Garden Girl Blog

I found a big fat caterpillar crossing the grass, I moved him along towards the weeds behind the fence, after I took his photo.  Not seen one this big before.  Anyone know what he is?

The house has been really cold recently, the wind, which has been blowing all week, has been coming in through the vents and making it colder in than out!  I turned the heating back on the other day and I am thinking that I will put the winter quilt back on the bed.  However it was much warmer last night, the wind has gone so it started to warm up again, we have also shut some of the vents which helps.  If I change the quilt we could end up being really hot.

From Scoobydoofus...

I grew up with ABBA so it had to be them.

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, answer the following questions. You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. Repost as "my life according to (band/musician name)"

Are you a male or female?
I Am Just A Girl

Describe yourself:
I Have A Dream

How do you feel?
Super Trouper

Describe where you currently live:
Summer Night City

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Tropical Loveland

Your favorite form of transportation:
Another Town, Another Train

Your best friend is:
One Man, One Woman

What's the weather like?
Our Last Summer

Favorite time of day:
I Have A Dream

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?
Lay All Your Love On Me.

What is life to you?
My Love, My Life

Your fear:
Under Attack

We went out for a drive and a walk and stopped at Cramond, we had a nice walk out on the causeway, making sure we had lots of time to get back.  Some people had to be rescued just the other week!  We only had the phone camera but here are a few pics, we will be going back some time.

There were lots of birds feeding on the sand banks where the water had gone out and the sounds where great.  Only some of the Gulls were confident enough to come near the causeway to feed.  The other birds stayed well out of the way of the humans.  We saw Swans, Herons, Curlew, Lapwings, Ducks and lots of Gulls.

The sky looked fab on Friday as I drove into work.  I had the husband and a camera with me so he did the deed and here is the result.  It is quite dark in the morning now.

Click to make big...er

The rain has cleared and the sky is blue with whips of white and the sun is casting a warm glow over everything. 

Passing the Pentland Hills as I drove in to Edinburgh, the green and browns of the hills are enhanced by the low sun and give a golden sheen to the view, it looked very inviting.  However no hills for me today as I am at work.  Edinburgh also looked fantastic in the sunlight and I am sure the tourists will have a lovely day wandering about today.

My weight is going up... how did that happen?  I have been good but I know that I could be better.  I am at the in between size where my current dress size is tight on the tummy, well maybe all over, but the next size up is big on me.  So I either need to eat lots and become the next size or try a bit harder and drop a few pounds, or maybe a stone.... 

I think for now I will just try a bit harder and see how I go.

It is looking dull in Edinburgh today and I think it will be raining before long. 

The black birds are getting lots to eat as the Rowan trees are laden with berries this year.  We have one in our garden and our neighbour has one, they do very well in Scotland.  We did not realise when we got ours that it has green berries, rather than the normal red.  The blackbirds do not seem to mind they still stip both trees when they need food.

Here are some berries, but they will not be around for long.

I just opened a pack of coffee to put in the machine for the morning, we take a flask of fresh coffee each, much nicer and cheaper than going to the shop.  Anyway I got the said coffee in Sainsbury's today and did not notice the name on the packet.  It was called 'All Day Long' what a silly name for Coffee, what ever happened to Arabica, which is mainly what it is.

Strange.

Back to work today, it feels like I have been off for ages.  I was up at 5:30 and out nice and early.   Awaiting me at work was an on going problem my team dealing with and lots of emails, so I will be busy today. 

Yoga at lunch time and the sun is out in Edinburgh so not all bad.

My garden does not do so well at this time of year.  Things are starting to die back and I do not have anything to replace them.  There are also lots of weeds still coming up and some at the back of the beds that I cannot get to any more.

I have been pottering around dead heading some plants and cutting back some of my roses .  They have done well this year but the majority now seem to be finished.  Here are a few bits that are still looking good.

Click to make big.

This is the thick grass that has started growing in our lawn.  Any idea what it is?

A while ago a dog had a pee on our front lawn, the bit of lawn died.  I dug out around it and reseeded it.  All came up very well and looks great.

In the back lawn we have grass growing but it is thick and not very nice. It is a bit lighter than the other grass but has very thick blades so just looks like lumps of different grass in the lawn.  It has been spreading and the patches of it are bigger than ever.  The husband said maybe I could dig it out, like I had done in the front and reseed. That is what I have been doing this afternoon.  Our back lawn now looks like a patchwork quilt and I have not done them all.  I hope I have done what he wanted, the lawn looks a bit of a mess at the moment.

Fingers crossed it will grow very quickly, before he gets home would be good!

Will go and take a photo so maybe someone can tell me what the grass is.

