxmU_LujmW_76g_/s640/blogger-image--244759614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pfbKv5u-jLgHKm4zREW2i2E-CXli7opv_Tifwn5rlMR9XPtbbcKbeHxwDe_EyOq8J4nWJ3zkiPaanjlDTcJD2TOUeCcBUAjlhrz4bvF_pIGOD88fbTgVL3fHfZzjAvxmU_LujmW_76g_/s640/blogger-image--244759614.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><b>Pink for apple potatoes truely delicious</b></div><div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCs9q8QftDpWmWXibn1Gk4Pia-YU7TNOA0waDlL4RLGCdo9Ja8cfK3Lf2SWDY1RrqpBmz_KAqdz7uuDUmh3t2bu9SDD25AsTLXqsSJapRfBfsDhEL4Y0Ppkz9MaHX8sAwJ38msRD5CulBP/s640/blogger-image--776182403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCs9q8QftDpWmWXibn1Gk4Pia-YU7TNOA0waDlL4RLGCdo9Ja8cfK3Lf2SWDY1RrqpBmz_KAqdz7uuDUmh3t2bu9SDD25AsTLXqsSJapRfBfsDhEL4Y0Ppkz9MaHX8sAwJ38msRD5CulBP/s640/blogger-image--776182403.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><b>Purple teepee french beans</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><br></div>Though I'm a little confused by one plant. I swear it should be "Sweet Dumpling Squash" but it doesn't look. Like the picture on the packet. I've got a feeling it may have cross pollinated with the spagetti squash. So I shall just have to see what it tastes like. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiR1bVnw_A41yQB8Hegrbl7PV6JvD4zhjVbXx0h6d5-FxSILbulZzaUjHoo4wb8cikubPQGxb5jX0urx4-P0fYs9gisY7qG1bk-iou80baWe9bKrDr5CYZGNCIppqL-ftZIWkq-PwhKOw/s640/blogger-image--1430008975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiR1bVnw_A41yQB8Hegrbl7PV6JvD4zhjVbXx0h6d5-FxSILbulZzaUjHoo4wb8cikubPQGxb5jX0urx4-P0fYs9gisY7qG1bk-iou80baWe9bKrDr5CYZGNCIppqL-ftZIWkq-PwhKOw/s640/blogger-image--1430008975.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><b>These are supposedly sweet dumpling squash???</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><br></div><div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmmzXlsws-6Z4RIA3CxBh2q8njHb8o76cZx6PRUTeAsQgHsBIgyZU5IuWS3rFnlNhdZElmuUv8VnIYtb2AISw2MZQxjcGnv8IKkwpyCdE8mKUmermloBVYIf1XoEdz26ORgp-EnkwwbAW/s640/blogger-image-1960914022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmmzXlsws-6Z4RIA3CxBh2q8njHb8o76cZx6PRUTeAsQgHsBIgyZU5IuWS3rFnlNhdZElmuUv8VnIYtb2AISw2MZQxjcGnv8IKkwpyCdE8mKUmermloBVYIf1XoEdz26ORgp-EnkwwbAW/s640/blogger-image-1960914022.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><b>Spagetti squash can't wait to harvest these!</b></div><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">The strawberry pop corn is going from strength to strength and I can't wait to see what happens there. My other corn is not doing so well. I definately put it in the ground too late and it has not had a chance to get any height and strength to produce big corn.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "> <div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvNTwFZAnJjHGuWOr6mX_Jy0xuudle8ng3ckDJnmBMaLnxkM4p2wfCBuXhdLo9XbJdQedNM9Vwl1atVKJAWtRIJwME6DKXceWf71G2lDmNI3QaI55eMNxzyX3uiTr2lY-JEwpeeomX-jZ/s640/blogger-image-54197453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvNTwFZAnJjHGuWOr6mX_Jy0xuudle8ng3ckDJnmBMaLnxkM4p2wfCBuXhdLo9XbJdQedNM9Vwl1atVKJAWtRIJwME6DKXceWf71G2lDmNI3QaI55eMNxzyX3uiTr2lY-JEwpeeomX-jZ/s640/blogger-image-54197453.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><b>Strawberry popcorn corn getting bigger and better</b></div></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Not all is well over at wash common allotment. My precious asparagus has been ravaged by asparagus beetle. Again probably my own fault, I didn't get to squishing until the larvae had turned to adults. So they may have already laid eggs for next year. But I'm now getting on top of it and after cutting the dead stalks in autumn and destroying them. I'll be prepared with my marigolds for next year. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br><div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKu-fsag1xQt2gWOLI5A6Gie9UrcVTpSrh-Grs9OlhzgiCXV0R24rIMxGO_v4-YczOyioZZl53U48Js2RDeV1hjEkZ2dEInu0M5WYNneNxPXdha50V6VQeCFZRzP_uLHPLHZ8iQY61r0M/s640/blogger-image-1952968761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKu-fsag1xQt2gWOLI5A6Gie9UrcVTpSrh-Grs9OlhzgiCXV0R24rIMxGO_v4-YczOyioZZl53U48Js2RDeV1hjEkZ2dEInu0M5WYNneNxPXdha50V6VQeCFZRzP_uLHPLHZ8iQY61r0M/s640/blogger-image-1952968761.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><b>Seriously upset with the beetle who did this!!!</b></div></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Back in the garden I was looking out of the window at our empty plot and spotted some very bright red berries on the neighbours cherry tree. I went to investigate and it was with great jot that I discovered it was an edible cherry not an ornamental!! They were sour cherries so after enlisting Holly's help we stripped our side of the tree much to the disgust of the blackbirds and I set about cleaning and stoning the cherries. The end result was a delicious sour cherry pie with lashings of custard. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><div class="separator" style="font-weight: bold; clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS8RfPpb9X_M1WESRpYHjwygxcDSENXznhn1iK6KEcn_K_1N-zU1OspCEZ8BRO4PJRuKxMYbG-xKxB9P8OBrMGAnYOc2K9fh6kbHbyTl5KlH4qNPSloya54xdAwcYigHaozt2WC7YbPf5/s640/blogger-image--669837663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS8RfPpb9X_M1WESRpYHjwygxcDSENXznhn1iK6KEcn_K_1N-zU1OspCEZ8BRO4PJRuKxMYbG-xKxB9P8OBrMGAnYOc2K9fh6kbHbyTl5KlH4qNPSloya54xdAwcYigHaozt2WC7YbPf5/s640/blogger-image--669837663.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; "><b>What can I say, scrumping cherries make them even more yummy!!!</b></div><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-54453643391455156222013-07-30T07:30:00.002-07:002013-07-30T07:30:17.619-07:00Time Flys Like a Banana<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Time Flies Like an Arrow</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">An Ode to Oettinger</span></b></span></h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Now thin fruit flies like thunderstorms,<br />And thin farm boys like farm girls narrow;<br />And tax firm men like fat tax forms -<br />But time flies like an arrow!<br />.....<br />Like tossed bananas in the skies,<br />The thin fruit flies like common yarrow;<br />Then's the time to time the time flies -<br />Like the time flies like an arrow.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Edison B. Schroeder 1966</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXFg_jaxdU1853QJcYxlCGtxkGKo4e8JrpDUAcNfXd66lzJK7Xl7DSzLWmdIfJSukOK9i_il38oDCMCG9Go9nqomGxJm3Jc30_Qp5rY7fMlJA5iT6G2fXWaifBd5-adattJOa3Bh3yyHF/s1600/DownloadedFile.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXFg_jaxdU1853QJcYxlCGtxkGKo4e8JrpDUAcNfXd66lzJK7Xl7DSzLWmdIfJSukOK9i_il38oDCMCG9Go9nqomGxJm3Jc30_Qp5rY7fMlJA5iT6G2fXWaifBd5-adattJOa3Bh3yyHF/s1600/DownloadedFile.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Time seems to be warping! It's either flying by or dragging at a snails pace.<br />The girls are growing so quickly, it seems only yesterday that I was waddling around with holly bumping about in my belly. Now she's off to school in September. We've bought her uniform (watch here for her first day at school pics), had a visit from her teacher and await her last day at nursery next week.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />There doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to do all of the garden/house/sewing work that needs to be done. So its been a very full couple of weeks. <br /><br />First of all we had to dig out the pathway down the side of the house. This gave me the opportunity to use me favourite tool, the mattock!! There's a lot if tension that can be resolved with some hard ground and a mattock. So a couple of days later and the path is all dug and the giant skip is finally full.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFQ_K7Azv8mJ2hsRRgX4nGm4VJLzWX9wa-g7fpoyUfoKRgn561Bjep-rciGbAbj5dPN66NVtuMVPPns9gD-Hb8_VYoPvbCL6gOqaljUFu88_ehE0fscmTI1UclplsiF-p3By9knV0L43o/s1600/side.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFQ_K7Azv8mJ2hsRRgX4nGm4VJLzWX9wa-g7fpoyUfoKRgn561Bjep-rciGbAbj5dPN66NVtuMVPPns9gD-Hb8_VYoPvbCL6gOqaljUFu88_ehE0fscmTI1UclplsiF-p3By9knV0L43o/s320/side.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I was glad of the shade from the new fence</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />After too many mornings being woken up at 5am because the light is shining through Lotties window. I finally started on Lotties curtains. I am always amazed at how big curtains are, so much material!! It takes me so long to make them as I have to clear the whole if the living room floor to cut and pin them, and that in itself is a feat!! (I'll post a piccy when their finished).<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Down at the allotment time is definitely flying. It was well beyond time for the climbing beans in my greenhouse to become the climbing beans in my allotment. So I made some teepee bean poles and planted them at the front of the allotments next to the nasturtiums. (Good companion plants as the black fly prefer the nasturtiums to the beans).<br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkq9Nj4OSjFeKTVX1Hg-Qjx5pcgRtnTr1rCQUW16MDD1sWLodMbCWFtlHbvFxANMlsEQXWxpxwyOtJRwsr2Yy6zGXpUYFyydX1HKl-uurL61AvuWUfWPRjU2Ysjt-qDY9DUhynFfCNOcC/s1600/pole+pic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkq9Nj4OSjFeKTVX1Hg-Qjx5pcgRtnTr1rCQUW16MDD1sWLodMbCWFtlHbvFxANMlsEQXWxpxwyOtJRwsr2Yy6zGXpUYFyydX1HKl-uurL61AvuWUfWPRjU2Ysjt-qDY9DUhynFfCNOcC/s320/pole+pic.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>some examples of different bean pole designs</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also put in some very late cabbages and some Japanese radishes, Mooli. I'm not sure if these will take well as its so late but it's worth a try. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFtQLKjdgGviPhIQU4XuzfyK4-dHteXzKzTLF08oAaaW1lY7o0r3peIeJlGA0aRFsmTK8NrgrEDFmf2vGBOXM1-fx06SqzP6ePHishOFRpYIjDK5TPKzY1lOHCV4nKGrgGmBQtWOJSC-B/s1600/cabbage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFtQLKjdgGviPhIQU4XuzfyK4-dHteXzKzTLF08oAaaW1lY7o0r3peIeJlGA0aRFsmTK8NrgrEDFmf2vGBOXM1-fx06SqzP6ePHishOFRpYIjDK5TPKzY1lOHCV4nKGrgGmBQtWOJSC-B/s320/cabbage.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>very shy cabbages </b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But most exciting was the fact that the strawberry popcorn and the spaghetti squash have really taken off. The corn is beginning to look like corn (no cobs yet but hopefully soon!)<br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSdRVqtbwDPpMoAC9EEmRPYkbRhL2mtNFKBRmiq7UQEIWcBaRVLCYwToho6BTDb0jwhd4tfupuVkpOxcthXlLYTztepzgwIlJEzrOI__ChS5o8EJsjiMZI-xa9yOB9SDNU_lRkooDs22I/s1600/spag+squash.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSdRVqtbwDPpMoAC9EEmRPYkbRhL2mtNFKBRmiq7UQEIWcBaRVLCYwToho6BTDb0jwhd4tfupuVkpOxcthXlLYTztepzgwIlJEzrOI__ChS5o8EJsjiMZI-xa9yOB9SDNU_lRkooDs22I/s320/spag+squash.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>spaghetti squash, "do a little happy dance"!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpf0cXvd4hHdqmcXKL6tgbftNeEgdLoRBGDIBDMiRRIwJx1KWvgXUSYC29SychWMNEZp0IxTJnm_3Mzu-l3qpJk3FJrFicRszTMTTNmNhWssJRGirVCa_Ts0nFvTbpszkRsPkh1Dupb6VZ/s1600/popcorn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpf0cXvd4hHdqmcXKL6tgbftNeEgdLoRBGDIBDMiRRIwJx1KWvgXUSYC29SychWMNEZp0IxTJnm_3Mzu-l3qpJk3FJrFicRszTMTTNmNhWssJRGirVCa_Ts0nFvTbpszkRsPkh1Dupb6VZ/s320/popcorn.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>strawberry popcorn (yes, I did a little dance again!)</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While building my bean tepees I did have a look around the allotment and I did have bean pole envy, there were some very beautiful bean pole designs. I particularly liked the one with the sweet peas.<br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rAlZUjTFIm8l-M-XU-9eFnAI-3vS_EK2YDQDQGbzh6UUMW6fvY_4TudfSY9QDDlK8_gTzoa77cRb1zmSznkiKKjyZiXzWIYqYDLutvDJrXd2ZxNg-ZNfT9lwy2AZf77uRyH4nx-e3Nps/s1600/sweet+poles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rAlZUjTFIm8l-M-XU-9eFnAI-3vS_EK2YDQDQGbzh6UUMW6fvY_4TudfSY9QDDlK8_gTzoa77cRb1zmSznkiKKjyZiXzWIYqYDLutvDJrXd2ZxNg-ZNfT9lwy2AZf77uRyH4nx-e3Nps/s320/sweet+poles.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>gorgeous Sweetpeas growing up a wooden frame</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0XQkq3ULwGeYDh1bAZRRTbnPdy8CHfsS22L93RiQJtu4p5byRwEFunBw207T48LSgLlCjQ-T_5qbbAQACLffMeQ2bK7s5bBOemhZpzBDkuV_yHySoHsi6liMszFAQ6dEjgb6EpV-OL_-/s1600/poles1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0XQkq3ULwGeYDh1bAZRRTbnPdy8CHfsS22L93RiQJtu4p5byRwEFunBw207T48LSgLlCjQ-T_5qbbAQACLffMeQ2bK7s5bBOemhZpzBDkuV_yHySoHsi6liMszFAQ6dEjgb6EpV-OL_-/s320/poles1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>my neighbours arch bean poles (I'm very jealous)</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's also potato time in our house! Holly's used to digging the potatoes out if the bags but to see Lottie's face when I plucked the first one out if the compost, priceless. