Trying to keep busy!

I have been busy but I have had to do it slowly as I have Achilles tendinitis, it is bloomin painful, in fact it is the worst pain I have had in quite a few years and requires rest, gentle stretches and ice!! Apparently its quite common in 'middle aged women'  I said to the Doctor 'I am thrilled to still be classed as middle aged'!!!

So whats be going on here........

well the hydroponic system is doing well and as you  can see the roots are growing like crazy. What is being a problem are the PH tests I have to do, about twice a week. When I do the test it is always at the top end of alkaline, (7.6)so I add a half measure of 'downer' to get it down and this 'always' with out fail takes it down to acidic (6.0) so then I have to bail out some water and add tap water. After much too-ing and fro-ing I can usually get it to just about 7.2.
I did contact the company about this and they told me to do basically what it says on the instructions, but I haven't found this works. I have also found I must not add the 'full' dose of the 'downer' (yep thats what its called) as it will take me forever to get it balanced again.
So I am monitoring it and will contact them again, we obviously have strange water in Wiltshire!!

This is my front window box. my dad had it built on board ship at least 60 years ago, there were 2, they sat under the windows of the french doors of our lounge at our family home. When mum moved she took one but didn't want the other so I had it. Mums died, well collapsed actually,  I think because she put compost in the wooden box, I always use a plastic trough and sit that inside.
So it was that time of year when I always clean it and treat it, but I found the base was parting company from the rest of it. I was heart broken. Now I can do DIY but I really wanted someone who knew what they were doing to do this, so put a shout out on our village facebook page.

 Lo and behold a lovely man said he would have a look at it, so we took it round. After much discussion about what I wanted we left him to it.
This is what was returned, all fixed, new base and he reused as many of the solid brass screws that had held it together all these years. It is made of oak and now has many more years left in it.

Just need to plant it up now.

He even cleaned and oiled the old base and gave it back to me, it is such a beautiful piece of wood, I really need to find somewhere special to use it.

I just wanted to share a picture or two of my Paulowina's. I have 3, but 2 are up near the patio. I can't remember when I planted them but I have had them a number of years they amaze me every year.  As you will remember every year I pollard it, in the spring it starts budding in various places on the trunk. I usually wait till the frosts have passed until I decide which buds to keep and which to take off.
Well we have been really caught out this year by that really late frost we had, but, this last week I removed all but two of the buds and I just thought I would share with you a couple of pictures of just how fast they grow.

I showed you the picture above and below. back on the 15th May just after the bad frost.

The next 2 pictures where taken Monday 1st June.

The next few where today!! The first one is closest to the house and is relatively well protected.

I just cannot believe the size of these leaves already. Just love them.

This one is a little further down the patio, by next week I reckon it should have caught up.

All my seed planted plug plants have been planted out and it still amazes me that once in the ground the speed they grow.
I have also found a lot of self seeded plants popping up everywhere, this is quite exciting for me as this very rarely happens. So I have very carefully been transplanting them around the garden.

I am hoping this will be a good year. Next post will be about my new irrigation system I will be setting up. Which will be needed as for the first time ever at this time of year all and yes I mean ALL my water butts are empty!!!

Back soon.

Serious thoughts on what to do?

I am having very serious thoughts on what to do in my garden. I love the lush tropical look but I am very conscious on just how much watering is needed to keep it looking so good. I don't have a problem watering, in fact I quite enjoy it, but water is going to become a precious commodity so we are being told and I would much rather drink it than pour it on the garden.

A view down by the pond.

I have 5 very substantial water butts, not you ordinary 210 litre ones  mine are all 500 litres plus. They are also very nearly empty!

In hindsight, (a wonderful thing, but very annoying) when we had the bio mass boiler installed and had the new patio laid, we should have had a huge tank sunk under the patio as there are 3 roofs that fill just one large water butt, I believe the would have easily filled a sunked tank!

So what to do??
The arid bed just loves the baking sun, I do nothing to it, as you know, occasionally if I am walking past with the hose it gets a bit of water but to be honest not much at all. So do I make the rest of the garden like this? I would have to devise a way to protect it over winter though and that is fairly hard work to set up.

Even the palms, this is my Butia, above,is suffering.

The Ensete Hiniba should be way bigger than this.

Persicara is wilting.

The Maureli, is still a bit stumpy!

I have a decision to make. I don't have and probably won't have grand children, but the rest of my family do, I could easily say 'its not my problem' or 'it doesn't affect me'! But I have to live with myself. I think it is ludicrous that we flush 'drinking water' down a toilet to empty it when we are surrounded by sea. This has been a bug bear of mine for years.

Back to the garden, even though the girls dug in a load of manure the soil is dust dry, I am seriously considering changing the left hand side as you look up the garden to a gravel bed, a bit like at Beth Chatto's gravel garden. The link will take you to the gravel garden gallery, beautiful, but? I am not sure its me. Ideal for my garden and situation, but do I like it? Mmmm??? The jury is still out!!! More thought needed.

Hanky Panky in the Garden!!!

We have been having a move round of water butts down by the sheds. The small one that was next to the greenhouse has been moved as a second one at the end of the shed.

Mainly because it has been an absolute pain to get round the back of the greenhouse then up the side. So now I will be able to go straight down the left hand side, provided I don't fill it up with rubbish.

We have been turning the compost today. This compost has not been doing well at all so as we bought a Hotbin Composter at Gardeners World Live. As we dug down the bottom of the compost is riddled with tree roots, so we shall be putting down slabs to stand the composter on.