The sky is blue and the house is a bit of a mess.  I need to run round and sort out the house, do washing and then I can get out in the garden.  Seems we are going to have sun all day so I should get on.

We went away for the weekend to look for dolphins in the highlands.  We set off Friday morning and soon realised we had forgotten my big camera lens.  We did not think it would be a problem as we didn't think I would need it, so we just carried on.

First stop was Loch Leven near Kinross where there’s an RSPB place with some trails. We did their ‘easy’ 2km walk; very few birds, but it serves it’s purpose of showing you just how unfit you are. The heather is out, so looks very nice and the bees were very happy.

We had a bite to eat at their cafe and found there’s a cycle trail most of the way round the loch so next time, we’ll bring our bikes if the bike rack fits on the back of our current car, we have never tried it.

Next stop was Loch of the Lowes where within a few minutes we saw an Osprey fishing and cursed the fact we only had the normal camera lens.  Never seen an Osprey hit the water before and it was quite impressive, but it missed whatever it was aiming for and swooped back for another go, then disappeared into the distance.

Following this, we wandered around Dunkeld town (near Pitlochry) which was most pleasant before meeting up with a friend to go out to dinner and stay at his place for the night.  Dinner was very nice and accompanied by a drop of wine.

On Saturday we headed off towards Inverness and stopped at the Dolphin and Seal Centre just over the Kessock Bridge and within a few minutes spotted some dolphins in the Moray Firth. We then went on to Chanonry Point, which is a narrowing in the Moray Firth and a well known dolphin spotting place where naturally, we’ve never seen them before. This time, there were maybe 7 dolphins or so cruising around, occasionally breaching and generally showing off. Goes without saying that they were out of realistic camera range as well but I have a few piccies to post anyway.

We spent Saturday night at the Morangie House Hotel in Tain and had a wander around the town before going back to the hotel for dinner and another glass or two of wine.

We got up early today and it was raining so we made our way home.  Although the photos are not great we had a good time and it was nice to see both the Osprey and Dolphins.

but back now.

We went to the Black Isle for the weekend.

Puss was left home alone with a neighbour to feed her and let her out.  She is most glad to see us back and has been demanding to go in and out several times since we got back. 

A mouse.... well the head of a mouse and the back-end including legs and tail.  The middle was gone.  I guess the cat will not be needing any dinner.

Yuck!

What is it with the lemmings in Edinburgh at the moment?  Why do people find the concept of a pedestrian crossing so very hard to comprehend?

Edinburgh is generally very pedestrian friendly and they get lots of time to cross the road and the lights go in their favour.  I have to drive from one side of Edinburgh to the other and cross Princes Street.  The people are just mad, they cross the road when the lights are just turning green and then look really shocked when cars start to drive towards them.  They spill over at the edge of the crossing and look horrified when a car is anyway near them.  Then you get the ones that think it is perfectly acceptable to stop in the middle of the crossing and take a little photo because it is surely the best place. Arrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Okay breath, one two three... I am off for a lay down!

Needless to say they are driving me mad!

We had some chicken wraps for dinner and rather than just have salad to go in with the chicken, I made a veggie and tomato sauce.  It all worked very well but was a bit hot.

I put into a frying pan, a little olive oil, some chopped onion, chopped mushroom, chopped yellow pepper, some tomatoes that were getting past their best.  I then cooked all that for about 10 minutes, then added some tomato puree and some dried chilli seeds.... that is where it went a bit wrong, I thought the chilli seeds jar had small holes in the top but it was one big hole and they poured out.  I tried to pick them out and got some out but it was very hot! Have to be more careful next time!

We woke up this morning to pouring rain.  It was coming down in buckets, everything was getting a bashing and a soaking.

The rain stopped mid morning and was replaced by blue sky, everything start to dry out very well. By this afternoon I was able to potter in the garden doing a bit of dead heading and removing a few stay slugs that were out in the open.

The scents in the garden are fantastic.... in the front garden we have a beautiful yellow rose by the front door.  Every time I walk up to the door, or open the door to go out, I get a heavy perfume of the rose.

The back is just as good, by the deck there is a large honeysuckle which had a strong sweet floral scent, on the other side there is a jasmine with its heavy musky scent, which hangs in the air. Over the back of the walkway, between the decks there are several lavender plants, I run my hand over them and the fresh lavender scent is released and wanders into the air, my hands smell great after.  On the way down from the other deck there is a clump of carnations, which have survived an onslaught by the slugs, they smell light and sweet and are so delicate.  I love to just wander around, touching and enjoying the scent of the summer plants.

