Random fun and discoveries in July

 I made a nail bar for my granddaughter

I bought some material from the markets in Birmingham. Unfortunately they also sell fish in the markets and on the way home on the train there was a funny smell of ... fish.

Four way traffic lights outside our house and the zebra crossing no longer works. There's now a traffic light controlled crossing 20 yards away to the right, but no one uses any of it out of school hours.

A year of celebrating Ozzy in Birmingham.

Broad Street in Birmingham

Gifts from son and his girlfriend in Australia brightened up the start of my week.

Hoem grown raspberries and yummy puddings.

BBQs and random foods on my plate and a sun umbrella that puts the washing in shade in the afternoon, that is if we hung any washing out as the paddling pool was taking its turn on the line.

The garden is reminding me of the long summers of South Africa and the winters of Dubai, just being able to set everything up and sit outdoors without having to sweep up sand or bring everything in due to rain. Long may it last. 

Even the wildlife is large and feels adventurous.

This tree and scenery reminds me of game drives in Reitvlei, but it's Croome Park.

I found this picture of my gran and granddad taken around the mid to late 60's My gran would've been in her mid 50's around the age I am now 55. I can't imagine what my gran would think of me now at 55 running marathons and sporting blue hair. Although she was used to me dying my hair random colours.

Word of the Week - Sun

It's been the most glorious week.

The sun has been shining.

BBQ's have been enjoyed.

Dresses have been worn.

Books have been read.

Pimm's has been drunk.

The flowers in the garden are out in bloom.

I'm sunburnt.

It's too hot to sleep.

There's little breeze.

I keep forgetting to water the plants.

My Achilles hurts from wearing sandals.

My head is thumping from too much sun.

But ...

I'm happy.

I love the outdoors.

Wearing a dress and sandals without having to fluff around with a jacket or remembering to carry an umbrella.

Leaving the table set up so it's ready for use, comfy and relaxing.

It reminds me of our lives abroad, a lifetime away now in South Africa and Dubai. 

A day out at the Three Counties Show - RHS Malvern Spring Festival

Living in Malvern since 2002 we've popped into the at least one show a year at The Three Counties Show ground for 22 years, even when we lived abroad for 12 years.

They hold an event in Spring, Summer and Autumn.

The Spring Show is the RHS Flower festival. The summer show is more generalised with fun fairs, and the Autumn ones focuses on animals and giant vegetables. Each show has a variety of vendors from food to clothing.

The kids have been involved with sea cadets from portering plants to peoples cars to holding the landing net for the human cannon ball and with show gardens through their school.

We used to go to the Summer show with all the family and various aunts and uncles would join us with our parents, siblings, nephews and nieces.

Now days it's just me and Peter who go, occasionally our eldest son, Dil and grandchild may join us, or we'll collect mum for a weekend, but the show ground is getting expensive and it cost us almost £55 entry fee by booking ahead or £60 on the day, just for the two of us.

We have found the shows to be very useful with all aspects of our lives and we have purchased everything from plants, clothing, garden sheds, garden furniture, a house extension and our camper van.

At the Spring Show last weekend we bought two coffees and a sweet pea plant and got some ideas for garden path designs.

We still have a small shed to dismantle then we're going to start building the raised beds, a compost bin and a cold frame and we do need to replace a plastic framed greenhouse with something more substantial and get the water butt back in action. So we'll be looking out for our next few purchases at the summer show in June. 

19th - 21st April 2024 Post Comment Love

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I.

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

I've got a job interview today at a secondary school in Worcester as a Safeguarding/Pastoral Officer, wish me luck. I love my current role as a Teaching Assistant but my student leaves after their A levels and my job comes to an end. I've been told I'll have a new contract in September, but not been told as what. I do far more than my pay grade and this new role would provide me with further career development, would pay me what I'm worth and gets me back into a career that I loved doing. I last worked formally in Safeguarding for The FA in 2010.

Peter has finished the patio and I've set it up so it can be used all year round, without having to cover things or take the cushions in and out every day. And after dismantling the old shed we've now got a new area for the dining table and bought a storage box for the cushions and tableware so we don't have to store and lug things in and out the house either. Just the small shed left to dismantle and raised beds to be built.

We're going to continue the path in a straight line to the new dining area and the existing slabs next to the lawn will be removed and the area re seeded.

We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the next few days. 

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My English August Garden.

Are you still having heat wave?

We're over in Australia where it is winter, but it's like a typical English summer. 

We've left our garden unattented with no requests to water or anything as I feel it will be a pointless exercise.

Our Bougainvillaea hedge (to be) thrives in dry and warm/hot conditions and everything else will come back eventually, but I'm not holding out too much luck for the lawn, at least I won't have to mow it on our return.

How's your garden growing?

Herbs

Don't expect the lawn to survive much longer

Tomatoes, chillis, peppers and chard

Expect these sunflowers will be in full bloom soon

Peas and beans

 Rhubarb 

Our English Garden in July

Since planting a hedge row and doing some thinning out and weeding back in June, the garden hasn't had anything done to it other than daily watering, a new shed/summer house erected and plenty of BBQs and just sitting in it to enjoy in the evenings and on weekends.

The other 2 sheds won't come down now until September/October and then we'll start building the raised beds, vegetable patch and herb garden. We're still waiting for a quote on our planned extension, but that won't interfere with the garden plans as we're replacing the old conservatory.

There are plenty of herbs, tomatoes, radishes, peas and beans growing. The strawberries and raspberries were eaten by the dog.

The front garden is south facing so ideal for these plants.

Tomatoes, chard and strawberries.

Repurposed dust bins for growing chard, pumpkins and sunflowers.

Radishes

The lawn is suffering with the sun, but the new shrubs are doing well.

Lots of pots of herbs dotted around the garden.

Loving the new summer house/shed.

Current storage of tools and bikes down the side of the house.

The conservatory will be replaced sometime with an extension, but for now, it's filled with bubbles and a reading nook.

How's your summer garden doing? Are you at the stage where you can just sit and relax in it, or os there always work to be done?
 

My August English Garden 2021

There's been a lot of planning in the garden and the house. We're getting a new kitchen, extending the back of the house, building new sheds and creating an allotment. It's a small patch of land and with our dining room already full to the brim with furniture, we're trying to work out in which order to do the jobs, so we can still function in and outside the house. 

We want to replace the conservatory, that's 24 years old, with one that covers the back of the house.

I think new shed first, then we can use the old one for storage.

In the meantime I've planted more crops, carrots, onions, potatoes and turnips. I've also sown some peas, beans and sweet peas to 'over winter into a tangled mess' as advised by Monty Don. I did it last year and it worked well.

Winter crops of potatoes and onions already poking through the soil.

Made a cloche to try and keep the cabbage white butterflies out the way. Next year I'll be planting sacrificial marigolds and nasturtiums. I've also been gifted beans, cauliflower and beetroot from a friend and the neighbour gave me some sweet blackberries.

It's great planting lettuce and watching it grow, literally over night. It would be nice to have a few more tomato plants but I was late getting them with not getting back from Dubai until mid June. 

I've bought plants now for my pots and hanging baskets that were on sale in the garden centre and DIY store and the cold frame has been reassembled so I can put them in there over winter.

I've finally realised that I really do need to label everything, more so because I've ventured into other parts of the garden and I caught Peter digging over an area where I'd planted carrots.

I'm still enjoying sitting out in the garden and in the shed if it's raining (although the cat has taken over that spot for now). And it's nice sitting out in the evenings with the garden lit up. The rose bush is in it's second bloom and there are still scented sweet peas to be picked.