Flowers, birds . . . and a water slide

These pots of flowers sit on the steps outside the conservatory and provide a lovely splash of colour in the garden.  They're a mixed bunch - quite literally - being the odds and ends I found in the shed earlier this year; marigolds, cornflowers and mesembryanthemums.  The seeds took a long time to germinate, and some didn't germinate at all, and I think it was most likely because on closer examination of the seed packets I noticed that they were all a couple of years out of date.  Oh dear.  However, despite not being 'fresh' seeds, they are blooming away quite happily.  

We're noticing quite a few young birds (recently fledged and still learning) in the garden over the last few weeks, often accompanied by mum or dad to show them the ropes.  Blackbirds, goldfinches, robins and especially green woodpeckers, who frequently wake us up very early in the morning with their distinctive call.  

Yesterday, on our way into town, we spotted an entire family of no fewer than five woodpeckers feeding on the grassy bank.  We were so thrilled to see so many all together we just stood and watched.  All five little heads were nodding up and down as they pecked away, it was great.  My little camera managed the nearest bird but the others were just out of shot.

We finally got the promised rain, but it arrived as a very fine drizzle which hasn't filled the water butts at all and has barely dampened the ground.  It's been a little frustrating for us gardeners who would have preferred a good downpour for a couple of hours but we have to take what comes, weather-wise.  

Now here's something you don't see every day - a giant inflatable water slide running the length of one of the main shopping streets in town.  It was a charity event, people donating for the chance of sliding down the slide (in the rain!)  There didn't seem to be a shortage of sliders, some in fancy dress, and it was certainly different.  Just such a shame the weather was so inclement.  (much better photos on the link)

(First post on the Mac; bit of a learning curve but so much quicker)

An early morning walk in the woods

An early start today to take the car in for it's MOT.  Rather than hanging around the garage waiting, we took ourselves off for a walk through the woods.  It was such a lovely way to spend an hour, quiet and reflective.  

We spotted a greenfinch on the telegraph wires, and then watched a couple of swallows skimming across the field.  We've been watching 'Springwatch' each evening for the past couple of weeks, and there was a piece on the programme a few days ago about how to differentiate between swallows, swifts and housemartins, and that was how we identified these swallows, by the low flight across fields as they hunted for insects.  We were quite pleased with ourselves!  As the birds turned in flight, we caught sight of their forked tails and white underbody so we were certain of our identification.

On our return home, I dug out our little book of wild flowers (excellent charity shop find at Christmas) to identify this plant:

 

It is the Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) which was growing along the paths in the woods.  My knowledge of wild flowers is sadly limited, so I am keen to learn a few more.

We've had another productive day in the garden, moving veg bags around, tying up trailing plants and potting up some annuals I sowed from seed in early Spring.  We're on the look-out for the sweetcorn, but it's a bit difficult to tell seedlings from weeds!

Chairs re-covered for free

The first carrot

I think June is going to be one of those 'busy' months, with lots going on, planned and unplanned.  The weather is finally getting more summery (if we could lose the breeze, which is decidedly chilly, I might manage to stay in short sleeves and skirt all day) and there is always plenty to do in the garden.  The greenhouse is bulging - I think next time we may have to invest in a larger one to accommodate all the plants - and there are tomato plants on every spare inch.  We are both diligently weeding whenever we have a spare few minutes, and I do believe we are beginning to win the battle - hooray!

Before and after 

The dining-room chairs have been recovered with a remnant of curtaining fabric from when I altered some curtains a while ago, so that's a great big tick off the list for this month.  As is so often the case, a job I had been putting off doing actually took me far less time to accomplish that I thought it would - another example of that new mantra, "doing it gets it done".  I had to call in N to finish off with the staple-gun (it scares me, I'll be honest) and a couple of hours' work sees us with bright new chair covers that haven't cost a penny.  Little projects like that are so satisfying.  And surprisingly simple.

It was bright, sunny and breezy today, ideal conditions to get the patchwork quilts washed and dried (ooh, another tick!).  Those quilts proved very useful during the winter, providing a snuggly extra layer to wrap up in on cold afternoons and evenings.  They are well over twenty years old now, made when my children were little, and wash up so well, time after time.  You can definitely never have too many quilts around the house ;-)

We've had a couple of trips to the mainland in the past few days, specifically for me to make some sewing purchases which weren't possible on the island.  We did our homework before we travelled, and made full use of travel deals and discount vouchers to cut the cost.  I came back with exactly what I was after so I was very happy.  

Several things on the horizon at the moment, some visiting to do, lots of gardening and plenty of sewing and DIY.  The green woodpecker has been back feeding on the front lawn, and the house-martins are flitting about over the rooftops.  Our little tail-less blackbird has finally grown some tail feathers and found his voice, and a robin uses our washing-line as a stop-over early each morning, often with a worm in its beak.  Little things, and maybe quite ordinary and everyday, but it is a pleasure to just stop and watch.

