Debi,

I have wanted a small wildlife pond for ages, the safest space is here in my veg section, but it was limited, most of the plants in this corner are evergreen, hubby found out this old black container, it is very clean, the size and shape was perfect for my needs, a nice depth and made from durable thick plastic. Once I had placed the container, I realised I had more room, it has a run off spout, so I have purchased some heavy duty pond liner, once it arrives I can create a lower level. I will replant the bulbs in the container and move a few more small plants.

My daughter did not know what to get me for my birthday, so I chose this Hellebore, I have a very dark red one (a previous gift from same daughter) and two pink/creamy ones, it's planted in front of the pot I will use to grow cucumbers, in the bed in front of the greenhouse. I got an early rhubarb crown, which we both love, I've planted it in the same bed, between the blueberries and the cucumber pots, plenty of room to grow. 

Storm Debi blew through on Monday, not so much rain in the day, sadly she blew most of the leaves off my Acer, they are not wasted, I brushed them up and added them to my leaf mulch, which I make in these two black dustbins. Behind the garage out of sight, a perfect place for them to break down, and no problems with rats, I made leaf mulch this way for the past two years and it works for me. 

The back section of our garden is looking really green, I am still a bit worried about the broad beans growing so high, will the winter weather kill them off, if that happens it's a lesson learnt, The potatoes are doing well, hubby has been chatting about making nice looking cages for both beds, which are needed because of all the cats here where we live. He would also like a gate, which I think would get in our way and catch our clothes as we walk by, I have a temporary barrier I can use when the little ones are here. 

The pond is now on hold until next spring, I will need some smaller grit to fill in the gaps in the sunk pebbles, and plants to ensure it looks good. I found enough plants to use around the pond and soften the look. It's in safe position, the grandchildren will not be allowed in the back section without me, I hope Will can have fun looking for bugs, not sure about George he would want to get into the water. I did start with just the container, but then my ambition grew.

Another tick off my list of things I would like, my list is tiny these days, we have been here almost 15 years, so most is done, once the hard landscaping is sorted closer to the house, it should mean nothing more big to do. How many times have I said that, the veg beds will keep my green fingers happy. 

I am less in the garden these days, I still manage to walk around most dry mornings, I don't have anything to do in the greenhouse, I mainly pick up the leaves blown around, they are too precious to leave rotting on the ground, our Magnolia tree still has leaves, these big ones need to be shredded before adding to dustbins.

Between raindrops

I managed an hour outside on Friday, I used our homemade leaf mulch on this bed, and then I popped in some string to help the broad beans grow straight. I do have a few beans which did not come up, I don't have anymore so it's Ok. The two rows of onions in the middle are growing, I popped the net back down, just a case of watching them grow. As I've never grown broad beans before, I'm hoping Sue in Sussex will give me encouraging comments I am doing it right, she kindly commented before. 

The perfect treat after all that work, our cake is moist and perfect, you can taste the citrus in the fruits, it has cherries in but no nuts, as I would not be able to eat it. As we sat and ate it at mid day, we had to turn the lights on, we had a thunder storm and loads of heavy rain.

George will be 4 next month, and we have been struggling what to get him, daughter has a house full of toys, most of which Molly and Will use, George loves his play kitchen and all the wooden foods, he also loves dressing up, his box is full of outfits Will had. He does love reading and doing early learning with mummy, who encourages him to use his voice. So I went online to get him a book, none were what we wanted, so I sat down and made him one, the first few pages are about him and his family, then I have learning pages. With the numbers and colours, I have at the back of the book made a second set, which I will remove from the book, cut out and laminate, he loves a matching game. The images I have used came from searching free images, there is a whole world of things if you look. 

I have started another pair of socks, these are different, I am using 3ply, much thinner and therefore more stitches, that's OK, they are for me and I have plenty of time, the top, heel and toes are in contrasting colour, I'm hoping I can wear these with my boots, my other home made socks are too thick. I did not have a 3ply pattern so I have altered my usual design, mainly more stitches. 