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCaV7u_QXhcx74x5JUFijaP0g_oDeKgHNaZEnqVRnEY5bm0w5AMrs_p2Qb-TdOItcfmL33ygtwPOSF3-ilu_2qkTAz7bf1Wg_1RQgDIE55DrNPTMfXQb8RBS1pdxMPNrhvVt6fr54zX0D/s1600/rocket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCaV7u_QXhcx74x5JUFijaP0g_oDeKgHNaZEnqVRnEY5bm0w5AMrs_p2Qb-TdOItcfmL33ygtwPOSF3-ilu_2qkTAz7bf1Wg_1RQgDIE55DrNPTMfXQb8RBS1pdxMPNrhvVt6fr54zX0D/s320/rocket.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>rocket potatoes fab with salads</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First we had Rocket potatoes; small round and firm great for boiling. Next it was the Mayan Gold; one of my favourite. Very quick to boil with lovely soft yellow flesh. Great for boiling or roasting, and Lottie couldn't get enough of them!!</span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNziHribx7bQFYVQaTNec0hHg15IUYgT-vFGf7H8fbMOwpWyh7ODtB3Jt0h6760sohl4fObM3gnY435raaFMTEZ_5R2hIHI7T4nDjXlza_NGS75oUqY2dHvDlO5NeSsf1LJaSLcQs06W-/s1600/mayan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNziHribx7bQFYVQaTNec0hHg15IUYgT-vFGf7H8fbMOwpWyh7ODtB3Jt0h6760sohl4fObM3gnY435raaFMTEZ_5R2hIHI7T4nDjXlza_NGS75oUqY2dHvDlO5NeSsf1LJaSLcQs06W-/s320/mayan.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>gorgeous nutty flavour but don't over boil as they fall apart very quickly</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best part of this time warp was my school reunion!! Thanks Facebook. Back in February the lovely Emma organised for us to meet up and we've been slowly gathering girls from across the country, even across the ocean! It was an amazing evening. Looking back, catching up with past 25 years and finding out about everyone s fabulous lives. Time has been kind to all of us and it was as if we'd just stepped out of that bottle green uniform into our own clothes. </span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X5zsquyMX_Bc0MphiiCJW9_Npe-J00gwFPmsMHCXzVegaGcO5s3LyQPPb-uCysDmZHXXwe-dPFbkbli_pPQKuR67MBcbbbJppA1xE14SgxID83Mcv7DL1uCVbRCykmbNu1JF_LVW1aj1/s1600/skool2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X5zsquyMX_Bc0MphiiCJW9_Npe-J00gwFPmsMHCXzVegaGcO5s3LyQPPb-uCysDmZHXXwe-dPFbkbli_pPQKuR67MBcbbbJppA1xE14SgxID83Mcv7DL1uCVbRCykmbNu1JF_LVW1aj1/s320/skool2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>little had changed since we were 10</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dGxBAidoEMp1WY_D_AmZvXpL7ieSaURXZEok0mEqzBEiTBNvFJ_17Tl3h_tU609vqvUoqj7N4Dj5tu_YMxmajypZ1avWR7kD2gxtkzeEP0l7MEiA_ekTPVT6xcIEH_9f7q3uyY0iXPHz/s1600/skool1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dGxBAidoEMp1WY_D_AmZvXpL7ieSaURXZEok0mEqzBEiTBNvFJ_17Tl3h_tU609vqvUoqj7N4Dj5tu_YMxmajypZ1avWR7kD2gxtkzeEP0l7MEiA_ekTPVT6xcIEH_9f7q3uyY0iXPHz/s320/skool1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I think this was the most well behaved we'd been for years!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I returned home to an exhausted husband, the hot weathers been playing havoc with the girls sleeping patterns. But we still made it out to <a href="http://newburycarnival.co.uk/2013/01/17/newbury-carnival-2013-2/" target="_blank">Newbury carnival</a>. It was boiling hot, the atmosphere was brilliant. It seemed as if the whole of Newbury was at Victoria park. We met up with some friends and the girls went on every ride that they could, ate as much ice cream as they could stomach, and definitely slept well that night. </span><br />
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Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-20218743625184899832013-07-22T12:44:00.002-07:002013-07-22T12:57:52.443-07:00A well earned rest, kind of??<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Having dug, smashed, scraped, humped and dumped in our garden. We took a break and flew off to Lemnos, one if the Greek islands for a week of sun, sea and splashing about.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lemnos beach.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">It wasn't so much of a relaxing break, I don't think that is possible with a 2yr old in tow. While Holly and Lottie loved the swimming pool everything went pear shaped when we got to the beach. Lottie went mental!! She screamed at the sand and bawled at the sea which really surprised me as she loves the beach in Wales. So we abandoned the beach and stayed by the pool.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lottie, much happier at the pool, the splash behind her is Holly disappearing.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">While the babes were in kids club Bjorn and I escaped and saw a bit of the island, which was beautiful. I was glad to see that there were many plants in this mederteranian climate that would grow in Britain as I'm planning a Greek garden for my friend. So I had lots of inspiration from the frothy pink tamarix trees to the fragrant pittosporum tobira.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tamarix tree</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Nerium Oleander, very beautiful, but highly toxic</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">On our return I was, I mean the girls were excited to see that some of the tadpoles were getting their land legs I'm not sure how their going to fair once they want to leave the pond as it is in a desert of soil.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ59MINKhgt3sTb-31TtT0jzdpZ_fM_MN_f9vEm0Av5qGh2F0ET-aHRXYkSjvbclZKzke-eCE1B9RK6yoOP0HvOp84NJhyphenhyphenlMgkG8Od4TXeTLOB3IGg4TE4UT9FWYPJW8OCXtSDIpDT5gco/s1600/frog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ59MINKhgt3sTb-31TtT0jzdpZ_fM_MN_f9vEm0Av5qGh2F0ET-aHRXYkSjvbclZKzke-eCE1B9RK6yoOP0HvOp84NJhyphenhyphenlMgkG8Od4TXeTLOB3IGg4TE4UT9FWYPJW8OCXtSDIpDT5gco/s320/frog.JPG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Its a different frog from before, honestly!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">So back to the grind. Six bulk bags of hardcore and two bulk bags of pea shingle were delivered taking up half of the driveway. Bjorn and I managed to get 3 bags laid in one night then it to me two days to do two bags!!! Well my arms are beginning to look toned again and my shorts a little looser around the waist so I can't complain.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaW5wm2WiN07kaeZqOfBWUKy_gyUzVIFwbgT5ujj-IKk_XPSa4_cCZK-k5G83_TQxWmtUe1RrLkiHExT5iCsrmBUH7ijvzefCw_2XVR2HNmLp_W223vDsBlSe1bdkfReL6sdnU5E2d_Gi3/s1600/bulk+bags.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaW5wm2WiN07kaeZqOfBWUKy_gyUzVIFwbgT5ujj-IKk_XPSa4_cCZK-k5G83_TQxWmtUe1RrLkiHExT5iCsrmBUH7ijvzefCw_2XVR2HNmLp_W223vDsBlSe1bdkfReL6sdnU5E2d_Gi3/s320/bulk+bags.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>there are 6 bags behind these ones too!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Bjorn then proceeded to dig out the two drainage channels/trenches at the edge of the patio. I did at one point ask Bjorn if he needed a canary, the trench was getting so deep. These trenches are going to be filled with the pea shingle to help any rainwater draining off the patio into the ground rather than sitting in the borders/ lawn and making a soggy mess.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">To Bjorns relief he had to go to Ireland for work the next day but by 9am I had a sheepish phone call asking when I was meeting him for lunch, I immediately knew that he'd forgotten his passport and this was a flimsy excuse for me to take it to him. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehIyvMM989EVrC4_iFiVQHiHUvoOnoZNnQ8Qdm7q-CxbmzWJt6jjquZ17kMDi8dq4SlDApSKGOGQJq5__6eAQaYTcnvJrZNDIx40qVQjX9Ch5-OsnVF0yaaxYXKa-u-9kgBrwdOO6h12H/s1600/stockley+park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehIyvMM989EVrC4_iFiVQHiHUvoOnoZNnQ8Qdm7q-CxbmzWJt6jjquZ17kMDi8dq4SlDApSKGOGQJq5__6eAQaYTcnvJrZNDIx40qVQjX9Ch5-OsnVF0yaaxYXKa-u-9kgBrwdOO6h12H/s320/stockley+park.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I don't think I'd go back to my office if I worked here.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1E2tC6_wKksF6JxcZrJJZ5WpDBv8sa-M7_rYfuTbSKTX1pcVwBB9Q5GyIl7aYDEHUSLYejXE49_koZqDgoSTI6qO6Vrqag91w6Z7Qfx-QA8SYRin0x2e-_ZlhlRMZHYrco9XXyw2theH/s1600/stockley+plan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1E2tC6_wKksF6JxcZrJJZ5WpDBv8sa-M7_rYfuTbSKTX1pcVwBB9Q5GyIl7aYDEHUSLYejXE49_koZqDgoSTI6qO6Vrqag91w6Z7Qfx-QA8SYRin0x2e-_ZlhlRMZHYrco9XXyw2theH/s320/stockley+plan.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>masterplan for Stockely Park</b></span></td></tr>
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<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I didn't mind as I got a free lunch and got to see the great landscaping at Stockley Park again. Designed by <a href="http://www.rgalandscape.com/project_details.php?id=67&Stockley+Park" target="_blank">Roger Griffith landscape architects</a> in the mid 80s it was the UKs premier business park. The site combines great buildings with some beautifully landscaped walks, lakes, eating areas and places to relax in.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Now its not really gardening but <a href="http://www.bbowt.org.uk/what-we-do/living-landscapes/west-berkshire-living-landscape" target="_blank">Greenham Common</a> seems to be saving my running training, I've actually got up to 1 hour running! (only about another hour and a half to conquer) I used to hate running and now I look forward to my runs up on the common. I've seen orchids, ponies and now tiny butterflies. (Any excuse to stop and take a photo).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEs5Z-Hxwrm4evQObjNZlM1RGdc2DqcOgOcBRmqbDCT4qf6pOyXinQj0nB4Pjf8IAKEVMi_0ZRZv1IJx9Gi9WXrnb-P08NFb8vWhPtQijiXL_Bbt6CtCATMgTxN77ac5WocmyhlOzUraXb/s1600/small++blue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEs5Z-Hxwrm4evQObjNZlM1RGdc2DqcOgOcBRmqbDCT4qf6pOyXinQj0nB4Pjf8IAKEVMi_0ZRZv1IJx9Gi9WXrnb-P08NFb8vWhPtQijiXL_Bbt6CtCATMgTxN77ac5WocmyhlOzUraXb/s320/small++blue.JPG" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Small Blue butterfly, love chalkland</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I did contemplate seeing if I could ride one home!<br /></b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Back at the allotment my weeding had got under control and though its not really up, running and productive. I have got some veg at last. My onion stalks have all collapsed but the onions are still getting big and tasty. The salad has done remarkably well considering it was hidden in a massive patch of weeds. I was too late getting to my red currants which I'm sure the birds enjoyed. I'll have to net them next year.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtRPOWlsFRpMLN6C16N1lXYgE5-KuGXKqppwNv3sKmUzHR8bmZDo5ZTUtyoQ_hu3oKfDrbUBg8uSVSrBK95jVdZz1ZJKWQ7pFexAvUUowwHwKGFHF31RbQig6mGHiK-IcV95Cw9mPqpsN/s1600/onions+and+salad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtRPOWlsFRpMLN6C16N1lXYgE5-KuGXKqppwNv3sKmUzHR8bmZDo5ZTUtyoQ_hu3oKfDrbUBg8uSVSrBK95jVdZz1ZJKWQ7pFexAvUUowwHwKGFHF31RbQig6mGHiK-IcV95Cw9mPqpsN/s320/onions+and+salad.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>my first onion! and some salad</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Small Blue wasn't the only butterfly I spotted this week. We went to Holly's new school fete and both girls had their faces butterflied. Not sure what species these were?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLdMV1PrrlZdpasx_ahBqhC05B-B1Dde-HLB-5d0nWLEaMYKsER9vZpIUKY2zpPdQESjYFh9ZIjBsSrv75Ub8o1gIme7k4-kKqbFXH10tGr6i8wL-BqtUOcagA-iwKY9HTsBcmjYYMh5y/s1600/butterfly+girls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLdMV1PrrlZdpasx_ahBqhC05B-B1Dde-HLB-5d0nWLEaMYKsER9vZpIUKY2zpPdQESjYFh9ZIjBsSrv75Ub8o1gIme7k4-kKqbFXH10tGr6i8wL-BqtUOcagA-iwKY9HTsBcmjYYMh5y/s320/butterfly+girls.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>off to the Butterfly Ball</b></span></td></tr>
