In spite of the rather horrid 3 weeks we have just gone through, the garden, the village and the plot keep showing signs of the new season.
We have each had (still got) a parent in hospital and we've had 2 sick chickens, one of which succumbed though one is responding to antibiotics - it's not been an easy time. My Ma is waiting for her blood anticoagulant level to stabilise and then she can go home. That's always a long job though, with daily blood tests and at the moment it's swinging about erratically. His Dad can only be discharged to a residential home - their house has the only loo upstairs and he can't get up. Ma in law is too frail to help and he has been designated unsafe on stairs. Can't have a stair lift due to dementia. Husband and his sister are visiting homes today. He's not going to like it but something had to give - and it did overnight 3 weeks ago. We went to bed after the chickens had got up!
I had completely forgotten what colour these tulips were - they are an amazing shade of plum. I planted so many in the village last year that name of the few I had got for my own use melted into the morass.
These in one of the village beds have been there several years and give a fantastic splash of colour at this time of year. I'm sure they have multiplied!
These two are the 'cuttings of cuttings' of tomatoes that I took to get through to the new season. They are from one of my own Sungold selections and I am growing again from seed this year but I wanted to compare the new ones to the best of last year's. The only way I could tell if they had stabilised was to keep the original through the winter. I got some very leggy plants by early February but by taking fresh cuttings (which root like weeds in water) I have sturdy plants which are now in flower. I have no idea whether they will set fruit this early. All part of the experiment!
Here are the 3 Arran Pilot spuds I put in in February. They've been earthed up a couple of times and you can see the bubble wrap they get topped with when frost is forecast. I hope to be eating new potatoes in mid May again. Well worth doing, this, in a cold greenhouse.
Here are the 3 Arran Pilot spuds I put in in February. They've been earthed up a couple of times and you can see the bubble wrap they get topped with when frost is forecast. I hope to be eating new potatoes in mid May again. Well worth doing, this, in a cold greenhouse.
7 comments:
Hi VH
I am very impressed with your over wintered tomato plants. You still might get some setting on them, although in theory it has been too cold.
Mr TK
Hope things improve for you - it's awful when people you love are ill!
It's so sad, I think, when parents who have been there so long for us, start to need our help. I still have both mine, although both are getting forgetful and frail. I wish you well with finding somewhere nice for your father in law, it can't be easy. On a brighter note, your tomato experiment sounds interesting and your potatoes look splendid. Keep us posted! Caro x
Hi there, pop over to my blog as you are the WINNER of the David Austin 'English Roses' book. Congrats ! I need your address now.
Maureen
Hi, I need your address to send the book to you, please e-mail me. the e-mail address can be found on my profile on the blog.
Maureen
Sorry to hear about the family health problems.
Hope things are settling down now, thinking of you, xx
Post a Comment