A bit of a change!

When I get an idea into my head, I can be a bit of a nightmare.

Last Wednesday I decided that I wanted to change this end of the garden. 

Which will involve getting rid of the big pond, so this morning we started.

 

It was jolly hard work and I didn't have time to take photos of all the fishing out of pond plants which I did - besides which I was wet and filthy!

 

We had to take a sledge hammer to get all the slabs up around it - not an easy task.

I cut a slit either side of the pond liner and we managed to roll it over and pull it out

 

It was lined with carpet which we had to remove, and some underlay too.

 

It took most of today for the pond to drain after I had taken out the bulk of the plants.

When we had it cleaned last year, we were told that there were no fish in it whatsoever - hence my decision to turn it into a patio.

 

My dear husband took some candid camera shots of my fishing!

 

The frogs and other creatures had walked out as the pond gradually sunk through the layers, but I wanted to make sure that nothing was left in there.

 

 

Yes it is worth all the effort - thank you - I did find three fish!

 

My unlady-like attempts to get up the slippery side and out!

I'll get a neighbour across the road to adopt the fish - he has two ponds.

 

I filled up two compost bins with pond plants and sludge, it'll rot down so quickly - and I still have a pile at the side - can you see?

 

After lunch we cleared up all the mess - with just a couple of carpet pieces drying out.

We are suffering a serious drought in out region, the poor lawn is in a bad shape and the bald patch is the soakway which is always green as it's usually full of collected rain water underneath!

 

Yesterday I dug up all the plants from this raised bed and moved them. 

Another area I have plans for - for middle/late June - this bed will be moved!

Watch this space!

Today in my garden

I thought I would share a few colours and textures in my garden today

Because of the drought and crazy sunshine we have spring and summer plants flowering at the same time

My little sage plant is growing at a great rate!

I just love these textured leaves.  They are usally deep red - but are a bit bleached by the sunshine

Oops the petals fell off this Aquilegia

A young clematis

Allium stars

My very first pear crop - fingers crossed they all grow

I am quite excited about my strawberries.

I grew all these from last years runners.

Despite the soil dusty and dry these Victorian climbing peas have taken

That's all for today

New day, new life - and a nice rest

It's a new day - Sunday - so I am having a day of rest.  It is truly hot and sunny outside without a breath of air.   I had a most wonderful time this morning visiting a friend of mine, who very kindly lets me buy a sack of food off him for my chickens. 

He is top quality breeder of fowl, and generously let me buy two Seabright bantams off him a couple of years ago - Snowy and Poppy.

I was really privileged to get to see the following.

Above first of all - one of his many incubators with golden Seabrights just hatching out.  Can you make out the eggs pipping and the newly hatched chicks in the bottom and right hand side of the photo?

Yet another of his incubators - each egg named, dated, and recorded.

Can you see the turkey egg in the top left hand corner?

This is a broody hen with her clutch of Silver Seabright chicks - their markings are developing already.  She is a brilliant 'mother' - they have a big bright shed all to themselves

It is such a treat to visit my friends garden. In the winter there were turkeys, chickens of all breeds and sizes, here, there, and everywhere.  Lots freeranging - just perfect

Of  course it is not safe to let a mother hen out with her tiny chicks - there are foxes about.  Those 'confined to barracks' have the most wonderful accommodation - lots of space, and lots of natural light.

This fine Ixworth male is a very energetic beau - so his young ladies are wearing saddles to protect them - keeping them in tip top condition too.  I would love Ixworth in my garden, but they are big birds and would make big dustbaths in my lawns in no time!

This young lady caught my eye, she's sat on a pile of eggs, one was poking out, so my friend popped it back under her.  She was happily dozing in the sunshine, a picture of contentment.

Another clutch of older Ixsworth popped out from the undergrowth - they are having a lovely time rummaging around. 

On my 'tour' a beautiful black Pekin bantam 'appeared' from behind some pots - she was absolutely stunning - and so tame and friendly - someone gave it to my friend - she couldn't have asked for a better adoptive owner - it's chicken heaven where they live.

More Ixsworth with a bantam surrogate mother

And yet more

Just a few snatched photos!

Oh if only I were years younger and had the chance to have a small holding which was always my dream.

Never mind - I have my big allotment and my lovely bantam flock - and can enjoy friends chickens and lifestyles without all the hard work.

And best of all - I have had the pleasure today of seeing new life.

Off to put my feet up - before cooking Sunday lunch

Guess what is on the menu

Roast chicken

Not one of mine though of course - but one another friend 'grew' for me - and had a lovely freerange life all last summer.

Allotment Diary Me:35.25hrs He:30.25hrs

What happened to the rain then?  I was so excited at the prospect of overnight rain that I was up really early and raring to go.

