Our April 2024 Garden

Spring has well and truly arrived in our garden. Nature is amazing, moving us on despite the amount of rain and cold winds we have had. Farmers are struggling to plant seed, crops are rotting in the fields, yet the weeds and perennials are up and running.

Pests too, have found their way into the greenhouse and plants that were placed there for protection have been nibbled away to nothing. So annoying. I've just removed 8 snails 🐌! The aubergine that I bought has completely disappeared, the pot is now on my kitchen window sill to give it a second chance. Beer traps are at the ready.

Here are a few phone pics, just for the record.

Our old lady, Cherry, has flowered again. The birds eat the fruit on this one, usually very early in the morning!

The Pear has plenty of blossom, despite still being a young tree. Blossom on the Plum has finished. Still very few bees around in our garden.

The Apple is just showing her petals.

Forget Me Nots and Bluebells, truly perennial.

The Hydrangea and Azalea have survived another winter. Tadpoles are in the pond, though we had to search for them. We've seen a Heron twice in the garden and even the Blackbirds like to help themselves to taddies.

The Acer by far prefers to be out of it's patio pot.

Our Tree Peony, bought at a charity sale and planted in completely the wrong place! 🤷‍♀️

Early flowering Clematis, always gives a good show.

The decimated Aubergine, I should have known better 🫣

The Jungle! I just don't know where to begin!

The Rhubarb Patch, beside the old shed. The forcer has not been needed and is purely decorative 🤔

New plants, Ceanothus, hopefully these will fill in and bring some colour to difficult shady area.

We've spent some time again in the garden today. It's warmer, thank goodness, and no wind. Overall, the garden looks good, if you ignore all the work that still needs to be done. Our garden has evolved over the years, it was once a football pitch. Now it's planted, the grass grows and its harder work than ever before. I think I'd like a garden that I can just enjoy, we're trying to make it easier. There is a plan!

♥️

Comments

31st October 2024, I'm A Halloween Grinch 🎃

I don't like Halloween. It's origins or the 21st Century version. Right from it's beginnings it has been about death and spirits of the dead. I always say I'm not superstitious, but somethings shouldn't be messed with. Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, has been turned from a Celtic tradition to ward off evil and spirits, to a commercial nightmare. I know that many will say that nowadays it's just a bit of fun, but like my fear of spiders, its maybe instinct. Maybe its the near death experiences that TTP survivors have, a little too close to home. Winter in this part of the world brings darkness and cold, something that the Celtic people took seriously. If any misfortune befell them in the winter, they likely didn't survive. For a while the Christian form of All Hallows Eve became a time when the poorest folk would beg at more wealthy folk’s doors for food, in return for offering prayers. Now children are encouraged to trick ...

23rd September 2024 Apple Pies, Not Quite How Grandma Made Them 😉

I get a lot of recipe videos on my social media feeds. Many claim to be just how someone's Grandmother showed them. I often doubt it's true. I'm older, of course, so possibly I'm thinking of days from long ago. My Grandma, Nanny we called her, was born more than 100 years ago. She had a large family and undoubtedly did make pies, but I don't think they had desserts. She would have made pastry, she didn't have a fridge, and I have seen her cooker in a museum 🥰. Nanny had access to fresh veg because Grandad had an allotment and she kept her own hens and rabbits. She didn't leave a recipe book, but she left a healthy brood of children. The old apple tree in our garden has withered this year. Although it had buds, it didn't produce any blossom so no apples. We couldn't bring ourselves to remove it, and we'll give it another chance next spring. I do know it will be something of a miracle if it fruits again. My nei...

21st October 2024, Newcastle, Gateshead, Angel of the North

This weekend away was not my choice but my husband's. To be fair I've had my weekends away and it was his turn. Of course, it involved football. BHA v Newcastle. It's on his list of dreams. What would my grandfather, a supporter, think of us flying to Newcastle to watch a match? We flew with Easyjet, cabin bags under our seats, and limited amount of cloths. I've never travelled for a weekend before knowing that I would need to wash undies. My meds (not TTP related) took up more space than my toiletries! We arrived exhausted, but driving would have been so much worse. We ignored our own travel tip and landed after sunset. It's disorienting to land in the dark when you have no idea where you are. Flight delayed at both ends, we took the Metro from the airport to the city centre, it was delayed en route, and then we left the station by the wrong exit. It resulted in us walking more t...

Porridge for Breakfast, The Ordinary Life of a TTP Survivor

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