Sunday 13 July 2014

PYO

It's the time of year when you can Pick Your Own. How lovely. Well, I suppose I pick my own rhubarb, potatoes and onions at the allotment but the raspberries have not quite taken off so we went to the local farm shop this morning to pick raspberries. 

  

Little Miss M. and friend picked a punnet each while I picked two plus a tub from home. There were loads of lovely, red berries and the practically fell into your hands. And mouth...


 One of the punnets is already half empty as I started freezing them on a tray straight after we got home. Freezing them individually helps a lot as you don't have to deal with lumps of raspberries that go all soggy when defrosting. I haven't yet decided what to do with them all. I might make some cordial. Or jam. Or just eat them. 

Later on in the day we waved goodbye to the older Master M. who's off on a bike ride to Paris. Taking the overnight ferry, biking for two days, spending one day in Paris and then biking back to the ferry terminal on Friday. Four 19-year-olds on an adventure. Such fun!


I do envy them the trip to Paris. But I don't envy them the sore bottoms...

Mrs. M. 

Thursday 3 July 2014

And then there was none

What a sad sight in the chicken run we were met by this morning; a dead chicken. Gwen had stayed out all night and we think she might have been frightened by something and suffered a heart attack. She was lying in the corner of the run and it looked as if she had toppled over. Poor thing. She must have been very lonely since Marjorie and Peggy went and she did seem rather old and sad. 

All three are now buried in the garden and it's time for us to remove the coop and run, give the remaining food to somebody else with chickens and say farewell to keeping hens. It has definitely been a worthwhile experience but I would only recommend chicken keeping to people with a big enough garden. They do need to come out and they definitely destroy most plants in their way. It's wonderful to be able to have fresh eggs though, so for anybody with a biggish garden and an interest in chickens I say "Go for it!"



Mrs. M.

Wednesday 2 July 2014

Flowers

Nothing much is happening at the allotment. I go there, I water, I admire some of the neighbouring plots and I look back at ours and think that we haven't really had any luck this year. Or maybe, we haven't put in as much work this year. Or maybe, we haven't planted as much this year. There's nothing to harvest at them moment so I go back home and water and admire my flowers instead.

We've planted a lot this summer due to a new garden "shed" and patio at the back of the garden. A large flower bed was dug out and had to be filled. Some of the plants are doing very well and some have already died... I hope that the ones that are doing well will spread a bit before I plant more. Next year. 

Ruby Anniversary

Leucanthemum Freak "Shasta Daisy" and Alstroemeria Princess Mathilde.

The lavender we've had for a few years now is looking and smelling lovely!


And then there are some potted plants as well. I love plants in pots in the summer. Two of them I've placed on the new patio outside the new garden shed. I love the colours!


Just look at these ones! The blue against the terracotta pot is just stunning!


The weather has been truly lovely these last couple of weeks and I spend a lot of time in the evening sitting in the garden. Long may it last!

Mrs. M.