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Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-20295825281449733432013-07-02T12:42:00.002-07:002013-07-02T12:42:37.228-07:00To stand in the path of progress!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Having finished off filling one skip and starting another Bjorn took pity on me and finished off filling the second skip in half the time it took me to fill a quarter if the skip.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I got through half of this in a day, Bjorn did the second half in about 2 hrs.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">So I went back to the drawing board, quite literally, and did a sketch of the proposed garden. For my birthday Bjorn and the girls had got me an drawing app and pen for the iPad so that I could get back into sketching my ideas. At first it was a little strange getting the hang of all the brush strokes and pen sizes but I think I've got the hang of it now. Bjorn tells me that it is the same app that David Hockney uses but I think I have quite a way to go to ever match him!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SZpSdOnKaxALXCRsJRcxqZa-RsHZT9e1iHnIVw9WzxIKg2rpZ81sg9XTrECnzD8KVP224UaXfwaNnbl91m48MkOt1zmCmnQvU3lNDP3K5Avd6ZcBgllAvvfv9pU5E8ChbfKGbfI8cYhu/s1600/sketch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SZpSdOnKaxALXCRsJRcxqZa-RsHZT9e1iHnIVw9WzxIKg2rpZ81sg9XTrECnzD8KVP224UaXfwaNnbl91m48MkOt1zmCmnQvU3lNDP3K5Avd6ZcBgllAvvfv9pU5E8ChbfKGbfI8cYhu/s320/sketch.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>view of garden from side of house</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Having visualised the garden afresh I got down to the cutting and hammering of stakes. No we're not having a sudden plague of vampires, though the garden does look like Buffy's been on a the rampage. Having dug out the foundations for the terraces and paths we needed to figure out the finished floor levels and ground levels to know how much soil to move around the garden. It would be no good having finished the terraces to then discover that the lawn was too high or too low. So we now have loads if little wooden stakes poking out of the ground right across the garden. There is still quite a lot is soil to be moved but that will have to wait until we have built the raised border.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAnhmDll6zPgk2ZZZJt67Z1Agsm3o0fObcjEHrmBGlxTsW3MJ7xaCRPNre0XUc7mM2DPIp-XmpD7s-rLKJ6Di7MWAjkzXKyQFq6SksI2ECbEhyF7ZTpULc5H_W_JnJHCs7Hxffd_mCGxW/s1600/vampire.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAnhmDll6zPgk2ZZZJt67Z1Agsm3o0fObcjEHrmBGlxTsW3MJ7xaCRPNre0XUc7mM2DPIp-XmpD7s-rLKJ6Di7MWAjkzXKyQFq6SksI2ECbEhyF7ZTpULc5H_W_JnJHCs7Hxffd_mCGxW/s320/vampire.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Buffy had been very busy</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I'd love to make this out of Coe-ten steel but my budget goes nowhere near that kind of cost. So soft wood sleepers it is. We have to have a raised border on one side as our road is on a slope and my neighbours garden is higher than ours. I dont particularly like sloping borders unles they ate part of a large landscape so raised border it is. We have two problems here. Firstly it is against my neighbours fence and to get a decent height we have to go higher than the bottom of her fence so that means creating a raised box (more wood = more cost). Secondly the bumble bee nest is slap bang in the middle!! So on some quiet evening we have to pluck up the courage and carefully move it. This I am not looking forward to.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrKIaKKzEqRBdgNEfjMsNzswJI8M7h48jCdiN73Yzp_ow1P4SGdHVloJcoT_dkvV6zcTCjk6M0N4kPgOooeFAQf4-rmsXCCLDhFIsT43jBDFXyj-Rk9OoMYprejWgrAw4zDUKA5rnpRAP/s363/31bfadcbbb466c3c0b3ac87680d9e545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrKIaKKzEqRBdgNEfjMsNzswJI8M7h48jCdiN73Yzp_ow1P4SGdHVloJcoT_dkvV6zcTCjk6M0N4kPgOooeFAQf4-rmsXCCLDhFIsT43jBDFXyj-Rk9OoMYprejWgrAw4zDUKA5rnpRAP/s320/31bfadcbbb466c3c0b3ac87680d9e545.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>very gorgeous example of a cor-ten retaining wall</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I am looking forward to ordering 15 bulk bags of MOT type 1. (For those not in the know, thats crushed limestone sub base. If you lay paving stone on just sand and soil it will soon move and you get a wonky trip fest of a surface that is just asking for a compensation claim). Once that is down the garden will really begin to take shape.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Being a be prepared kinda gal, (don't laugh those who know me, I really am these days) and looking at my stony soil I realise that it is never going to do to lay turf on that. So out comes the soil sieve and I begin the twist and shake all over again. After six barrow loads of pebbles (thrown onto the terrace) I admit defeat and tell Bjorn that we need to order a couple if tonnes if premier quality top soil for the lawn. Laying turf on stony soil is not going to achieve a flat surface and laying turf is all in the preparation.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvRpRq83csAsq1P-yAYCNSPpfuVx8x1PMS55pjCcMriSv85QkAiTgxrQShIqAoc6cBcABCRZFTKRJaXBKbz4M-Tq5qB-GWpc-s3ICE_TFM-LvXVH8n7D7Pfun7p5gbM9qZ-Jthp6HzNhm/s1600/sieve.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvRpRq83csAsq1P-yAYCNSPpfuVx8x1PMS55pjCcMriSv85QkAiTgxrQShIqAoc6cBcABCRZFTKRJaXBKbz4M-Tq5qB-GWpc-s3ICE_TFM-LvXVH8n7D7Pfun7p5gbM9qZ-Jthp6HzNhm/s320/sieve.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>my fourth barrow load!!!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Having neglected my allotment and my running for a couple of weeks I dive into both head first. The allotment had turned into a jungle of knee high weeds. So to the delight of a brazen blackbird couple I furiously pulled and dug till I was red faced and they were full if worms and bugs. Not only did I discover a couple if young black currants that I had planted but also two whole rows of lettuce and spinach that I had given up on ever sprouting. It's a good job that I did get to the allotment as there is a visit from the councillors next week and I really don't want a letter berating me on the state of my plot.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mh5vLKvFh81oRuY6unEj52WJE3gBA1RqhVPOROw1ZT-FXwLR0J91v1BbEAh9DObCxq6PFcGlxksp3ST8XXUrXRqvgCBmRD5YA5Iwu6vv1WtOb8vr0HAV71jC0PYAcni6E_B8iwXlPZuA/s1250/blackbird.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mh5vLKvFh81oRuY6unEj52WJE3gBA1RqhVPOROw1ZT-FXwLR0J91v1BbEAh9DObCxq6PFcGlxksp3ST8XXUrXRqvgCBmRD5YA5Iwu6vv1WtOb8vr0HAV71jC0PYAcni6E_B8iwXlPZuA/s320/blackbird.JPG" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>mothers little helper</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Now a while back in a moment of madness, having sworn after Paris 2008 that I would never do it again, I signed up to do the Cardiff half marathon in October. I've been slowly, very slowly, getting used to running again and had got up to doing 5km without walking or collapsing in a tearful heap. I hadn't run for a week and a half for various rubbish excuses "I'm tired, I have to wait in for the skip delivery, I've just eaten". So I finally went out again and had a terrible run across greenham common. I managed 15 minutes before expletives flew out of my mouth and my legs stopped. Feeling very grumpy I looked around and I saw a magnificent sight, a common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. It is quite common (though I've never seen one before) and it is definitely spotted. It gets its name from the spotty leaves, green with big purple spots and has a spire of pink/white flowers. That perked me up no end and I shuffled of back to finish my run.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fSJXltYLWAS6MhBzBwJ3TQRBP0hU4GH1ZWOXr5gi-CCIsOw7TXsA-dNG4DE9KaH571r6D5YeiRQMuFrIqmjIwW-EbOBmUaV6zDD7aBVCIPwikpJ-cSzAtdXOfCZfpgEB6NQJb6U3CCKQ/s1600/orchid.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fSJXltYLWAS6MhBzBwJ3TQRBP0hU4GH1ZWOXr5gi-CCIsOw7TXsA-dNG4DE9KaH571r6D5YeiRQMuFrIqmjIwW-EbOBmUaV6zDD7aBVCIPwikpJ-cSzAtdXOfCZfpgEB6NQJb6U3CCKQ/s320/orchid.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>a great excuse to stop running!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-82537297152024171092013-06-11T05:41:00.000-07:002013-06-11T05:52:24.004-07:00The Bjorn Ultimatum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If only I had photoshop, that would read the Bjorn Ultimatum</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Nothing like a bit if pressure to spur you on. With Bjorn having hired the digger and jack hammer for Friday. He gave me the ultimatum of all the plants that I want to keep being moved to the front garden by Friday or they get squashed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>the before picture</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">So I had a frantic week digging, potting, planting in the front, planting at the allotment, phoning around "does anyone want raspberries, strawberries, flowering currants...." And finally with the exception of a few strawberries the garden was clear. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>making space in the front garden for the plants from the back</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It's a good job that I don't want the lawn in the front garden!</b></span></td></tr>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I then proceeded to clear out my hot compost bin and the two compost bins left by the previous owner. One of them had beautiful black compost the other, a plastic bin, was dried up and useless.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I lifted the lid and gave it a shake to get all the rubbish out and as it tumbled to the ground a swarm of bees erupted from the debris. Well, I didn't wait to find out and could have passed Usain Bolt in the hundred metres. Once I'd laughed myself silly, safely back in the house with the door closed, I again ventured out to see what exactly was going on. There was still a flurry of activity at what I could now see was a bumble bee nest. Fear and fascination was holding me in this strange rocking dance as I tried to get a closer look then remembered they were rather pissed off.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggKKxeH0Tx5tGXrLmSoL6dq8Xc2JZnsKgx9bm0Qd9gmsv2nnule5aTLmjCd19TlL7TFRc7aj6OCNWQWcjTO6geHMQLrBnW_ZQa4qAZaak3Ah7PNIzvP6pj0VarvD6opo1Ev4NtsnTxGkr/s1600/dry+compost.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggKKxeH0Tx5tGXrLmSoL6dq8Xc2JZnsKgx9bm0Qd9gmsv2nnule5aTLmjCd19TlL7TFRc7aj6OCNWQWcjTO6geHMQLrBnW_ZQa4qAZaak3Ah7PNIzvP6pj0VarvD6opo1Ev4NtsnTxGkr/s320/dry+compost.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the dried up compost bin with the bees nest</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Back on dear old google and I found a Newbury number to call. The nice man informed me that a queen had probably gone in a few months ago and laid her eggs and started a colony of workers tending to the baby queens. The young queens should emerge in a few months to find new places to hibernate over the winter and then the nest will be dead by October. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOLHQIBBdu4yPdxMBh1NB8Kmfps8Jr2W55NdDWiYuFemTBgB1_OTB6ZDKAZGU987IyAfVCs3r3y3WgUTbrecISI3hspveEv6EkRDYaFk4cbgRvvhJl3S7qFNnfNxmbqT8cyW8TDCKBS4T/s1600/bees+nest.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOLHQIBBdu4yPdxMBh1NB8Kmfps8Jr2W55NdDWiYuFemTBgB1_OTB6ZDKAZGU987IyAfVCs3r3y3WgUTbrecISI3hspveEv6EkRDYaFk4cbgRvvhJl3S7qFNnfNxmbqT8cyW8TDCKBS4T/s320/bees+nest.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Look carefully and you can see the bees nest just to the left of the white roots</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52VO9NrpwofBNlVCr9827Kn5hpLlmBY88z3Ip0AV5NsUjccDMKQ1lGiDKT5WBAC_QLhmdNaVEvLlllVB0H45d8aMqibqiPB0Dh4B2GQNkPQCdkm7CmBomsrJuns6IUEPRYKoUkOw4jOAx/s1600/tree+bee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52VO9NrpwofBNlVCr9827Kn5hpLlmBY88z3Ip0AV5NsUjccDMKQ1lGiDKT5WBAC_QLhmdNaVEvLlllVB0H45d8aMqibqiPB0Dh4B2GQNkPQCdkm7CmBomsrJuns6IUEPRYKoUkOw4jOAx/s320/tree+bee.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;"><b>Bombus hypnorum, I think, but I didn't want to get too close!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">As the nest had been exposed to the elements I placed the bin lid over the nest and left it alone. So long as nobody pokes it or breathes on them (apparently that sends them nuts, they must think we all have dog breath or something) they should just go about their business of pollinating the flowers. I then felt the need to identify my new neighbours and I think that they are <a href="http://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/identification/" target="_blank">Tree Bumble Bees</a> as they had white tails and an orange thorax. But I didn't want to get too close to see.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Moving the plants seems to have disturbed and brought out all the wildlife in the garden. A frog jumped out of the good compost, I popped it in the pond and gave the tadpoles the fright of their lives; a smooth newt was hiding in the front garden next to the wall, popped that one in a pile of old bricks at the back of the greenhouse where I'd found one previously.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rnnhQpACr2H0zIPOKx4l3F4UJywGkBxMS4DADYfBryNB8g4gex7Jro3DN5cvxw4I10WS9tjAn33U2l6GGpp15oKOuVdmdYkm1vEYt3el3VLDEkSSRHRiMDOs3VGHRlQXhgArTV4Vn1UG/s1600/frog.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rnnhQpACr2H0zIPOKx4l3F4UJywGkBxMS4DADYfBryNB8g4gex7Jro3DN5cvxw4I10WS9tjAn33U2l6GGpp15oKOuVdmdYkm1vEYt3el3VLDEkSSRHRiMDOs3VGHRlQXhgArTV4Vn1UG/s320/frog.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my photos are getting very vague! the compost hoping frog</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this one's clearer! a smooth newt, it has a bright orange tummy <br />but I couldn't get it to roll over for the photo.</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Then it was Friday. The digger arrived. Bjorn lost no time in getting stuck in. The back garden was soon flattened, along with the shed (and a few down pipes). Thinking about how long it took us to level our old garden and dig out the trenches for the patio, which was weeks. This took a matter if days. Lottie was convinced daddy was on a tractor, while Holly kept telling me that daddy had lifted the shed with just one finger. I'm not sure that one was true but he sure is a superhero to me as I'm sure if I was in the digger I'd have knocked half the house down and burst a water pipe!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bjorn the builder</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">By the end of Sunday evening there was still a lot of soil to move into the skip but the hard work of digging has been done. After that we will be on to stage two; dumping tonnes of MOT (crushed limestone) into the base of the patios and paths to stop any movement, putting in the retailing walls and steel edging. