Why there hasn't been so much knitting...

There really hasn't been much happening on the knitting front. Combination of factors really. Nothing good to sit down and veg in front of the telly for, much more daylight so out in the garden in between rain showers/dumps, busy with work stuff so not as much spare time, general tailing off from knitting over summer (much more of a winter thing with me - definitely a nesting/hibernation habit). I was just a wee bit sore the other day after finishing off my last veggie plot - mainly because I'd left it so long that it needed serious weeding and not just digging over. Thank heavens we've got sandy soil (would be amazed if it was anything otherwise considering how close we are to the beach - like quarter a mile!) so it is actually easy to dig over. I still hurt like hell the day after though. Robert very cleverly suggested to split up the plot with boards and old roof tiles - should cut down on some of the weeds. I've got veg seeds in half the plot and then there's flowers for NEXT YEAR going in the other 8 mini-plots. How organised is that?! It's only because Robert is about to start rebuilding the wall round the garden and would only trample all over the prettiness I'm attempting to create in the borders round the edge of the garden. It's much safer to wait until his big clodhoppers have finished wreaking havoc - his favourite past-time!


Next year's food supply!

Did you spot all the strawberry plants and raspberry canes in with my herbs? Loads of leeks, onions, shallots and brussel sprouts (I like them cooked with garlic and crispy bacon) in the other one and not forgetting the start attraction of any Scottish veggie garden - a whole plot turned over to tatties- WOO HOO! We have got a lovely bit of companion gardening going on at the end of the tattie plot as the more eagle-eyed will have spotted the nettle patch left specifically for the Red Admiral butterflies. Okay it started off as an accident because the garden was such a state but we have deliberately kept the one patch. The herb garden is brilliant for all sorts of beasties too, especially different types of bees, and the more beasties we have then the more birdies that are starting to appear. Thank heavens there's plenty of 4 legged beasties to keep the cats occupied so they don't go after the birds. In fact the swallows (10 of them this year - they just got back last week) dive bomb the cats as they try to cross from the byre to the house. Go birdies I say!

As we can say from the next little collage - not all of Maureen's gardening experiments go well. We are talking about our little "pals" the greenfly which have appeared in their thousands on my lovely Aquilegia. Swines. And where are my ladybirds to come to my rescue by scoffing them all - swanning round the rest of the garden. I'm finding them ANYWHERE but near my aquilegia. They'd better start eating soon or there will be trouble ahead. Considering how many I saw on Monday when I was digging - there should definitely be new ones soon too as there were about 3 ladybird couples getting it on in various locations. Wonder how long before the babies arrive.


Mostly good stuff!

And while all this is going on what are my boys doing? Doing what they do best of course - finding a comfy spot and surveying their kingdom, interspersed with sleeping of course! What a hard life. Don't know what George is going to do when the farmer finally takes away those two haybales as that is his throne. He might fight him for them!


The boys' favourite spots

And what do you find at the end of every rainbow...?


Pot of gold!