Wednesday 3 October 2012

Whoooooooooooooosh.....



.....that's me flying through the last, goodness me, seven or so weeks since I last spent time with my blog. I never planned to have a break, I have simply been happily engaged with my life. Distracted from blogging as it were.

I warn you now, this is a very photo heavy post of flowers. 46 photo's of flowers. It's all or nothing I'm afraid!

Poppies from my Bunny Mummy seed swap








A big distraction has been the garden. We have a lovely garden, it's big, quite private and safe for the boys to run amok in. We have lovely views as we are right on top of a high hill. The downside to all this is it is a windy place where weeds are rife, it could be a stunning garden but I haven't had a clue what I'm doing.  This year I decided, having been inspired and encouraged by bloggers and instagrammers who have beautiful outside spaces, to get a grasp on this gardening lark.


The dahlias survived another winter and have been stunning (though FULL of earwigs)







Helebores? In September! Is that odd?








This grew from an out of date Cottage Garden perenial seed mix..

...and this little lot.

I have subscribed to Gardeners World magazine, I have the program on series link, I make notes in a pad, I have a folder with pages printed off the web and torn out of magazines, I have been reading Alan Titchmarsh's and Monty Don's books. I have been busy with it all.

That's the brim of my sun hat


It's paid off too. It has been a good year in my garden and I have optimism that next year will be even better. I have looked at what has done well and I'll plant lots more of it next year. I have a vague plan of what I need to do for earlier Spring blooms. I really feel I am getting there.

Made for me by Big Cuckoo ♥

The Beastlings!


I have to point out that I only do the fannying about in the garden. Lucky (oh so lucky) for me I found a chap from in the village who comes up each week and mows the grass and does the hacking back and weeding. Over Winter he is going to continue coming up to remodel parts of the garden, deal with some mad bushes, pop in a new border for me to plant up and dig out the things that I don't really like. His work in the garden has given me enthusiasm to keep trying hard and to learn more. He doesn't have much actual gardening knowledge, but he will do what I ask of him. So I am forced to learn. It's a great partnership.

The constant supply of posies in the house has been a treat. I doubt I'll ever tire of snipping blooms and bunging them in a jug.



Shelf from Simply Scandinavian














I gave this bunch to the lady I do my school run lift shares with.

I adore flowers in a dented tin

Flowers in an old Lazy Garlic jar is just darlinggggg! Ha!

Having a little posy by my bed has been my most favourite thing.







I have even managed to harvest enough lavender to make a small bag to put in the wardrobe. I'm super pleased with myself about this. I have high five'd myself all around the kitchen!


I can't say that I enjoy gardening. To me it is like housework out doors. I call myself The Furious Gardener. On reflection I feel happy and proud of parts of the garden that have worked out nicely. Yet I welcome Autumn whole hearted because I feel there will be less do do out there in the way of fannying about. Through the Autumn I'll be The Pointy Gardener. "Please could you dig that up?" I'll say to our Chap from the village. "Please could you chop that down?" "Would you mind bagging up the leaves to make leaf mulch?" "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" Yes, that's the sort of gardener I'll be now, maybe A Grateful Gardener would be a more accurate nick name.

Today. Right outside my front door.


Right, that's me done for today. I hope to swing by more often now the garden is slowing up...but then again with the C word less that a hundred days away, who knows!


PS. You didn't really think it was all glorious did you? This is my failed veg patch. The raised bed furthest away has been commandeered by a bleedin' badger who has turned it in into a latrine. Yuk. And that bleeding badger ate my hen, Oliver Foxy, during the day time. Not happy.






PPS. This post was done for Karie and Marleen ;o)

PPPS. Fee is not in Spain, She has NOT been mugged. Don't send money to rescue her as the phishing gits'll get it. Send it to her paypal account! Ha ha hahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!! Just jesting.








25 comments:

  1. Your garden looks amazing!
    Your flowers are beautiful inside and out. :)
    I never knew badgers ate chickens!!!!
    Vivienne x

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  2. So glad to see your post pop up. Be you reluctant or enthusiastic, your garden looks beautiful :)

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  3. A lady garden! Oooh pardon the pun!
    Lovely flowers. The earwig ref freaked me a little though, I HATE them!!!!! How do you stop them tagging on?!
    I didn't know badgers eat chickens. But I DID know that pigs eat people.....
    Poor hen. That's too bad.
    Lush pics, you are giving Cherry Menlove a run for her money, what not?!
    The boys look gorgeous and so grown up, where does the time go?
    Speak soon love
    x x x

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  4. Fancy seeing you here!!

    Lovely seeing all your flower pics. Pat yourself on the back missus, your garden has looked super this year.

    I had one hellebore flower suddenly appear about a month ago, just the one mind.

