2013 a Mild Winter!

We have had a lovely weekend working away in the garden. It was just like an Easter weekend, so lovely. Yesterday we where busily sorting out the bottom where the new lawn is going, hopefully the turf will be in later this week. Today I was doing some light work, hoeing, as the soil needed breaking up and whilst ho,ho,hoeing I found thisone of my many Xanthosoma's, now this is tender and I forgot about it, so it has been out all winter, instead of in my heated greenhouse, as you can see it is already shooting.

This is one of my hardy bananas, you can see I wrapped one up for winter but this one has been totally exposed. I had hoped it would get 'mushed' over winter as I need to reduce this crop abit, but as you can see it has come through fine and is growing away already!

The Trachy which I think I will call 'Trevor' (because I can) has had abit of a tidy up. I cannot believe how much he has grown. When I opened the garden in 2012, my giraffe, was just poking through the top, he is now dwarfed by Trevor. I cut off some fronds as there are already 5 spears pushing out. I think it likes all the rain we have had.

I just love Trevors trunk, it is so fluffy and whispy. Some people I know strip these back so they have like a shiny trunk. I am not sure I like them this way, but even if I did, I would probably not do this as it would mean climbing a ladder as the Trachy got taller to strip it, and Im not good with ladders!!

Must remember to start the Gloriosa seeds off, as I thought these looked amazing growing up Trevors trunk last year.

Did you spot the difference in my last post? My neighbour has had 2 of the Silver Birch Trees taken down. So with them and the apple tree gone, I cannot tell you the difference it has made. I think the plants will enjoy the sun. Although my shady area plants may have to be moved now!

Spot The Difference!!!

Can you see the difference, I know it will make a huge difference to us and our garden. Quite excited!

1 Weeks work in A Day!

What a glorious weekend we have ha, so brilliant to see that round shiny thing in the sky. Doesn't it cheer everything and everyone up, it also shows off the dirty windows, a job for later!

So having now committed to getting rid of the lower veg bed, and knowing we have to turf this area, we decided to crack on. Saturday found hubby and I digging out about a foot width and spade depth. We carefully bagged this up (into the empty biomass pellet bags) barrowing it up the garden and through the house. We managed about 2-3 bags a barrow load.

The posts where cemented in but we also managed to break that up and remove it with out wrecking the posts!!
At about mid day we where 'Cream Crackered' so stopped.

Sunday after a good breakfast we started of again, this time with help from K (eldest) and E (her boyfriend) who put us to shame. He carried 2 bags at one time and wheeled a barrow with 6 bags in!!!! Must be getting old!!

So here we are at 1pm Sunday, when we stopped to light the bar-b-que then watch the rugby!

I believe they have saved us 2 weeks work!

Once we have dug out the plants by the compost bins, removed the sleepers (which we are re-using), dug and raked the soil, any excess going into a planter we are creating from the old sleepers we will be ready for turf! ( I hope) by the end of the week (ish)

This bagged top soil has now been put on Freecycle.

Tango enjoying the sun.