Back from another holiday!

We have been in Cumbria for two weeks settling Arthur into new home and a few other things. 

Everything in the garden is bursting with spring fecundity including the sheep in the sheep field. Which is a surprise to us and Neville as they were supposed to be fattening up for the table! One was born while we were away and this one appears to have been born earlier today. 

Neville and Liz have collected mum and baby to give them some TLC up at their place. 

Here are some highlights from the holiday. 

A fine day in the garden.

Mainly cutting the grass. We will have to rename the bracken field as regular mowing is keeping the bracken at bay. Perhaps we will call it the Orchard field as we plan to add to the fruit trees already there. 

And I love it when seedlings push their leaves up. So proud!

Progress.....

Planting stuff. And seeds are coming up. 

And redpolls feeding in the garden. 

Various garden jobs.

Planting snowdrops in the green on the bank by the car park field. 

Digging out one of the beds to make a bed for stand pots in 

Cut up builder's bags as membrane then gravel and sand. 

Also spreading muck and magis around the fruit trees. 

Oops. Friday's blog....

Working on the treehouse. I have fixed netting as a safety cage, put mesh on the floor to make it less slippery and put netting as a roof to fix the bent branches to. The netting is invisible at a distance so doesn't spoil the view!

Planting....

Potatoes and onions. It is a bit early but I want to be able to earth up the tatties before our next holiday. 

Also radishes, parsnips, carrots and lettuce. Of course the polytunnel is packed with trays of seeds too.

The frogspawn has turned into tadpoles - loads of them - but too small to eat. 

Wildlife update.

Today has been a water day. Dividing plants in the pond and planting them further down the waterway. It is a good time to spot what is surviving - quite a few goldfish, millions of tadpoles, toad spawn, newts, leeches, and no end of little mammals. 

Cutting the grass...

And getting my feet wet in the pond. 

Just gardening.

The last two days have been spent weeding and planting. There are so many borders and beds now that the spring maintenance takes time.

Getting old.....

This is why I am blogging in the middle of the morning.....

I slipped getting out of the shower this morning and bruised my knee and scraped my leg and, before you ask, no, I hadn't been drinking. Fortunately I fell forward so I didn't bruise my ego.  But sitting, resting my leg seems like a good idea. Pity it isn't raining as then I wouldn't mind so much. 

Yesterday, all my troubles etc....

This is yesterday's blog.

Seeding time. Many seeds planted and more work to get the watering system in the polytunnel working effectively.

More work...

Back in the polytunnel and greenhouse as I dodge the rain showers and hailstones. 

The lupins are greening up nicely and not a sign of slug damage. With a bit of luck they have all drowned. Every cloud......

Working in the polytunnel.

Much potting up and weeding to get the tunnel ready for Spring. 

Where has my sunshine gone?

Well, Bella and Noah and Joseph have gone and taken the sunshine with them.

So time for vegetable bed maintenance.....

machine maintenance.....

And greenhouse maintenance.

Also potting up cuttings from last year.

This violet has travelled all the way from the waste ground in Rodborough!

Time to lift the last of the leeks...

And this may be an entry in the Cilycwm Show photography competition.

A common garden visitor.....

Bella was very impressed when the heron flew into the garden and strutted up and down the waterways. We have got very used to him but Bella felt the visit should be blogged.