We had a bit of cloud, and when I went outside to load the car up a 8.30am there were a few drizzley drips - and that was it.

It didn't dampen my enthusiam, just cut short my time up the allotment.

My mission was to cover my fruit bushes.  Years ago this fruit cage was covered in netting but over time it had been dessimated by the terrible winter weather. 

Not knowing how long I'll be able to keep up working on the allotment I have compromised.

With a bit of improvisation with bamboo canes stuck into the ground, and pieces of plastic pipe, slid on top and raised or lowered to the optimum height, I have hopes that I have created a bird proof method of protecting my soft fruit crops without too much expense.  (i.e. the protection not working out in excess of the cost of purchasing the fruit.)  Having said that, I never seen red currants in the shops and very rarely any blackcurrants, nor gooseberries, and this fruit keeps us in vitamin C right through until next harvest - plus the jams, jellies, etc.

I had enough netting to protect my row of lovely red gooseberries, but not enough for the remainder of the fruit bushes.

This originally was the cuttings bed, but everything flourished, so redcurrants, blackcurrents, jostaberries, and gooseberries, are covered with a selection of net curtains and black netting renmants.

Three hours since we finished, my hands and arms are still stinging from the result of renegade nettles attacking me through my sleeves and gardening gloves as I wrenched them from their niches and hurled them onto the incinerator ready to be burnt.

Even the cool shower and mango butter body creams didn't soothe them - but I am off to have a choc ice on a stick - you can bet that will be a distraction.

Hoping for rain overnight or all day tomorrow - I'll be having a day or (relative) rest

Allotment Diary Me:33hrs He:28hrs

Still no rain sadly, the soil is like dust, but there were still jobs I had to do.

I picked a barrow full of rhubarb, and once prepared I had 7lb which is now in the freezer.

I made a nice mixed fruit crumble - I'll add the recipe over the weekend,

Yesterday I spent four hours up the plot on my own.

There must have been a frost as some of the tips of the potatoes were blackened.  Not much harm done, I just cut off the damaged leaves and heaped up the potatoes even higher - weeded them at the same time too.  The weeds will soon shrivel and dry.

I had previously dug out deep trenches and we filled them with lots of well rotted manure, and I added a layer of cut comfrey leaves.  These had all dried and were rotting, so I planted some Italian climbing green beans

They are wiggley shaped ones - I grew them at home last year for the first time and they were delicious.   Once planted I watered the beans well then added  yet more comfrey to keep the damp in, and when rotted they will act as a top dressing feed.

How the broad beans continue to grow without a drop of water absolutely amazes me.  But they do!

Ditto the onions - and the weeds too!

In order to keep the beans protected from the wind, and to give them a bit of respite from the unrelenting sunshine, I 'cobbled together' some pieces of netting to make a screen.  Not very pretty, but it'll do the job until they grow up and are thriving.

It was a bit of a let down (understatement) when I saw that the thistles had started appearing in the big potato bed, despite my weeding them out a couple of weeks ago.

It's just not fair that weeds grow in dry, barren, dusty soil!  My next job methinks

The winds had blown off the protection from this big bed, so I had to put it all back and secure it again.  At least it keeps it weed free.

All of the above took me four hours yesterday - now on to today's efforts.

I took these photos of the gooseberry bushes as Mr Lottie didn't believe that the berries were ripe so early.

The downside is that they are small and hard, so I really do want the rain to plump them up to perfection, and I ought to add the netting to keep the birds off too!

I so wish that I had taken before and after photos of this part of the fruit area.

It was full of weeds again - thistles and annuals.  

I cleared them all with my Azada - it was hard work but the tool does get right under the roots.

I have planted cauliflowers, cabbages, and brussel sprouts.  The frame I have made from pieces of water pipe which I cut to size.  Mr L helped me bang in some metal rods and then I slotted the pipe on top - makes a nice sturdy frame.

The plants were really well watered before I attached a lace up 'bodice'.  Well it ended up looking like one to me.  Took me absolutely ages to do!  Hopefully it will keep the birds off, and the rabbits out, and keep the moisture in.

The transplanted rhubarb cuttings could do with a drink, but as we are forecast some rain - if we are lucky - on Saturday night or Sunday, I decided not to water them and save my precious supply of rainwater.

Once the brassicas get tall, I will be able to incresae the height by pulling the pipes up the metal rods - and just sliding the the netting up one side and adding either another piece or chicken wire fencing.  Can't let those pesky pigeons or rabbits at my winter brassicas!

Mr L was kept busy cutting a nice straight edge on the front bed.

And fetching and carrying tools for me too.

Phew - we sure were tired when we got home - so it was a quick home made spaghetti bolognese for lunch.