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">But first I'd better get my wellies back on and fill that skip.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-33612775696587976192013-06-08T02:03:00.001-07:002013-06-08T02:03:21.070-07:00Back in the swing of things<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since breaking radio silence last week I seem to have been constantly in my garden, allotment or someone else's garden. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My greenhouse is simply bursting with small shoots of hope and bigger seedlings ready to transfer to the allotment or larger pots. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I first got my allotment I resolved to dig it all by hand and not to spray and rotavate. But the path to hell is paved with good intentions and my resolve weakened in the face of half an allotment still undug. (if couch grass was edible I would eat like a king.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I saw a notice from a kind fellow allotmenteer offering to lead his rotavator, I buckled. But even more foolishly I didn't spray. But like baldrick I had a cunning plan. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The area that we rotorvated I cleared of big lumpy weeds and grass and then covered in weed suppressant. Next I cut holes in the covering and planted my strawberry popcorn (in rectangles of 3x6 to aid pollination), sweet dumpling squash and Halloween pumpkins. These will benefit from the warmth the surpressant creates while the rest of the ground can sit dormant for a year or so. I'm hoping that the few slots of light in the surpressant won't activate too many weeds. If this cunning plan doesn't work then I'll have to accept defeat and spray this area next Spring.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We didnt get all of it done so I'm now about 3/4 of the way through the allotment I've covered the rest in surpressant and will hand dig as an when.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>strawberry popcorn and sweet dumpling squashes planted through the weed suppressent</u></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My greatest joy at the allotment is the tiny purple sprouts bursting into frothy fronds of asparagus! I've been waiting and waiting bursting with anticipation and also fear that they wouldn't arrive. I had just about given up hope until the first one popped out like a tiny garden eel (I must confess to doing a little dance there and then at the allotment). I now have 9out of the 10 that I planted poking their little heads out if the ground. And I hope I can keep them alive and beetle free til next year.</span> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>garden eel</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>purple asparagus</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My dear friend Sally, who I worked with over 15 years ago, moved to the US then found her way back to of all places Newbury, has just moved into a new house. Her naked garden was soon calling me. So we planned a hot vibrant design with lots of plants for wildlife. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The builders had done their usual trick of dumping all of the crappy earth (you could throw pots with the stuff) in the garden so Sally spent a hot bank holiday digging out the clay ready for the fancy designer (me) to come round when all the hard work had been done to plant. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_zkBbMfz5f-uqwOh24DozercnMZm-PFbGFhHzw2vtqiK442GrP1fW669P4Alyiw-Rk-N45aL4X6H3BsyhZUJvdx2uz-aqh0ba5muIzuG4PXPv1Ukh-AgHlCsd741UcExyxJPuo5gniDA/s1600/sally+before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_zkBbMfz5f-uqwOh24DozercnMZm-PFbGFhHzw2vtqiK442GrP1fW669P4Alyiw-Rk-N45aL4X6H3BsyhZUJvdx2uz-aqh0ba5muIzuG4PXPv1Ukh-AgHlCsd741UcExyxJPuo5gniDA/s320/sally+before.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>there were actually double the amount of bags going off to make clay pots!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had even convinced her to paint her fence dark grey. A bit of a scary colour at first thought but it really sets of the colours of the plants. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the threat of rain it was a lovely day spent planting and nattering. We got a little twisted while putting up the wire for the climbers but we managed to get the trachylospermum jasminoides tied in (using strips of old grey tights, gentler on the plants and cheap!) without to much bother before both of us had to dash off to pick up kids, take kids to swimming, gymnastics.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOFL6w37OHbv-z-jfjkrPZJg9wMzFG4BeOqdxD9UlQ8LzRYq_mTajBSrzzIS8bB7xSW-DBcQ2DVt7JZjqz998NciWrKdkl_kJv6cjI6vhf1vSfHb4Ee6KfAg7S28soPK_bBG3MfoW3q6P/s1600/sally+after.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOFL6w37OHbv-z-jfjkrPZJg9wMzFG4BeOqdxD9UlQ8LzRYq_mTajBSrzzIS8bB7xSW-DBcQ2DVt7JZjqz998NciWrKdkl_kJv6cjI6vhf1vSfHb4Ee6KfAg7S28soPK_bBG3MfoW3q6P/s320/sally+after.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>now we sit back and watch them grow</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This flurry of activity seems to have spurred Bjorn and me on to get going with our garden. While I had a glorious weekend with the girls in Wales at the beach with Ra Ra, Bjorn filled a whole 8 yard skip with concrete from the patio and garden. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3uKVFimajjIB82h3aB6iFXfKLPSJEUdmcdfCFj-zViCygY_Brtyk1P-ZZmItDOSHTF0XL10UIWaBMHXpwizVmV69cOTfSJU5CrKM6VJx0e0nXJWUXixhWEcrp2xsqoTndfXP5pnCSTxy/s1600/beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3uKVFimajjIB82h3aB6iFXfKLPSJEUdmcdfCFj-zViCygY_Brtyk1P-ZZmItDOSHTF0XL10UIWaBMHXpwizVmV69cOTfSJU5CrKM6VJx0e0nXJWUXixhWEcrp2xsqoTndfXP5pnCSTxy/s320/beach.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>my weekend</b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am now in the process of moving all my plants from the back garden to the front before the arrival of the mini digger! I'm just hoping that Bjorn will let me have a go!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bjorns weekend</b></span></td></tr>
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Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-69883341905406093482013-05-22T03:08:00.005-07:002013-05-22T03:08:42.057-07:00Reluctant Writers and Hard Winters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCHLRHlFqb-Ip2odXRlidLTDjcT_0RWYcgkcz3Ov4cJtPcWZFCriVGI3uFiI8YRFoHUZNVK3UP1yjfuWrZqrluOIujytf4SzTmieb1ykTUqYbs8enwSBH2NWKb7Q4u2_PNBNb07Evs2Xe/s1600/procrastinators_anonymous_meeting_postponed_sticker-p217840905181700581envb3_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCHLRHlFqb-Ip2odXRlidLTDjcT_0RWYcgkcz3Ov4cJtPcWZFCriVGI3uFiI8YRFoHUZNVK3UP1yjfuWrZqrluOIujytf4SzTmieb1ykTUqYbs8enwSBH2NWKb7Q4u2_PNBNb07Evs2Xe/s1600/procrastinators_anonymous_meeting_postponed_sticker-p217840905181700581envb3_400.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know when someone sends you an email, leaves a phone message or text and you don't reply immediately. A few days go by, a week, a month! Before you know it you want to reply but it's been so long you don't know what to say!!<br /><br />That's how I feel with this blog.<br /><br />The reasons for not writing are numerous. Builders, sleepless babies,<br /><br />It's not that I've not been doing anything, there's been so much I don't know quite where to start.<br /><br />So I'll make this post a quick run down of the past 8 months (I've even had to look back on my last post to see where I left off).<br /></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I was last seen pruning my red currants in the garden. I chucked loads of compost from my hot composter around their bases in the spring and they are now covered in little green flowers.<br /><br /></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are so many red currants on the bushes that the branches are bowing.</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Due to the dates of my kitchen build being changed, Grrrrr, I missed my course on winter pruning fruit trees. But I couldn't wait another year to go back so I read some of my copious gardening books, scoured the Internet, sharpened my tools and took a deep breath. By the time I had finished most of my apple trees were on the floor. My dear supportive husband came home took one look and said. "You've killed them".</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Hard pruned Brambly apple tree to get it back to looking slightly like an espaliered tree.<br /> It was already tilting!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>there was great relief when the apple tree began to bloom!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a long cold wintery wait til finally small green buds began bursting out all over the now much smaller trees. (And yes I couldn't help feeling smug when I pointed this out to Bjorn).<br /><br />While he was convinced of my killing ability, Bjorn did put up my greenhouse on one of the coldest days of the year. So now that too is bursting with little green shoots in trays. Some waiting for a place in my garden others of on a short journey to my allotment.<br /><br />I haven't talked about my allotment for a while. (I haven't talked about anything for a long while, I hear you say). I managed to plant onions, garlic and purple asparagus in the autumn. But as you all know the winter has been, well how can I put it politely... Lets say I wouldn'teven put it in my composter. Freezing, wet, and windy. So there was not much action going on over at Wash Common. <br /><br />Until finally there was a break in the weather, luckily my plot had not been under water for the cold season so I got to transplant one of my red currants and my summer raspberries. I also planted autumn raspberries, white and black currants. <br /><br />This is turning into a list so I shall digress. The pond at the back of my allotment has a leak in the liner and has been dry all winter, even with all the rain. The problem is, no one told the frogs! They laid masses of spawn in there, destined to dry up and stink. So I commenced operation tadpole!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>one dried up leaking pond, watch this space for how I'm going to restore it.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />We have an old butler sink in the garden that I had ear marked for a dipping pond ages ago but never got around to it. I'd been uming and ahing as to how to seal up the plug hole so I finally went and asked the experts at the pond shop. The simple solution was to get a piece of butile and some goldseal glue and glue the butile over the plug hole. Then I covered the bottom with pea gravel and with some old broken bricks creating steps up one side of the basin. Voila! A small and simple pond. Zooming back to the allotment I scooped up some frogspawn from the middle of the blob (so that it wasn't crispy and dry) and plopped it into the new pond with some oxygenating pond plants. And waited. And waited. And waited through two snow storms and multiple frosts where i was breaking the ice off the top. In fact i waited so long that I thought that it was dead and was starting to make up stories in my head as to how to explain the lack of tadpoles to Holly and Lottie. The one day the eggy goo had disappears and there were these tiny little tadpoles! I don't know who was more excited me or the girls!<br /><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Holly calls them "Tampoles" <br />Lottie thinks we have Turtles in the garden.</b></td></tr>
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<br /></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any way now they are massive and there are loads of them! My slugs are not going to know what hit them!<br /></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfNYqxbbmwlLKpUjHj4QVuFgrhp9WQePfS5Cvovv9ROnVhjieCH3syZbtCJ06dszw7jsvf6Aim4c2lkkex51sO5OJc_BEMEfh4pUS1VPDzGm1Sx0HaWsJOh-p7Ro6ij9gj0i5nM-ncXvA/s1600/4757898853_ba8b7f9ace_t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfNYqxbbmwlLKpUjHj4QVuFgrhp9WQePfS5Cvovv9ROnVhjieCH3syZbtCJ06dszw7jsvf6Aim4c2lkkex51sO5OJc_BEMEfh4pUS1VPDzGm1Sx0HaWsJOh-p7Ro6ij9gj0i5nM-ncXvA/s1600/4757898853_ba8b7f9ace_t.jpg" height="320" width="249" /></a></div>
