Saturday 26 March 2011

And Then There Were Pinnies

Yep, got those babies made with a day to spare - yay!
Unfortunately the evening's Sing-a-long a Sound of Music didn't go as planned as the BTB was poorly with a migraine and had to go home.
In fact only B and I were left by the second half, valiantly waving our eidelweiss and warbling our hearts out.
However, the wedding is looming and the weather is definitely warming up, so all will be well!
LxXx

Friday 25 March 2011

Weed, Weed, Weed, Weed

Back for one of my periodic visits to the House of Raspberry's today to weed the front garden.
As you can see the flowerbeds were beginning to run wild and it took me 2 visits to complete the entire garden, which is lovely.
The garden was overrun with couch grass, dead nettle and Spanish bluebells which the owner didn't like and wanted taken out. This proved a bit tricky as the bulbs were buried deep, but I did my best to get them up but decided to leave some in strategic places such as at the back of a rambling rose to add some colour and hide the wall at the base.
To complete the job I had cut the edges of the lawn, weeded the drive and gave the whole place a good sweeping and the garden is now ready for the summer.
LxXx

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Wendel & The Builders

Another lovely day in the sunshine in one of my favourite gardens. Today Wendel was in full swing, literally - climbing trees, chasing next doors' cat and apparently, although I wasn't brave enough to go and look, bringing home dead squirrels - euuw Wendel!
I spent most of this weeks visit collecting empty, dead or overgrown pots from the garden and depositing them by the shed for later sorting. I also replanted this lovely ornamental, which I think is a variety of willow, to a more spacious place in the flowerbed, where I hope it'll be much happier.
By this time Wendel was distracted from hunting by the arrival of Terry and Ray, the builders who are repairing the leaky conservatory roof. We all work locally and bump into each other a lot and it was good to have some non-feline company for a change.
The garden is in need of some spring pruning which I'm hoping to get stuck into next week. Then I need to get back to clearing, laying paths, revamping the lawn and tidying the herb border - no pressure!
Sewing update: apron skirts finished. Waistbands are still non-existent however. Eek!
LxXx

Monday 21 March 2011

The Edge Of Reason

Oooh, busy week this week, gardening for 4 mornings, Thursday on the Belfast and a sewing project on the go for completion on Friday (bibs done, skirts cut out and no idea about waist bands). But everything seems possible in the sun and it's only gone and started shining and I'm gardening in a t-shirt. Woo-hoo, ta-ta merino, see ya next winter! OK, let's not get too carried away it is only March after all and frost and snow are not unheard of in spring.
Today I spent a lovely morning in Kansas with Toto, Chester and the gang edging one side of the path. Toto's owner likes delineation and purchased some lovely slate-gray barley sugar edging to put down, which certainly looks better than the lopsided bricks that were there before. Not too shabby considering it's been done by eye/hand huh?
We've also been sowing veg seeds in propagators and cat-proofing the veg patch ready for planting time. The rhubarb that went in last week has settled well and seems to be thriving so hopefully it'll be all systems go in a few weeks.
LxXx

Sunday 13 March 2011

What A Difference A Year Makes

When we took on our allotment last May we were a little overwhelmed by the prospect and at a loss as to how we were ever going to turn this weed plot into a veg patch, but just look at us now!
Weeds and brambles (well most of them) gone, water collection gate finished, compost bins constructed and beds planted up with rhubarb, onions, garlic, peas, beans, asparagus, perennial spinach and early 'tatoes and, to top it all, a gloriously sunny Saturday morning - does life get any better?
Tomorrow we finally start taking up the ground cover and laying the path, which consists of weed membrane and wood chips edged by upturned wine and bear bottles - oh the sacrifices we've made for this allotment - extra drinking, skip hopping - if I had any shame at all I'd be embarrassed!
Considering how far we've come the list of jobs still undone is frustratingly long - oh well, there's always next weekend.

LxXx