Love bug housing

You may remember a while back that I received a gift from Prezzybox.com to review and it wasn't to my taste - flower grenades, that looked a little too much like grenades for me.. Well the lovely people at Prezzy box read my review and were slightly horrified to learn I had been offended. Dear love them, after sincere apologies they offered me anything else from their gardening range to review and I choose this insect house :)

Now this is more my thing and it was utterly delightful to receive, to make and soon I will have the pleasure of putting it up in the lottie. Plus I get a cute little tin to keep essentials in like plasters and antiseptic wipes or maybe all  the labels and pencils etc... It's a great wee gift and this, my friends I would recommend. :)

Look how cute the tin alone is and the contents are laid out so prettily too. I got stuck into building my Bug House right away and it was delightfully easy and I'm super pleased with the results and the 2 ladybirds that came with it = adorable!!

Ok, I am quite sure bugs aren't that fussed on how beautiful their homes are but darn it I'll try anything to welcome on board and help us fight the enemies...

I'm in a love bug mood these past few weeks since I started to clear up the embarrassing messy parts for the plots. We are seriously lacking in helpful bugs and though I made a makeshift bug house years ago and purposely put lots of grass and stones under our shed for bugs - we seem to have counted 4 ladybirds between us, 2 frogs (yay!!), lots of bees but not much more than that :( I want more good bugs! (Who ever thought I'd say that!!) The leatherbacks and those damned New Zealand flatworms of the past 2 years have destroyed the lovely balance.

So here is my Bangor Blue slate hotel which also has lots of dead and decaying leaves in and around it since I took this photo. On the other side of the wee fence is this pile of rotting wood and an old pipe where a frog has been living.

Plus we have a ready rotten log over on 14b where our other frog lives and lots of woodlice etc and I have been leaving the artichokes to flower to try and encourage butterflies and bees etc. Next year there shall be sunflowers too (I forgot them this year) and more echinacea and black eyed susans etc. Yes 2 frogs *happy dance* and you know why I'm so happy -  they eat loads of insects and nasty creatures and the ultimate enemy, Slugs and Snails!!!!!! Hurrah

Is it just me or are the slugs much bigger this year??

The RHS answers the question about who might check into your bug hotel.....

"A surprisingly wide variety of invertebrates including nesting mason bees and leafcutter bees, woodlice hiding from the sun – and woodlice spiders hunting woodlice, earwigs hiding their babies from predators, ladybirds and lacewings hibernating over winter, beetle larvae feeding on the dead wood, funnel web spiders spinning their traps and centipedes hunting down their prey."

Good stuff I say :)

Thank you Prezzy box for increasing our chances of more friendly, useful bugs on the plots and as for the flower grenades - well I have taken the seed out of the clay containers and shall be scattering them this weekend over by the field boundary.

Hugs and best wishes to all
Namaste

Thunder stops play

Last Sunday we were back in action, reasonably early (for us) at 11am. The weather was a lot different, there was cold air and then sunshine back and forth until later the heavens exploded and thunder rumbled, rain poured and I thought for a moment if our shed would work as an ark - boy, the rain was heavy! In the end running out to get tools and running to the car and back etc I was soaked through - that sort of soaked were you just start to walk at normal speed; you simply can't get any more saturated, lol.

My big project was to sort of the back of our shed and get things off to the dump. It was rather daunting to begin with but then I really got into it and loved it all. I love creating a clean and clear area out of a complete mess - it feels like I am clearing my messy mind at the same time - it's calming.

So here it is (shame all on show here)...

We came to the same point about our old broken bench; there was no way we could save it, the wood was rotten so much in a lot of areas (and secretly, now Andrew has his fancy saw, he wants to make a new one altogether!) So he went all caveman on it and smashed it to bits. Fun!

Is it just me or are the slugs bigger this year, goodness there were so many under the old timber we had laying at the side of the plot. But when I meet our frog again I thought to myself, no way am I getting rid of this, I shall merely stack it up neater - obviously it's a great habitat for wildlife.

The finished cleaned up area - that big white bag has our fire wood in it and I even managed to get the wee hand rotary mover over all the grass. What a great workout for my bingo wings :)

Andrew was dealing with the old broad bean patch, they were all ready to be lifted and the peas too behind them in this picture, growing up a little net support.  I do love my broad beans so it's great that Andrew had done a succession planting and we'll have a new batch soon :)

There is something so utterly satisfying about those broad bean roots and those little nodules shown below; Chemistry and Biology in action! These nodules actively improve the soil by depositing nitrogen into the ground which is a great plant food and benefits the next crop you plant in that space ~ hurrah! Plus the stems are great fodder for the compost bin = free natural fertiliser and soil conditioner, and you know I love freebies :)

going

root nodules

ha ah, gone! and a nice big harvest in the shopping bag

Then little rain showers started to happen. They weren't particularly long lasting but they were heavy and put a stop to works for a while. 

