Summer So Far

I don't know about you, but summer is off and running here. We have had hot sunshine. We have had rain too, but it has been welcome for the most part, if only to aid watering the garden. June has merged into July around here, and I've hardly come up for air. All this good weather has stretched my days into the evenings. The weather has made a social being of me. I have had friends around mid week for curry and chat. We have sat in the garden until late with family. There has been evening walks with Honey, so that she wouldn't get too hot.

The garden is in fine fettle. I wonder whether I should carry on with those fledgling garden posts? My garden has fledged! I feel as if I have recorded it's humble beginnings. Maybe I should move on to plot number 10. I have had an epiphany about it this week, and I'm very excited about it. It's always been about the flowers for me, and so my allotment will be about them too.

I would like to tell you about a few lovely things that have happened in the garden, however. I noticed only yesterday that there are Nigella growing in the raised beds. I completely forgot that I had sprinkled some seed earlier this year, and have been lamenting the fact. But then I spied their feathery foliage creeping upwards in between the dahlias and cosmos. And I'm so thrilled. I have ripening Blueberries. Last year they were frazzled by the heatwave we had. This year I have what can only be described as an abundant crop. It makes up for my decimated gooseberries and strawberries. They are almost ready to pick. Fancy that, blueberries for breakfast, picked by the front door! I had another surprise while I was rootling in amongst the blueberry bushes. I noticed what appeared to be weeds growing in the pots. On closer inspection I realised that they were actually verbena boriensis seedlings. This is such a bonus because only one of my established plants has grown back this year. So I have potted them, and they may be ready to plant out soon.

We have had more seagull drama. Sam brought home a baby seagull that he had found wandering the streets. I wasn't best pleased. I was all for taking him back to where he came from, in case the mother was still around. But Sam got location amnesia, and so I was forced to look after him for a couple of days. He escaped into the garden, and the nesting seagulls on our roof attacked him. Olly named him Ewan. He has named the three (three) babies on our roof too. They are wandering around in a rather haphazard manner, pausing every now and then for a little lie down. Their mum calls out to them indifferently every now and again. You can almost picture her reading a copy of Take A Break and smoking a fag, while paying lip service to her maternal duties. The other day I caught one of them staring at me through the Velux window in my bedroom. It's very off putting for a woman of my age, I can assure you. I am still scarred from looking up from my bed in my attic room while at University to see builders waving at me from above. I was rather unprepared clothes wise for that moment too....

We are starting to gear up for the summer holidays. I face it with a mixture of anticipation and dread. I have a list of things to do and places to go. I would really like to go to Bristol and see family and friends. But by myself. Marc has said that he'll take the boys camping. I think they'd probably enjoy it with just Dad. I do try and organise the fun more than they would like sometimes. Now that the houses over the road are finally nearing completion, we are hopeful that our house may seem more attractive than it has up until now. To be honest, I think that we are toppling over the move. Hey, we are nothing if not contrary at chez Paxton. We've had a few things happen that have pulled us up by the short and curlies, not least Marc's almost unemployment. And we have to admit defeat in finding something local that would cater to what we'd like to do. Living here is wonderful, but my goodness you have to pay through the nose for it. Travel thirty miles in either direction and it's achievable. But that isn't an option while Alfie is at senior school. Anyway watch this space. You never know what might happen. I certainly don't.

I have almost given up sugar for about a month now. I haven't cut out eating fruit, not when all of those lovely punnets of strawberries and nectarines are available. I have given up all refined sugar. That means no cake, no biscuits and definitely no liquorice allsorts. I have started to eat more protein and good fats. I have already noticed some benefits. I am no longer bloated. My pre-menstrual nonsense has eased, and my mood is stable. I am happy with that. I am still swimming, although that will take a hit during the holidays. I intend to offset it as much as possible by exercising at home. Although even as I type that I am laughing inside ;)))



So a little round up of stuff around here. My summer so far has been cool. I hope that your has too.

Leanne xx

I just want to thank you all for your loveliness on my why I write post. I love blogging. Everyone is so positive and can do. It's so good to belong such a positive gathering. And hello to new followers. You are most welcome. I am always awry with the etiquette of the blogger, so if I haven't visited your blog please give me a written telling off. I am rather away with the fairies at the moment. It's the lack of sugar that's done it....

Take A (rather self indulgent) Tour

Well hello to you. All well? 

I haven't posted since my what to wear dilemma last Saturday.

My evening out was great fun. In the end I thought 'sod it' and wore jeans, a smile and absolutely no make up. To be fair I never wear make up. I look like a man in drag when I do. It's my colouring. Or so I like to tell myself. Anyway as Linda sagely advised; we weren't there to check each other out. We met up to eat, drink and be merry. And perhaps be a tad shrewish....don't judge me. I blame the gin.

