Up early - we're expecting a handful of deliveries (including one of these, which Kai requested), and after the (ongoing) hassle with Royal Mail I really don't want to not be here when they arrive. So here's a few pics while the second wash goes through the machine and I get ready for the day's work...
Early morning garden...
See that half Coke bottle lying on its side just below Roeg's Pool? That's a mini-cloche I had over the established catmint plant, to try to let it recover a bit before leaving it open for Tyjer (he loves it so much as soon as it has a couple of leaves it gets eaten back down to the ground again - and I can't find anyone who sells the seeds). It's been knocked over during the night and all the lovely new leaves eaten by someone else's cat.
I am very pissed off. Especially since one of the catmint seedlings in the greenhouse (I only managed to germinate 6, out of a handful of seed from the year before last: it won't be viable much longer) was attacked by a gastropod last night and completely devastated. (With an earth base to the greenhouse this is always a risk, but I have slugblocker gel around all the planters and a slug-pub on the floor. Unfortunately the catmint has been sitting out on the potting table and the rain washed off the blocker - and I forgot to replenish it...)
Will need to do some proper greenhouse tending later...
Flowering succulent - I can't remember it's common name. There's a story behind this one...
The original plant was my mother's, and she used to keep it in the downstairs loo (there was a small south-facing window). She didn't particularly like the plant - it's not the prettiest of succulents - but she did like the flowers. Not that it flowered very often - twice as far as I can recall in about 15 years.
Eventually she gave it to me, and I've been taking cuttings and bringing them on for the last 25 years. It's flowered just once in that time - until now. There are three flower buds!
Sorry the pic isn't all that clear: the pot is in a double macrame holder with a rescued spiderplant in the bottom net, and I can't set it down anywhere.
And it's a little heavy to hold. But here's a close up of the flower - it's really quite beautiful. ->
In other news... Kai, poor sprog, after being ill all last week, now has a wretched cold.
We have our first asparagus shoot up in the veg bed! They were wonderful last year - really looking forward to including them with our steamed veg.
The wisteria is absolutely covered with flower buds. Going to look very pretty when they all open.
Tyler is loving the sunny weather. Unfortunately he's proving very proficient at catching slowworms. Luckily he brings them to the patio, so I'm usually able to rescue them.
Right. Back to the research.
After breakfast. Now just need to decide whether to have a nuked spud with a small portion of chilli con carne (leftover from yesterday) or cheese and English mustard on toast. Spud, I think. I'll call it early brunch...
The flowering edible cherry tree in the front garden.
This is about the best I can do - it would be better against a dark background but we don't have one!
Labels: busyness, garden
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Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor
pontificated this at 8:21 am
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