Bluebells, and a tail-less visitor

The sun shone yesterday (at least until late afternoon, when it rained again) but we took full advantage of a break in the weather and went for a walk.

The bluebells are just beginning to fade a little but a woodland carpeted with blue is still a lovely Spring sight.  

 Our walk took us to the top of a steep hill and to this memorial, built by a local land-owning family to commemorate the death in WW1 of one of their sons.  I've driven past it so many times but this was the first time I've climbed the hill to see it.  The views across the Island from the top are pretty far-reaching, but my camera sadly doesn't do justice to big landscapes.  I could see for a very long way, though.

Today has been so windy, all day.  It was also rubbish collection day, so we've had wheelie-bins and assorted rubbish flying around.  The guttering came adrift from the shed roof, necessitating an emergency repair, and at one point I had concerns for the conservatory roof - some very ominous whistling noises could be heard.  There were 'white horses' on the Solent and I'm rather glad I wasn't on the ferry.  More of the same tomorrow, apparently.

We've had a little visitor in the garden for the past week or so, this baby blackbird seems to have taken up residence with us.  He's very recognisable as he has no tail feathers at all, and consequently looks a bit stumpy.  He hides under the water butts and once somehow managed to get himself trapped inside the small meshed raised bed - N had to come to his rescue and show him the way out.  Hopefully those feathers will grow soon; he looks a little forlorn without them.

Getting colder

We're fitting comfortably back into our quiet, simple life here.  Washing on the line (it does come in cold but at least it's had a good flap around in the fresh air), knitting (another pair of fingerless gloves), cooking (salmon cakes with chips, all homemade and very delicious) and two or three DIY jobs and general sorting out and tidying up tasks tackled to boot.  Every little job done has a purpose in the bigger picture, and gives us a feeling of satisfaction - that we have been able to do these things ourselves, and that it brings a little more order.  There are many things we have little or no control over, and often we just have to go with the flow and see where we end up, but we are happy to take responsibility for as much as we can.

It was certainly cold today.  N is really struggling with the colder temperatures this year and it seems to be aggravating his asthma, which is a little worrying.  Consequently we are using our heating sensibly and wisely.  If we are cold, the heating will go on.  We don't run it all day, not do we have the thermostat set too high (being in an over-warm house is just as uncomfortable as being cold).  We read the meters so we have a good idea of our consumption.  This is the first winter in this house and we are learning what is needed to make it comfortable in the colder months.  The property was empty for several months before we bought it and there were one or two signs of damp.  Added to that the fact that we had a lot of plastering done during the renovation, and it is likely that there is still some residual dampness in the fabric.  The heating will help tackle this but we will keep an eye on things as we don't want damp to become a problem.  

Whilst we were in Manchester, we were treated to a private wildlife show from the lounge window.  A grey squirrel burying nuts in the back lawn:

Compared to our little red squirrels here on the Island, these greys seem so much bigger

and a family of jays also visiting for nuts and seeds.  We don't get to see these lovely birds very often as they are quite elusive so it was quite a treat to see them so close.

 We also spotted a bullfinch and a nuthatch, too brief for a photo but a pleasure to see nevertheless.

Wondering what to do, and another wedding cushion

Now that we have called time on the renovating (and again I say, phew!!) we find ourselves at a bit of a loss as to know what to do next.  It's an odd feeling, having had work stretching ahead for what seems to have been such a long time - six months in all - to now not have anything immediate and pressing lined up.  We've put a few bits and pieces away (paintbrushes, cleaning cloths, dust sheets and so on) and had a bit of a mooch around (if it would stop raining so heavily and persistently we could actually get outside) but really we seem to be in a 'what do we do now?' sort of state.  It's a bit weird.  Having sought out a simpler lifestyle, we allowed it to become rather more complicated, and I think we just need to take some time to find our way back again.

Ideas to start with

From the back

When all else fails, I've always found chocolate and sewing - either, or, or both, preferably - seem to help in these situations.  So I have sewed (and eaten chocolate) and have finished the wedding cushion with a day to spare.  It's going to be a little awkward to take on the train and Underground along with the other bags but no doubt we'll manage somehow.

Changing the subject completely.  All the little dark blobs in the photo above are birds.  Almost everyday, from our back doorstep, we see the flock in this tree, chattering incessantly.  I want to discover what sort of tree it is (my knowledge of trees is poorly lacking) and also identify the birds that use it as a roost.  I may ask N if he can get a closer shot using the more powerful zoom on his camera.  

In the garden

Gulls on parade yesterday

Having had the warmest Halloween on record yesterday, November began in similar vein - sunny, blue skies and temperatures far higher than usual.  Which was just as well as I had a date with the back lawn.