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Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-20020069640155204552012-08-04T11:44:00.000-07:002012-08-04T11:44:14.788-07:00fever, Olympic and pruning<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">smoking hot! Monarda Gardenview Scarlet</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">If you want to stay fresh go back to school. Others called continuous professional development, I call it dusting of the cobwebs and re-energising. I've just spent a most glorious morning at Wisley Gardens on the Summer pruning of fruit bushes and trees course. Though the day didn't start too well.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I dropped the girls off at nursery and drove away with a skip in my step. Half way to Basingstoke I realised that I had left my purse in Holly's bag! It had my ticket and RHS membership card in it so I couldn't even get into the gardens without it. So I high tailed it back to nursery, snuck in so that neither of the girls saw me and zoomed off again. Luckily I'd given myself 2 hours to get there and nipped into a parks space just in time to join the group by the gooseberries.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGllaQdHs_uRYuis5RMFoGZQoQ7xkl1S8waFVkgLT8b_ssSq7p-92iewrHUA_YxN81QQhS3_j_po-X5Dw3r-inFZ_Y7oByHltRuTmiuky2hrzF3vDtnrvQu4wc1HUt_h6a6xwuKx4W7qTD/s1600/cordoned+currants.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGllaQdHs_uRYuis5RMFoGZQoQ7xkl1S8waFVkgLT8b_ssSq7p-92iewrHUA_YxN81QQhS3_j_po-X5Dw3r-inFZ_Y7oByHltRuTmiuky2hrzF3vDtnrvQu4wc1HUt_h6a6xwuKx4W7qTD/s320/cordoned+currants.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cordoned red currants, something to aspire to!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">It was the hottest day in July and I had no hat, but really didn't care. Now my garden is still a mess, I know and accept that, but these gardens fill me with awe and put me to shame, they are beautiful. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The gardener who was leading the course was lovely, Becky Bevan, she made it all sound so simple (and it mostly is, with some complicated bits just to confuse). We started at gooseberries and red currants (these are pruned in the same way) then on to black currants followed by hybrids such as Logan berries. We moved on to trained apples and pears, a particular interest to me since I have 3 overgrown espalier apples trees in my garden. We finished with trained stone fruit trees; cherries, apricots, plums. These are the most complicated to prune, but still Becky explained it with clarity and patience.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAh3Wr3idimsbu9bXxyDn3eap5PbcSLtRzjZUlbhB9yl2_1SR8CiZsnC7WLUpCm_r60pPL2U3OcmJm1xoW8byW4eKSKKCnG6fr1DrHy3teN91XOBRrP4G-qhyphenhyphenFfmGWOhMy_qGDCzbVSxf0/s1600/stepped+apples.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAh3Wr3idimsbu9bXxyDn3eap5PbcSLtRzjZUlbhB9yl2_1SR8CiZsnC7WLUpCm_r60pPL2U3OcmJm1xoW8byW4eKSKKCnG6fr1DrHy3teN91XOBRrP4G-qhyphenhyphenFfmGWOhMy_qGDCzbVSxf0/s320/stepped+apples.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">stepped apple trees, great for small places</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">At the end I wanted to zoom back to start pruning my red currants, but was waylaid by the stunning riot of colour in the long herbaceous borders. I was so glad that I had my note book with me and was frantically scribbling down planting combinations while wishing my garden was SO much bigger that I could fit it all in.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giant Echinops, (the blue globes) towering over the other plants</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phlox Blue Paradise, beautiful plants and great fragrance</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agapanthus Midnight Blue, such a rich clour</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Hunger finally dragged me home and after a quick bit to eat I sharpened my secuaters and dived in to the currants. A couple if hours later I'd cut out about half of the branches of the bushes and it looked so my lighter!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">wild red currant bushes</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">after pruning, so much lighter!</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">While pruning I'd also found some branches that had naturally layered themselves. This is when low branched get covered with soil and send out roots creating a new plant.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I dug these up with a few rogue raspberry canes and took them over to Holly and Lottie's nursery for their little garden. holly was delighted that mommy was at nursery for the afternoon, especially as she was practicing for sports day.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7fl5Vq6D-xgs5L071mcG_liyQaqe-J54MWG74rH3f-nraDOC9NsxYAZUk0dNd8ew10Tbp1cToU01Mz0Qt3pttPJ-cIzroRhp4VC7QXy7Tv7NUsT3UgNuNuPw-7Nr14O6_CdQ2My1DsHE/s1600/gold.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7fl5Vq6D-xgs5L071mcG_liyQaqe-J54MWG74rH3f-nraDOC9NsxYAZUk0dNd8ew10Tbp1cToU01Mz0Qt3pttPJ-cIzroRhp4VC7QXy7Tv7NUsT3UgNuNuPw-7Nr14O6_CdQ2My1DsHE/s320/gold.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>do they do the obstacle course in the olympics </b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I am very proud to end this blog with a non gardening note. On the eve of the Olympic opening ceremony Holly won the obstacle race at nursery.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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</div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-16902122834083886072012-07-24T08:03:00.003-07:002012-07-24T08:03:34.189-07:00Anybody building an ark out there?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">This was last week but I thought id post it anyway!!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Thursday 12 July</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Well it's been truly British weather this week. I had planned a night out with my sister to go and see a fire art installation at Stonehenge. I was really looking forward to getting close up and personal with those <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_148564277"></span>ancient monoliths<span id="goog_148564278"></span></a>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iSv8Dc4UNbqk91xcs8Ss_75Q5QTGhAlbTErJnZc2jpzWTGjvxnzP_CDbDu5i_Ci6mnqD_MLNH375lq5F0wTWj7B0Gvo-4_HCT638YeYeARIsn_YZIuY7uIiqmicgIC7XlwKooNzrXtPJ/s1600/stonehenge-fire-garden-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iSv8Dc4UNbqk91xcs8Ss_75Q5QTGhAlbTErJnZc2jpzWTGjvxnzP_CDbDu5i_Ci6mnqD_MLNH375lq5F0wTWj7B0Gvo-4_HCT638YeYeARIsn_YZIuY7uIiqmicgIC7XlwKooNzrXtPJ/s320/stonehenge-fire-garden-03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I'm so upset that I missed this</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">It didn't start well, not only was it raining, and had been torrential all week, Lottie was teething and Holly just wouldn't stay in bed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tgHD1RF49X7lyeXA5fiECg2PFsqYHGdy1fZHmZCl6_051_vz2qfjpBwQ6tqUQjKpeuM8VoWWX7Gal_qgQVbVY2_HBCg-gTRhRJs0kjBp2DmZfi_1-EylE1nmoetOlxlIJnBSMnhHoqA0/s1600/soggy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tgHD1RF49X7lyeXA5fiECg2PFsqYHGdy1fZHmZCl6_051_vz2qfjpBwQ6tqUQjKpeuM8VoWWX7Gal_qgQVbVY2_HBCg-gTRhRJs0kjBp2DmZfi_1-EylE1nmoetOlxlIJnBSMnhHoqA0/s320/soggy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">torrential downpour drowning my plants!</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Just as we had got both children in their own beds and quiet. Bridget checked her email only to find out it had been cancelled due to high winds and biblical weather.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">We did the only thing sensible in the situation and opened a bottle of wine.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The next morning we ventured into my garden to check the condition of the gooseberries. Bridget loves them, (can she really be my sister?) so Holly showed her where they were and warned they they were spiky and couldn't understand why she couldn't eat them straight from the bush. We sent Aunts Boo on her way with a bag full of ripe goosegogs with the hope of seeing her next Friday at RaRa's.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmy7i3s6ujrfH64IbHSJqZTn3qy97kngNY7MiXJ3iZHozNDjaCHPl63tDHShN2NKCG_D_m9uZjmLDGPWMeee66W8KlSktr5MsPrqjTn7p1IrSclhED_6pRGYkdomn-AcRPM_XyN7HF-Zwe/s1600/aunty+boo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmy7i3s6ujrfH64IbHSJqZTn3qy97kngNY7MiXJ3iZHozNDjaCHPl63tDHShN2NKCG_D_m9uZjmLDGPWMeee66W8KlSktr5MsPrqjTn7p1IrSclhED_6pRGYkdomn-AcRPM_XyN7HF-Zwe/s320/aunty+boo.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>watch out they're prickly!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Not much has been going on in my garden work wise as its been so wet. Apart from feeding my hot bin and lifting some pots. My Casablanca potatoes were a great disappointment with only four pots in the bag, that's one less than I put in!! But my Anya's have been great and very delicious, fabulously nutty and with a lovely bite to them.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3FlvoBscHmoQSV3HkqWOVjrqQre6cyipA1vPvEmZL1qjyWFjI-H1yNMCEfVNJlZx-60Bb_jHuH1tPtsGZt8N_sPaH-Ajhdql-XfhuUXoYteLwOneI0HBD_kzm0vmfatQNDXksA8sJ2V_/s1600/anya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3FlvoBscHmoQSV3HkqWOVjrqQre6cyipA1vPvEmZL1qjyWFjI-H1yNMCEfVNJlZx-60Bb_jHuH1tPtsGZt8N_sPaH-Ajhdql-XfhuUXoYteLwOneI0HBD_kzm0vmfatQNDXksA8sJ2V_/s320/anya.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Anya Potatoes waiting to be eaten</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Since all that rain two weeks ago it's suddenly turned glorious, it almost makes it worth it! On Friday we hightailed it to Wales to see my mom(RaRa to the girls) armed with rhubarb, goosegogs and some beautiful Mayan Gold pots, beautiful golden flesh, but watch out they boil very quickly so you want to be careful that they don't turn to mush. There we spent two heady days on the beach splashing in rockpools, eating ice cream and I saw my first starfish!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4MdBzk7fPCwePPK9RgcBaMUEY_1pjnlWuqti6LAYmVh3mSuUdf1y4VG0-p1yBBPe9BMCKAhBy8s4SLCVKnA4pEqlJ5C2LJdJSTPJiKFj8wJbZ-SUTlep5BqQC4Jf3Ua1c6brpT7u38Xg/s1600/pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4MdBzk7fPCwePPK9RgcBaMUEY_1pjnlWuqti6LAYmVh3mSuUdf1y4VG0-p1yBBPe9BMCKAhBy8s4SLCVKnA4pEqlJ5C2LJdJSTPJiKFj8wJbZ-SUTlep5BqQC4Jf3Ua1c6brpT7u38Xg/s320/pool.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>happy days</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQ-PSHqcsNC2tpPAQ09FXmyqBxJE6oIi3miJrqnUlrYEK1Z2s-_BOs8RUR6p7OT8wMG2NfyQuFUgfkHMwpclgwczzA2IhAMABhNWMELeKBWCyZc2nGhwHQXu9QXLGgMqUhNc_OwP_opU0/s1600/star.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQ-PSHqcsNC2tpPAQ09FXmyqBxJE6oIi3miJrqnUlrYEK1Z2s-_BOs8RUR6p7OT8wMG2NfyQuFUgfkHMwpclgwczzA2IhAMABhNWMELeKBWCyZc2nGhwHQXu9QXLGgMqUhNc_OwP_opU0/s320/star.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not just a red bucket, there is a starfish in there</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Back in the garden I've taken advantage of the sunshine by purging the weeds and finally trimming the hedge, though I've only managed to give it the sides of the short back and sides as I can't reach the top without a ladder.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2J6LW437UTT9m-uYDO5JqrqGgt6ycjsYNmLRm0aaqJEsb3beqqwGYIZVsfqKkLh77AMgwmNeqN5ig7RChDUuX3Of7pmmfogo9p5rLXxFJwN4ARNjahG0AzvzuZvgxFo7jJr9dQpjYnBdF/s1600/purged.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2J6LW437UTT9m-uYDO5JqrqGgt6ycjsYNmLRm0aaqJEsb3beqqwGYIZVsfqKkLh77AMgwmNeqN5ig7RChDUuX3Of7pmmfogo9p5rLXxFJwN4ARNjahG0AzvzuZvgxFo7jJr9dQpjYnBdF/s320/purged.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>clear space for planting the sunflowers</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">But most of all I'm very excited that tomorrow I get to go to Wisley to do a summer fruit shrub pruning course. I'll report back after the course when I've hacked, I mean pruned my currants.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
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</div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-30687345152050110132012-07-11T08:03:00.001-07:002012-07-11T08:03:14.669-07:00Black Gold!Sunday<br />
I have been digging, but not that deep.<br />
<br />
No I haven't struck oil in the heart of Berkshire. I'm just very excited about my new toy. Boys have their cars and power tools. Some girls have shoes, some have make up or even dresses. Me I have a <a href="http://www.hotbincomposting.com/index.aspx">hotbin composter</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2Zq-VTpEtnCMU1yUzqTVmrMN-_tidh_D7LUmTF9ax6xxZakCrE1si4CLDF-MWsuPNrvJ-pUmizmYab0G-zdyWCE4rlFBMKV_I8KBKZoH2-3Pti2yn1S6HjtJKG4lSyVXUZEdG-dKDdkz/s1600/China_Christian_Louboutin_shoes20098271156371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2Zq-VTpEtnCMU1yUzqTVmrMN-_tidh_D7LUmTF9ax6xxZakCrE1si4CLDF-MWsuPNrvJ-pUmizmYab0G-zdyWCE4rlFBMKV_I8KBKZoH2-3Pti2yn1S6HjtJKG4lSyVXUZEdG-dKDdkz/s320/China_Christian_Louboutin_shoes20098271156371.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>not really appropriate for gardening</b></span></td></tr>
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Silence, as the tumble weed passes........<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUN9deMf5KYJzaYt97wtrAplZIqCDFjMNaME7nob8d1ddlWfREHoglrJj3lfneCh1pHzpMWPQBZ_9Ycks70WnZ0v-a1sJ19HcO0RXY7qhVxLiCZmtCsoX8XF3VSjlskCHPZqWl990bqXI2/s1600/bin" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUN9deMf5KYJzaYt97wtrAplZIqCDFjMNaME7nob8d1ddlWfREHoglrJj3lfneCh1pHzpMWPQBZ_9Ycks70WnZ0v-a1sJ19HcO0RXY7qhVxLiCZmtCsoX8XF3VSjlskCHPZqWl990bqXI2/s320/bin" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>all shiny and new</b></span></td></tr>
