A bit of this, a bit of that...

Hello everyone, well, it’s been a fairly uneventful week for me here in Devon. The weather has been glorious, so the washing has been drying on the line in what seems minutes!

I did pop up to one of the garden centres, stocked up on more bird food (they’re eating me out of house and home at the moment!) and I also bought some more plants for the back garden. I had some bare patches to fill up. The first patch was on the left hand side of my garden. Even thought they’re planted up now, it still looks quite sparse. But one they fill out a bit, it will be better. I’m hoping the foxglove will self seed over the years and that the french lavender plant that was lurking in a pot on the patio, will pick itself up and flourish. Unfortunately, there is no other place for the hideous composter, however next year I’m thinking I’ll put a bit of trellis around it for the summer and grow sweet peas up. I’ll still have access to it from the side. So, that said this is what it looks like now, all are popular with bees.......

The wildflower patch for the bees etc. is going a bit wild but the bees and butterflies love it.......

In between the two raised beds, I bought some more pinks to join the one that was already there. There is a perennial wallflower which has appeared this year, love it when nature gives you freebies! It’s all very pink and purple, but the bees love them. There will be a smattering of other colours when the Gazanias in front of the raised bed come into flower......

The larger raised bed will be planted up with leeks this weekend. I’ve also got parsnip seeds to sow. They’re a bit late, but do have a long growing season, so should be ok. I’m also going to stick in a couple of dahlia tubers.

I also bought a new planter to put next to the front door. I bought it in honour of Bumble, my daughter’s dog, who is still going on strong, despite her illness. I’ve filled it with white geraniums......

There has been no baking done this week. I know, I can’t quite believe it! But that will change this weekend. I’ll make just a few scones and then something else, not sure what yet though. One thing I’m weirdly quite excited about, is my herbs and spices collection! Up until now, all the little jars have been put in a storage tray in my larder cupboard and have become more and more cluttered. So I  bought several of these zip bags that look like Kilner jars and decanted all my herbs/spices. Now they all fit in the storage tray, including new ones which were standing on the work top.........

Yesterday, I drove up to the Blue Cross to drop off a huge bag of old fleece blankets and throws. I checked with my daughter first, that I could do this. But it was a very weird feeling driving up there and waiting to be let into the car park, to drop the bag off. I don’t know when we’ll be allowed to volunteer again. But I have a horrible feeling they are going to be inundated once fully open, with pets people can no longer afford, older puppies which were bought during lockdown and turned out to be more work than anticipated and of course kitten season!  Time will only tell.

Anyway, enough of doom and gloom. The sun is out and I’m hoping to have a bit of time in my deckchair either reading or knitting some more neo natal blankets and clothes. So I hope you all have a lovely restful weekend, thanks for popping by, cheerio for now, Ann x