Chilling in the garden

Chilling in the garden - or sunbathing, rather than chilling. 
This is what it's all about as far as Archie and Angel are concerned.
Yes, they enjoy sniffing around and playing games out in the garden, but now that we are finally enjoying a spell of warmer weather the beanbags are moved outdoors for them. 




While I'm toiling on tidying the flowerbeds, they love being able to soak up the sunshine out of doors where they can keep a watchful eye on the pigeons, leaping to their feet to chase them off when they get too close.

The butterflies, also using the sun-warmed slabs of patio as a sunbathing area, are however, beneath their attention and allowed to share! 

Wishing you all a peaceful and relaxing Easter, whether you are pottering in the garden or simply putting up your feet (or paws) and simply enjoying it!

Recycling!

I spotted this the other day, and it made me smile.

I love the idea of not getting rid

of an unwanted tree entirely, but of turning it into 

something decorative, even if most of it has had to go.

(And if you have dogs, of course

you then have a ready made pee post too)

Here's one I made earlier

Here's the heather bank in all its former glory ...

... and here it is looking rather sad and neglected

As I may have mentioned some time ago in this blog, one of my goals this year is to revamp the garden a bit, making it a bit lower-maintenance so I have more time to spend on the allotment, and creating more space for Archie and Angel to scamper around in. The heather bank at the end of the garden was looking rather sorry for itself, having become somewhat overgrown, and the ancient heathers were leggy and past their best. I decided it was time for it to go - the frogs were the only ones who appreciated it. Although I felt guilty about removing a habitat where they could often be found lurking, I have replanted new heathers along the edge of the fence - and there is a pond and wildlife area in the front garden. As the frog population seems to have increased there recently, I'm hoping they have simply relocated.

I didn't want to lose the bank that the heathers were growing on completely, just to reduce its size and make it possible to push the mower around behind it, but I was a bit stumped about what to do with it otherwise. I did toy with the idea of covering it with artificial grass, but preferred the idea of something living. While pondering on it, I noticed there was quite a lot of moss in the lawn: I'm not a lawn purist and I rather like moss - you won't catch me raking it out.  It feels glorious to stand on in bare feet, has a wonderful cushiony quality that grass lacks, and of course, is very low maintenance - unlike grass it doesn't need mowing. So I don't object to its presence at all.

And here's the transformation to a mossy bank.
Well, it will be eventually.
(Archie apologises for still being in his pj's, but it was a chilly morning
when I took the photo!)

And then it struck me - rather than planting the bank with plants which would need maintaining and might object to whippets jumping on and off it, why not try creating a mossy bank instead? I love seeing the soft contours it creates as it takes over tumbled logs and stones out on our woodland walks, and am hoping that I can create something similar here, on a small scale.

Watch this space, as they say.

In the meantime, if you want to know more about creating your own mossy spot - you can make a miniature moss garden in a pot if you don't want it anywhere else - here's a link which will tell you all you need to know:

http://www.mossandstonegardens.com/blog/

Click HERE for link

Build it and they will come

Well, build it and the plants will hopefully survive!

Yes, the combination of Spring plus a bit of rain meant that I beat a hasty retreat to the shed to finish the project I've had in hand over the winter - a new cold frame to replace the one which finally fell apart last year and was beyond repairs.

Not expertly crafted, but functional!

I did think about buying a new one, but after looking at the prices of the ones I liked, decided to try building my own instead: possibly a foolish idea as I'm not terribly good at DIY. It took some time to get started as first I had to clear a space on the shed floor for construction to take place, and that took a while - like housework, it's easy to find other, more interesting things to do instead. 
Finally I couldn't put it off any longer, and I found handy step by step instructions for making a cold frame in Geoff Hamilton's Practical Gardening Course. It looked fairly straightforward, so I assembled all the bits and pieces - some new, some old and recycled, and can now finally announce that yes, it is pretty easy to do, and cost half of what something similar would have been to buy.
If I can make it, anyone can - and probably much better.
But next time it will be easier, and now I know how cheap gravel boards are to buy, will probably be even cheaper too.

