Sunday

Good morning, everyone.  The sun is shining already and I was been sneezing my head off until I took my hay fever tablet.  It's suddenly crash landed over the last few days and I am very thankful for stuff to take that stops more or less all the symptoms.

Yesterday went well.  I started off by going to Wyvale to get a few needed garden things, such a twine and canes.  I've been looking for a clematis to go in the pot at the end of the garden beside the compost bin and found one that looks like 'Nelly Moser' (which my parents have) called 'Ooh la laa'.  It's as flamboyant as its name suggests with big bold pink flowers.  It's bushy, grows to about a metre and flowers from spring to late summer (says the info that came with it) and you prune it right back to about 1 foot in late winter to early spring (the same time as the raspberries, in fact, very useful).  I've planted it out but the heads are drooping at the moment so I'll take a photo when it's happier.
I'm really happy about it - the position is good (sunshine and shade) and I'm hoping it will be minimal trouble apart from being trained over the trellis behind it.

This is what the flower is like.  Very pretty.  Photo borrowed from Google Images.

I also noticed that they had some advanced, very healthy looking yellow courgettes so I'm afraid I fell for them too as I'm not happy about the progress of the ones I'm growing from seed.  We have to have courgettes at the allotment!

Once home, I set off for the allotment where I worked steadily until the sun came out and it got too hot.  I finished the potatoes, did a lot of weeding and have nearly finished the forking and clearing.  Sadly, it isn't nearly as interesting when you do it on your own as it is doing it with someone else but never mind.

Then it was home for a very, very late lunch, followed by more garden pottering; nice relaxing stuff that was not too strenuous.  After a day outside, I was sleepy come the evening and had an early night.

In other news, I dug out a skirt that I've never worn, looked at it and thought 'I'll never fit into that' - but I did!  So pleased.

Today I have a friend round for the day and Beth is over for lunch so I had better finish this and get going.  I want to get everything prepared so I don't need to spend too much time in the kitchen.  It should be a lovely day!

Saturday

Good morning, everyone.  After my muttering and grumbling yesterday, the sun did come out and the day turned out really very warm and sunny.  The skies are clear now and there are just little, wispy clouds in a few places so I expect today is also going to be beautiful.  Very cheering.

I'm glad I didn't go swimming yesterday because I was able to put in a good block of time at the allotment.  I dug over the soil for the baby corn and got that in.  I laid some more 'stepping stones' (not that that's hard to do but I forked over and cleared the weeds first), weeded generally, being very careful around the asparagus (still only three plants showing any sign of life but no worry, we can always put in more next year and it's there for the long term) and started weeding between the potato plants before trenching them, i.e. covering them with soil so they will produce more potatoes which, I gather, grow along the covered stems.  Goodness, it was hard work and my back gave up before I'd finished so I have a little bit more to do this morning before finishing off clearing the middle bed which will then be all ready for the courgettes, etc.

By the way, the back is fine this morning, I didn't do any damage.  I'm now just aching as anyone would after some heavy work!  No complaints!

When I came home, I chilled with some iced water - very refreshing - before taking in a parcel which turned out to be the other sungolds I ordered, much to my delight.  They were in a much better state than the first lot and I have high hopes that they will survive.

Dinner was lovely.  I promised my Dad I would make him steak in red wine sauce for Father's Day so wanted to practise making the sauce as I've never done it.  It was so simple and really delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed eating the results.  Very filling though and certainly not frugal!

The strawberries are ripening fast now.  I picked five earlier this morning to have with my muesli and there will be more this evening, I am sure.  They taste wonderful.

Today is another allotment day  It's starting to look good now and will soon look better when we get the baby plants out.  Last year's chard is now bolting so that needs to come out and more planted - it's very useful for a certain guinea pig I know (no, not mine, I'm not a pet person at all).
My task list is:
finishing the potatoes
mowing
forking over and weeding
picking rhubarb
watering
I doubt I will get all that done - the mowing can wait, for example, but I'll do as much as possible.  The watering is essential!

Once home, I shall get stuff prepared for tomorrow when I have a friend coming round for the day, sort out some washing, get it dried and ironed and generally enjoy the day.  Meals out in the garden, hopefully, sitting in the shade and chilling.  What a life!

Better go and water my garden - it's going to need it!