I rather feel as if I have neglected my blog this past couple of weeks. It's on my mind a lot, and I have sat at the computer in order to post. But I've been rather stumped. What to write. Not sure. I mean stuff has been going on round here. The usual. The mundane and humdrum. But also some gorgeous snippets too.

The main reason for lack of posting, is the weather. Glorious in West Cornwall. Wall to wall sunshine. And most of my time has been spent out of doors in one way or another. I've even been wearing shorts!! By the time i finally come in from outside, it's getting late and I'm just putting the house to bed, before wending up the apples and pears myself.

Anyway this is a post of pure self indulgence on my part. A little tour around the garden. I wanted to record what it looks like at the moment. It's looking lovely, and there is so much more lovely about to burst forth. The dahlias haven't even made an appearance, and the snapdragons are just gathering steam. So feel free to scroll through at a fast pace. I don't mind. Although I have tried to include an au natrel picture of the garden. Washing on the line is a constant here with three boys.

 

 

   

I actually love any garden tour post. I am always struck by how every garden it totally different. It's always inspirational for me to see how other people have designed and planted out their gardens. Mine is rather ad hoc and round the edges. It's not large. It's very suburban. I'd love acres and vistas and a wild flower meadow and a kitchen garden and a massive pond......

We are off camping this weekend. So have a lovely weekend everyone.

Leanne xx

Plot Number 10

 Hello lovely people. This post comes with an undercurrent of great excitement!!

That's me looking at my little piece of England. 

Last week I went to the Town Hall to enquire about putting my name down for an allotment plot. To my complete surprise I was told that there were several plots available. I was given a little map with highlighted squares, and told to go have a look and see which plot took my fancy. So after tea me Olly and Alfie drove to Trowan, which lies on the back road out of St Ives. It really is the most wonderfully idyllic setting for growing your own, with Rosewall Hill in the background and the Atlantic to the fore. 

There wasn't anyone there, and as I can barely direct anyone up the crease of a map, me and the boys just ran around exploring. It was beautifully peaceful. No sounds of traffic and just the Blackbirds for company. I was entranced by the higgledy piggledy sheds and cold frames that had been erected. I was rather taken with one particular plot that had a swathe of fruit canes and a blue bench in one corner. Olly liked the scarecrow. I felt that tingle of excitement mixed with anxiety, as I contemplated whether I could actually take on a plot of my own. 

The allotment site was given over to the Association and the plot holders in August 2010, so it is very new as allotments go. The site was a former farming field covered in couch grass and other plants. There are about fifty plots, and they have been created from scratch. Each plot is ten metres by twelve metres in size, and cost £60 pounds a year to lease. I think that's a very cheap way to extend your gardening opportunities, don't you?

Yesterday evening I took Marc to have a look around too. I needed a map reader. I also needed to ask for a bit of help. As the plots available are still untended, full of couch grass and weeds that need to be cleared. It means a lot of hard graft - digging mostly - before any of the fun stuff can begin. Thank goodness that he was as excited as I was. Armed with the knowledge that I would not be doing it completely alone, I felt ready to commit.

And so Plot Number 10 is mine ours! 

I have already sketched out a layout, and in my minds eye I can see exactly how it will look in a couple of seasons time. This first season it would be great to get the plot in a state fit for planting, and possibly start off some veg to over winter. I have high hopes, and my brain is swimming in ideas. We spoke to a fellow plot holder, who has told us that the soil is fabulous for growing, after so many years of being fertilised by cows. He proudly showed us his garlic, leeks and onions and he also had a huge strawberry bed.

The only problem may be the wind coming off the sea. All the best sites are protected by the hedgerows from neighbouring fields, and they have already been taken. So I will need to invest in some protective screening of my own. Again, thank goodness for Marc, his engineers brain and Screwfix catalogue. He'll have one rigged up in no time. Of course I desire beautiful hedging as a screen, with Clematis scrambling through, but all in good time. 

I think it will be a lovely place to bring Olly, and I have already decided that a small patch will be given over to grow stuff with him in mind. Pollinator friendly plants and a Strawberry bed. A little sand pit for him to play in in the summer months, and a place for bees and bugs to hibernate. Most likely he will be free-wheeling on his bike making friends with fellow plot holders. Or stomping in and falling into muddy puddles, as he did yesterday. But I would really like the ethos of why I started to garden in the first place to be continued here on plot number 10. 

My gardening adventures have got very much bigger. Wish me luck.

Leanne xx