Click HERE for link

Buzzzzz .......

All of a sudden, things are starting to happen in the 
garden - and insects are beginning to buzz busily around. I've seen a lot of ladybirds, and some of the most enormous bees.

Although wasps can be an asset to the garden  I prefer to discourage them as Archie has had several run-ins with them in the past, requiring emergency dashes to the vet when his head swelled up to alarming proportions. He has also managed to stand on a bee while out on a walk too, so nowadays I keep both antihistamines and the homeopathic remedy Apis mel close to hand during the summer months.

The arrival of insects means that it's time for the Waspinator to go up before any wasps start prospecting for accomodation: we had a nest a few years ago but since I've been using these, it seems to have encouraged them to go and look elsewhere. Medieval technology at it's best! You can find out more about them at  http://www.waspinator.co.uk/ 

What else has been happening in the garden? Well I found this lovely decorative trellis to ornament the side of the garden shed during those months of the year that the clematis is dormant ... and I'm glad that I took the decision to paint the shed last year too. It has been a nice splash of colour during the winter months, and the stripes remind me of the beach huts at Seasalter and Whitstable in Kent where I spent some of my childhood.

Click HERE for link

Bargains galore

"It's empty! That must be why you got it cheap!"

Nope, can't fit in there.
Obviously another bad buy!

Now that Spring seems finally to be on its way, the shelves in shops are once again filling up with gardening products. Not just at garden centres, but at supermarkets and pound shops too, and there are some great bargains to be had. The water butts on the allotment came from Wilkinsons several years ago as they were cheaper there than anywhere else - as was the 100-odd feet of hose I needed to reach the communal tap, while my mini greenhouse was a bargain bought from Morrisons, also a few years ago. I usually shop locally, but popped in there at the weekend to pick up a few odds and ends for my Mum, and spotted a plastic trug at £2.50 and a bird box for £3 and couldn't resist them. I've also had some excellent fruit trees from there in the past which compare very well against ones I've purchased from specialist suppliers - I'm still smarting about the pear tree I bought from one such merchant. Don't ask.
I also picked up a few bits and pieces from Poundland, and found a string of solar powered blue fairy lights for £3 in a charity shop. It pays to shop around, it really does! Although sometimes you get what you pay for - packs of seeds may sometimes be less full than the ones you buy at garden centres for example. But when you just want a few to fill in a bare corner, they are perfect for the job.

Nom nom

While on the subject of bargains, the pea shoots are thriving and nearly ready to start harvesting - although when I left them outside for a few minutes yesterday I returned to find that Angel was already sampling them. This was a great tip passed on via Facebook, which I shared on the Dog Friendly Gardening FB page - you may have spotted it. I used an old wooden tray, filled with spent compost and liberally sowed it with peas. The peas were a bargain too, at 50p for a box (just ordinary dried peas) from the supermarket, and which I've only used half of it. They have grown beautifully in the shed window, with no attention other than keeping them damp, and taste delicious (yes, I tried a few too as Angel reckoned they were nearly ready) as well as being organic and much cheaper than buying them in the shops!

Click here for link!

Spring is sprung!

Spring is sprung!







Or at least, if Spring hasn't completely sprung, is well on its way. Daffodils and primroses are in bloom and the bluebells on one of our favourite woodland walks are gearing up ready for the big display later this year.

Back indoors and under a fleece when the sun goes in ...

The frogs are engaged in frantic activity in the pond, and the sun is out and today it was even warm enough for Archie and Angel to shed their jackets and enjoy the feel of it on their backs. They've been having fun pottering around in the garden with me as I've been working on the borders - although they are quick enough to dive indoors and under a fleece when it goes behind a cloud for more than a few minutes!

The frogs are busy in the pond - six at the last count.
And no, those aren't real lilies but
artificial ones which give the fish a bit of cover!

The pea shoots are doing well in the shed at the moment - but more about them next week when I hope to start harvesting. In the meantime it's back to work on making a new cold frame for the allotment as it looks like I'm going to be needing it pretty soon!