Friday 18 July 2014

Greenfingers...

Cor blimey! And thrice alive!  I have been on me sick bed this week!  I picked up a gastric bug last weekend and spent the first few days of this week either asleep or... well, I won't go into detail... oh no, suffice to say, I felt as weak as a kitten... thankfully I am over the worst (I hope!) and feeling a bit better now.  I dunno, I used to have the constitution of an ox, not so now-a-days!  Anyways, as promised... finally... a few pics from the garden.  This is my first year proper with the garden, we have totally landscaped it, removing all the trees when we first moved in, getting a big patio laid, letting a bit of a lawn grow, building sheds (well, Grim did that bit, I just stood around holding a hammer just in case he needed my expert woodworking skills) and finally, The Greenhouse that Grim Built!   I have always loved gardening with pots and tubs... I can't really dig over a garden and pots and tubs are so much more manageable... save for the watering which takes about 20 mins every evening but SO worth it.   In April, armed with a few packets of seeds and a bag of compost, I snuck off to the greenhouse and bunged some seeds into compost - well, how hard can that be right?  Actually... really easy!  Just remember to talk to them... everyday... worked a treat!



Aged P suggested I tried a variety of cucumber called Burpless.. he said that they are ugly as sin but really lovely... and they don't repeat on you (yeah, clue in the name lol)  So I did.... and yesterday I took this ickle pic... a right pair of whoppers!!!!  Today is harvesting day for the bigger of the two... they are a bit spiky and a bit wonky but hey, they are recognisable as cucumbers :O)  I also tried to grow another variety of cucumber but...erm... managed to kill most of the plants because I overwatered them!  Lesson learnt there!


I sewed my bodyweight in seeds... ran out of room in the greenhouse... it was worth it tho... but before I go all daft about flowers, here's a little idea I had... grow some ornamental gourds... and then in Autumn I will have a little pile of gourds to make a pretty garden display with... Here's the first one growing... I called him Gourdon *yes, rather original*


And here he is now, with his brother... erm... Gourdon II... there are several Gourdon's in the family now!






As mentioned, bodyweight and seeds... well, I had this vision that I would make the "sitting bit" of the patio into a little cottage stylee garden with wildflowers and stuff and what-not.  I was out the front of the house, supervising Grim removing the ivy from the front of the house - I had a very important job - expert ladder-holder-er no less!  Anyways, our neighour Ben comes out from the back of his house with a lovely garden chair and proceeds to put it in the boot of his car.  So I calls out "whatcha doing Ben?"  Being of nosey persuasion and all that.   He says he is taking said chair to the tip as it is broken.  "ooh, can I have it please?"  says I.... he looked at me like I was ever so slightly deranged and said I could indeedily have said chair... and there was another one I could have too...  Oh no, I only needs one... and then I told him why.   You see, in my vision there was this battered old chair with pots and stuff on it... well, I think it fits in perfectly!






Here's more of the "vision"



Those pics were taken on May 31st... and these were yesterday...


The chair has had an old enamel sign added to it... 

 Dwarf Sunflowers in a tub




When we moved here, we had a new downstairs loo and basin put in - the old pink one was revolting!  Instead of taking measurements and stuff like that, we went to B&Q and bought a handwash basin and gave it to the plumber to fit it the week before we moved in.  A phone call later that day to tell me that the ...erm... handwash basin... was a bit ... erm... large and that whilst it fitted, he now couldn't close the door of the downstairs loo!  Grrr!  Anyways, Grim got around that but cutting out a snip of wood so the door shut and eventually we got a new diddy basin which Grim duly fitted.  So, what to do with the old basin huh?  It was on the floor in the garage and I spied it, filled it up with compost and bunged some fuchsia's and petunia's in it and voila... here it is just planted in June



...and here it is now!  Recycling at its best right?


I shall away now - I have a busy day catching up on all the stuff I didn't do whilst on me death bed this week... Hope you all keeping cool and dry!  TTFN

Hels x

24 comments:

Unknown said...

Beautiful garden I luv doin the recycling bit too, don't cut the cucumber until the prickly bits have gone, have u tried the nasturtiums in ur salad gorgeous .chris x

Joanne said...