Friday

Good morning and a Pinch and a Punch for the first of the month.  Margaret, you got there first, lol!
Another dull, misty start to the day.  The sun has to come back at some point!  Surely?  The week after next would work well for me.

Margaret, this youtube clip shows the plank positions.  The first one is what I call the half plank.  It looks easier than it is (for me, anyway!).  I am managing 30 seconds on the half plank (I set my timer) and plan to extend it by a second at a time.  The trouble is, I find it is rather boring but everyone says it is great for core strength and I do need to work on that.

I have to laugh.  The tomatoes are barely outside and the blight warnings start.  I've had three now.  It's a very useful site that sends warning when the conditions are right for blight rather than when blight has been reported but I have never had any quite so early before.  Poor little plants!

Yesterday I was worn out after swimming and aqua so idled the rest of the day away.  I've decided that I must build in rest days as I'm just not having the energy for allotment as well as swimming so today it is just allotment, no swimming.  Tomorrow I can't do a long swim anyway because of an aqua class that starts early (and is always full so I don't get on that one).

Weigh day and I have lost 2 lbs, so I'm pleased and relieved.  Now to keep going!
Have a great day, everyone.

Thursday

 Good morning, everyone.
It's another misty, damp morning although I don't think we had any rain overnight.  Yesterday the sun came out around tea time but decided not to stay for long.  Maybe today he will come earlier and hang around for a while.

Yesterday was a very good day even if I didn't get to the allotment (again).  MUST do some today. 
I did do early morning swimming, housework and tuition and again, I pottered in my garden so I guess I didn't totally waste the day.

The swimming must be doing some good - yesterday I had another go and a 'half plank' which I've never been able to hold for more than a few seconds and you know what?  I managed about thirty seconds.  OK, it's not the full one and it wasn't long but it's a lot better, all the same.  Getting fitter!

For a while I have been doing the occasional survey/questionnaire thingy (Not YouGov, I do that as well) and yesterday I 'claimed' some points and got an online card valued at £30, good reward for ten minutes now and again.  I've never used a prepaid card online before so a new experience and I spent some of it on a silicone muffin tin so now, hopefully, my mini frittatas won't stick so badly!

So today . . . I have morning aqua and swimming and no tuition so absolutely no excuses, none whatsoever!   Unless it rains! 

Have a super day, whatever you have planned.

Wednesday

Good morning, everyone.  It's another dull, damp, dismal start to the day and it has obviously been raining quite a lot overnight.  No watering needed today, not on the outside plants anyway.

I posted this on my other blog too so apologies if you read both and if you know anything about it, please do comment.  Thanks.
I'm loving my new yogurt maker and especially loving the mesh filter that makes thicker, almost Greek style yogurt.  However, I have been puzzled about what to do with the whey: I know it can be used in bread and scones but I'm not eating much bread at the moment and scones are a bit of a no-no.  However, I have picked up that you can use the whey, very much diluted, on acid loving plants and, as I have two blueberry plants, I thought I'd give that a go.  Right now, watering them is not an issue but in the hot dry days it is more problematic so this sounds a good way (geddit?) to go!  I gather you can also use it on strawberries and tomatoes too.
Any comments, please?

I had every intention of allotmenteering yesterday but by the time I came out of the gym it was drizzling and half way round the Pound Shop the heavens opened - you couldn't even see to the other side of the car park - so guess what!  I didn't go.  Maybe today as the corn really needs to go out, as do the courgettes and cucumbers and the mange touts need to be sown or there won't be any.  I bet the grass is metres high again (not that I shall cut it while it's wet as the mower goes on strike) and the potatoes need trenching.  So much to do before I go on holiday!  Rain, rain, go away!

Beth came round for dinner and, as I haven't seen her in ages, we had a jolly good chat.  She and I have been very busy recently but things seem to be easing off a bit now.

Today I shall go go an early morning swim before doing some housework and a bit of tuition planning.  Allotment is on the list as long as it isn't too wet too but, if it is, there's plenty to do at home as I have got a bit behind with things.

I hope the weather is nicer where you are.  Have a great day, whatever it is doing.

Tuesday

Good morning!  Thank you for the friendly comments over the weekend.  I love getting them and do my best to reply.

