Wednesday - What a lovely day

I woke early at 6am but had heard the birds singing well before that they seem to start with what I refer to as the "Dawn Chorus" around 3am.  It was a hot and sweltering night last night although it did go chilly around 2am.  It was warm at 6am.  It was nice to wake and just take some time with no rush.  One of the things I have been having problems with apart from my short term memory episodes (like losing my phones) putting stuff in a safe place and then not being able to find it is that I have no concept of time and do not really know which day it is most days.  Been a bit in my own bubble but not achieving very much.

I was out early to see to the growing houses as it was hot and they have plastic type covers and I did not want my plants to cook.  Grow yes, but cook no. They have therefore been open most of the day and have been well watered this evening along with all my other plants which I have now mostly got into pots.  I do have four trees that need re-potting though, two figs and two pear trees. 

Most of the seeds are through apart from my Courgettes (both yellow and green), Cucumbers, Pattypan Squash, Cayenne peppers and Aubergine.  I will give them a little more time it may be that they are just slow developers.  My marrows are through  I was in a bit of a two and eight about my Pumpkins but they have come through now as well.  My purple podded climbing beans are all through as well.  When they are breaking the soil and the pods they remind me of dinosaurs - not very pretty.  When I grow beans it always takes me back to Junior School where each of us had to grow a bean in a jar and learn the biology of them. My Scarlet Emperor beans are all through too as are my peas.  Some of the seed used was really old but the germination rate has been very good which has pleased me.

Mind you I did not think I was going to get any tomatoes, I had planted Marmande, Roma and Gardener's Delight.  After days of no show at all, they have all taken off like a rocket.  Big sigh of relief from me as I thought I was going to have to do it all again.

I need to get some more compost as I now have seedlings that need to be pricked out.  The Calendula were dealt with today  before I ran out of soil.  Still have a few more to do.   I need to sort out my Gherkins (not grown these before either - an experiment as OH likes these pickled), Tomatoes, Nasturtiums, Lobelia and Gypsophilia.

I also have six melons that have come through as well as Sunflowers (both of which I have never grown before) that is going to be interesting. Whether they come to anything it will be an experience. Think they are going into one of the new greenhouses. My Florence Fennel has also sprouted as well as my Violas (they also need pricking out).

Have loads more seeds to do but cannot get stuck in until the compost comes home.  I need grow bags as well to get the tomatoes set up in the new greenhouses.  OH is going to have to assist here as I am a bit cack-handed when it comes to building things.  I had thought to have one house dedicated to cucumber, melons and the other tomatoes.

OH has not been down the garden to see what I have been doing as he has been working and was a little surprised that I had food items on the go and casually suggested that perhaps I should grow things in containers as well.  I intend to utilise what I can to get things started off he is a little slow off the mark there.

I had set up two planters with perpetual spinach.  I think the pigeons have terrorised one but there seems to be something happening in the other one.  So will wait and see what happens.  If not I have more seed I can sprinkle in the planter but this time I will cover them up so that the little horrors do not get them.

I am so pleased that I sorted my grape vine out.  Despite a massive hair cut, and stringing the fence, the vine is now growing and has already set one small bunch of grapes.  It looks quite tidy and despite not being really au-fait with grapes (I did a little reading up and found out that you were supposed to train them).  I have a hanging planter on the fence as well which is housing a Nasturtium plant I grew from seed last year.  Somehow it had survived the mild winter.  I have set a lot of Nasturtium seed as I have plans to use them in cooking, in oils, salad dressings, vinegars and drying.

I really am enjoying my time pottering in the garden, bringing things on.  It is very soothing and I am enjoying the "me" time which is quite precious too me as quite frequently am having to sort OH out.

I have been sorting out old wine making buckets and food grade buckets I already had which are past their best for wine making or food storage.  I think they are going to be ideal to utilise to grow some potatoes in (Main crop think they are King Edward).  Not enough space to grow potatoes in the main garden but maybe if the jungle gets cleared will be able to do that next year before putting in a fruit garden down the bottom end.  We will see.

All my Strawberry hangers are doing well.  I only had to buy four plants the rest were rescued from the garden.

Missy has had a check up at the Vets.  They are pleased with how her mouth has healed and she is now on anti-inflammatories for her arthritic legs.  She has been improving with her walking whilst on these and the Vet has said that she will see how she does but thinks that this will be the best option to her for her quality of life.

When she came back from the Vets last Tuesday after her operation she didn't want anything to do with her Dad, all she wanted was me, just like a child who needs reassurance that everything is okay.  Today she went in with them quite happily although insisted on sitting on our laps.  

Right it is still very hot and muggy.  Looks as though it is going to be another hot day tomorrow.  Think might try and get up earlier and get out into the garden before it gets mega hot.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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