    Hxx

    So glad you mentioned the Fee email - threw me until I got to the money bit!

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  5. Ooooo, all is lovely in your garden! ('cept the Badger loo)
    When the Mister and I first moved into our old house, we were glued to every episode of Gardner's world and Alan Titchmarsh became our green-fingered guru in a bid to learn a bit about the green stuff!
    You stick with it- it looks fab.
    Xx

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  6. Yea! What a wonderful surprise to see these wonderful pictures of your beautiful gardens! I can see why you took a break this summer to enjoy. And here I have problems growing house plants and a few outdoor planters. Perhaps I will get inspired for next year..... Hmmm....I might need to find myself a new thumb however before then to replace my brown one ;-)

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  7. Oh my goodness, your flowers are absolutely stunning!! I do so LoVe dahlias!!
    Victoria xx

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  8. Wheeeee you're back! Wonderful to hear what you've been up to all this time! Your boys have grown so much over summer, how's little's ear? Hope they're all better and settling in well in their new routine... your garden is so lovely, all your reading and working bears lots of fruit! Looking forward to hearing lots again soon! Greetings from Istanbul, X Marleen

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  9. You can NEVER have enough flowers! Sorry about you hen, those pesky foxes! Ada :)

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  10. he he...fee is definitely NOT in Madrid. Those rotters have stolen all my emails and contacts - I'm lost and a little weepy! (therefore blogging rather than sorting it all out!)
    A badger you say? we've lost hens in many wonderous ways but not to a badger (YET!). Are you trying to beat my chicken eating pig story??!!

    Lovely to see the mates sitting together - Alf was just asking when we're seeing you all again...lets sort it!
    fee x

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  11. The flowers are good medicine! are they jolly red clog wellies? very nice!! Heather x

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  12. Wow...your garden and flowers look so lovely, green and lush....I call myself the fair weather gardener....I only like gardening when the weather is nice....well actually, I'm a bit like you....I don't really like gardening at all....I really just like a pretty garden to look at....but if I don't try to do the gardening, no one else will do it for me....so I reluctantly try, in the hope I will have a garden filled with beautiful blooms like yours....do you think your gardening bloke would come and do my garden....so I could just be a pointy gardener....instead of the reluctant fair weather gardener that I am? teeheehee SassyBelle -xx-

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  13. I love other people's gardens, all the pleasure and none of the work! I honestly thing I should get me a cottage in a wood or on the shore where nothing much can be expected to grow. Give me a few geraniums in a pot and I'll be happy. I wear my tiny garden like a yoke - the responsibility weighs heavy - so I am in awe of your dedication! Seriously, veg patch aside, that's some garden you've created.

    So glad I'm not the only one to put flowers in washed out tins!

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  14. About BLOOMING time. Been waiting ages for an update ;o)
    Seriously, all looks lovely. Is the gardener a strapping lad? Mayhaps you can post a picture of him next.
    Well done you!
    I also didn't know that badgers ate chickens but it doesn't surprise me. I did know about pigs after watching that film... not Lock Stock.. the other one.
    xx

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  15. Your flowers are amazing. I grow veg in large pots, in clean soil and when the veg had gone I top up with fresh soil and plant seeds the following spring.

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  16. Majorly impressed and especially as you have a man to do the grotty hard digging bits. Looking good and well worth all that effort. Lovely to see what you've been up to.

    X

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  17. So pretty, your garden is looking wonderful. There is always so much to do in the garden so I know what you mean by house work, but I love it.

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  18. Wow! This post was worth waiting for! I spend aaages scrolling through all your beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing - and for coming back to the blogging world after yout break.
    Carly
    x

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  19. Wow, your garden in stunning!!!
    Good luck with being the Pointy Gardener, or you could go all Arnie and be "The Delegator!"
    Anyway, however you're doing it, what a lovely garden to surround yourself with
    xx

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  20. Get you....your garden looks bloody lovely! Very impressed, my grass is currently knee-high at the back where I never got around to reaching with our push-a-long....the weeds are laughing at me....on a brighter note we have scaffolding all over the house while they hack off and re-render the house, so I can't see my spectacular garden anyhoo.

    Not a fan of badgers as we have suckler cows.......but I won't bore you with that one.

    Nice to catch up.x

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  21. Great to have you back! Your garden looks lovely, I do miss an English garden. Its spring here so you have inspired me to get my act together.

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  22. oooo i do loooveeeee all the piccies on this post!!!

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  23. Loved all the flowers, your hard work shows. It was a joy all that colour. This summer did seem to fly by but I did miss you. xx

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I L♡VE your comments. Thank you ever so for taking the time. I do try to get back to everyone but I am rather scatty and I have these 3 big distractions....(and I'm just generally a bit rubbish lately, so please don't feel obliged to leave a note) Sorry about the word verification too, too much spam.