Now are little robin was very happy with mouthfuls of worms and caterpillars, but what we found interesting is he would go into the greenhouse with a mouthful and come out without? So we believe his nest must be in there somewhere.

Hubby watched him hop under the potting bench so I got this pic through the glass, maybe, maybe not, but I wont move anything.

Then during a coffee break the pond was alive with activity.

A lot of Hanky Panky going on here and not just with the Goldfish, we could be getting a new breed of fish as they don't seem to stick to their own kind!!!

The view across the pond.

Loads of buds on the Passionflower, can't wait to see them flower.

Sunny with a Cold Wind

 To me this combination is great for working in the garden. I don't get all hot and horrible!

This last week has brought about a few small changes in the garden, as we continue on the big project.

On Friday, the Brahea Armata has been planted, as we dug down we hit clay, unusual in my garden, but what I have done to counteract this is to raise the height of the planting, but putting lots of gravel in the hole so it will not sit in water. I have also added a lot of gravel to the soil to aid drainage. I still have to put some raised edges around and finish off with more gravel. I just hope I have picked the right spot!!!

All the gravel was removed, the whole plot leveled, weed membrane put down and the gravel returned. We are getting there, still a way to go.

Next week 2 tons of gravel to be barrowed in!!!

Saturday I got the boys toys out and edged the bed of the palm

and finished edging the main bed, I never finished it last year so now looks a bit neater.

This morning found me yet again in the greenhouse, my poor Monty is not looking good, do hope it pulls through!

Crammed, just need a bit more heat, come on sun!!!

We where unable to buy a new base for my water but, as they are only sold if you buy the water butt!!! How silly is that, So we did a self build job. Just hope non of the others go as that is the last of the bricks!!!

Now all I need is rain to fill the three empty water butts up!!

Maybe I could order rain with sun, that would get things growing!!

All Around my Butt!

I have had a lovely time down the garden this morning. I was only planning on being down their for an hour, to preserve my back, two and half hours later I come in for a coffee!

First off I did a whole load of pricking out. I am pleased with the way I did the seeds this year, I won't be inundated with one plant or another. Still chuffed to pieces with the canna seed.

At the end of last week I emptied my two leaking water butts, I was going to get hubby to help but it chucked it down most of the weekend. So today I got on with it. Got inside them and undid the taps. cleaned around inside and out, around the grooves, then wrapped plumbers tape around and 'Bobs your uncle' sorted. No leaks! Before you ask yes I did put water in to check.

I love doing jobs like this, good job really cos, hubby doesn't!!!

  So cleaned around and behind their bases and that's when I noticed why water butt number 3 has a decided lean to it!!! The base at the back has a very large 'kink' in it, so I am emptying it, not all on the ground, I've been chucking bucket loads on various plants round my garden, but doing this is not 'back friendly'!!!

Another kink at the side as well. My neighbours use there old bases as planters for potatoes, wonder what I could do with mine?

My Gunnera, just uncovered today and given a good watering. I watched a programme  can't remember which channel, but something called 'How good is my garden' I think. Anyway Bruno Nicoli??? a tropical gardener had the most amazing gunnera in his garden must have been taller than him. I am quite determined this will be good this year. I don't think I feed it or water it enough. We are looking at getting an 'Easy Clean' pond filter which you turn a handle, divert the water to the flower bed until it runs clean. Only problem is its £500!!!!!!!!!!! We are saving!!

The Rheum, looks like an alien at this time of year but is always one of the first to get going.

Last year when I went to Highgrove to visit Price Charles, well his garden. He had 4 very old and beautiful Olive trees, huge trunks all twisted etc. Apparently he protects his over winter. Whereas my poor neglected olive tree, was left out all winter, in front of hubbies office, which is quite sheltered but north facing, but will catch some winter sun, and seems to be thriving!

Right off for some lunch and then to do some sewing .

Out in the Sunshine

The weather forecast for today was suppose to be rain, but then they changed there minds, so although I am very tired I took the opportunity to get out and get some work done, as I believe it is suppose to rain the rest of the week. I hope it does as we have had very little recently.
I decided to take the opportunity to sort out the now empty water butts

the turquoise one ( now on the floor) seems to have sprung a leak, so I had to do a bit of shuffling around, the big one (on left) that has replaced it was at the side of my small greenhouse and never really filled properly.



At the side of the small greenhouse I have now put this smaller one. This was between the 2 greenhouses but was not big enough. So we are already for the rain and I still have room for a further 2 if not 3 waterbutts. I currently have 7.



I weeded and recut the lawn edges. This bed gets bigger every year I do this. To be honest the grass is a pain and is forever growing into the flower beds!
Whilst giving it a really good weed I found these





Four banana pups, how exciting. The ground is really, really dry as well, so if it doesn't rain I shall have to water very well!

The bananas are out for an airing and to start hardening them off.



and are really beginning to take off.My maurelli is so big now that I can only manage to drag it out the door of the greenhouse.



My bromeliads, also outside for hardening off



When I went to see Will Giles, Exotic Garden last year he had rows and rows of these, I managed to pick these up for 50p each last autumn and they have really grown now!

I also thought the Cordyline needed a hair cut



I have trimmed it in the above pic, but this is the view we have of it from the cottage. So imagine my surprise when I trimmed round the back and found this...

must be doing something right!!!!

Our neighbours put in an new fence, alot neater than the old one!!