Tuesday 25 August 2009

Time for an update

I can't believe that I haven't written a post in over 2 weeks. I would love to say that it's because I have been somewhere really exciting, but that isn't the case unfortunately.

I have been busy though. We had friends stay with us for almost a week and then we have had birthday BBQs to go to and over the last few days we were babysitting the grand-children whilst my son & daughter-in-law had a well deserved day out in London on their own. So they had fun and so did we.

I made some chocolate cookies with Bertie who will be 2 years of age next month, that really was fun, especially making sure he didn't eat the dough before we shaped the cookies. I rolled the dough into balls and it was his job to squash them into flat cookie shapes.

Apart from harvesting and watering the greenhouse on the allotment I have to admit to not having done much up there at all. I am trying to be a bit more relaxed about it all and not let it tie me down like it did last year. I was spending far too much time there last year, I suppose it was because I had just taken it on and was planning out the beds and paths and I admit it did get a bit addictive and time consuming. This year has been a good balance of time spent on the lottie and days away, and I have managed to work more in the garden at home.

I have lots of pumpkins and squashes doing really well at the moment, the colours are really nice and I love the way they scramble around all over the place. Some have even escaped through the wire boundary fence and onto the pavement outside the allotment.

I have harvested some pretty amazing sweetcorn, this years crop has been very good. I had 6 cobs this evening, I also had 4 courgettes, 5 beetroots, raspberries, a couple of little 'munchkin' squashes.


A couple of the pumpkins.





Almost the last of my carrots, just a few left now.


A harvest from last week-end.



Myrtle shrub in flower in the garden.


'Toad Lily' in the garden, this has been flowering for a week or so.


The Echinacea's that I grew from seed this year.


Busy Bees



A few photo's of the new flowers in my garden.

Dahlias


Dahlia 'Karma Fuchiana'


A half price bargain , not sure of the name.


Leucanthemum, I'm hooked on these, I have the white and now the yellow one.


Thunbergia 'Mango'

What a splendid orange flower, I love it.


9 comments:

GYPSYWOMAN said...

oh, what luscious everything! i am so jealous - and am headed straight to the nursery tomorrow!!! beautiful green thumb you have, lady!

Jo said...

It's all about striking that happy balance. Putting in enough time to keep everything growing happily, but still doing the things you love away from the allotment. You seem to have it cracked this year if your harvest is anything to go by. Your carrots are wonderful, and you sweetcorn is making my mouth water.

Blasé said...

Two weeks is a long time away from Blogging...

Pretty pics, love those veggies!

Peace and Love

Joanne said...

Lovely harvest and dahlias

Prospero said...

Hi Maureen. I'm glad that you are finding a balance regarding time spent at the allotment. What ever you are doing, it certainly seems to be working. Look at all those beautiful vegetables. The pumpkins look darling. You've surrounded yourself with stunning flowers, and that is so important - a great and satisfying atmosphere.

I'm so glad that you spent some quality time with the little ones (how they love raw cookie dough).

Maureen said...

Hi GYPSYWOMAN, JO, BLASE, JOANNE & PROSPERO
.....................
thank you all for your kind comments. When I began my blog I never imagined what a thrill it would be to actually have readers commenting on my posts, (as I am sure you all feel as well)! so I have to say it's like getting mail from old friends and it's lovely, so thank you again. x

Kella said...

The flowers look really lovely, I have failed over the last two years with echinacea, they generally germinate but the slugs or my care or lack of normally finishes them off, any tips?

Maureen said...

KELLA, it's the first time I have grown Echinaceas, I fell in love with them at the Hampton Court flower show 2008, so thought I would have a go at growing from seed. I don't really have any tips other than I didn't put them in the ground until they were in bigger pots and well established, that way they were hardy enough to fend for them selves. Oh and I did feed them with comfrey tea, hope this helps.

Kella said...

Thanks for the tip Maureen, so I'll keep potting them up till they are bigger plant size then plant them out and as you say a little feed won't hurt.