Sunday, February 4, 2024

All About the Fruit

Hello to you all.

I hope you have had a good week and the weather has been kind wherever you are. It has been warm enough at times this week for me to get outside in the garden, which is one of my favourite things to do. 

I found this lovely small clump of snowdrops just poking their heads above the ground early in the week. Unfortunately, when I looked a few days later, all the pretty white heads had gone - nibbled away. When I looked on Mr Google, I was surprised to learn that snowdrops are high in sugar, so maybe a night-time critter had a sweet tooth for them this year.




Or it could just be slugs, of course.

This week has been about the fruit in my garden, preparing the ground and pots for the season ahead. I pruned our apple tree to keep it manageable and planted some rooted gooseberry and black currant plants into pots. We also had two more large gooseberry and black currant bushes that had been taking up a great deal of space in raised beds, which we have replanted in pots with fresh compost.  



The last fruit that found a new home this week was the rhubarb: the wooden raised bed it was growing in had disintegrated over time, so a new place to grow had become essential. I split the plants and discarded the oldest parts before replanting them in a larger plot.


I have several other jobs I want to get done in the garden this month. Still, if the weather is unkind, I can continue to work in the greenhouse preparing for seed sowing time.

Meanwhile, indoors, I have started a new cross-stitch project. It was the final item currently in my craft box. I shall be working on this over the next few weeks, but I thought you would like to see the start and keep you guessing as to what it will be.


Have a great week ahead, both inside and outdoors.

See you next week 

B xx

26 comments:

  1. Shame about the snowdrops, the same thing has happened to my primulas, its the birds pecking the flower heads, you're looking very organized in the garden, too wet here.

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    1. Maybe the birds or whoever is munching the snowdrops will try somewhere else next year! I am just trying to do a little bit outside now so that it doesn't overwhelm me later. So far I feel ok with it.

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  2. I haven't even thought about getting out into the garden yet it's still far too cold for me but it's lovely seeing the first signs of Spring. None of my snowdrops have come up so far but I managed to take a shot of a small clump in my boyfriends garden, I have never grown rhubarb but I may start this year. You have made a great start on your cross stitch. xx

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    1. Snowdrops have such hope for Spring being on the way. Even though mine were nibbled this year, I know Spring is coming closer. We have grown rhubarb for as long as I can remember. When it is too cold to be outside I shall enjoy doing the cross stitch.
      Have a lovely week, Linda x

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  3. You do look very organised in the garden.
    Enjoy doing your cross-stitch.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you. There is still a lot to do in the garden and I have lots of new plans for this year. I shall enjoy working on the cross stitch this week when I am not outside.

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  4. Rain here stops me from doing anything in the garden. Your garden looks very tidy. It's good that you can get out there and do some gardening. I'm sure you'll enjoy your moments of relaxation doing your stitching.

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    1. It is a little changeable with the weather here so I do have to keep an eye on things, but if it is dry I can wrap up for a short time and get out there. Thank you for dropping by, Linda x

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  5. How very sad about the snowdrops. MIne seem OK at present but that may not last.
    xx

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    1. I noticed your snowdrops are doing well, Joy. They look lovely so I shall enjoy your snowdrop pictures this year x

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  6. What a shame the snowdrops were eaten. Your fruit bushes look healthy and it's lovely to see new growth on them. I don't think we've been promised much sun this week, but let's hope we're not deluged. - the ground is so soggy.

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    1. Just one of those things and there is always next year. I hope whoever munched them, appreciated the sugar rush from the flower heads. There are a lot of things I want to get done in the garden but I am keeping an eye on the weather. Next weekend looks to be quite cold so no more planting for now!

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  7. Nature does love a good meal, our snowdrop bulbs rot in our clay soil, I do have a few growing, it's that time of year when you need to be outside, preparing for the growing season. Can't wait to see your cross stitch project grow.

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    1. I am definitely feeling the need to be outside this week even for a short time. I'm looking forward to my cross stitch project and hope you find a lovely cross stitch design for yourself too.

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  8. Such a shame about the snowdrops, ours seem to be okay at the moment. Good to have a few dryer days at the end of last week to get out into the garden. I noticed that rhubarb is coming through now too:)

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    1. Never mind. I can still enjoy other people's snowdrops :-)
      I hope the rhubarb will enjoy their new home and it won't be long before it starts producing lots of lovely stems.

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  9. I didn't know that about snowdrops, how interesting. My sister-in-law took a photo of a rabbit nibbling on some new shoots the other day. Do you have hedgehogs? Good to see all the new growth in your garden. Thanks for sharing Beverley.

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    1. Thank you Denise. When I last looked there was only one snowdrop left- there is always next year !
      We have not had hedgehogs in our garden but we have had foxes and badgers.

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  10. It's a shame about your snowdrops; they are such a pretty little flower, aren't they. I hope whoever feasted on them enjoyed their meal. X

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    1. I hope they enjoyed them too and they had a bit more energy after munching them!

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  11. It's good to be able to get in the garden making preparations for the growing season ahead. I had a huge patch of rhubarb when I had my allotment, I've been looking at the prices of forced rhubarb in the shops just now, I could have made a fortune, haha. I love to see the snowdrops begin to flower, such a shame that something has nibbled the heads, I wonder what that was. I can't think what your cross stitch is going to be, I look forward to seeing the progress.

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    1. I do love rhubarb and it seems to like our soil. It seems to be settling in well to its new home so I'm looking forward to rhubarb crumble again this year :-)
      Not much progress on the cross stitch this week but it will slowly start to take shape. Have a lovely weekend x

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  12. So much headway in the garden. Way too early for me to be able to do any of that, so I'll enjoy watching you work and seeing wonderful green things pop out of the earth. Too bad about something eating your snow drops...bunnies? Bunnies seem to be the ones that eat most of my stuff. A flower maybe...your x-stitch project? Pretty colors, whatever it is.

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    1. There are days here when the weather has been mild enough to get outside but I still need to cover plants that are prone to frost for a while longer. At this time of year, I am just enjoying the small rays of sunshine when they appear. No rabbits in the garden though!
      Cross stitch has been slow this week. Maybe I can show progress in a week or two :-)

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  13. I love the flowers! I need to prune my roses!
    The stitchery is going to be beautiful no matter what it is!
    hugs
    Donna

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    1. Thank you Donna. All my roses have started to put out new shoots since I pruned them so I'm hoping they will have lots of beautiful blooms later in the year. The cross stitch will start to come together soon and I can show a little more of it then xx

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