Grapes

With me able to get out into the garden for a little while on Wednesday evening I was able to see what the state of play was in the garden.  I need to do a lot of tidying up so need to get out for a few hours here and there to sort things out a bit. I have so missed the gardening this  year.  One thing I know for the future is that I will garden and not do what I have done this year if only a little bit.  Garden for me is therapeutic and producing something is always better than nothing.  I find it relaxes me so much and gives me peace of mind and solitude and brings peace to my soul.  Dipping my fingers into the soil, getting mud under my fingernails (yes I know I am trying to look after them but I have given them a good scrub up with some tea tree soap and they are looking better than they were over a week ago. Feeling my fingers in the soil and the growing energy of the soil is indeed balm itself.  I suppose I am easy pleased and happiest with the simplest of pleasures.  I prefer to potter and do things under my own steam when I can get alone time. G does not really do gardening although eventually if I need some heavy work done he usually gets to it at some point.

I was very surprised when I checked on the grape vine to see so many bunches of grapes forming this year.  Fingers crossed that we are able to harvest. Never seen as many on the vine before so fingers crossed and toes plaited that they survive.  We had two small bunches last year and they were nice.  I am going to try and take some cuttings of this vine though as I want some elsewhere in the garden.  Well am going to try and take some cuttings put it that way.

I also need to sort the mint out as it has been sadly neglected.  Hopefully the garden situation will be well sorted out in readiness for next year.  That is my plan in any event.  To get the garden cleared dug and then covered with either cardboard or a green crop to dig in to manure the soil before the end of this growing season and before the cold hits.  The cold always cripples me up so it needs to be done before that hits.

The garden was neglected this year in respect of the house.  I will still need to do a bit there, but hopefully going out in sessions will help me get this restored.  Another load of work ahead.

Thursday

Has been hot and glorious and I have not had much energy again. I have got washing on the line, and it has dried very quickly. 

I did however venture out into the garden and  have started to sort what we call the Herb border which is where my grape vine lives in any event. The bottom end of the Herb border is where my mint is and I have weeded that out and given it a haircut today in the hope of getting it going a bit more than it is as I want the dried Black Peppermint leaves for drying for my mint tea supplies for winter.  I have picked a small Herb Trug full and they are destined to be tied to the Dresser this evening for drying.  Should be dry within a week or so.  Have trimmed back the rest of the mint to encourage it to produce again.

Whilst weeding I have found four small Strawberry plants.  I suspect that they are Wild Strawberries as I have not had Strawberry plants for a couple of years or so and at one time I did have Wild Strawberries in this bed. It could be long buried seed coming to the surface.  It does happen and the plants are small. I have saved them and transplanted them on into pots for the time being and shall feed them and bring them on in due course.  It would be good to get a Wild Strawberry bed going again.  There was also a small Mint which have also potted on and I am always looking to increase this particular mint which I find so soothing when it is drunk as a tea.

Loads of weeds/wildflowers.  Have picked some leaves for pressing and also some flower blossoms from some kind of Mallow which seems to like our garden.  All for future projects.  These also have to be put into the presses.  I intend to try and do a bit of pressing from hereon in.  The wildflowers can be used for decorating all sorts of things and they cost an arm and a leg to buy them.  If you have them already dried and to go they are always there to play with.

It has been lovely for me to have no agenda today and just to potter and please myself.  It has made a difference again.  I think I tend to be hard on myself to keep going, but if I can potter to my heart's content like this going forward it will do me the world of good.  It is also me appreciating what I do have, what is around me and making the most of it.  Costing nothing but my time using plants that are already there somewhere along the line and just using my time to put up out of the way.  The bonus is as well with it being really hot and sunny is that I will get some much needed vitamin D.

I have also picked a couple of branches of Bay Leaves and took the leaves off to dry them on a tray on the Dresser which is how I do them.  G does have to give it a bit of a haircut as it is over the next door neighbours garden and he has asked if we can give it a trim.  Hopefully when I find the Loppers (somewhere in the house I think as not in the greenhouse), he will be able to deal with that in the next few days.  I will then be able to get more Bay Leaves dried.  I ran out of them last year and I did dry a load, but I tend to use dried Bay leaves as a basic when making gravy so soon go through quite a few.

Tea for tonight is roasted mixed veggies and sausages.  Just nice and simple and tasty and yet again using leftovers and what is to hand.  Was followed by Fruit Salad which was very refreshing.

Tomorrow it could be chicken pie that we have as I cooked an extra large breast the other evening when G had Chicken and chips and popped it into the fridge.  Just need to make a bit of pastry and add some veggies to make a Chicken Pot Pie and that is another meal catered for.

Does anyone know if I have time to plant up some bits and bobs before the end of the growing season or for early Spring.  Any ideas would be gratefully received. Am I too late for growing some PSB or Cabbages that sort of thing? I am thinking of clearing the side bed if this weather continues and add in some Beetroot for fresh use and also pickling.  I know some things about gardening but I am still a work in progress as it were, I am learning as I go along.  However it would be a little bit of something to use and make the most of.

I also have to clear out the greenhouses and sterilise them out as well before the end of the season.

Well that is me for today.  It has been for me a lovely restoring day and one where I have been able to do things quietly and get things done in the bigger scheme of things.  Just simple little things but they all play a part at the end of the day.

Have a lovely evening, be back soon.

Pattypan

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