Sunday (not Saturday as it originally stated - I must be going nuts!)

After waking ridiculously early yesterday morning (two am IS ridiculous, even for me), I managed to get some good stuff done in the kitchen, which had got a bit out of hand over the last week.  It's still not totally right, but at least I do have a shiny sink again  I hate it when the sink isn't shiny.  Having a good clear out enabled me to see what I needed to put on my shopping list too - always helpful.  I also sorted out a dreadfully, shamefully large pile of clean stuff that needed ironing and managed to reduce it down to something that looked manageable.  It's amazing the difference a bit of proper folding can make, isn't it?  No, I didn't iron it as well - but I did look at it every time I walked past it!  I think I need to get going on it today!

I'd managed to run the petrol in the car down very low, to the point where I was getting worried about whether I had enough to get to the nearest filling station.  A very long time ago now my car just stopped as I negotiated a corner.  Friends helped me to push it to a safe place and I called the AA out.  To my utter embarrassment, I'd only run out of petrol - rarely have I felt so silly.  So now I'm a bit neurotic and usually don't leave it until it gets so low.  So DD, on her way home, drove behind me, just in case it ran dry, but it didn't!  I don't have to fill up very often and was amazed at how much petrol prices have dropped since the last time I filled up.

Having filled up, I happily pootled off to do my shopping.  B&Q first, but they had no runner bean plants - it's rather late and I'd not have thought of buying any except for those arches I bought.  Never mind, something to remember for next year when I can grow them from seed.  The passion flower plants have arrived for the other arch so they need to go in.  I will have to make some space for them and am hoping I can do a bit of jiggling.  If I can, I will put one close by the French lavender and leave both growing until the new lavender growth is enough to take cuttings.  After I've taken the cuttings, I will then cut the lavender right back to the ground.  Hopefully that will deal with that and the roots will rot down over time.  The other side is the bush that thinks it's a tree and I have now taken four cuttings which are on the window ledge in the kitchen so I can talk nicely to them every now and again!  I'm afraid its time has come and, whether the cuttings take or not, it has to go.  I'm cutting the branches on the arch side right back and then planting the other passion flower there.  At the end of the season the sambucus will be cut totally back to the ground.  Hopefully that will work.  Fingers crossed, anyway!
If the cuttings do take I will treat myself to a very large pot and zillions of litres of soil for them (or one of them anyway) because it's really too large a plant for my small beds but I do like it and would like to have one in the garden somewhere.

At B&Q I also got some cat deterrent and some more granular salt for the water softener after which I zoomed over to Sainsburys to do the weekly shop.  Then home to put things away at which point the early start caught up with me.  I sat down in my comfy recliner and was out like a light.  I vaguely remember DD and DG coming back at about half past four but finally came to just after six.  Fortunately, dinner was just about prepared so that was no problem.  I slept like a log all night too so I muat have really needed that sleep!

As for today - well, I've been out to feed the tomato plants.  Their population has been increased by four after A brought round some mini plants that they had left over.  They are very small (the plants, not A and DS) but I'm sure I will get some fruit from them and they were a gift which is lovely!  The first generation of tomato plants continue to grow amazingly well, especially since the weather warmed up. 

I decided that it was about time we had a roast Sunday dinner, so I got some lamb for DG and me which I think I will slow roast on a rack over white wine after rubbing the outside with garlic butter and laying over some sprigs of rosemary (I LOVE slow roasted lamb).  DD has a nice little vegetarian pie made with feta, spinach and pine nuts.  With it we have broad beans from DD's garden, mange tout (ditto) and some potatoes (new and roasted).  Dessert will be fruit salad or maybe a mixed fruit yogurt.  That should all make a very acceptable Sunday lunch.

And now I really MUST face that ironing.  The sun is shining, the sky is clear, it promises to be a fine, warm day and later on I won't want to be slaving over a hot iron!

Saturday and tomatoes

Yesterday was a very busy day, so busy that I didn't have time to feel tired in the afternoon.  Several mini-meetings, lots of minutes and info to type up, some stuff to organise and some stock to order.  I slept well last night!

I had to laugh - poor children.  They were out lunch play when the heavens opened so they all came in, got books and had just settled to reading them when it stopped and they all had to go out again.  Five minutes later it was 'in time', as they call it!  It was just like the hokey cokey - in out, in out!!  I was working at the laptop just outside the bay and caught a few disgruntled comments but chose to ignore them as it was supposed to be my 'break'.  It was like that most of the day - some very pleasant sunshine interspersed with pretty heavy showers.  Flaming June it was NOT - it was quite chilly at times during the day and certainly overnight.  Snuggling down under the quilt was very necessary.

When I got home, round popped Amanda (another witch) with a parcel that had been delivered to her because I was out.  it was the stuff I ordered last week from Greenfingers, so I opened it all with great excitement (sad, I know!).  I'd ordered a scoop (very mundane), a vegetable planter, three tomato support cages and two garden arches.  Half price sale, you see.

The scoop is just what it says - sometimes handfuls of soil out of a bag isn't enough; the scoop is bigger and the shape means less spilling (I hope) and more accurate depositing.   I've got an almost identical one but with holes in, for scooping peas, etc out of boiling water!

The planter was half price and very cheap and I don't know how long it will last but it is basically a strong poly bag with supports - but shallow and a reasonable size.  I'm thinking of lettuce, carrots, etc - things that don't need deep roots.  Maybe tumbling tomatoes but not uprights because the support canes won't go in deep enough.  We will see.  I doubt I will put it up this year anyway. 

The photo has been copied from the Greenfinger site and I'm hoping the plug will make amends for the copying . . .

The garden arches - well, as my regular readers will know, my garden is pretty minimalistic and I have three raised, brick-walled beds with the rest paved.  For a while I have wondered about having an arch between the left bed and the middle one and between the middle and right beds.  All the arches I have seen have not been wide enough.  However, not only do these seem to be wide enough, they were also incredibly cheap (half price) so I got two in the knowledge that if they don't fit or if I don't like the look of them, I can always give them to DD for her allotment, so they certainly won't go to waste.  Again, I will leave it for this year and have a think.  I could either go the practical route and use them for runner beans or I could go all girly and try climbing roses.  As with the planter - not this year now, although I will fit the bits together, just to check that it all works and fits.  I think that will be today's job.

And finally, I bought three tomato cages and I really am pleased with them, so much so that I have just gone back in and bought some more (still half price, phew).  I got them set up straight away and am a bit 'annoyed' with myself because larger pots would have been better.  I didn't know when I potted up the tomatoes, but the lesson has been learnt for next year!  You won't remember but last year I had to create a complicated and not terribly attractive support structure for the tomatoes that involved canes, string and attaching to the wall of the house.  That meant that the pots were stuck there all summer.  These cages look pretty supportive and, with any luck, I can more the whole kit and caboodle into the shady part of the garden when going away.  My only concern is that they might get too top heavy but we will see. In retrospect, I think larger pots would have been sensible but too late now!
The extra ones are because I am expecting some more tomato plants from DS  (if you're reading this - hint, hint).  I have the larger pots.  I have the compost.  I even have the scoop now!  I just need the plants. 

The tomatoes seen to be getting on a lot better than at this time last year, despite the cold weather.  I'm hoping to be able to start picking and eating before the autumn this year.  Fingers crossed.