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Garden herbs and summer fruits – the harvest begins
At last I am able to get out into the garden and start bringing in some of our home-grown goodies. Today, I got a load of herbs which I will probably dry although I used some fresh for the soup I made for dinner. My sage is growing really well which I love but the…
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Weather – stop complaining!
We complain about the weather a lot in the UK but maybe we shouldn’t. I have been keeping an eye on the weather forecast for weeks now. I may have mentioned once or twice before my many vegetables which are struggling to do anything much due to our cold and wet conditions. I then thought…
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A Summer walk to feed my soul
There is something about being among the trees and plants which just feeds your soul and recharges you in a way no other thing can. My pictures won’t do it justice but I would like to share them with you anyway and I hope you can get a sense of what the day was like.…
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Recognising seedlings when weeding – parsnips
It’s an important part of weeding – recognising plants you want to keep when they are at seedling stage and this week it was the parsnips I was weeding. The area I had to clear had the little bit of the onion patch on one side which I hadn’t quite finished, and the patch with…
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Summer pruning fruit trees
It was time to prune my cherry and plum trees as the weather has warmed and their appearance was unruly to say the least. Stone fruit trees should be pruned in the warmer summer months as they are prone to infection in the winter when they can’t heal the cut wounds so well. This can…
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A tired brain, a hyper dog, confused weather and other ramblings
My brain can’t settle at the moment. I feel like I have 1001 thoughts whizzing through my head like a train that doesn’t stop at a station. I’m more tired than usual which explains my tired but over-active brain. The reason for this, I believe, is partly because of the house next door. I have…
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You can’t trust ants (they are in cahoots with the aphids!)
When I saw an aphid infestation on my willow tree, I thought to myself ‘don’t panic, there will be a biological control along soon enough’. When I saw the ants I thought the problem was solved. I was wrong. It turns out when you see something like this: It is a beautiful example of a…
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Making a fairy garden (part 1)
If you listened to this weeks episode of my podcast, you will know I have decided to turn part of the front garden into a fairy garden. There is a patch at the side which just has a lilac and bits and bobs and doesn’t look particularly pleasant. So, I got my thinking cap on…
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How am I supposed to grow with this?
I can’t stress enough how desperately I need to get my tomatoes and courgettes etc planted out – but – the weather, oh the weather. Ok, I know it’s a cliche that us Brits go on about the weather but if you’re not from here there are 2 things (probably more) that you need to…
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A Weekend of Garden Work
How can I work in the garden all weekend and still not be done? I ask myself that question as I sit, with tired arms and bits of dirt still in my eyes. I mean, I tidied the front as much as I could by cutting the grass, going round the edges a bit and…
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I don’t think I’m cut out for this
I think I’m designed for the country but I’m stuck in a town and some days it suffocates me. All I want is to hear natural sounds, smell the air around me as it should be. I love nothing more than being in the garden listening – it’s a whole different world and I yearn…
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Just Give Me Peace
I’m in the sunshine Finally. Surrounded by the daily battles of all my feathered friends. The sparrows fight for food, the crows squawk their daily news, the seagulls add to the natural orchestra. Just enjoying the peace. Then the music starts, the lawn mowers and that loud car that needs to be revved more than…
Coming from my slice of life to help you find more joy in yours
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