 We hung on but then the real thunderous downpours came. The shed became our place of sanctuary; the noise of that rain on the roof was deafening and Maggie just was not happy at getting wet at all, she clawed at my leg until I picked her up and then I took the keys and ran to the car with her tucked under my arm - lucky she's so wee :)

But from all that work and the harvests of the day before we were able to come home, cold and wet from the (what felt like buckets of rain thrown on us) lottie and have this stir fry rustled up in no time - bliss. Chard, carrots, dwarf beans, turnip, all only a maximum of 24hrs old :)

Under a rock somewhere

I haven't seen much of the world at all since I last wrote, never mind do any gardening. I have a myriad of reasons for this, none of them exciting :

• The weather has been terrible
• I threw myself into my crafty works like a maniac
• I had a whopping 3 day Migraine
• I've had the Flu for over 4 days now
• My depression has deepened

My eyes have literally been closed (migraines totally suck) but also, figuratively my depression has closed my eyes to hope.

Usually in these dark, shadowy passages I find solace in dreaming of better days, of looking at stunning photographs and thinking of beautiful new springy days and long summer evenings. But this week I have been too ill and these thoughts and images merely mock me; instead I have been only looking to sleep to save my self from harm; to pass the time. 

I had written a good few posts here but they all ended up getting deleted. However in seeing my psychiatrist on Thursday it was made clear to me that this very blog is important and I should keep writing, not just for me but for others. My psychiatrist is very interested in gardening (and asks for tips after sessions) but as usual hadn't heard of Ecotherapy, though he believes in it wholeheartedly.

He told me I really ought to be true, write about my illness and how the lottie helps but also how it isn't a panacea,  just another useful tool (or weapon). He said that maybe this was my role in life - to do my bit to lift stigma, to be honest.

So here I am doing just that - telling the truth. I am a human/slug hybrid. Yep, that can be the only real explanation for all this slime coming out my nose and being coughed up, the nasty cold sweat on my forehead and my slow movements. The enemy has attacked. And the thing with enemies (and slugs in general) is that they are tricksy and catch you out when you least expect it - search, lift, clear everything in sight and there will still be one or two under a rock somewhere, just waiting, silently plotting.... 

Constant high alert is futile and exhausting, sometimes life just throws a few juicy slugs in our faces and stuffs one down our throats. It's disgusting, demoralising, depressing - but it isn't poisonous and I will be back!

slugs and snails and puppy dogs tails

I have an issue. I am writing about it here in the hopes that I shall learn that I am not a freak and that in fact other sane people feel the same way about this..

I hate slugs. I mean I HATE BLASTED SLUGS!!! They are evil and should only eat stuff I don't like and then die a happy death with food in their mouths as a beautiful little birdie swallows them whole. There glad we got that out in the open.

When I see a slug on my rounds (patrols) of the lottie I get a little touch maddened and tend to pick him up and fling him as far as I can way into the hedgerow (or to be perfectly honest, sometimes into someone else's plot - yes shame on me, but the anger takes over and I just lose it).

Here is a particularly nasty fellow - even looking at this photo makes me want to chuck something.....

Now snails also come under the banner of 'the enemy', for what is a snail but a slug with a house. But here is where the issue lies....I can't hate a snail as much as I hate a slug.

Is it precisely because of the house on their backs that I like them a little more - am I elitist?? Do I see the snail as more worthy of being left alone merely because it has a shell??? Somewhere deep down do I see the snail as more advanced than the slug and worry for it's ability to pay those mortgage direct debits??? I fear I do. Oh, lordy I never thought of myself as a snob but when I see a snail I think - 'oh you shouldn't be here eating my food; I think I'll just move you carefully over here anyway from my plot' and I carry the damned thing to the hedgerow. What is all that about?? I mean look at it - it's hardy gorgeous under that shell!

Does anyone out there the same? or the question should probably be: Is anyone out there willing to admit they feel the same?

Oh yeah, and puppy dog's tails was just because of the nursery rhyme - here's Maggie's tail though...

Tomorrow we shall do a major catch up (with photos) on the miracles we have worked on our plots :) I have the text started and the photos uploaded at least!

