Category: Garden

Pic of the week 19/6/22

Today is Father’s day and I have had a pleasent day with both children home, and Sophie making me a tea of Chicken Kyiv and chips – v nice!

I’ve spent the day pottering, as I like to do, a bit in the garden, planting up the last of the geraniums and lobelia and some pumpkin plants from a neighbour.  I mowed the path in the lawn (I love the pic above from earlier in the week), I was going to strim the long grass down, but my strimmer has now strimming wire, so that will have to wait.  I intend to strim it once and then let it grow again for the rest of the summer.

The chicks are certainly growing, it doesn’t look like there is much space left in the nest. Its been about a week since they hatched, I wonder when they will leave the nest?

A sad day – the Micra Dci got taken away yesterday, got about £240 for it.  I liked that car, and shall miss it. But I did fire up the pug today and “drove” it around our drive whilst there was space.  Just trying to stop things seizing up before I can give it some proper attention in the hols.

Pic of the week 12/6/22

So, we finally got round to getting Becky a new car.  In the end, she hasgone for a 2010 Ford Ka in a rather nice shade of blue.  The equipment level is quite limited (no central locking, wind down windows etc) but its low mileage, looks good and is hers.

I have spent a happy day examining the Pug (as I shall now call the Peugeot 205).  Had it up on sticks, took the wheels of, had a good look at the suspension and steering.  Think it does need some work – mainly where rubber boots etc. have perished, and I still think the heavy steering is not just because there is now power steering: I suspect the grease in the rack and pinion has dried up and degraded, and I think the strut mounts may need replacing.  But I spent a bit of time cleaning everything up, and working out what each bit does.  I think I have a fun couple of months ahead.

Chicks

A couple of weeks ago, I spotted a nest in the ivy hedge on the back wall, near where I hang the washing line.  Normally, a rather beaky bird has been sat on it, but occasionally they’ve not been there and I peeked in to see a few blue eggs.  Today, as I hung the washing up, I took a little peek: mum wasn’t sat on the nest and I could see a few small, and very helpless looking baby birds.  Pleased to say that by later today, the beaky bird was once again sat on her nest.

Pic of the week 29/5/22

So two years later than originally planned, on Thursday Becky and I went to see the Killers at Ashton Gate.

It was a cold May night and we were up at the very top row of the highest stand, as far away from the stage as you could possibly be, yet it was still great to go. And one point, i looked down on to the crowd below – a seething mass of humanity – and thought: “yes, the pandemic is over”.

The Manic Street Preachers were the support act, and were very good (I particularly enjoyed their cover of the Cult’s Sanctuary) but it was when, about four songs into their set, that the Killers launched into Mr Brightside that the stadium really erupted into life. Human, their encore, was similarly brilliant.

Back home, the wasps have continued to build their nest in my shed, and it has (had) grown to a reasonable size (golf ball?) – quite a feet of engineering, But now there were always a few wasps buzzing around my head as I went into my shed, so the decision was made to destroy it.  So donning long sleeves, a pair of gloves and my safety specs, I gave it a whack with a pole, and fled.  I returned to it a while later to find a fair few grubs wriggling on the floor, so I took them outside for the birds.  The inside of the nest was pretty impressive, I do feel a little bad about destroying it, but I fear it may have got huge by the end of the summer.

The inside of the nest.

And, in the ivy covering the back wall, I have discovered a birds nest. Much of the time you see a beady eye and painful looking beak poking out at you when you look closely, but this evening there was nothing sat on the nest so I had a closer peak and saw at least one blue egg.  I look forward to the new arrivals …

Pic of the week 22/5/22

I first spotted this a week or two ago when I noticed a wasp flying into my shed, and I’ve watched it develop and grow (I also spotted an old nest about 50cm away from this new one)

I must admit, I am conflicted. On the one hand, I don’t want a load of wasps buzzing around me, particularly as I go in and out of my shed, but I do think it is a thing of beauty and I can’t (yet!) bring myself to destroy it. It would, after all, go against my recent policy of making the garden as wildlife friendly as possible (I think its an age thing, but I am increasingly enjoying “nature”!) Today, I did tell Becky my secret (that we have a wasps nest) – she was interested, to the photo, but then suggested I get rid of it. Still not sure what to do.

I’ve been busy today in the garden, and have planted out my pumpkins that I grew from seed.  All 6 germinated, but on looked weak and deformed, so I binned that one and planted out the other 5. If they all establish  into good plants, that will be more than enough to provide the foliage for back drop & weed suppression that I want, and also, hopefully, a few pumpkins to nurture an watch over the summer months.