Got my greenhouse sorted, it is looking much more organised.  I have potted on my Sweet William and pansy baby plants, I hope they will all make it through the winter and I will have lots of plants ready for spring.  I also tidied up my tomato plants, they were putting on a lot of growth so trimmed the down.  I should start collecting the tomatoes any day now.

It was sunshine, cloud and wind today but the rain stayed off and I got my washing dry.  Off to iron it now.

Yesterday the rain stopped and was replaced by a strong wind.  I got out in the garden for a while in the afternoon but had my winter hat on, although that was mainly to stop the wind wipping my hair around my face.

Lots of my plants have been bashed to the ground and I need to go out with some sticks and string and tie them up, but maybe later.  It has just started raining again and because it is still windy it is going sideways.  Not nice.

We have been rather lazy this weekend and today looks like it is going to be the same.  I might go out to the greenhouse with the dyson later, it is full of cobwebs again.  Spiders are okay but in my greenhouse there seems to be a huge concentration of them and they make new webs every day.

and it is raining... very hard.

We have an exciting event lined up for the weekend, we are going to the dump.  Then I think we are going to hide out in the house and keep dry.  It is pouring with rain and has been for about the last 24 hours.

I went to Yoga today at lunch time today; it was my 'usual' class so I was looking forward to it.

Got there to find a man at the desk, normally we have a lady so did not know who this man was.  The class started and he said that we should all lay down with our eyes closed. That really was all we did for the class, lie down and become aware... strange.  Not quite our usual Yoga but I did feel quite mellow after.

I am not sure I would want a class like that again but it was something different and I will try some things once, but maybe not again.

Today is my final day off, it seems like I have been off for ages and it has been very nice being at home getting stuff done.

I have a few bits to sort out in the house this morning and I need to restore order.  I have been having a tidy out and it has made some rooms look like a bomb has hit them (strange definition of tidy up!), need to finish and order will return.  I also have a friend coming for lunch so I best go and make a start downstairs.

There has been and still is, lots of rain here today which will keep me out of the garden.  The puss came in very late last night looking like a drowned rat, it was 1:30am and the husband had to find a towel to dry her off before going back to bed.  Bless.

We were out in Edinburgh yesterday evening seeing some of the Festival ‘fringe’ performances. There was an insane performer on the high street juggling an axe, knife and flaming torch, and using members of the audience to throw them to him and hold him up in the air while doing it, all the while cracking jokes. Being on the high street, he commented about doing the stunt without any grass and he said he always does his stunts on grass, except he’d run out… when the laughs died down, he said this wasn’t actually true, he never runs out of grass.  There were also various singers, bands, other performances, etc. all out on the Royal Mile doing their stuff for free (though accepting donations where offered!).

We then had a meal at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern (pub) then went to see a show at the Pleasance Dome called Godley’s World, starring our very own blog comedienne Janey Godley.  She was hilarious and both the husband and I found it very funny, if you are near Edinburgh it is a good show to go and see.  I did go and say hi but it was very busy as people were leaving.

Here is the mad axe guy.

I think I have mentioned the pond down the road from us before,  I have maybe said that the local ranger dislikes that there are ducks on it.  He wants it to be a nature pond, are ducks not nature?  Anyway went for a walk down there and took a few photos.  Someone seems to have made a house for the ducks.

Not sure what the name is about.. maybe because no one knows who made it?  Don't know...

Another day with a beautiful blue sky and the sun is getting up to full blast.  What is going on?  We could get used to this. 

Love... love..

We have some butterflies in the garden and on the hill, I think they must be cabbage white butteflies.  They are looking for mates at the moment and they keep becoming very interested in the fallen rose petal leaves, they are a very pale yellow and do look a bit like the butterflies.

I keep seeing them go to where the rose petals are, hang around for a bit and then fly off.  Poor things I think they are very confused.  There are lots of them around so I am sure they will all be finding a partner soon.

Here are some photos to demonstrate the problem and one of the butterflies on a lobelia in my garden.

Here I am, doing what I do best when I go skiing... sitting on my bum.

the photo of the butterfly, it likes the buddleja which grows wild on the hill behind our house.  Here are some pictures.

I walked behind the garden this afternoon, chasing a butterfly trying to take a photo of it.  I stopped at the bottom of the hill and stood very still.  I kept hearing pop... click... pop... click...pop.. pop.. it took me a while to work it out but got there in the end.  The broom that is abundant on the hill is popping the pods that hold the seeds.  They have dried and now in the sun they are popping open and firing the seeds all over.  As some of them hit stones or the rocks they make a click, nature has a way of getting what it wants done.

Here are some pictures of the broom seed pods, the hill and a thistle... click to make big.

Two days work and that is me done for the week.  I now get five days off and have plans to do stuff in the garden.  There is a beautiful blue sky so looks like I am good to go.

