Things That Made Me Happy Today

It was yet another glorious day in my corner of the world.  We have had a lovely long string of them lately. This means that I have been able to go out and goof around in the garden just whenever I darned well please. Most years I have to dash out between rain drops to do things in the garden and scurry back when the weather gets worse.  I can't just go out and play in the garden when I want to, my garden time is dictated by weather but not this weekend!

Blue skies!

actual shot of the sky 2 May 2011

Perhaps today was a bit more glorious than others as it was the last day of an extra long weekend.

The day started with a handsome pheasant by the bird table.

Male pheasant 2nd May

Please note that just the day before, The Man of the Place endeared himself to me yet again by scraping and painting the bird table.  He also made a new roof for the bird table as the old one was deemed to be rotten.




Over in the vegetable patch there is more honour to be piled upon The Man of the Place.   Earlier, using this machine:

I love this machine!

the vegetable plot has gone from this:

makes my back ache just lookin at it

 To this!

dug over and ready for planting

I have since used the spade and fork to remove the clumps of grass and large weeds with long tap roots.  I have also started to plant a few things.   The sweetpeas have gone in.  They're tough and can handle a bit of frost if it shows up.

plants and vegetables living in harmony

I can't get ahead of myself as the threat of a late frost has not passed and I really can't plant tender things out until the end of May.   I sowed a lot of stuff in the greenhouse and am keeping the tender plants safe and frost free.   Those leeks, onions and peas can go out though and possibly the broccoli.

greenhouse in production

Over on the left side of the greenhouse I've got a stock of plants that I intend to place in hanging baskets and containers.   I've got five hanging baskets to plant up and just as many containers.

wind and glass don't mix

Remember a few months ago when winter storms caused the door of the little greenhouse to fall and shatter?   Well because there was no door, the chickens (disasters in the garden - really) got in and had a dust bath in what was left of the grow-bags I had in there.  The chickens flung compost all over the place.

newly glazed greenhouse door

 I reglazed the greenhouse door. It almost looks like there is no glass there as the glass is still so clean.  This is not my favourite gardening chore, but I got it done and then tidied up the greenhouse and hauled in the new grow-bags for this years tomatoes, cucumbers and basil plants.  I have planted two little tomato plants in there, watered them and wished them well.   Now that the door is back on, the place is a hen-free zone once again.

Count the tadpole competition

Now then . . . over in the pond there are thousands of wiggly tadpoles.  On days like today, I can waste an awful lot of time on a particularly comfortable rock on the edge of the pond, watching the tadpoles.   Watching tadpoles is a very important gardening task and it should not be overlooked.

Discovery apple tree in bloom

The apple trees are in bloom.

apple - Discovery - in bloom

Close up shot.  If the frost stays away, I should have a couple of apples in the autumn.

dirty toes

After a full day of tidying greenhouses, raking and digging, a bit of planting, watching tadpoles and admiring things . . . I am quite ready for a long soak in the tub.