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Okay so you may not see the wow factor of a black polystyrene bin but to me, this is exciting. As anyone who has a garden compost heap knows there are things you can and can't put in it.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Bindweed and brambles? NO! A garden compost heap just doesn't get hot enough to kill the roots and you'll end up spreading bindweed all over your garden. </li>
<li>Meat and bones? NO! Do you really want to have to call the pied piper? </li>
<li>And it takes so long.
Well the hot composter, well it gets hot and hot kills the nasty roots and hot composts quicker breaking down the meat and bones so no lilting pipe music and you get to keep the kids. </li>
</ul>
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I finally persuaded Bjorn to mow the grass before we lost Lottie in the back jungle, then filled the composter with its base layer to get it started up. Once the heat has got going we can chuck pretty much anything that is biodegradable in there.<br />
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I'm checking the temp tomorrow!<br />
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(Fast forward)
Monday<br />
It's tomorrow and already the composter is 40•C!! That's so cool, er ..... I mean hot! So I've brought it some more kitchen scraps. Mixing it in with some bark chippings and this composter is going to be so happy.
It's promising to give me compost in 90 days so watch this space.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sSE8D55I6Dkv4kNe3TO8CyknHBLRyEpR-n1-yWvJvWRZDW_Zt-vvrR3OULCF8Gz8BY84iyjYscGdSKoG36J71_dE4_qJQ-wRkp_BDkjgcsSjDb-QMt1t6LnH1NrUnqPtspYuK-dqsx_p/s1600/in+bin" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sSE8D55I6Dkv4kNe3TO8CyknHBLRyEpR-n1-yWvJvWRZDW_Zt-vvrR3OULCF8Gz8BY84iyjYscGdSKoG36J71_dE4_qJQ-wRkp_BDkjgcsSjDb-QMt1t6LnH1NrUnqPtspYuK-dqsx_p/s320/in+bin" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>some blogs have beautiful pictures........<br />the base layer for the compost</b></span></td></tr>
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Friday<br />
Well the rain is back with a vengeance and I am in the house with two toddlers with cabin fever. The solution to this situation, get creative.<br />
Holly has been asking for ages to make a scarecrow. I had thought to make a small scarecrow out of Lottie's old clothes. I then thought that might be too creepy. So I rooted around and found some old long johns, tights and some fabric. Luckily I still had some stuffing from making toy rabbits and lots of shredded paper. We had great fun with the shredded paper, most of it went on the floor but then where's the fun in tidy play! Then Holly spent a while creating a rather scary face, it's as if she'd seen me falling out of a club at 6am back in the 90's. <br />
So now our garden is protected by the princess scarecrow with her shimmery skirt and long johns, like some bedragled raver, as she slumps in the strawberry patch with the two sparkly windmills care of grandma.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">someone is watching the house......</span></b></td></tr>
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I just don't want to catch a glimpse of her as I draw the curtains at night, think Jason from Friday 13th!Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-59206746666713553792012-06-30T01:13:00.001-07:002012-06-30T01:13:12.868-07:00Weeds and Deeds<br />
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A man of words and not of deeds</div>
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Is like a garden full of weeds</div>
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And when the weeds begin to grow</div>
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It's like a garden full of snow</div>
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I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger. Its not that I've been lounging on the sofa being fed peeled grapes my my daughters. (I've tried, they just sqwish them up my nose). </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">there really are fairies at the bottom of my garden</span></b></td></tr>
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I've mostly been dealing with sleepless nights from teething babies and toddler nightmares. I have managed prop my eyelids open with matchsticks, drag my weary body into in the garden and have started and re-written this blog four times. It's been so long now that i cant remember where to begin. </div>
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Ah yes there was a hosepipe ban. Drought and disaster looming while at the same time, water water everywhere, well definitely in my three water butts. Then Thames water finally lifted the hose pipe ban after some of the heaviest rain fall in May and June. Being on a water metre means that I am still hoping that I don't have to use the hose pipe too much. </div>
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With all the rain I'm tried to stay off the soil as much as possible, so as not to compact it and destroy the structure. I managed to do some weeding, though it's a constant battle as they are growing ..... Well ...... like weeds!</div>
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I haven't cut the hedge yet as it was too wet and i cant find the hedge trimmer since we moved. I haven't cut the grass, you guessed it, to wet. (though i probably could now) . </div>
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So I thought its about time to get those reluctant gardeners back on track. </div>
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I followed my own earlier advice and cheated. I didn't buy tomatoes as I had already sown some, I bought some pumpkin seedling and some chilli seedling. For the pumpkins I formed three little mounds, apparently they like to trail down little hills. To stop the slugs I put tumble dryer fluff round one, oats round another and the last had to fend for itself as the sheeps wool is in the post??? Now whether it was the high winds or the slugs the porridge oats lost. Slugs 1- Mum in wellies 0. (I now have two flowers on my pumpkins, so excited!). The slimy ones have also been chomping their way through my lettuce and my strawberries. So I went mad with the slug pellets all around the strawbs as I don't have enough tumble dryer fluff. (the td fluff seems to be working as my beans have remained intact). </div>
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I digress. Reluctant gardeners I have a task for you. A simple and inexpensive was to increase the amount of plants in your garden, presents for friends or to get in the good books of the church/school/village fete committee. </div>
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Soft wood cuttings. </div>
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There are loads of plants that you can take soft wood cuttings from both perennials and shrubs. Too many to mention so here are just a few. </div>
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Perennials</div>
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Erigeron - evergreen ground cover big blouse daisy flowers </div>
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Penstemon - classic cottage garden plant comes in an array of colours</div>
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Nepeta - catmint I love it but do does my cat so I can't grow it in my gardened he eats it, rolls in it and goes nuts. </div>
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Shrubs</div>
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Lavendula - what can I say, everyone know this one and it's a great way to get tons of it!</div>
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Buxus - only if you have the time and patience, it's slow to propagate. </div>
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Buddlejia - don't knock this train line plant it has some lovely cultivars and is great for wildlife. Black knight is beautiful, deep purple flowers with orange centres</div>
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Hydrangea - aborescens Annabelle is my favorite big white pompoms</div>
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The soft new shoots on plants is what you are looking for. Preferably non flowering shoots as they will root more easily. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from left: lavender, sage, ceanothus, flowering currant</span></b></td></tr>
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Take off up to 10cm of a shoot just above a bud on the parent plant.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">feeling a little cold: stripped of their lower leaves</span></b></td></tr>
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Strip the lower few leaves so you have a decent length of stem to plant in the soil. </div>
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I've used John innes seed and potting compost, but you probably could you a good multi purpose compost. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">please ignore my bad manicure!</span></b></td></tr>
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Dip the cutting in some rooting powder or liquid then make a hole in the compost (fingers, dibbers, a pencil what ever suits). Then put in the cutting and firm it into the compost. </div>
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Water well. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">now wait</span></b></td></tr>
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I put two to three cuttings per pot (just because I'm tight!). </div>
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Mine are in a sunny sheltered area in my garden as my greenhouse isn't up yet. But a window sill would do of you haven't got the space outside</div>
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Leave them for 6-10 weeks. Remembering to keep the compost moist. </div>
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Then your only problem is finding places in your garden to plant them. </div>
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I have cuttings of</div>
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Lavendula Hidcote</div>
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Salvia officinalis</div>
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Rosmarinus officinalis</div>
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Ceanothus Concha</div>
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Cistus Sunset</div>
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Buxus semirvirens</div>
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Ribes sanguineum</div>
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I do get quite carried away taking cuttings as its SO easy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">just a few strawberries, red currants and sticks of rhubarb</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my little star</span></b></td></tr>
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I've also been collecting the strawbs and red currants which, even though we've been sharing them with the slugs and bird population of Newbury, seem to be an unending harvest. Lottie like Holly before her has acquired a taste for red currants straight from the bush so it's a battle between them as to who will get there first, all fear of spiders and other crawlies banished. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGW_xEYLqHy2xKcKHxdUpSy-2fS0s2Hfath11umUE1Q1nxeqimFiIwEAwuMOv7Er_xHILvVWz-vVsteixFTf8aoiRvzcjfbcKwgqwuvWoZZdCiT27YPvlO3GhDDK7Gy_NkHghnpBIHgZT/s1600/1+straw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGW_xEYLqHy2xKcKHxdUpSy-2fS0s2Hfath11umUE1Q1nxeqimFiIwEAwuMOv7Er_xHILvVWz-vVsteixFTf8aoiRvzcjfbcKwgqwuvWoZZdCiT27YPvlO3GhDDK7Gy_NkHghnpBIHgZT/s320/1+straw.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>no spider can stop the intrepid strawberry hunter</b></span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-57077304848771224022012-06-09T13:24:00.002-07:002012-06-09T13:25:24.932-07:00Unwelcome Visitors<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I first got back into gardening as an adult I'd just moved into a basement flat in Camberwell which had a garden. It was mostly paving but had some borders and an enormous elder tree at the back. As I was pretty poor I decided to grow all of my plants from seed. With no greenhouse and much to the annoyance of my boyfriend I had seed trays all over the kitchen floor. I had cleared the borders of weeds and just planted out some of the seedlings when I had to go on a two week tour with the dance company I was working with. I was welcomed back by my very proud boyfriend who said he had been looking after my garden, watering and weeding. He took me outside to view his work, when I looked out in the garden I found a lot of bare earth. He'd weeded all of my seedlings. What could I say.......... </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As this dear boyfriend is now my dear husband, I thought I'd do a run down of the weeds in my garden, just in case. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are two main types of weeds, annual (grow, flower and die in one year) and perennial (the buggers that keep coming back). The former and quite easy to get rid of if you get them before their flower, the latter are a pain in the arse. