I began this work with my trusty hoe, managing to scrap away a good collection but eventually the fork and spade had to be brought into action. Thankfully the ground was a great deal more amenable to digging after recent rains than before, when I'd begun the work. However, it still took a good hour to clear out the embedded plants and get my fork into the heavy soil but the benefit was great with a whole tub of weeds and soil to add to my two compost bins which, I noticed the other day, were rather dry and busy with insects. I must add that Garotta mix to help speed up the decomposing process.
Well I planted my four fruit bushes, two blackberry and two gooseberry, watered therm well and became busy with the garden broom. I have a flower bed at the far end and there's a small collection of sweet-smelling herbs in the old "cold-frame" and a second bed on the left of this for rhubarb, lady's mantle and my orange geum plant. I grow geum because my step-grandmother always grew it and, after she died, our elder sister gave a garden-home to the last remaining gum; it's become a family plant and I've now bought another geum, a large yellow-bloomed plant,
The strawberries have fruited well, I've enjoyed a mouthful of raspberries and now I'm gathering tiny delicious red tomatoes, slim courgettes and yesterday, my first green pepper. The chilli peppers are growing well and they will turn red eventually and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for aubergine from my plant simply covered with tiny violet coloured flowers; now wouldn't that be fine to pick these for myself!.......here's a few photos...
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| Runner beans, nasturtiums, chives, parsley and courgettes |
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| spot the beanlets? |
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| do you spot the flowers |
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| my flower bed - spot the green feathery fennel |
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| today's harvest |
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| and my coriander plant or cilantro if you prefer!!! |
In my flower garden, the marjoram is flowering very prettily and various other small plants are performing well. I must split the two large herb plants this autumn and tidy everything up but for now, the garden looks very pleasing. What did need attention was the untidy front edge and, thinking to myself this would not take too long to do now, I got started but, oh dear me, the job took a good hour in the heat of the day! But it was well-worth the effort. It's not quite perfect yet, my cutting-edge but the final sorting can be done next week hehehe....here's a photo or two..
In our WI Grow Wild Seed Kit garden at Katharine House Hospice I collected the few poppy seed heads, weeded out the groundsel plants and took photos of the hoverflies and such like flitting about and over our blooming seedlings. Then I planted our garden identification seedlings into their new home from their individual flower pots where I'd thought to keep them safe from unknowns, ah ha, like the groundsels which, frankly, I had failed to recognise as they took hold amongst the poppies, corn chamomile, dead nettle and stinging nettles!
A light watering of the seedlings and I'm done 'cos I don't want to encourage my old friend Moley Mole to recommence his digging again, and a few photos for the albums and I could go home - after I'd been to check on those veggies in a family garden on the way home!!!
To my great the dear SO was already there, watering away like a good'un so after a few minutes chat I was on my way home for a spot of lunch.
Well, that was a good morning's digging and more of Daisy's Diggings later.
Bye bye Daisy xxx
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