It ended up a very hot and humid day yesterday so, once I got home, I decided to stay close to home and set my own grounds in order.  Firstly I tackled the little front strip which, being extremely sheltered by home and cars, was very dry and hard to fork over but that hadn't stopped a variety of weeds from taking hold.  I think I need to give it a good watering and then have another go in a few days, when the weeds fight back!  There were still some bulb leaves and I pulled them away, reckoning they've had their share of 'saying back' time.

Then it was round the back where it was a lot more rewarding.  Look at this!

It's now ripe and ready - once they get going, they do ripen quickly and there's more following on.  As I feared, the great majority will likely be ready while I am away but I can come to an arrangement with Beth about that!  Interestingly, this is from one of the new plants that only got separated from mummy and planted on its own a few months ago.  Strawberries are most resilient!

As I feared, the tomato plugs came while I was away this weekend, on Friday by the looks of them.  They were in a bad way - two dead and the others dying.  I have gently planted them on and fingers crossed but my hopes are not high.  I'm not having much luck with my tomatoes this year, am I, and am seriously considering a trip to one of our several garden centres today or tomorrow to see if they have any little plants.  Fortunately, Sungold is a popular type so my chances are good.  I simply can't not have enough tomatoes!

I say bad luck, but on the other hand, I have three little tomato plants coming up from tomatoes that dropped and rotted.  I'm encouraging them on but don't know how they will fruit, being second generation.  I'm not relying on them, anyway!

I got the gardener's delights out and they looked very happy this morning, thank goodness.

Then I planted out the runners and they have also grown since yesterday and some have started twining around their supports so they are obviously happy as well.

Finally, after a general weeding and watering, I moved the blueberry pots and put up the cage I bought a number of weeks ago.  Not a great design and it looks very 'clunky' but it was cheap and it will do the job!  I just hope they're OK where I have put them - I'm not sure and might do a bit of general moving around to make space for the pots and cage in a sunnier position.

So - on to today.  I start with an early morning tuition session followed by a bit of pottering before aqua around lunch time (I've missed my swimming - it's been four days without and it's not nice!).  Then I will pop to the allotment. 
So a busy day but a nice one.
Fingers crossed it doesn't rain!

Monday

Good morning, everyone.  After a couple of days off, here I am back again after a quiet weekend with my Mum and Dad.

I gather we had a stonking storm here on Saturday night, not that I noticed anything as I slept sweetly through the lot.  Ditto for anything last night too!  One of the plusses of being as deaf as a post!  We havfe had some substantial falls of rain though - good for the garden and great for the allotment!

Major fail:  I've given up on my first attempt to grow tomatoes from seed!  For a start, I left it too late but then I did have other things on my mind earlier in the year!  Then the sungold seedlings just died on me and the others stopped growing.  So I've ordered sungolds frm online now, already growing and possibly waiting for me on the doorstep, and on Saturday I bought some gardener's delight plants from Bickerdykes (in Letchworth) which are ready to plant out. Maybe I will try again next year but maybe not.  Buying the plants is so easy and you still get profit from them in that they are so prolific in fruiting.  I love it when I can pick and eat them like sweets, still warm from the sun, and they are so good for you!

All the other seedlings are doing well and I shall get the baby corn out in the allotment this week, maybe even today (depending on weather and other stuff).  Even the chilli peppers are coming up although I suspect that, like the tomatoes, they should have been in much earlier.

This week is half term, of course, so most of the tuition isn't happening, I just have a few sessions and nothing today.  I know every week is like half term nowadays but with little tuition and no nanny helping at school, it feels holiday-ish for me too.  Spare a thought (I am, several thoughts, in fact) for teachers everywhere who have to spend the week stuck in front of the PC writing lengthy school reports that conform to the requirements of school management, get read once, maybe twice or three times, and then filed and never looked at again.  One to the most thankless and time wasting things a teacher has to do and that is saying something!

No swimming today but I will be back with it tomorrow.  I've missed it over the weekend.  Another thing I've missed is eating well and that's my own fault, totally.  Two days off and it's not a good feeling at all.  I'm looking forward to getting back to it properly.  This week's meals are all planned and they look good.  I have two weeks before I am off on holiday and I intend to stick at it until then.  It won't be a lazy holiday either - swimming in the morning and walking in the afternoon (or the other way round) and good, healthy meals through the day.  I will splash out but it will be things like steak instead of mince, etc, for a holiday treat.

I'm back on the wagon and it's rolling!

Have a lovely bank holiday.