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I'm using botanical paintings just to make them look nicer)</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perennials pains</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Brambles</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mixed feelings on this one as blackberries are so yummy. But I think on the whole I'd prefer to forage them elsewhere .</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahK-LwpHy4h8X0zWOimI-WNmG68QG2TBv32943p5bMHs6-c59GI4nM9EV6OZItWiuBdfsb_5a1ojKsSbGP50Eftgnz_VO5uqeeIdTFG0CTPyF7Du6tZ30hLvzFoKWhYDz7OuWdi6yGqPF/s1600/brambles-w220h200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahK-LwpHy4h8X0zWOimI-WNmG68QG2TBv32943p5bMHs6-c59GI4nM9EV6OZItWiuBdfsb_5a1ojKsSbGP50Eftgnz_VO5uqeeIdTFG0CTPyF7Du6tZ30hLvzFoKWhYDz7OuWdi6yGqPF/s1600/brambles-w220h200.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Broad leaved willow herb</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quite easy to clear with a fork but can tear, leaving the roots behind for another year. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJnNKUHzwQICtCynfVWHpQ8RYaaTDN3pU7wQ_vB6hgp66hVwR2DlR4sFcJkoYp720Khk27UDJ8Mq7Mj1wrtXrHQfjCSkuSXedKnaOEEROQ5LjV4z_9BnaynU_-YQ_y8oCw1rPeZUwXXbD/s1600/Broad-leaved-Willow-herb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJnNKUHzwQICtCynfVWHpQ8RYaaTDN3pU7wQ_vB6hgp66hVwR2DlR4sFcJkoYp720Khk27UDJ8Mq7Mj1wrtXrHQfjCSkuSXedKnaOEEROQ5LjV4z_9BnaynU_-YQ_y8oCw1rPeZUwXXbD/s320/Broad-leaved-Willow-herb.jpg" width="205" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Wood Avens</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Annoying as it does look like a it's cultivated cousin until it flowers but quite easy to lift.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2V2Smz7K1RsAENilhAeeBf-63xxFtfeM8hJa8-tAM1kcZFO3ArJtAxFyNxICCldR4e053D-PNwaMiIJ0eY-4Hencn3e402pOtvNVMddltxIU1cFMIGCbykS3eT_s8623oj5vfsCtEVQz/s1600/sy4716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2V2Smz7K1RsAENilhAeeBf-63xxFtfeM8hJa8-tAM1kcZFO3ArJtAxFyNxICCldR4e053D-PNwaMiIJ0eY-4Hencn3e402pOtvNVMddltxIU1cFMIGCbykS3eT_s8623oj5vfsCtEVQz/s320/sy4716.jpg" width="248" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bindweed</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is there any garden that doesn't have this strangulating pernicious pain! if there is I'd like to move in! it seems that I have two types. hedge bindweed Convolvulus arvensis, the white flowering one that most gardens seem to have, and field bindweed it travels along the ground pulling things down rather than twining up and strangling everything. Both are as bad as each other. But I only seem to have them in a small patch so operation strangulation has begun.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eluqiuuUe0cis2ct0utj5i_q0V1o4lmXqWKtJsEA1oTJjm9_ZxTVcemuiVH-VSf7IOlHJjWLRjNV6iHnboVns0Dgcc2FlQQ6Z9riDzuKpWhXFCG6FAq3ZY1fvLgGn3dsaNOxWJ4atSus/s1600/newhm-2001-h239-058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eluqiuuUe0cis2ct0utj5i_q0V1o4lmXqWKtJsEA1oTJjm9_ZxTVcemuiVH-VSf7IOlHJjWLRjNV6iHnboVns0Dgcc2FlQQ6Z9riDzuKpWhXFCG6FAq3ZY1fvLgGn3dsaNOxWJ4atSus/s320/newhm-2001-h239-058.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Annuals</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Goose grass</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favourite weeds on that it is fun to play with and quite easy to clear.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nMc_7DFIjzsMkwH4WZqsHlFqjaOsmLy2ygBVp00w7f9_ac_-RSkRjoh4niqXibDKwaHePMnoxkF_DdHcocTOa9hMiRRpdxaCFl3Ci4IhICz1SnfGO-fiZ-ttpKcQCPvHg5KmY36zFryt/s1600/4d725b860f59b_201786n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nMc_7DFIjzsMkwH4WZqsHlFqjaOsmLy2ygBVp00w7f9_ac_-RSkRjoh4niqXibDKwaHePMnoxkF_DdHcocTOa9hMiRRpdxaCFl3Ci4IhICz1SnfGO-fiZ-ttpKcQCPvHg5KmY36zFryt/s320/4d725b860f59b_201786n.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Common field speedwell</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">spreading suffocating, but pretty blue flowers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmNEnRe-C2rYw90co0-DgXyWrtH7Gsj51wBs716DnBKbozcVp61-LW6CFpgPRjRhji5AAeMPWQx50TrhV0wCnHGRJTfvPACI81H5lq5w_O2Dz1sTGeD0lH79DhLFgIM736rYXlEGgues3/s1600/10930007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmNEnRe-C2rYw90co0-DgXyWrtH7Gsj51wBs716DnBKbozcVp61-LW6CFpgPRjRhji5AAeMPWQx50TrhV0wCnHGRJTfvPACI81H5lq5w_O2Dz1sTGeD0lH79DhLFgIM736rYXlEGgues3/s320/10930007.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chickweed</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy to clear with hoeing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHBfGc2eRBj3yE2kJ7TmMshmj807gGOKNbGNzO-on8TJ7zqeI2NsvPeHvwWhqyOnsGitDidTdPg4Na0FwvquWmZ6n1fG2E4KXMwmwZQU0k-9-H0uCb8-IN74Ne-fE5lLTEE6ZCNogcV75/s1600/Chickweed_Photo01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHBfGc2eRBj3yE2kJ7TmMshmj807gGOKNbGNzO-on8TJ7zqeI2NsvPeHvwWhqyOnsGitDidTdPg4Na0FwvquWmZ6n1fG2E4KXMwmwZQU0k-9-H0uCb8-IN74Ne-fE5lLTEE6ZCNogcV75/s1600/Chickweed_Photo01.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A tip I remember from Bunny Guinness off gardeners world was, if you don't have time to weed the garden properly deadhead the weeds to stop them flowering. That way you are at least stopping them from spreading. But do go back and clear the weeds at a later date, otherwise you'll never get rid of them.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must say that Bjorn is very proud that he can now discern many different types of plants, but he does steer clear of doing the weeding.</span></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-5490768414681134222012-06-03T02:34:00.000-07:002012-06-03T02:34:16.722-07:00<br />
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So I'm sitting here trying to stay calm, waiting for the dentist to fill my life with pain. (2 fillings, I blame all that Ribena). So I'm thinking of the lovely week I've just had filled with beautiful walks in stunning landscapes with friends and family. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZMjd5Fa6WvMZMsd0GJ18Ir_cFcQnGrMMrhitjOw0fUsuKg04Fw4tddhqF4_v97s78OMoCLtdsnl8IXvgkWLmMdpowrD1-DCgjVqh5r9-bRfbVdFVBF7xg6KMl15jMiIqKezPlONSddVk/s1600/the+vyne.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZMjd5Fa6WvMZMsd0GJ18Ir_cFcQnGrMMrhitjOw0fUsuKg04Fw4tddhqF4_v97s78OMoCLtdsnl8IXvgkWLmMdpowrD1-DCgjVqh5r9-bRfbVdFVBF7xg6KMl15jMiIqKezPlONSddVk/s320/the+vyne.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mown path through the orchard at The Vyne</span></b></td></tr>
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On Friday I thought it was a out time I used that national trust membership that I got for Christmas. (thanks mum). So I packed a picnic, sun cream and picnic blanket(thanks again mum) and of we drove to<a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/vyne/" target="_blank"> The Vyne</a> near basingstoke. Half an hour of windy roads and a dozen "are we there yet"s we arrived, bumping over the cattle grid. I was slightly condemned that although I would love ambling through the beautiful gardens Holly might get bored. In true jubilee/Olympic spirit they had a scarecrow trail through the garden so Holly had the time of her life searching for scarecrows and choosing her favourite. In fact she enjoyed it so much we had to take her Daddy there again in the Monday and we will be making our own scarecrow for the garden. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holly wasn't impressed with his cycling style</span></b></td></tr>
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My second venture into sublime landscapes was a wonderful surprise. While visiting my friend Marneta in Oxfordshire, not only did I get to while away the hours in her beautifully serene garden, but she took me to a <a href="http://www.globalretreatcentre.org/" target="_blank">capability brown landscaped garden</a> just down the lane. What a fabulous surprise that was. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grecian temple in the gardens</span></b></td></tr>
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Immaculately restored with formal gardens around the house, spreading out into acres of landscaped views out into the Oxfordshire countryside. It never ceases to amaze me how Capability Brown had such vision. </div>
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While out on our stroll with Ronnie Barker, a dog with special privileges. We came across some <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/416255-benefits-and-dangers-of-sorrel/" target="_blank">lemon sorrel</a>, great in salads and other dishes too. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ronnie was quite taken with the Wedding Cake tree,<br />Cornus controversa Variegata</span></b></td></tr>
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And so a mini wild forage began. We also collected some hedge garlic and by the time we go back we had enough for a small bowl of salad to accompany a beautifully healthy vegetarian lunch. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my new friend</span></b></td></tr>
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Back home in Newbury the wild foraging inspire me to get out into the garden and see what was on offer. All my life I have. Even convinced that I don't like rhubarb, now it's in my garden I've been converted. Thanks to a simple recipe for <a href="http://www.domesticsluttery.com/2012/05/sluttishly-sweet-rhubarb-and-vanilla.html" target="_blank">rhubarb syrup</a>. Holly drinks it as a cordial but we've also had it on ice cream and I'm waiting for a garden party to try it with gin!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">there may be a small child lost in there</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Having spent so long in the back garden I have been ignoring the front which has turned into a bit of a wild meadow. So one evening Bjorn mowed as I edged. Though after it was finished it looked more like a moss lawn than a grass one. Ah well. Maybe that will be inspiration for my Japanese garden. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">short back and sides please</span></b></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-12625181911534362942012-05-28T11:00:00.000-07:002012-05-28T11:00:19.564-07:00Frothy Pink and Invasions<br />
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Okay so it's two weeks since my last blog (I feel like I'm in the confessional), but I've been doing so much I just don't know where to start. </div>
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I planned a day out at RHS <a href="http://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/" target="_blank">Wisely</a> for some spring inspiration but it turned into a wash out. It was pouring with rain but my friend Pernille braved the weather, which pleased Holly as she got to see her friend Francesca. The pair didn't seem to mind the rain and still managed to roll around on the grass. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>sharing, caring friends</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>this is as pink as nature gets!</b></span></td></tr>
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Wisely is a beautiful garden all year round and a firm favourite with young kids with the adventure playground and hot house root cave. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Purple Toothwort; strange fruit indeed</b></span></td></tr>
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The rhododendrons and azaleas were on top form with their loud blousey colours. I also discovered (well not me personally, that would probably be a Victorian plant hunter) a rather curious looking plant at the foot of a large rhododendron, the purple tooth wort, <a href="http://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/Lathraea-clandestina.htm" target="_blank">Lathraea clandestina</a>. It was quite prehistoric looking in a dangerous triffid type way. A parasitic plant that lives off the roots of, mainly alders and salix but also other trees. I do love it when I find things I've never seen before, quite by accident. </div>
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Back home with a desire to get the garden looking more like a garden than a wildlife reserve, I mowed and edges the lawn. There's something wonderfully about the smell of freshly mown grass. While edging the lawn next to one of the borders I found a plant which made me stop in my tracks and change tack. </div>
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<b>Mint.</b></div>
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Now mint is an essential plant for summer. In one word, Pimms. </div>
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However, never, never, never plant it in a border. </div>
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Always, always, always plant it in a pretty (and big) pot. </div>
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It's a survivor i.e. a thug of a plant which will take over your whole garden and your neighbours gardens and completely put you off Pimms which is never a good thing. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>the border mid mint extraction</b></span></td></tr>
