The lost long weekend

I fear the allotment may think I have abandoned it, poor thing. The bank holiday weekend we just had ought to have seen me there with my gardening gloves on and my hands busy in weed pulling and seed planting. Alas it was not to be as my mental health took a terrible nose dive and I was lucky to see the sunshine through the half drawn blinds.

Mental breakdowns don't care if the weather is stunning and you have hopes and made plans. Mental breakdowns suck. They leave me exhausted beyond words and so utterly depressed that my body just can't do a thing and I end up so frustrated and angry that any energy I did have gets burned up and I am left with sleep as my only option! Arrghhh.

So instead of tending my plot I slept. Andrew managed to get there for short periods whilst I was 'busy' sleeping and it is looking quite good. It's a miracle!

I am so glad I used a Saturday a few weeks back to plant up my tiered flower pot stand, these babies have given me hope and joy every day. Yesterday I managed to drag myself out of the house to the back garden and sit by them for a while - a little burst of ecotherapy goes a long way.

I SHALL see my plot this week at some point, I miss it and I miss being able to share the goings on with you.

But already I have been outside today with my camera and as soon as I am finished here, out I shall go again and get me more Vitamin D 😊

Hopefully I shall write again soon
Your Carrie x

Buds and Spuds

Hello my lovelies, hope you are all well and have a nice weekend planned --- Hurrah for Fridays!

Today is actually a quite nice and bright day here, so I went outside with Toby and looked about the back garden. I LOVE it when the Beech buds open up, they are so beautiful, definitely one of my most favourite trees. Then I was surprised to find the Acer I had been worried about is looking heavenly = two sights that have put a smile on my face 😀

I checked in on the seedlings Andrew planted up a while back and the Sugar Snaps are now too far ahead, oh this weather is so changeable! It's sad to compost new life but we will simply have to plant more seeds direct when we get back from our walking holiday. The leeks and spring onions seem to be in a good position though which is nice. I think most things are simply going to be later this year.

But let me tell you about last weekend. We finally planted our beautiful Sharps' Express potatoes spuds); after my accident I guess I forgot all about it. This year we are yet again doing them in large tubs as it's just so darned easy to tend to and takes up much less space. Plus the harvesting has proven itself to be so simple and cleaner. Fingers crossed for a good batch again.

Lastly, after the silliest and most cliched of allotment related injures to myself last Saturday... I stood (twice, for good measure) on a rusty nail that was poking up from a rotten plank. *Blush*  I am glad to report I have healed up pretty well. The hiking holiday is still on 👍

Hugs and love
Carrie x

The back garden starts to explode :)

Sometimes it takes you to go away for a while to really appreciate how much your garden grows in a week, especially in Spring. If you were to watch it everyday, waiting impatiently, these changes wouldn't be so noticeable.

Behold the back garden, beginning to explode into life...

Highlighted plants are links to the RHS website page of the variety we have..

* Oh my, I think I have found 'my' tulip! This raspberry and cream one (ahh! can't think of the name), on mass just makes me smile very big indeed - next year I want another 5 pots ;)
* The stained glass window will be covered soon by the weedy looking Virginia Creeper - it only went in last year and already it's rampant :)
* The Acer didn't take well to the house move way back when but in the last year it has really come into it's own - never seen it look so happy.
* Christmas box has also responded well to the clippings it had last year and has filled out nicely = happy times
*The beech hedge, though all 5 plants are growing at very different rates, is happy and since yesterday (when I took this photos) it's even greener!!

* So many little box balls and a very happy Star Jasmine, with a Japanese Maple in the center
* Lots of seedlings in the cold frame
* The beautiful paper bark Birch and lovely bamboo, Wisteria growing around pergola
* Camellia - first flower of the year :) We got a new water butt just with this baby in mind as they can only take rain water.

* Just look how far we've come (and by that I mean Andrew, as he built the walls, the raised platform and pergola, the fountain, the cold frame and the chairs. Plus he planted everything whilst I supervised and photographed *blush*

Hugs and Love
Carrie