Monday 2 June 2014

Update

Hello all,
I keep on apologising for lack of posting but I'm going to stop that. I am posting what I can when I can but things have been a bit hectic of late, which is probably a good thing.
I am finally breaking even financially which shows that slowly but surely my new career path is beginning to work. No spare cash but now my savings are not really being touched which is good news except for the untoward. I have 9 students now when they all come which is good, taken 5 months but it is slowly starting to happen and word is getting about that I exist at least. The best bit is that I am really really enjoying it, especially when I think that in my old life I would now be battling up to London weekly  and misssing all the joys of my garden at home. No regrets and completely my own boss.
I have had a productive weekend and have opened new bank accounts, changed my gas and elctricity provider to Ovo and am exploring changing my internet service provider to Sky, all in a bid to make monthly cash stretch a bit further.
So I continue to shop carefully, and am becoming a dab hand at stretching a single chicken out to 4 or 5 meals making it super good value even for a greedy man like me.

Enough about all that.

Meanwhile every day brings fresh joy in the garden. My pride at the moment is for my lupins and my alliums.


There are 17 healthy looking flower heads accross just 3 plants, which, for me, makes a lupin record. These majestic flowers are among my very favourites.


And 30 alliums in the big bed make a very happy view. I had hoped the astilbe would be out by now and that the alliums would be surrounded by clouds of pink frothy flowers, but the best laid plans and all that.

Also my gladioli and dahlias are all growing away happily, as are the delphiniums.


Dahlia patch wants weeding I think. 3 varieties, Bishop of Landalff and ....er.....two more.

A usual my veg plot is poor at the moment (one day I will get good at veg), although the tomatoes in the greenhouse are doing very well this year, far better than the precious two years.


The veg bed is looking a higgledy piggledy mess and that is because after a poor beginning I have planted crops in no particular order as my original ones all died (my green fingers turned very grey on that day). I've decided to call it a cottage garden bed and to pretend that it was supposed to be random by design. I have 2 courgettes, some runner beans, French beans, peas, broad beans and a cucumber. I think I will plant some complementary flowers to make it look better. Given time it might look ok, here's hoping there will be some crop at least.

Finally a photo of lovely iris hidden away in the whale bed.


 Blue is never captured very well on my camera, but they look lovely in the flesh.

24 comments:

  1. You can't do everything right first time in a garden, it always manages to bite you when you least expect it. I'm having a rotten year so far with peas, on my third sowing now after the first two failed to germinate (brand new packet as well). It is lovely to hear from you when and as you can. The blue of that Iris is fantastic.

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    1. I love Iris and mine are wonderful this year.

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  2. Glad all is going well on the work front and your garden is doing well too - I have never been able to grow lupins or delphiniums as the slugs always eat them! I have also found that having the veggies mixed up a bit works well since the pests don't find them so easily - call it companion planting and enjoy it however it comes!

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    1. My lupins are spectacular in the back but the ones in the front were completely eaten - by sheep!

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  3. God to hear that all is working out for you :)

    Your garden is looking lovely.

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  4. Blooming good if you ask me!
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  5. I love seeing the pictures of your garden.Also brill news on your career path.It is so nice when everything comes together .

    lisa x

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  6. Lovely to read that your plans of living the way you intended have come to fruition. Your gardening is doing well. Must say that my gardening had to come to a halt for now as I slipped a disc in my back. My poor tomato and cucumber plants I`d grown from seeds have been ravished by the slugs and snails whilst I was unable to do much, so I shall have to buy new plants if I want to have any salad things in my garden this year.

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    1. Sorry about your back, hope you are feeling better soon.

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  7. Glad to hear that working from home is successful.
    About those vegies: Have a long term plan and definitely rotate the crops. You must not grow the same veg in the same place two years in a row. Little nasties attack them if you do. Just like a performer, the vegies need variety for the best result.
    Beautiful beautiful flowers.

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    1. Yes I will come up with a new plan for 2015

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  8. Glad to hear that your self employment is going well. In answer to Louise above. I have grown runner beans, courgettes, and potatoes in exactly the same beds for the last five years. They do really well.

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  9. Your iris is magnificent. I am glad your teaching career is going well.

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  10. Glad you are back
    I stopped checking your blog for a while as nothing was happening
    Thos iris are indeed lovely

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    1. Thanks John, I've just been a bit busy is all.

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  11. The flowers look gorgeous.

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  14. I am with EE so I will check it out. thanks

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  16. Thanks, I hope your veggies are doing well this year.

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  17. We've been changing things around here to cut costs as well. The phone/internet/cable alone is over $600.00 a month. Can't and don't want to pay that much any longer. I just found your blog. Your gardens are lovely. No doubt you'll have lots of students coming to you in no time!! : ) Have a lovely weekend!!

    ~ Wendy
    http://Crickleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

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