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So as I said I changed tack and stripped out the border, apart from the lavender bush. This was in fact a good move as the congested irises needed splitting. (I know it's the wrong time of year to split Rhizomatous Iris, July to September being the best time). So the result is a bed clear of mint and irises that are a lot happier. </div>
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Oh, a quick foot note on a previous blog, I checked the mouse nest and there was not a trace of mouse. Now I'm counting that as a good thing, (no bones) so I think the parents went back to the babies and they are now jumping around my garden waiting for the strawberries to ripen.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>the lights are on but no-one's home</b></span></td></tr>
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Poking around in the back with the fruit bushes I discovered a bit of a disaster if you like gooseberries, which I don't. American gooseberry mildew. Not sure why it's American? But it's mildew and that's bad. There's the non organic treatment, spray it with chemicals, or the organic treatment, cut out the affected parts, and in the future prime the plant to an open habit to let air circulate. I don't like spraying fruit bushes as Holly tends to eat while she picks so the only option to me was to cut out the bad bits. Unfortunately this meant most of the three bushes disappeared. But my worry was that it might spread to the currant bushes, so I'd rather lose all the gooseberries than some of the currants. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I don't like gooseberries even if they look sugar coated</b></span></td></tr>
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I'd only kept them as my sister likes them, but as I'm the one who has to picking them and always end up filling the swear box when I do, I think they are going to end up on the bonfire. Sorry Boo. X</div>
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<br /></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-43047552039599524482012-05-19T13:16:00.000-07:002012-05-19T13:18:09.437-07:00May the fourth be with you<br />
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It's been a busy old week with the bank holiday weekend, Lottie's first birthday and my first dressmaking class, but I have managed to do a bit of gardening.</div>
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I can't believe my little Lottie is actually one year old, it feels like only yesterday that Holly was one never mind three and a half going on fourteen. But the day arrived and not only did she get lots of presents she kindly gave us a present, her first steps. Yes Lottie teetered precariously across the room to the pile of wrapping paper and proceeded to gleefully tear it up, so much for the dolls buggy!</div>
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As a birthday treat and with our new country living we decided to go to a local farms <a href="http://www.amnersfarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">lambing weekend</a>. Holly was transfixed with the sheep giving birth, as was I (they made it look so easy). There were faces to be painted, orphaned lambs to feed and piglets to be stroked, Lottie thought the piglets were the funniest things she had ever seen. I was particularly glad to see the baby chicks and tried to encourage Holly to hold the loud little chicks. I am a devious mother in that I am trying to use my children to influence their dad to agree to me keeping chickens. So it was a case of "isn't the chick lovely,Holly." "see how soft it is." "would you like some little chicks?" "</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Holly wondering if she could take Timmy home!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">no one would notice if I just popped it in my pocket</span></b></td></tr>
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After all this rain and the little bit of sunshine we had the garden needed seeing to, as it was not only the veg and plants that are growing. The weeds are getting tall! </div>
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Before I could plant the lettuce I had to prepare the beds. As I've previously said the soil is very good but full of stones. As it is such a big job I'm clearing as I go. So I cleared the area for the strawberries and now an area for the lettuce, spinach and pak choi. Rather than sitting there hand picking them all I've invested in a garden sieve. I was amazed how many stones you collect so quickly. Now I'm out there looking like I'm madly prospecting for gold, though it is rather good exercise for the wobbly waistline. Gardening it's the new gym!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Even the elephant had given up picking stones</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>No stones, well not the ruddy great big ones at least</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>okay so my straight line cutting could do with <br />improving</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>my sieve full of stones, and a glimpse of my wellies!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">With enough wood pigeons to feed an army in my garden daily, I've also bought some <a href="http://www.enviromesh.co.uk/" target="_blank">enviro mesh</a> in the hope that I might feed my family, not the wildlife, so I only have to contend with the slugs and caterpillars. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">I've also earthed up my potatoes almost to the top of the bags now, so I just have to have a trip to the garden centre and buy some liquid seaweed feed.</span></div>
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Clearing the brambles from along the fence and espaliered apples it all looks a bit bare now so I'll be planning some plants that won't compete too much with the apples, good pollinators to encourage the bees and like it about dry.</div>
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While clearing the weeds and brambles I discovered a patch of raspberry canes why they would have been planted so close to the apple tree I have no idea, though they could have self seeded. I'm going to leave them there for this season but will move them I the autumn to a more appropriate place.</div>
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The seeds that I planted two weeks ago are now sprouting. The spring onions, tomatoes,carrots and runner beans are all appearing and some of Holly's teddy bear sunflowers are also peeking through.</div>
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It's also not quite so rainy as it has been so watering is becoming more of an issue especially as there is still no hosepipe usage. It's a good job we have two full large water butts. So when I've finally got the kids to sleep I can spend a quiet half hour in the garden, listening to the sparrows twittering watching the sun go down.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>meiow</b></span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131892817025183062.post-63018136209179222162012-05-06T01:43:00.000-07:002012-05-06T01:43:02.826-07:00The Reluctant Gardener<br />
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There are some things that I love having but can't be bothered to put the effort into; yorkshire puddings, shapely eyebrows, clean dishes. For these things I take short cuts/ cheat, call it what you will.</div>
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There are other things that filled me with fear before I tried them, driving, ice skating, rock climbing. I put driving off for ages before I tried it and now I don't think twice about it (but to be truthful I'd still have to take a deep breath before rock climbing). </div>
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What I'm getting at is all the reluctant gardeners out there. I MEAN YOU!!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lord Kitchener had his gloves on and was ready to garden</span></b></td></tr>
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We've all done it, really wanted to try something but are too scared to do it. Where to start, how long do I wait until I realise the seeds are just not germinating.......</div>
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So I'm going to try to help, hold your hand as you get your fingers dirty. Once a month I'll set a little task, something simple at first, and your plants will grow with you. </div>
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I have two task for this month one for the short cutters and one for the garden nervous</div>
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<b>Short cutters</b></div>
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Cheat. Get some tomato seedlings from your garden centre, choose whether you want beef, plum or cherry toms. Don't buy too many to start with two or three plants should do. I'd get a 5 litre pot for each of them rather than a long flat tomato bag as these tend to make the plants fall over as they get tall. As the tomato seeding grows bigger transfer the seedling to the larger pot. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEVxEZJMSH2Hwv99RgVnX_YBvwB1ej9Q9ThsDjg-6dT5k2jXVJry4qW2j7ROmCvBny_y_EsS7c3hg7pCHpnkonNLzLMMYzrOZ4P-Wp_fqVtTGT2jDIeYfN0G-sAcpkKmsqDeIRvmv4rnN/s1600/tomato_principeborghese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEVxEZJMSH2Hwv99RgVnX_YBvwB1ej9Q9ThsDjg-6dT5k2jXVJry4qW2j7ROmCvBny_y_EsS7c3hg7pCHpnkonNLzLMMYzrOZ4P-Wp_fqVtTGT2jDIeYfN0G-sAcpkKmsqDeIRvmv4rnN/s320/tomato_principeborghese.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm growing Tomato Principe Borghese, tiny plum tomatoes.</span></b></td></tr>
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Half fill the new pot with compost and water well then gently take the tomato plant out of the old pot and backfill with new compost. Firm the compost down around the plant and water well. Keep in a sheltered but sunny position. </div>
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The secret for good growth is keep it well watered, and liquid seaweed food (follow the instructions on the feed).</div>
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<b>For the nervous</b></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Something pretty. There's still time to plant some nasturtium seeds, the flowers and young leaves are great for putting in salads.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESuyQjzNVkjLKi3Mv3WRnvxItjz0gYBD-feZ8lrh2Cb2i27CFLkXheaw-hlGu_zaIEoCwKLNLbmuZczy0fQYxzwH1VC5h_j3zArqjhLRazFgpmFd44da_rRuhwDotxXHGGHgbpVWdpYQ8/s1600/nasturtium_empress_of_india_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESuyQjzNVkjLKi3Mv3WRnvxItjz0gYBD-feZ8lrh2Cb2i27CFLkXheaw-hlGu_zaIEoCwKLNLbmuZczy0fQYxzwH1VC5h_j3zArqjhLRazFgpmFd44da_rRuhwDotxXHGGHgbpVWdpYQ8/s1600/nasturtium_empress_of_india_2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nasturtium 'Empress of India</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span></td></tr>
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Get yourself a cellular seed tray a packet of nasturtiums seeds, my favourite is "Empress of India" ( deep velvety red with deep green almost glaucous leaves) and some seed compost. Fill up the seed tray with compost, water well, poke your finger into each cell to about the first joint of your finger. Pop in a seed and cover with compost. Keep well watered and they should germinate in a few days. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraoNVWa0YsIJBUd4BusP9u-NFiyLZjbAK2z2vcsIYChvGysusyw1O2fcYRezq6tMrDb9JSdOgVfUt44P29OKG1z321X2EAwGzJ8TS1DQtPvmMXHN60CdcyfLo9ZjTYV8EdT0jqpH8KeFp/s1600/15-cell+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraoNVWa0YsIJBUd4BusP9u-NFiyLZjbAK2z2vcsIYChvGysusyw1O2fcYRezq6tMrDb9JSdOgVfUt44P29OKG1z321X2EAwGzJ8TS1DQtPvmMXHN60CdcyfLo9ZjTYV8EdT0jqpH8KeFp/s320/15-cell+web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A cellular seed tray like this would be great.</b></span></td></tr>
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If you are still in doubt, feeling a bit of a Margo then put on some gloves, and I don't mean the gardening variety. A good pair of marigolds, they'll protect your hands while still letting you feel the plants. I get some strange looks when I'm gardening but have lovely soft hands! I only use gardening gloves for heavy work like digging or pruning/weeding thorny plants.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLJDenPcV2nbw7muueW0fDN3SuqL70oHgeduYWSm1YY7VNNp_0z8sl8iUbcNpZuJFkbtp158qKPfWncrvJb2Da1AVPtBB0PvdAxFnMc_LUg3pHZKySNxmYPccZpg_J1GfrchqL3GbNBzt/s1600/IMG_1183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLJDenPcV2nbw7muueW0fDN3SuqL70oHgeduYWSm1YY7VNNp_0z8sl8iUbcNpZuJFkbtp158qKPfWncrvJb2Da1AVPtBB0PvdAxFnMc_LUg3pHZKySNxmYPccZpg_J1GfrchqL3GbNBzt/s320/IMG_1183.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Holly was camera shy in her gardening gloves.</b></span></td></tr>
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So It's still the bank holiday, it's not raining so no excuse, get out there!</div>Franjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663554511211345824noreply@blogger.com1