Hugs

From the heart

I've been thinking about writing this post all day. And now I've got here and the words won't come. Oh I could talk a load of nonsense and spin a great yarn - I'm from Ireland for goodness sake. But I don't want to do that, I have to write from the heart, like I always do.

So what's the problem? Well, I've been excited about telling you all about last night because last night I felt good and I was at the allotment and that made me feel even better. So = what this blog is all about, right?! Yeah, but today is a different story, I thought I was doing okay, I'd only had one panic attack and it was 4pm but then as I was getting out of the shower and coming here to write to you, I took another one, to be honest I am in it right now.

I am scared, my nose is itchy with those tears that want to come, I am biting my lip, I can't breathe well, I daren't be seen by anyone as I am ashamed and I want to cry and scream but by god I will not let myself cause I am going to write my way out of this (with meds).

So let's get comfy, open that chest and remember that this is going to pass. How are you feeling right now? Okay I hope, breathing deeply........... I need a minute. Sorry, a flurry of activity from the builders packing up for the day, I couldn't bare the noise, last straw

Last night then and I am calmer now.

I picked an area, I got stuck in and I kept my head down. I worked hard, felt muscles working that had been on holiday for a while and got a cold bum; my jeans were low, the t-shirt riding up as I was working on my hunkers. Yes two boys were watching my bum in all it's glory - let's get the shame out there and disperse it. Here is my corner of the plot before and after ~

Yep, the hayfever season is certainly starting and though I haven't taken any tablets yet I really should have because I am sitting here sneezy and with little hives on my arm, and itchy face oh and that horrible itchy roof of the month thing too. Plus is it just me or have the slugs in your area being taken steroids or something - they're HUGE! Lucky I was in a good mood and just flung them as hard as I could over to the hedgerow, I can not bare to squish a slug.

 

My super duper tiny alpines are coming out look - wow what a scary giant man! :)

The air was lovely there last night, the plots got quieter once the kids (and their parents!) went home and I saw a lottie friend for the first time in ages - so it was all good. I didn't panic once even when 2 new people arrived and were talking to Andrew; even when Andrew dandered off to see someone's fruit cage (the talk of the field) and I was left alone. I was okay :) I even would go as far as to say, I was feeling GOOD :)

So many seedlings, blossoms, new growth and freshly weeded beds. The smell of water on the soil as new seeds were planted and hope was born  - best wishes little Parsnip seeds 'Gladiator', little Celeriac seeds 'Prague Giant' (again) and Purple Sprouting Broccoli (I hope we get to eat you next year, the few paltry pieces we shared this year after the pigeons did their work has made me want you even more!!!)

So over all, it's looking like a plot again, all those other 8 lavenders died that where in the bed-end planting pockets; it was the frost. The other plot is a little behind but by gum we'll get there! (I never actually say 'by gum' but I do write it, odd...)

Anyway that is enough for one or maybe even two days. I'm not going tonight, I've already decided I just can't afford to rock the boat. Last night and the big hugs and twirls and falling on the grass in Andrew's arms (because he was so proud of me), are moments I want to savour in my heart and I feel if I went tonight it wouldn't end so well. So yoga for me in the house - kicking Andrew out to plant more delicious food :)

And just to rub it in I have been having the breakfast of Champions the past 2 days ~ unsweetened Swiss Style Muesli with home made Rhubarb and Stem Ginger Compote!!!

Hugs + thanks for helping through the panic  xx

We've had some lovely weather :)

Oh the sun has come out to play over the past week and boy am I happy to say 'Hello' to it. We have even had breakfast in the back garden one morning - yes! it was warm enough - crazy I know!! Even Maggie kept running into the house, grabbing a mouth full of her favourite Bran Flakes, spitting them out on the patio and then eating merrily with us (Maggie LOVES her food and eats with great gusto)

The birds were brave and ate right beside us on our super multi feeder. Blue Tits, cheeky little Sparrows, our friendly Robin and recently 2 collared Doves :) I have also seen a Chaffinch but A. hasn't yet and it's a sore point, hehe. Remember to feed the birds, my lovelies - fat balls and peanuts are going down a treat here. I'm just waiting for the day when one of the Pheasants comes bounding in - that would be a sight, or the Falcons that live on top of the power station chimney; actually they might take Maggie off for lunch :O

So with the cherry blossom still looking lovely we have also had visits from bees and butterflies and it's a veritable Disney paradise out there (if you ignore all the building debris and rubbish). Yet another bed has been built and now is waiting patiently to be filled with soil. We have some of our pots round from Mamma  G's house (one of them had an evil snail on the bottom and we didn't realise until the next day and those tell tale sparkly trails - grrrrr I HATE slugs with a passion).



