Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Evening everyone!

It's been officially warm today, but still jacket weather at the plant fair in Ennis this morning, because of a strong breeze. I had OH with me, because we had to go straight on to a rehearsal after having some lunch there. He doesn't have the same interest in looking at plants and reading labels as I do... but to be fair, he let me get on with it! I bought some seeds of mixed salad varieties for Autumn and Winter, some herb plants grown in biodegradeable pots made of rice husk, and half a dozen young plants, mostly for shade, a jar of local honey and a big wedge of locally produced garlic & herb cheese. There was a really good talk by a knowledgeable vegetable grower about extending the season, so I learned some useful tips relevant to growing veg in my area.

The forecast looks good all week, so I think I'll be planting my new treasures tomorrow...

 

We had a good day at the East Anglian Game and Country Fair today. We saw Shetland pony racing, horse boarding, falconery, motorcycle stunt riding and a show from two hunts. There were dog events and loads of stalls and food trucks. I had a Mr Whippy ice cream then a huge Pimm's which put me off lunch. OH shared some chicken Satay skewers with me in the afternoon.

 

Evening everybody, well, @Busy-Lizzie, your post made me laugh, a huge Pimms would have put me under the lunch table I suspect! Glad you you had a good time though.

And you too @Liriodendron, plant fair sounds fab. I'm so looking forward to Malvern in a fortnight's time, just hope we have good weather for it.

In fact many of you seem to have had interesting days out, unlike us who stayed at home and gardened. I don't mind too much as I'm happiest just pottering round my own little patch of heaven. I do have to bus into town tomorrow for a routine eye test so will have a chance to wander round the shops for a change. I need a pretty, lacy cami top to go under what turned out to be a rather sheer white cotton blouse I bought recently. It's a bit too sheer for my liking but my sensible white cotton vest thingies don't cut the mustard.

It looks a good week ahead for most of us, weather wise, so let's all enjoy it while we can.

 

Good morning all. Gorgeous sunny day here yesterday and I went to GC for trays of bedding plants which will be hardened off this week and planted out when I am off work starting 4thMay. Cannot wait!

 

Good morning @Debs64 and all arriving later. Joy of joys but when I came downstairs this morning I found a vole 'marinating' in Cricket's water bowl. I suspect he was just flipping it about - as cats do - and it ended up there. Since I have had Cricket this is the second time this has happened but I do think it is preferable to finding 'bits' on the floor. Sorry if you are having your breakfast! It is very overcast here right now but the forecast sounds good. Time for tea and cereals.

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Thank you @Ladybird4
I needed a smile.

 

Good morning to you all!

The time of the year when everyone is busy in the garden. I hope your weather holds for you all this week.

After a showery Sunday, the sun is shining this morning. So the only job we got done was to run wires through the pergola which involved drilling holes into the steel posts. Still, a good job done and ready to receive the covering which will protect the sun coming into the ranch slider during the summer.

That was a nice day out @Busy-Lizzie I loved the A & P Shows we had in NZ - they don't seem to have much like that around here. Just the plant fair yesterday in the promenade. (They didn't mind the showers!)

The swallows are flitting about this morning - there is a pair perched on the pergola. They are very friendly. Still no sign that I have been accepted for their nest ....yet.

Weeding again today. The little weeds pop up overnight and they have really long roots. I have a stirrup hoe that I use for the gravel path. Good invention that!! A walk with Fizz perhaps as the lanes will be wet and the potholes full of muddy water. I went into one last week and derailed the chain on the bike. Had to push it home as it is too heavy for me to flip it over to place the chain back on.

Have a pleasant Monday everyone and maybe for you, as for us - a 3-day week, Thursday the 1st May being a bank holiday and many workers taking the Friday off as well. Next week is the same - do you have a holiday on the 8th May? Then on the last Thursday of May - it is Ascension Thursday and another bank holiday!! The French love the month of May!!

 

@Busy-Lizzie I am not really sure what horse boarding is. @Tui34 I haven't spotted any swallows here just yet but the house martins are around. Sadly there do not seem to be as many as in the past but perhaps more will arrive this week when the weather is due to warm up - allegedly! I need to get into the garden today and it is quiz night tonight. Hope we do better than last time.
Hope all is well with you @Fourmerkland?

 

Our May bank holidays are the first Monday (Labour Day) and the last (Whit) so next a Monday and then the 26th @Tui34

I managed to get most of my work up to date yesterday so I can avoid the office for most of this week. Hopefully just a few straightforward actions and phone calls tomorrow in response to emails sent yesterday. We are planning a pottering day tomorrow anyway as we are waiting in for a plumber in the morning as our pipes are making worrying noises and OH has tried all the obvious tricks off YouTube.