Pic of the week 15/5/22

So I’ve been a busy little bee over the last few days.

I’ve dug up the alliums from the front bed and planted them up in six pots – they seem to have taken well, and look good, I think for next year I’ll be planting quite a few allium bulbs in post this autumn. Then I dug up all the other bulbs that were in the front bed, they are currently in my shed, I intend to dry them out, store them over the summer and plant into the lawn for next year.

And into the front trough, I have planted out my sunflower seedlings (a mix of “Korg” and “Giant Single”), sown another batch of them straight into the trough and also planted up geraniums and lobelia. Now I just need to sit back and wait for them to bloom …

And, of the six pumpkin seeds I sowed last week, two have just started to emerge. And in the fig tree bed, the seeds I sowed last week are just beginning to poke their heads above ground.

 

Pic of the week 1/5/22

Yesterday, Saturday 30th April, whilst sat at my desk in my classroom I glanced out of the window and saw three swallows swooping around in the sky.  I think that these are the first swallows I’ve seen this year, lets hope they herald warmer days to come. (Spring has been dry, but not stunningly warm. Although frustratingly today had been constant grey drizzle – my day off when I could have got out and done some needed jobs in the garden: mainly tidying up bulbs that have gone over, and also mowing the path in the lawn.  The pic above shows the alliums in our giant container at the front of the house which are now bursting into flower.)

And I’m pleased to say that the sunflower seeds I planted a week or so ago have popped up and seem to be growing healthily in our porch.

 

Pic of the week 24/4/22

On Wednesday Becky & I went for a walk. We drove out to, and then climbed, Burrow Mump before walking along the River Parrott. It was a warm day, and wonderful walk. Until we turned back north to cut across some fields and circle our way back to the car park.

All was well as we passed a small group of cows by the river edge – as we calmly and confidently strode by they kept their distance. Turning into the next field, there were more cows. Again, initially they gave us a wide berth but as we walked along the field edge they became a bit more confident and began to follow us, initially leaving a long distance between us and them, but as we walked further through the field, they began to close up – more than once I turned and eyeballed them, letting them know who was boss, and they stopped, but as we walked on they continued to creep ever closer.

Reaching the gate was a relief, and Becky was swift to mount the five bar and put a barrier between her and our bovine followers.

But relief did not last for long.

Waiting for us in the next field was a bigger herd – twenty or thirty head of cattle looking at us inquisitively from 10 yards.

There was nothing for it, but to stride purposefully onwards, towards them, and they did swiftly scatter. But that was not the end of it. They were skittish and excitable, running alongside us, often veering towards us, necessitating a roar from me to send the pounding away. It was getting tense, and when the cows began to circle us it was as if we were in an old fashioned western movie – we were the settlers being surrounded by angry Indians, and we know those scenes only ever ended one way.

We kept a veneer of calm as our pace perceptively quickened along with our rising heartbeats. There was only one way – onwards.  For five minutes we strode across the field until at last a fence and gate offered us salvation. A quick scurry over the gate saw us land safely on the other side, able to continue our walk without further incident.

Friday was a much more leisurely affair as Sam led us on a walk through the woods leading up to Pen Hill mast. The woodland floor was carpeted with bluebells – a magnificent site on a wonderful two hour stroll.

On Saturday I planted up some sunflower seeds – 30 Giant Singles and 30 Korg (which should be a tall multi- headed variety) Here’s hoping they all germinate successfully.

Took Sophie back to Reading on Monday, and Sam back to Cardiff today, so it is back to the two of us for the next five weeks.  Back to school for me tomorrow.

Pic of the week 13/3/22

It has been another tough, tiring week at work for me, but one’s spirits are lifted by the signs of Spring that are now beginning to burst forth. All of a sudden, I can look out of my window and see our magnificent magnolia full of bloom and flower. It is almost as if it has snuck up on us, going from a collection of twigs to big flowers almost overnight.

The daffodils we planted last September are now also doing their stuff and are sitting proud in their clumps all across the garden.  The giant planter at the front of the house looks really good now there is a mix of dafs in flower, interspersed with the grape hyacinths that have, at last, begun to flower. As I write, the rain is once again failing (and yesterday was v cold in the v strong wind) but much of the day today has seen the sun shine through blue skies, and it has been uplifting.

After my run – not the best of time due to the strong wind – breakfast, pottering outside (tidying up the scarps of tiles that were left outside in the front garden and went to the tip to dispose of them x2 bags at £4 per bag) lunch, a read and a snooze, I do feel re-energised and revitalised for the week to come. I think we can safely say winter is pretty much over, and spring is on its way.