The good bits of August 2025. UK and Australia.

We started August in Northern Ireland and ended the month in Australia. It's been really busy, too much travel, jet lag and on the go non stop in the garden also.

But I wouldn't have it any other way (other than Business class flights if the price was right)

UK

Nightly hedgehog visit.

Loads of books read this month.

Three football matches.

Recreating photos with our granddaughter.

Work in progress in the garden.

We sifted all the soil from here to the front, now we can start on our new path.

I've been really surprised with the growth of these melons.

We do love our coffees out.

Australia.

We're still doing the same things, just in a different location and lots more walking, with beaches and lots of meals out.

Animals. Nuggie

Out for a walk in Centennial Park

Holiday cat

Beach Turkeys

Bin Chicken

Books

Sport - SCG

Olympic Stadium

Grandchildren - Breakfast for grandson, dinner for us.

Gardening - wondering what this is. A cabbage fern.

Not identified this yet

Coffee - Not so sure what they've drawn here 

I'll be writing separate posts about the places we've visited, the walks we've been on more about the flora and fauna of Australia over the coming weeks.

My garden in August 2025

We've done loads of work to the garden since we got our house back in 2020, rebuilding sheds, building a new shed, demolishing the old ones, moving the soil from the building, twice, as we were saving it to fill the new raised borders and for levelling off the front garden, which we finally started this week.

Jobs done:

Soil dug, sifted, wheelbarrowed to the front garden, dumped, spread and levelled. Bags of rocks to the skip. Tree stump removed. 

Jobs left to do:

Cut conifer tree down and remove roots.

Plan and build new path.

Build a greenhouse, cold frame for wintering plants.

This is the area we've been moving the soil from so we can build a new path.

1st-7th August.

We've got so many tomato plants that I've been giving them away. These are ripening on the windowsill and I'll be freezing for making chutney.

I've collected seed heads and pods from around the garden, sweet William, sweet peas and poppies.

We inherited these pots 23 years ago when we moved here and this tree took some effort to remove.

   

The raised beds have been a huge success but I'll be planning next years planting.

The parsnips taste so sweet. They've been blanched and frozen. I'll plant more next year for sure.

8th-15th August

I wish I could share the fragrance of the sweet peas. They're in pots near every door.

I have melons, cucumbers, beans, peppers and pumpkins growing really well in the garden.

I think with the number of pumpkins I have that I'll be able to open a 'pick your own' pumpkin patch in time for Halloween.

Next year I want to plant more beans, strawberries and parsnips. I'll have the same amount of tomatoes. I'll grow the pumpkins and melons in a bigger space and just 1 cucumber plant. I want to grow peas, spring onions and more herbs. 

What do you grow in your garden?

The good bits of July 2025

Things that made me happy:

Twice my neighbour has brought the cat home in disgrace after she's rescued it from tearing another cat to shreds or getting beaten up herself.

I got soaked through to my underwear on the walk up the hills. I had packed a rain coat. I sat in the coffee shop and left a wet mark on the seat and got home to discover the back of my legs were splattered with sheep and cow poo.

Grandson declared he didn't like me anymore as I was going home. Our two other grandchildren were visiting them on Sunday and our grandson wanted us to bring them over with us. Our grandson loves to take photos with our phone. 

My student bought me a lovely gift and arranged a little leaving party for me. I had coffee out with her and her mum last week.

No Surgery for the gall bladder for the time being, managed by diet and I can self refer.

I've got a new job lined up for September.

Double Rainbow.

Our hedgehog is back.

Places we visited:

We were watching ELO on the TV on the Saturday night and I searched for tickets for the Sunday performance. Sunday night we were in Birmingham hearing Jeff Lynne singing live.

I went camping at Lydney and in Monmouth to see our grandchildren and my friends.

We had a day out in Gloucester with pour DIL and grandchildren.

Three leaving do's to attend for work. Peter came to two of them. I went to the third without him, that one was my leaving do.

I met a friend at the National Trust at Snowshill.

I climbed the Malvern Hills.

I went with work to visit Cadbury World and The Black Country Museum.

Peter and I met with a friend at the Welland Steam Show.

Things we did at home:

Reading - 

5 books read at home this month.

Gardening - More radish, 1-2 figs are ripening each week. We've had a glut of tomatoes and cucumbers. I have 8 sunflowers in the garden and several pumpkins developing.