Over the last few weeks I have not done as much gardening as I would have liked - often it was raining when I could have been gardening and when it wasn't raining I was tied up with other things ... so things have been backing up and I was feeling I was getting rather behind. However this week the weather gods have been smiling on me and I have found plenty of time to get caught up a bit.
First I needed to get plants that I started from seed and potted on out into the garden. These plants in fact:
I have planted out my pumpkins, courgettes, broccoli, nasturtiums, runner beans, sweet peas and sunflowers. Hopefully we have seen the last of frosts for a while as many of these are tender. A few years ago we did get a rare frost on May 28th so as I type this on the evening of the 27th I feel I should be OK.
What it does however leave me with is another job to do - namely to sort this lot out!!
I have also weeded, cut back edges, helped Ben build a hazel a bean wigwam in his garden,earthed up potatoes and moved poo! A LOT of poo! Simon had a mini-mini digger for a job and with time to spare he brought it here to clean out the pig pens. I then had the slightly more energetic job of barrowing this black gold (as it is known in gardening circles) up to the garden. UP the hill. Yes, you realise after several heavy loads that having your veg garden higher up than your pig pens is a bad move. Oh well, I may have aching legs this evening but I know this manure will help give me greater yields next year, so the aches will be worth it.
Leaving smells behind for a final note, here is a picture of the beautiful irises growing in our little front bed, now that the garden in duck proof! They bring a smile to my face every time I go out and they are Simon's favourite flower. What a pity they are only short loved though.
Joining in with Annie's How Does your Garden Grow linky - why not pop over and see what others have been up to in their gardens.
Iris is just the prettiest. Yes they dont last. Found some in the garden near us and when I went back to take photos. They are gone =( #hdygg
ReplyDeletePoo. Heehee! How exciting to have use of a mini digger- did you have a go? Wishing you all the best with your crop! I'm excited for your pumpkins and courgettes and sunflowers!
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like you've done a lot :) Gorgeous Irises! Purple and yellow are a great colour combination - I tried to do this in our front garden but now all the colours have crept in and it's quite multicoloured. Gold stars for pushing all the poo uphill!
ReplyDeleteI get so envious seeing your amazing vegetable gardens and it's easy to not realise or forget that it involves masses of work - including moving poo!
ReplyDeleteLove a good iris! I know what you mean about the short-lived thing, ours have just gone over and I miss their colourful 'smiles' as I walk out of the front door.
ReplyDeleteBlack gold ey? Sounds like hard work that will be worth it though. I would have gone power-crazed with the mini digger and started digging holes everywhere, hopefully you were more restrained than I!
I can't believe how fast this year is whizzing by - it only seems like last week that you were planting those out in the polytunnel!
Thanks for joining in again Rosie - and fingers crossed for no more frost now *surely none can come now?!*
Sounds like a lot of work; I'd like a garden one day, but one that looks after itself. Irises and so many other Spring time flowers are so lovely, but my, they're so quickly gone. We must enjoy them whilst they're around. :-) #aNoviceMumCommentLuv
ReplyDeleteI know what it is like to feel the weeks are running away with you when it comes to gardening but suddenly you get a window of time and you do so much.
ReplyDeletepleased to hear you didn't stumble pushing pig poo up the hill, that would have been an interesting day...lol
ReplyDeleteBeautiful irises and glad the poo is all moved, sounds tiring but like you say hopefully worth it :) #hdygg
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