One of the biggest lawn problems - creeping buttercups 

I may be a little late with my autumn lawn workout but I take the view that it probably won't do the lawn any harm and it might just do it a bit of good.  So I have scarified with a sprung-tine rake (the 'workout' was a much for my benefit as for the lawn!), followed up with another cut with the lawn-mower.  The idea is to remove all the thatch - moss, flattened grass stems, old grass trimmings etc, and I collected enough to fill a dustbin so I think the effort was worthwhile.  I'm having to work with the weather - rain is forecast for the next couple of days - but the next dry day, I shall aerate the lawn then top-dress it.  The front lawn will have to wait; tackling one lawn is better than not bothering at all and as we plan to dig up quite a bit in the front, I guess it can wait.

Early this morning we had a welcome visitor returning after a few weeks' away:

Our green woodpecker stayed for about half an hour, feasting on ants and other delicacies.  His plumage looked really bright.

Now for the monthly photographic round-up of progress in the garden.

On the left, onions; right, garlic

Four rows of spinach.  At the back in the grey container are carrots.  The rest of the beds are now under plastic to try to keep the weeds at bay.

Back lawn (before scarifying).  The bird table had a technical - normal service will hopefully be resumed shortly.

I took these photos first thing this morning, when the sun was still quite low in the sky, so shadows and indeed the sun itself caused a few problems.  I must remember that for the next few months (if we see the sun much).  This border is in desperate need of a make-over, and I have already taken out a couple of straggly shrubs and more may follow suit.  I'm trying to salvage the slate chippings that have been used as a decorative dressing as I hope to use them elsewhere.  This part of the garden spends most of the time in shade (so moss is a big problem in the lawn) and doesn't really dry out during the day.  The plan is to make this border at least twice as wide and to plant it up with a selection of perennials, climbers and one or two shrubs.

Side border - nothing's changed here.  Still not sure what to do with this area.

The front lawn is just this huge expanse of grass with a couple of shrubs stuck in for good measure.  Considering the property was built about 40 years ago it's surprising just how 'bare' the garden is; so little planting anywhere.  However, it does mean that we really do have a blank canvas with which to work.  It's just that there is a lot of work to do.  

N has been out of action all day.  Bed rest, anti-inflammatories and ice-packs have been the order of the day.  The swelling round his knee is reducing gradually and it's just as well that there's no work on the garage conversion over the weekend.  Hopefully by Monday he should be able to hobble around again.  In the meantime we are watching the plaster drying.  A bit like a watched pot, it takes it's time.

Yellow

I hardly dare say it, but I think we have actually finished decorating the hallway.  Wahoo!!  A bit like the proverbial Forth Road Bridge, it seems to have taken forever (or several days, at least).  

Last piece of lining paper going up

We decided early on that we wanted this space to be bright and welcoming, so we have painted it . . . yellow!  It was a bit *wow* to begin with but the colour has really grown on us and it makes the hallway so cheerful; we like it.  Against the white woodwork - and there is certainly a lot of that - the whole area has had quite a transformation.

Now for a few other 'yellow' things . . .

. . . the first tomato of the season!  A 'Golden Sunrise', not very big, it has to be said, but still worthy of a mention.

These apricots are not home-grown (I wish!) but are very tasty indeed.  We're eating lots of soft fruit at the moment and looking forward to planting our own fruit trees.

I did enlarge this photo but it seems to have re-sized itself *sigh*

The flash of yellow on this goldfinch in our neighbour's garden caught my attention.

And finally . . . well it may not be yellow . . .

 . . . but the green woodpecker feasting on one of the many ants nests in the back lawn was a very welcome sight.  

"One man went to mow . . .

  . . . went to mow a meadow."  Or at least, our new front lawn which was definitely looking like a meadow, full of dandelions, thistles, other assorted flowering weeds and huge clumps of tough grasses gone to seed.  We had planned to cut the grass this morning but as no-one seemed to be up and about we thought it prudent to wait till after lunch ;)

The first cut, and edges neatly trimmed - a huge improvement

The petrol lawn-mower we bought has proved it's worth already, and N did a grand job of the first cut, keeping the blades high to begin with.  There are lots of ants' nests in both front and back lawns, and cutting has opened them up, much to the delight of the local blackbirds.  

Hopefully the birds will have their pick, and regular cutting and exposing to the sun will help in drying the nests out.  We don't want to use chemicals if we can find a greener method.

We spent the morning digging more of the veggie plot.  We both really enjoyed doing that - we had something immediate to show for our efforts.  The soil looks quite healthy with lots of worms in it so N is hoping to get some potatoes in this week.   

A final update on the bluetit nestbox on our shed.  The box has not been used at all for well over a week so we took it down early this morning and had a peek inside.

We were amazed at the amount of nesting material those two little birds had collected to make their nest cosy for the chicks.  Sadly it seems two chicks didn't survive for very long and died in the box, but we know at least one survived and fledged, having seen it in the garden with it's parents.  We have found it fascinating to be able to watch the bluetits nesting over the past few weeks - it has given us a real appreciation of the hard work and drama that goes on in the garden, right under our noses.