Oh you do brighten my days with your humour but now there's double brightness with all those gorgeous plants and flowers
Xx

Carole Z said...

Gorgeous piccie Hels, love the recycled chair and of course I would very much approve of the cockerel wouldn't I? Sorry you've been poorly but glad to hear you're on the mend! Hugs Carole Z X

Unknown said...

What a treat to see your lovely garden - really enjoyed this post

janna'scraftingattic said...

When on earth do you get time to do all that ? Really looks good too. I have pots in my postage stamp garden too.
Your basin reminds me of my mum's Los sink she used to grow herbs in ( not still plumbed in of course !)
My daughter who has 4 small children has put guttering around the shed ( out of the way of little fingers !) and has grown some fabby little gems and radishes

whyducks said...

It all look amazing Hels and I love your little owlie.

Helen said...

your garden is a vision of loveliness!! the basin makes a great plant pot, and I love the use of the broken chair!!!

Redanne said...

Sorry to hear that you have been poorly Hels, I do hope you are well on the right side of it now. What a wonderful garden to help you feel better too. Your plants are absolutely fabulous!! Green fingers or what??! Hugs, Anne xx

Mrs B said...

Hi Hels. Sorry to hear that you have been ill, I bet you were both glad that you had that downstairs loo put in! Thanks for sharing the lovely pics of your garden. You must love sitting and enjoying all of the beautiful plants and flowers (and the fab animals!, love the owlet : ) You won't need to water your pots tonight, if the forecast is right! Take care.

Unknown said...

Fabulous, Hels!! Gardening takes quite the effort but it is so worth reaping the fruits (or veggies) of your labor :) Glad you're feeling better! Still, take it easy! Thank you for sharing the wonderful pics of your garden :) Love your dwarf sunflowers back there :) XOXO-Shari

Unknown said...

Your garden is beautiful
Hope you enjoy the "burpless" aged p has a good memory. So pleased you are enjoying your garden.

Joy

Unknown said...

Your garden is beautiful
Hope you enjoy the "burpless" aged p has a good memory. So pleased you are enjoying your garden.

Joy

carol edwards said...

Fabulous Hels love the garden and glad you are feeling better x

Studio Rose said...

Wonderful looking garden! My BFF also has a "potted" garden; she grows lemons and tomatoes and all kinds of lovely things and can move them around wherever she likes. I wish I didn't have such a brown thumb; this is very inspiring! (Love the statuary, too!)

Unknown said...

You've got that looking absolutely wonderful, loving all the quirky bits in amongst the pots. Ceramic sinks always make fab containers for patio gardens. I'm very envious, my back 'yard' has been taken over by the o.h & looks somewhat similar to a small scrapyard :-( Feel better soon :-)

Patricia Howarth said...

Hi Hels, I'm so glad you are feeling much better now.
Lots of lovely 'then and now' piccies, lots of lovely flowers and I'm especially interested in the cucumbers, I have a problem with them as they repeat constantly on me, I have ended up that the only way I can have them is by juicing them and that seems to work OK. So I will be interested to see whether they work, Hels !!!
I have only just noticed the 'cat' in the bottom left of your blog, he is so cute.
Lots of love from Patricia xx

akmoose said...

That mouse, owl and rooster are too cute!!

Rea' said...

Oh Hels, I missed you ... I do hope you are feeling much better... that bug doesn't sound fun at all. Thanks for sharing your garden ( giving me ideas to make my dinky ( very small) area look attractive !!

Jackie PN said...

Oh Hels what a stunning garden! Your flowers are sooo beautiful!! and nice cukes you got there! teeheehee
love the garden art-very playful! hope you are up to your own self again soon!
healthy thoughts and wishes-Jackie

Sherry said...

Glad you're feeling better Hels. Your garden is fabulous - and what you did to your neighbour's chair too! x

Artyjen said...

Fab-u-lous! Great plants Hels
XoxoSioux

Artyjen said...

Fab-u-lous! Great plants Hels
XoxoSioux

Artyjen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Carol said...

Sorry you've been ill, but that gorgeous porch display is a perfect place to recuperate!

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