Playhouse

Okay, I know a playhouse is not really being self suffiecient, but it does make good sense for my business. Any way ordered a Mad Dash Lollipop tower from Garden Buildings Direct They phoned 5 hours late to say I should take delivery on Monday, I have to say this really is excellent service.

Bokashi

I am thinking about buying or making a Bokashi Composter.

A week of Sunshine

Well what a week, still no photos as daughter has broken my camera (Grghhh).

Spent the weekned making new beads in the veg area, now have 11 beds of various sizes.

Rain again

Well its raining again, but atleast that means I can read the new seed catelogues that have jusy arrived.

Wow

I have to say I am mpressed with Sainsbury's, iordered yesterday afternoon and they delivered lunchtime today.

Wildlife habitats

So as I said I purchased a couple of Hegehoh homes from Sainsburys also goy a solitary bee house, a ladybird house and a bat box. Just noticed they have wren and robin nest boxes also have price so may have to make another order.

Sainsburys Wildlife feeders and homes

Hedgehogs

So been thinking seriously about encouraging hedgehogs into the garden.
We already have 2 woodpiles, areas where they can drink. I would like to put food out, but concverned about rats as we have seen two in the garden before.
Any way found some bargain hedgehog homes from Sainsbury's also other wildlife habitats.

Water,Water everywhere

well the ponds are coming on, seem to be breeding though, but I have always had an obsession with water so I suppose its not surprising.

We now have a small container pond with solar powered fountain in front garden.

A larger container pond in a half oak whisky barrel in the back garden, despite having been soaked it stillhas a slight warm smell of whisky, this is fitted with a solar powered oxygenator.

Then at the back in the vegetable plot there is the old duck pond, not a fish pond, with a bog garden and nature pond, oh and of course the rockery, all sort of intertwinned (pictures to follow when daughter returns camera).

Books

Well popped in to the Works on Sunday (it was raining hard so couldn't do much in the way of planting), and picked up a couple of books.

The Esential Allotment Guide by John Harrison
RRP £5.99 only .99p in the works.


and also
The Thrifty Gardener by Alys Fowler
RRP £16.99 only £4.99

Stick Insects

Well last year we had the butterfly garden, in which we raised baby caterpillers until they emerged as butterflies.



Well this year we decided to try the Stick Insect kit, I had stick insects as a child, we used to keep them in the large plastic jars that sweets come in. One day my cat managed to get its head in the jar that housed the baby stick insects, she walked round the house with this jar on her head like a space helmet, baby stick insects falling out all over the place. we were find stick insects all over the house for weeks afterwards.

New Lawn

Well the new grass seed that I sowed just over a week ago is growing well, despite the birds trying to feast on it.

New Wellies -Update

So as promised I saud I would update you all on the new wellies, sure enough they arrived the following day, with great free Gelert Boot bag and free emergency pac-a-mac.

New Nature Pond

Well got up early and mad the most of the sunshine, and redid the Bog garden and dug a new nature pond.
Sadly no photos as daughter number 2 has borrowed my camera.

Goldfish

Sadly we have lost two of the small pond fish this week, not sure why yet.

Hello Sunshine

....Goodbye Rain.

Atlast the rain has stopped. A strange thing my windows and conservatory all covered in a strange grey dust, could it be Volcanic Ash!

Looks Interesting

Well its still raining, i suppose you guessed that from the mount of time I have to by posting here, so I am browsing the internet again.

Just come across the following website, it looks interesting and possibly a useful way to rehome extra plants and also get some for yourself.

Garden Swap Shop

Also found this one, Free plant Network, not sure if its genuine or not, but here you go.

Free Plant

Free Biodiversity Guide

Free Biodiversity pack and seeds.

Variety-for-Life-Campaign

Free Grow your Own Guide

Just found this on the internet and thought I would share with all.


BTCV Free Food Guide

Animals

So what have we got now that all the livestock has gone.

We have the dog, 2 cats and various fish.

Amazon Store

Well to make it easier to list the books I like I have created an amazon store. I will add my favouriates as I find them, its not very full yet.

Wellington Boots

Oh dear put my gardening wellies on yesterday to go out and feed the fish and refill the bird feeders, only to find my feet a little damp. Seems, my wellies have split, so looks like I have some new planters for the front garden (We have several pairs of wellies planted up).
So I need new wellies, had a look around and decided to buy some fun ones, so I went for these ones
£19.99 (from Wellieboots.com ) and you also get a free Poncho and boot bag, supposed to be next day delivery, I'll let you.

New Fruit

Oh, the nice man from UPS has just called at the house with a nice large, long cardboard box, that means its a tree.
Yes my much awaited Viking Berry or Aronia Berry has arrived. When it stops raining, I will get out out to the garden and plant it, still deciding if I shall plant in a large pot or directly in the ground.

New Pond

I am currently in the process of making a new small pond nearer the house, so we can see it more.
The pond is going to be in half an old Whiskey Barrel.

Books

Well one thing about the rain it means I have time to read all those allotment and gardening books I have been meaning to read for a long time.
So far this week I have re-read the following:
Half Hour Allotment, I love this book.



Allotment Gardening: An Organic Guide for Begineers, another great book with just the right amonuth of information for a beginneer.

Wildlife, fish and ponds

Well the old duck pond has been cleaned out, and has now be gievn a new lease of life as a fish pond. Next to the main pond I have created a rockery and bog garden to attract wildlife, and will soon (when the rain stops) be adding a nature pond.

This years Plants

In the vegetable Garden we so far have the following growing.

Vegetables
Potatos
Sweetcorn
Aubergine
Butternut Squash
Corgettes
Cucumbers
Tomatoes (various types and sizes)
Runners Beans
Dwarf Beans
Broad Beans
Onions
Peas (various types)
Asparagus (Young so will not be cropping for a while yet)
Lettuce (various)
Chard (almost finished now)
Spring Onions

Fruit
Plum Trees (mature)
Gooseberries
Red Currents
White Currents
Tayberries
Strawberries
Lingonberries
Rhurbarb
Blackberries
Duo Pear Tree
Necterines
Kiwi
Apple
Melons (in shed)
Huckleberries

I think thats everything, happy with that for a young plot.

Opps almost forgot Licourice.

Rain, Rain Go away

Okay so I like the fact that I don't need to water the garden as much as normal, but it would be nice to be able to do more than five minutes work in the garden between showers. that said the plants are growing wonderfully due to the current warm wet weather so I really should complain.

Also its costing me a fortune as I have time to sit and read plant/seed catalogues and websites and so ordering lots of plants, seeds and gadgets.

Vegetable Seeds

VegetableSeeds.net - VegetableSeeds.net offers fantastic value for the highest quality vegetable seeds in the UK. Over 300 varieties with next day shipping.

Birds and Animals

After many happy years with our livestock we had to make the very tough decision to have them all rehomed, after we suffered several attacks by a couple of local holigans.
Sadly these individuals (all of whom have ASBO's) are not being charged as although we know who they are and the police know who they are they mothers claimed they were at home in bed.
Hopefully oneday we will have more poultry and the milking goats I have always wanted.

Apoligies

Hi all, haven't posted in a long time,, life been to hectic to post of garden.
I have now given up the old allotment, but have made a lovely new veg patch in the garden. The patch is newly established (last month) and so is not perfect yet, but is well on the way (Photos soon).