Glorious sunshine as promised today. I think we are going to do some garden visits today, Biddulph Grange plus one other yet to be decided on. I will have a look at the 2-for-1 and RHS Partners Gardens with my next cup of tea. We went to Biddulph a few weeks ago but it was very busy (we forgot it was Easter school holidays) so hoping for a quieter visit to properly explore today. Also there should be more of the tulip displays in full bloom than last time.

The nest box by our back door is chirping noisily and we have a couple of robin fledglings bouncing clumsily round the apple tree (also just outside the back door). I do love this time of year, lots of new life and the garden seems to change every day

 

Good morning all. Bright and sunny here and set to get to mid 20s but I'll be indoors today as it's patch club. OH has been out to early morning physio for his shoulder and has instructions for his gardening activities. Following them unsupervised is another matter but it involves emptying compost heaps onto veggie beds and cutting grass so should be OK.

Sounds like a good day out @Busy-Lizzie, except for the Whippy. I like my ice cream to be firm, not fluffy. There's a wonderful Australian ice cream shop in Namur that has fab flavours.

What trays of seedlings did you buy @Debs64? I have all sorts of veggie and floral babies in the polytunnel but only open it up in the pm so the chooks can get in and dust bathe. That's bringing the babies along a treat and the squashes, tomatoes and sunflowers are doing particularly well and more seeds have germinated and will need pricking out this coming week. Running out of room tho.

Enjoy your garden visits @Butterfly6.

Both swallows and house martins here @Tui34 with some nesting in the ruined farmhouse and some in our garden shed and "cave". Lots of flitting and tweeting plus some anxious shouting whenever we need to go in the shed ourselves.

@Ladybird4 Minstrel is the only hunter here and she announces her catches very loudly, day and night. Haven't had many recently tho.

Have a lovely sunny day everyone and don't forget the sunscreen.

 

Correction @Obelix-Vendée, I have 8 K. Dogwoods lining my driveway. not 4, LOl, guess I can't in my mind's eye see them. was out yesterday cutting the suckers off them, more to do and they also throw off Going for God branches, cutting all those off. They also make babies. End of the year when they make their fruits, a red ball with dots on them, the fruits drop on the driveway smashing under car tires. We just leave it to the rain to wash that muck off. I truly have not see animals eat any. Found a baby Japanese maple in that area, probably a bird poop, have to post it up, nice and red already. Back at that section today. Thank goodness my neighbor and we, are like minded with garden tending.

 

Signing out early so I can get brain in gear ready for tonight. Loved your post @Butterfly6. I love hearing the nestlings - they make such a happy din. See you all tomorrow. I wish you all wonderful evenings.

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Afternoon all,
I'm back home, relaxing after a morning in town. Eye test went well, prescription hadn't changed much so didn't need new glasses - thankfully. I'm told my left eye emerging cataract probably won't need doing for about 5 years so I'm good to drive.

Bought my lacy cami in M&S in a pack of 3 which I didn't really need but not much of a choice.
Not paying £40 for a silky 'Rosie' number! I also looked for a pair of beige, loose, crop trousers but again not much choice, lots of jeans but I wanted something lighter. The cropped ones I did find in a 'short' length were floor length on me!!! So I've just ordered 2 different sizes online via another company I use quite often.

Coming home on the bus was quite hot by lunchtime so no gardening today, apart from watering pots tonight.

 

It's been a long day at the hospital. Arrived just after 9.
First X ray gave them cause for concern, thinking the plate had dislocated itself. I'd said to hub I'd be in more pain if it had, and I'm not.
More X rays, waiting, worry and consultations, the upshot of which was it hasn't moved after all! Phew!
Unsurprisingly, it is still very swollen round the plate, which, combined with a bad X ray angle, lead them down the garden path.
Sent son home and friend came for us just gone 2. Had to endure an anaemic hospital sandwich, as we didn't expect to be that long.
Fell asleep when we got home.
Our 25th anniversary tomorrow; we'll have an Indian takeaway and a bottle of nice fizz.

 

Evening folks. I slept like a baby after my 12 hour shift yesterday. I’ve had a quality day off - gardening for me and MIL. I’ve planted summer bulbs in containers for MIL and she gave me the leftovers. The box of bulbs contained - Gladioli, Rununculus, Oxalis deppei, Freesias, Liatris and Phlox - pinks and purples.

You’ll be shattered tonight @Penny_Forthem. Commiserations on the hospital sandwich - you must have been hungry!

I hope everyone is enjoying some garden time - a lovely time of the year when it’s warmer or sunnier than average.