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Friday, March 20, 2015

So Here We Are...

... Sitting on the floor, my daughter plays with her dollies, and myself, updating the blog.

It was a strange week: my son was off school Monday and Tuesday for Saint Patrick's day, I took some days off work myself cause I was not feeling my best, yesterday and today my daughter has been kind of sick herself, my husband caught the flu... It sounds like a hospital, but I'm always grateful all our little diseases are ones we can, in the end, laugh about.

In the middle of all this, I've been working in the garden, which is starting to look like a proper vegetable garden, finally!

Here is the new look:

 This is our dog, Billa, loving the sunshine, next to the brand new raised bed I made with 6 cinder blocks. They will eventually be painted and look way better, but for the time being they serve the purpose just as they are. Tulips, and artichoke, a daisy plant and a tiny raspberry "bush" which cannot yet be seen, in the corner next to the compost bin.
Next to the compost bin used to be two absolutely useless and ugly trees, I hated them with all my heart, I could not stand them any longer... They took up a lot of space exactly where I always wanted a kitchen herbs bed. I finally managed to uproot both of them and could not be happier!!!

Here instead, I have extended the existing raised beds, moving and replacing the blocks I had from last year. Strawberries in the holesunder my home made mini tunnel I have tiny swiss chards and spinach. I still fear a late frost which would definitely kill them, so I have "invented" this small tunnel, which is made of leftover garden net and plastic from the previous polytunnel which was destroyed by a storm. I am glad I kept some pieces of that sturdy plastic, they always come in handy :)

Today is the beginning of Spring, we had a magnificent sunny day and the morning came with the gift of a spectacular solar eclipse...

 The sunrise of Spring 2015
This is the best picture I managed to get of the eclipse  I am definitely not equipped for this kind of events...
 A quick update on the windowsill: cucumbers growing fast on the left, rocket not showing up as of yet, perennial spinach just planted and more pop corn plants on the right :)
 Lavender, geranium who survived the Irish Winter, and newly arrived primulas :)
The strawberry pallet moved from its south facing spot to a west facing spot. Paint, paint, paint is needed!!!!

Sunday, March 15, 2015

And More Gardening...

We had some beautiful sunny afternoons in the past few days, so the chance to transfer some plants in the garden could not be missed!


These were sunflowers, when they had just decided to pop up from the soil :) As you can see, my non conventional pot follows the golden rule: Reduce Reuse Recycle.


This is my daughter watering the spinach, the day before we could see them coming out!
The next day, she was thrilled to see all the little plants :)
These are runner beans, peas, borlotti beans and pop corn ready to be placed...
And here they are in their definite home :) Runner beans on the left, borlotti in the middle and peas on the right.
Here too, the garden net I used has been repurposed so it will help the plants in their climbing job.

I had to place these in the tunnel because the risk of frost is not behind us just yet, and last year I have learned is not something beans, and legumes in general, enjoy too much... There is still room for the tomatoes, which are still about 5 centimetres high. I have consulted my gardening advisor this morning (my mother), and she recommends to wait until they are at least twice this size before transplanting them outside.




The strawberries are all in their place, some in the vertical pallet, some in the cinder block holes, ready to make us happy again during the spring.


The pallet will get painted at some stage...



Upstairs, I have noticed last night, finally a courgette is sprouting! I can't wait to taste my home grown courgettes! Pasta with zucchini sauce is one of my favourites, and when the courgettes will be ready it's going to be the first thing on my list!!!

And this is the windowsill downstairs! 
Cacti, rocket salad, swiss chard, more pop corns and... cucumbers!!!
They are the ones on the left, next to the rocket which has not yet sprouted...


These above, instead, are the spinach, where my daughter worked her magic :)
The pot will stay in the polytunnel for a good while, so they are protected.


Gooseberry on the left and raspberry on the right :)

I am delighted so far, there's still a lot to do! I need to plant the potatoes as soon as possible but a place for them is not ready yet.

Enjoy your gardens!!!