I know, they need watered, I'll do that in a minute!



We still have to plant our tulips in the cherry tree bed but they are looking very healthy and can wait another day. And apart from that, the celeriac seedlings are happy and the broad beans (crimson flowered - thank you Celia) are planted and of course being stared at every 15 mins to see if they've germinated yet - yes I am that sad. :)

We haven't forgotten about the Lottie, honest. I'll do a post from there after the weekend. It's just we've been doing housey stuff and WHY am I defending myself??? !

Namaste xx

Snails.... (PG 15)

I forgot to share this story with you..... on THE EVOLUTION OF SNAILS!!

They are slowly adapting to this world, were they are hated so very much by every sane person. They have been studied, developing over the past 40-50 yrs and I think becoming clever and stronger as a unit. They have different coloured shells, depending on where they live so they're harder to catch; the humble and sweet Thrush is in decline because they are in training to be masters of disguise. This is the real terror we must face.

My friends. What is a Snail but a Slug with a mobile home??? The 'Enemy' is (admittedly slowly but therefore more secretively and underhandedly; damn their evil minds!!) becoming a more advanced killing machine. They are on to us; they have their eyes on OUR prize - blast their miscreant potentiality!!!

Sleep well, if you can.......

Eden Allotment Gardens gets Bigger!

We received a letter yesterday from the council to offically declare that we are to have a 4th field of Lotties, hoorah! This new one,(excitingly named 'Field D') is going to be completely organic which is pretty cool. We have been offered a position there in place of our present Lottie ~ but how could I leave A24a! She means so much and has offered such love and produce. I could never love another Lottie in the same way. Luckily Andrew feels the same.

Check out the new area map here>
http://www.carrickfergusinbloom.org/allotment-location-map.pdf
or indeed there is a handy link down the right hand side which updates itself as the Council updates its info. Ah, technology.

The letter came with a little Fact Sheet about Organic growing and it seems we're doing rather well at that anyway! We only use Slug Pellets (I hate slugs with a passion that cannot be expressed with out you seeing my 'angry face') and once the container we have is finished we're going to get Organic Slug Pellets ~ none of this wasting good beer on them or trespassing on the site at night with a miners' head lamp and catching the blighters at it.

So soon there will be even more Eden Allotmenteers (and we know the waiting list is huge too). Oh yeah, Allotmenteering Rocks!

P.S. I have a member of my mental health team coming to the house today, I may sound cynical but I suspect I'll hear the usual " I'm so sorry but there just isn't anything available, I can't think how to help you". God, I'm miserable :(

Slugs and Snails and catepillars...

It's not often I get near any of the bugs on our plot; Andrew is very effective at 'disposing' of them - he is in fact generally, a heartless bug killer. But yesterday in our front garden I noticed a snail (which is still alive somewhere) and had a thought... Maybe I'm mad, but in Paris people pay good money to eat these delightful, slimy, squidgy things and I'm no expert but are snails not slugs with fancy shells on their backs??? My idea therefore is an EU initiative wherein allotment holders can gather up their slugs, ship them off to Paris as 'food' and make a profit out of the blighters. Et voila, dinner, Escargots, and you don't even need to hoke them out of their fiddly shells.

On the other hand there is something delicious in seeing this...
Dead. Gone. Succumbed to the lovely blue pellet on the soil.

Slug : "What is that? it's a pretty colour, I wonder does it taste nice, ummm, no!

Carrie: "Ha ha! Got you, you blighter".

Don't judge me!!


Ohhhh, we found this cool caterpillar. We have no idea what it is but it was so weird and special to us that even Andrew was persuaded to let it live, though in the hedgerow, not in our plot. Look at it up close - there's hairs and red bits and a horn thing. Cool!

All the other cabbage white caterpillars that we have had, never got a chance to be photographed and viewed by the world - Andrew, need I say more?

On a really positive note, we have millions of worms on our plot, no need for a photo of them, we all know what a worm looks like, eh? Some of them are so big! I choose to believe that if you cut one in half (accidentally!) it turns into two worms and I won't hear anyone say otherwise.

We also found a lot of ladybirds everywhere, they did a fantastic job on the green aphids etc and they're so pretty. It had been a while since I'd seen one, now they're all over the place. This is interesting, a ladybird larvae, I'd never seen one of these before. This picture was taken way back in June by the way, so I'm sure he's all grown up by now.