I saw this on BBC news site, I hope this happens, I don't know about you, but I miss Wilko's, every time I go to town I shopped in the store.

The weather forecast has been for very wet days, and with loads more wet days ahead, locally a few roads have been difficult to pass, even when we get huge downpours and flooded, areas are nothing in comparison shown around the country, you would have to be very unlucky to have your home flooded here. Wednesday afternoon, the sun shone, and again for most of Thursday, it was a surprise, we still had a few sharp rain storms, Friday another sunny start, showers most of the afternoon and very heavy rain through the night again.

For the first time, we had space in the garage to put our wooden bench and 2 garden chairs, they should stay nice and dry, they are on my side of the garage, tucked in and out the way, I won't need most of my garden stuff until next spring. I also moved some of our herb pots up in front of the greenhouse, they will block the path, but again I won't need to get there. We are almost ready for the landscaper, we don't have a date and are hoping all this rain is not going to slow him getting to us. 

Hubby and I were chatting regarding the compost and leaf mulch we make, I purchased my hotbin composter because we did not want another waste bin and to have to pay the council to empty it. We worked out the cost of the hotbin, a shredder and two black bins, which I use for leaf mulch, would equate to 3 years payment to the council, including the cost of purchasing the councils bin and minus the price I got when I sold my wormery. By next spring we will break even on the cost, both the leaf mulch and the compost we get are great quality, no woody bits, I've not purchased any type of mulch for the general garden, I did get 1 bag of bark for the new flower bed. My working area behind the garage is clean and tidy, I can get to everything, we did discuss having a 3rd black bin, but I don't think we have enough of our own leaves. Other than recently removing stuff for the garden refit, we don't often need to go to our council tip, everything is working well, which it has to do in a small garden.

What, no shed.

Behind the garage has been cleared of my shed, the base is still tidy, so just a brush off, and it's ready for it's next adventure. It's not a pretty spot but it can't be seen from the house, so it's going to stay a working area.

When you have a small garden, nowhere stays empty for long, The water butt is in it's place, it works well in the back corner, hubby just swapped the down pipe from the front of the garage to the back, there might have been a few cross words uttered. My composter is next to it along the garage wall. The dustbins are for leaf mulch, hubby got a second bin, which will take all the leaves from the garden. The small shelf unit with the pots on will go into my greenhouse, it's a bit too wide here.

In the scrappy corner where our neighbours fences don't meet I have popped in 3 plants, one will grow tall and be good for birds and bees, it's from a cutting I was given years ago, but I can't remember what its called. I have also put a holly there, which should stop cats and foxes digging and a grass which I'm not too keen on, they should fill this corner. We fixed a heavy net above to hopefully stop foxes getting into our garden. I am hoping all my shrubs will fill out along the two exposed fence panels. I prefer having a natural barrier than another fence panel.

The shed is starting a new life in a different garden, the couple were very pleased with it, the damp in the back corner was not too bad and they should be able to treat it and get years of service. We have done all the big jobs, I just need a day in my greenhouse, to clean and tidy, I have already popped some tender plants in there. Hubby did say these task would take a while and then proceeded to get everything done I'm not complaining, its lovely to see it all done. I'm away from home for a couple of week's, hubby has a couple things he wants to do inside the house, whilst I'm away.

Daughter has had a small operation, so I am staying with her for a couple of weeks, I am doing the school run and be on hand for lifting and other things until she is healed, timing was bad as her hubby is away for two weeks with his job. So two weeks of cuddles, splashing at bath time, books at bedtime  and very little of not eating the meals I cook, tantrums and naughty little ones. I am enjoying evening chats with daughter. And early mornings, 6am most days.

A little bit more

I am stitching just 3 of these star squares, there are 9 in the original design, but I think 3 will be enough, I am taking my favourite bits and putting them together, the blue should have been darker, but I think the change works. I love the red flower, I will do another yellow one in this section, there will be loads of different colour flowers around the piece.