I have been having a tidy out today.  I have a pile of rubbish and a bigger pile of stuff to go to the charity shop and everything is looking nice and tidy.  I have been trying on some of my clothes and realise that if I could just be a few inches slimmer all over, I would be able to fit into more of the clothes that I have.  That is even after, I admitted defeat and sent some clothes that I am never going to slim into to the charity pile.  So far my attempts to eat healthy and do more exercise, have not come to much.  They certainly have had no impact on my waistline, I need to try much harder.

I just walked up to the local shops and got back before the heavens opened so that was lucky. There is a pond up the road from us and it has a family of ducks and a very sweet moorhen family, the babies are still tiny and the parents are having to divert the attention of the local crows who have their eyes on the babies for tea.  It makes me smile to see the ducks because the local ranger has said in the past that he does not want ducks on the pond as they pollute it, but I think most of the local people love that they are there. Long may they stay.

Okay better get back to my housework.

Today I found out there are different types of yoga. 

I generally go to Yoga with a friend from work, on a Tuesday.  We have been other days and often find it has turned into 'mad' Yoga and we find it really hard work.

As I was working today and am off tomorrow, I went to Yoga at lunch time today.  The lady who runs it knows us a bit now and she advised me it was Ashtanga Yoga today and I might need to take it easy.   I asked her if it was different than what we normally do on a Tuesday and she said yes, Tuesday is Hatha Yoga.  I never knew there were different types and just thought some days she goes a bit mad. What am I like!

It was really hard work and I have not been doing much exercise for the last week and a half and I can feel it.  Wonder if I will be able to get out of bed in the morning.

I went to Edinburgh and into John Lewis and got a few bits I needed.  I was very tempted in the ladies section by some of the bargains, but I came over all sensible as I was not sure I need the stuff, so I decided against buying anything.  I will have a good look at what I already have first.  Also I have my eye on a rather lovely pair of boots in M&S that I might get very soon so am saving my money for them.  I am still trying to convince myself that I really need the boots, which I really might. 

Edinburgh is a bit of a mess at the moment.  They are taking up the roads to put in a tram system and just seem to create such a mess.  Then the bin men go on a work to rule and there is lots of rubbish, I think they have started to clear it up but it is not nice when we have all these tourists coming to spend their money. What must they think?

I came home and had a very nice afternoon pottering around the house and garden.  Feeling very relaxed now.

I was going to go into Edinburgh to do a bit of shopping and just for a look round the shops, but the sun has really got his hat on and the weather man is saying it will stay this way all day.  Maybe I should stay home and do the garden and the washing, the washing is boring but a necessary job.  Or maybe the husband wants to go somewhere, will ask him first and put some washing in.

Well that would be one...

I have three apple trees, they are just the small ones but they had lots of lovely blossom in May and it looked like I was going to get a good crop.  Then we had two very cold nights with one being well below freezing.  My blossom turned brown and dropped, I was very sad.

However one tree has one apple on it, so now I am really looking forward to eating it.  It is going to be a race between me and the squirrel, last year he took to helping himself to the apples.

Next spring I am going to have to make a cover for the trees to wear at night when it is cold.

I have been out in the garden for a while today and was busy keeping on top of the dead heading. The roses have a second flush of flowers on the way and the strawberries look like they have a few more to come.  Mrs Blackbird came to keep me company and was very interested in the sultanas I had put out.  I tried to get a photo but she was very quick and kept going to hide every time I got the camera out.

In the early evening we sat on the deck with the chap from next door and enjoyed a glass or two of wine, it was very relaxing.  While we were there, puss presented us with three mice she had caught and killed.  Each time she brought one we put it over the fence so the crows or the fox can have it, each time we did that she just went and got another.  We were quite sure that it was not the same one coming back as they were different sizes.

Here are a few photos of some of the plants in the garden today.

The allotment situation is unchanged and I am thinking that maybe I should just get on and remove some of the grass from my garden and grow veg there.  I have been trying to work out where would be the best place to remove the grass and think I have come up with a plan.

Our garden faces north so it is not the best for getting the sun, if there ever is any sun.  However I think the area at the side of the greenhouse could be put to use as a veg bed.  This has the added advantage, or maybe a disadvantage, of always being quite damp as the water comes down the hill to the bottom layer of the garden.  Here are some pics of the garden taken last week.  It is looking very green at the moment.  The first one is the greenhouse and the area of grass I am thinking of taking up.

I need to write a letter to a friend I have not heard from for years and I have a few emails I need to write.  None of them seem to be happening and I have felt I had nothing to write here... my inspiration has gone... well it had, but I have decided I need to get my finger out and get on with it so here I am.