Did they fall, or were they pushed?

From inside

a cold car...

Paw prints in the snow

A touch of frost

Out the back @ -2C

(Friendly) hooligans been round for soup.?.




Frost-shine roof and cold Ivy

White stuff

First snow of winter - to lay

Against all odds

Despite wee beasties eating all the leaves of the runner beans once the plant had become pretty well established I was astonished to see a few pods on the remaining 'twigs'. Anyone got a recipe for 2 Haricot bean pods?

Fence - Phase 3, the view from next door

Not sure how long the Poundstretcher bamboo panel's gonna last but it's there and looking pretty tha noo. The wire holding the thing together is really thin, try hammering nails thro the bamboo and it splits, we'll see ...at least its given me some ideas for what to do next when it drops to bits (hopefully it'll last a year or two). Underneath the trellis near the shed I'll pin some green/black fine plastic mesh - natural looking brush-wood would look nice but no doubt go rotten in no time in contact with the soil. Lets see if its all still standing in 2wks, I hope so, I really hope so, the last section was a s*d to put up!

Fencing - Phase 2

After much cursing thumping posts in and taking them out again phase 2 of the fence is almost complete. I need two more metal spikes, which should arrive on Monday, for the remaining posts and theoretically it should then join up with Phase 1 (the tape measure indicates that there's a good chance it will). It may look as if the post nearest the shed is leaning at an alarming angle - I've used a wide angle lens which distorts things, take a look at the shed - that definitely doesnae lean in the real life. Ok there's a gap between the soil and the trellis - that's where the hedge is gonna go (probably Beech with the occasional Winter Honeysuckle). Best time to plant bare rooted hedge plants has always been November - phew, from Tuesday on I'll be able to take a rest a while then (in theory:-)!

Peacocks came a visiting

A maximum of two present at any one time, initially preferring the wall, door (ok, I know, it needs a wash..), grass then the butterfly bush. Red Admiral also came, but that was all. These peacocks are thankfully a lot quieter than the feathered variety!

Butterflies, at last..

I was gonna take some photos of my butterfly bush before the flowers died and say - 'no butterflies despite leaving pruning till early May so as to produce late flowers'. Couldn't believe I actually scared butterfly away whilst doing just that - first of the year! Last year was very poor too, flowers were dead by the time the butterflies arrived. Two yrs ago it was butterflies all day long every day for weeks (no record of when exactly tho). From 3pm onwards only one butterfly remained and that preferred sunning itself on my white walls to the bush. Enjoy, I did!


Left: Small Tortoiseshell. Right: Red Admiral


L+R: Small Tortoiseshell

Fence - Phase 1 complete!

Will the rest of the fence be made the same way? No chance, too much like hard work! Ok its not perfect, but given its approx. 3m between posts due to solid concrete everywhere in between where the old bomb shelter was, and the fact it was all made single handed (we'll with two hands, knees + elbows holding it up whilst hammering in nails), I'm pleased with it. Apart from one fence post it's all reclaimed timber given free by Laurie next door. Next section will use old floorboards again + bamboo screening, currently half price at Poundstretcher ...well that's the plan.

Last of the redcurrants...

Last of the redcurrants with 1st of the blueberries (served in Asda's Smart Price yogurt + Danish lager - v. v. nice!!!!) Photo taken this evening and not from last week's archive... [for once :-]

Tomatoes n Chilli Peppers

Inside the wee conservatory - the sweetest tastiest tomatoes anywhere + chilli peppers and associated white fly, which get washed off every 2 wks or so and then are back in such numbers it's all gotta be done again. Biological control so far hasn't worked, washing 'em off is cheaper and it sorta works. A single ladybird did a great job the other year! The chillies are pretty hot and also make great decorations if hung up to dry just before Xmas!

Mint Tea - As good as you'll get anywhere...

First time I'd seen Mint tea made this way was in Eastern Germany and then at the outdoor cafe in Vondelpark Amsterdam - its superb and a very pretty shade of green, and its free (apart from the power to the kettle). Try it, or come round - only £1.20 per mug, refills free :-)!!

Alpines and foxgloves

Not just fruit bushes... altho it seams like it these days

Some get frozen and some...

get turned into chutney.

Spiced Blackcurrant Chutney (ready for tasting 19.08.08)

The berry season begins

Blackcurrants started to ripen last wk in June, so far 4kg in the freezer, slowing down now but reckon should total 5kg (not bad from 2 bushes). Redcurrants ready to start picking anytime now. Whitecurrents perhaps a week later. Glad they don't all ripen at once! Strawberries started last week, raspberries starting to come good this week. Quantities? ...they never stay in the bowl long enough to be weighed! Gotta be measured in some quantity of enjoyment - any suggestions? Gooseberries about .45kg. Sawflies didn't seam to do much damage but perhaps they did after all.