I have moved the rose bush forward to the middle, it's a bit early as there is still growth, but as it has not been in the ground for 6 months it should be OK. I have moved a few plants about, this bed should be very colourful next summer. The little green fences are to stop my cats digging their holes to close to the front, for a while they were flicking soil over the slate.

I emptied my black dustbin, it was full of shredded leaves taken from our Magnolia tree late last year. Its the first time I have made leaf mulch, and I am really pleased, the shredding of the huge leaves helped break it down, most of the garden had a good covering of this precious garden waste. Hubby is so pleased he is looking to purchase another dustbin, and make loads more. 

The plant in this huge brown pot went into the back of the rose bed, it will match another one already in there. This geranium came from my little raised bed by the back door, the fuchsias were crowding it out. It looks good in this pot and can easily be moved into the greenhouse in the winter months, if it need protection. 

Not much left in my shed, it's so sad to see it almost empty, quite a lot of this will be going into the greenhouse, some will be thrown, should be empty by the weekend, when we will inspect to see if it's worth trying to pass it on, if not hubby will break it up. I loved having my own space, but now this tiny space behind our garage will have another use.

Monday we sat and watched TV all day, very sad to watch our Queens last procession, but so proud to see all our historic pomp and ceremony, the colours were stunning. Hubby is an ex Welsh guardsman, so he loved all the guardsmen protecting the Queen. The newer generations of the royal family also having a bigger role, life does go on. The history of seeing the cane being broken to be buried with the Queen, first time ever seen on TV and The Princess Royal, Ann standing with her brothers for the princes vigil, first time ever a female has done this.

Tuesday and Wednesday we were at home, I managed an hour in the garden both days, I was exhausted after each time, but pleased to get so much done. I still have the gladiola bulbs to dig out of 2 pots and to put in spring bulbs, that should not take long. I also did some sewing  it helps me rest if I am stitching. I am still full of cold, but I am feeling much better, it's been a horrible week, not sure what bugs I had, but I don't want to see them again, I have everything crossed I have not passed it on, hubby has a cough, hopefully that's all he will get. 

 

Garden waste

Beautiful mulch, made in a big black dustbin, I asked hubby to drill holes in the bottom and I put a couple small wire trays in the bottom, this is mainly the shredded tree off-cuts, they have only been in there a few weeks.

We, well hubby cut back both tree's the Magnolia had loads of new growth, all the flower heads have fallen so a good time to do this. He also cut the top of the twisted Willow, we are trying to keep both trees a good size in the garden.

All this lovely green shredded matter has gone into the black bin, I have mixed it up with the other drier matter in the bin. My hope is by early October I will have a good amount of mulch, which I can spread around the garden. The bin will be empty and ready for the leaves falling from both trees, and the circle begins again. 

My last job is to use these pot tops (which were used in my old herb bed,) just normal pots with the bottom cut off. I have 1 bigger ring and 4 smaller ones, I aim to use bits I collect to make bug hotels. Starting with these bigger branches from the willow tree and some old bean canes.

With both the black bin above and the composter working so well, we should not need to purchase anymore compost or mulch this year. I decided to try the dustbin to mulch, I knew you could make mulch using black dustbin bags, so why not a dustbin, I don't have anywhere in the garden not on show, so everything I use needs to look tidy. So far this year, we have put all our garden waste into either compost or mulch, the only items we have to recycle is the pots new plants are sold in, I am talking to our local pet/garden shop in hope they will take back their own pots, as I purchase most of my bedding plants from him.

This is not the pretty section of the garden, but it is a working section, I have ensured it looks tidy, we have not visited the local refuse tip at all this year, everything stays within our garden, we have no 3rd bin for garden waste which the council collects, so therefore we do not have to pay extra for the service.  

Our garden is looking at it's best, with everywhere tidy and productive, it may be a small space, but we have used every bit we can. It's now just a case of keeping it looking good, I'm outside every day, dead-heading and checking, watering when needed, so when we sit outside we both enjoy our view.

I have just had a positive covid test, hubby only has a hint of a second line, we have friends here from Spain, lovely timing.