Which Would You Prefer - Sweet or Savoury?

Hello friends.

Monday started a lot more watery than I would have liked. I had checked the weather forecast, which suggested dry weather until tea time. Trying to stay ahead of the game, I put the washing machine on with the plan of getting it all dry by the afternoon. When I went to check that the cycle had finished, I was greeted by a swimming pool's worth of water all over the floor from a leaking machine. 

Aaah! 

Not what I had in mind. 

I mopped up the mess and checked the filter, which seemed fine. I did a further rinse cycle, and everything was fine. Fortunately, the washing machine is located in the garage, which is lower than the rest of the house; otherwise, it could have been much worse. Must have been the washing machine gremlin at work that day.

Still, the sun was shining and I had super clean washing to peg out. Halfway along the line, the sun vanished, and the heavens opened - mad dash to get everything back inside again. By the end of the day, everything was dry, but I didn't feel the urge to wash clothes for the next few days.

The rest of the week has been very pleasant and chilled out for us. D has been unwinding from the stresses of work and enjoying her freedom, which of course has involved baking. Her first baking of the holidays was triple chocolate muffins. By the time you read this, undoubtedly they will all be gone.

Friday morning, D was again playing in the kitchen, but this time making a savoury delight for our taste buds. There were cheese and bacon muffins, and they were so delicious. I think they may make a return for breakfast on some mornings!

After enjoying all this wonderful baking, my husband and I have started a project that has long been overdue - redecorating our living room. As the space is quite large, we are attempting to do the work in two halves. At the far end of the room, we have stripped the paper from the walls and at least now we can see the bare plaster and anything that needs repairing. I'm sure hubby will enjoy painting walls and laying laminate floors in the early days of his retirement. I will keep you posted on the progress.

D and I both hope you have a great week ahead, whatever your plans may be. Meanwhile, we will be counting down to our holiday together in August.

Take care 

B and D x

Baking, Harvesting and a Little Crochet Update

Hello friends.

The weather has been much more changeable this week, and while there has been plenty of sunshine, we have also enjoyed cooling breezes and downpours of rain. Isn't British weather wonderful?

During the cooler days, I got out my current crochet blanket project and added a few more rows. I'm about halfway now, and I love the colourful brightness. This is how it looks, hanging on the washing line on a breezy and dry morning this week.

As the weather has been cooler in our small corner this week, I also made one of our favourite loaf cakes. A lemon drizzle cake always goes down well in our family. Unfortunately, it was disappearing very quickly this time around, and I only just remembered to take a quick photo before we had completely eaten it. A few more minutes, and it would have been just crumbs. 😊

Outside in the garden, we have been digging up potatoes. They are by far the best crop I have ever grown: good-sized potatoes and plenty of them. I'm digging a few each day and enjoying the taste of homegrown spuds with our dinners.

As I finish writing this, I can hear the rain hammering down outside, and we've had thunder and lightning this afternoon too. What will next week bring? 

D has finished school until September and is now enjoying a well-earnt rest and some time to catch up on crafting, baking, and a few other things. Our mum and daughter cruise is also only three weeks away. 

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks and hope that you have things to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Whatever your plans are, have fun and enjoy.

B and a rather sleepy D xx

A Hot and Quiet Week

Hello friends.

It has been very quiet in this small corner, and there is very little for me to say this week. I've just been trying to stay cool. 

It has been a quick stroll around the garden in the early morning to check on the plants and to pick the Sweet Peas that are appearing daily in abundance. They are benefiting from the grey water from the kitchen sink and are flowering profusely. 

For the rest of the week, I stayed inside, which gave me the opportunity to read a whole book, which is a rare treat for me. I do enjoy James Patterson's books and like the very short chapter style. 

Wherever you are in the world, I hope and pray that you and your family are staying safe and well. Have a good week ahead.

B x

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Hello Friends. 

How are you all this week? Good, I hope. 😊

This week, I wanted to share with you how our garden has been changing and growing. Halfway through the year now, and a lot has changed in the woodland. Most things have done well, a few things needed moving, and a few plants got a bit too sun-baked. 

I'm also showing the not-so-pretty bits, such as the area where the bark and other bagged items are stored, as well as hubby's sand and ballast supplies. There are also the vital parts of the garden like the compost and the water butts. Where would I be without those?

We have just about finished covering the whole area with chunky bark. This will massively help to reduce watering and weeding jobs. During the varied hot, windy, wet and everything else in between weather, the bits of the garden that already had bark laid suffered little wilt and no weeds peeping through. Now the entire area is covered, and we also have a designated spot to place our chairs and enjoy the garden.

Now, follow me around the garden and see how our plants grow.

The area covers about 30ft x 25ft, or about 10m x 8m.

Starting outside the shed, we have a space large enough for two seats with a bit of shade from the Hawthorn tree overhead. At the moment, the tree has lots of green berries, which will ripen later into red ones that the birds will love. We can't leave seats out because we are plagued with pigeons and their ....!

Two of our water butts are located next to the shed, making them very useful.

This is one of the less pretty and more functional parts of the garden. Everybody needs somewhere to store 'useful stuff'. Here is where we store odd slabs to be repurposed, bags of grit, sand, and bark, and my long canes. I already have a plan for the slabs in another part of the garden. 

Another very valuable resource is the double compost bin that my hubby made a few years ago.

Hmm! This doesn't look too good, does it! 

The grass has died back quite a bit, but there are still some patches of green, so I won't give up hope. It hasn't been watered at all this year, and perhaps not enjoyed the extreme heat. It will recover, though.

The same applies to this bush Amelanchier. I will be placing plenty of bark around the roots to retain moisture, and next year, I will find some temporary shade for it.

The log and twig pile is growing and will be a cosy home for small creatures in Winter. 

This pretty little Acer was not happy where I originally placed it and, as a result, got quite burnt. I have since moved it into some shade, and it seems much happier. Next year it will be even better.

The whole area has now been covered with chunky landscape bark which will make things so much easier for us to maintain in the way we want from now on.

Everything has been growing at such a rate even with the very hot days we have had lately. The Rodgersia plant with its frothy flower heads has been the best I have seen.

This Acer has now reached the height I am happy with, but no further. I will trim it back in the Autumn.

The Rheum (located just in front of the ferns), which resembles a large rhubarb, has been sulking, but I think it has got too hot and not enough moisture around its roots again. It has had plenty of water and a cosy bark mulch as a way of an apology, and I need to think about how to keep it happy next year.

Finally, this is a useful table that I use for pots of bulbs, taking cuttings, and other small garden tasks. My hubby made it from an old door and covered it with EPDM rubber left over from when we had our flat roof recovered.

In other garden news, when we visited our local garden centre for more bark, this pretty Lantana caught my eye. It went straight into my basket when I saw the price. For now, it will be placed in a large pot while I decide on its permanent location. The Clematis was reduced, and also made it to the checkout. Both plants now need planting. 

Well, that is how my garden is growing at the start of July. If you have any outdoor garden space, I hope it brings you just as much happiness as mine does. 

Have a lovely week and mind the sun if it comes out to play.

B x