Sunday

What a surprise yesterday was.  It was mostly dull, much cooler and there was a fresh breeze blowing.  No rain, but one cannot have everything!   I didn't have to turn the fan on at all and it was very pleasant to be able to snuggled down under the quilt and feel comfortable.  The bread rose, the jam jammed and I went to sleep several times.  In between sleeps I started sorting out the kitchen, started sorting out the living room, potted on the chilli plant I was given and generally did not a lot else rather slowly!

It's too early to say about today but it is still cool at the moment.  Looking at the BBC weather site it tells me today will be hotter, especially after the sun comes out around midday, there are storms forecast for next week and some general rain too.  Perhaps a tomato spray is called for, to ward off the dreaded blight!  I shall have a think about that one!

The raised bed that was half covered by the hedge is due for an overhaul.  Yesterday George took out a shrub that is now just too big, and moved an ornamental grass, putting half of it in the leaf and herb bed and the other half at the front.  The only other thing there now is the bush-that-thinks-it's-a-tree and that is staying there until autumn because it is too near to the runner beans and I don't want to disturb them.  I tried to dig the bed over but it was extremely dry after being shaded by trees for so many years so I gave it a long, long soaking and will try again this morning.  It's going to be a mini veg patch and Beth is bringing over some baby leeks and some purple sprouting broccoli to start me off, bless her.

Before

After

As mentioned earlier, I potted on the cayenne chilli and noticed, to my delight, that it has a flower.  I did the 'gentle swish' so, hopefully, it will develop into the first ever chilli I have grown rather than bought!  The tomatoes are coming on apace but I wish they would start ripening.  All it takes is one and then the others get the idea.  At the moment there's one hopeful looking tumbling tom in the hanging basket and that's it.  Thankfully, my hundreds and thousands plants, having produced hundreds and thousands of flowers, have decided to start turning some of them into titchy little fruit.

Photo borrowed from Google.  Mine aren't in a hanging basket but in a raised willow planter, but you get the idea of how they are supposed to look at their best.

Finally, the apple mint cuttings have decided to stay alive and are sending out some fresh growth.  I don't think I will get much from them this season, but next year it will be apple mint tea every day.  Lovely!

Today Beth and Alex are round for lunch and I think I will make a home made pizza or two.  That sounds about right to me.  Before then I need to do some shopping so it's heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to Lidl I go, as they do great value strong bread flour and I'm almost out.  I will also stock up on chopped tomatoes (HOW could I let myself run out of chopped tomatoes) and anything else that looks good value and that I need.  If I feel like it I might pootle on to Wyvale after that to have fun thinking about what I can spend my garden vouchers on.  Or maybe not.  After all, I have pizza dough to make for lunch and SIX WEEKS of school days to do things like that.  Bliss!

Talking of vouchers, I went through my bag yesterday and found a couple of vouchers I had forgortten about, one for Debenhams and one for Waterstones.  I've checked the Debenhams one and it is still 'alive' so fingers crossed.  Looks like it is a trip into town on Monday!  More bliss!  Town on a Monday!

Better stop rambling and get on with some work - house work, not school work!