Garden Girl Blog

was a snow garden.

We worked from home as there was no way we could have got the car out.  It did stop snowing this afternoon and it is starting to go a bit already.

Sadly some of the gutters are back down again.

We have snow, but not as much as they said was coming, the husband even went off to work on his motor bike.  They are still saying there will be more but it all seems very wet so it may not come to much.

I have someone coming for an estimate on the en-suite so best go and tidy up a bit.

Woke up with the alarm but really did not want to get out of bed, did manage in the end.  It was really dark outside and cold, not very good but I guess we get payback in the evenings.  Anyway I drove all the way in still dark but the birds were singing, amazing the difference an hour makes.   There is no snow for us as yet but I think it is due to arrive later today.

So far at work I have rebooted my PC three times and worked out there are overall problems and it is not just me.  Not a very productive start to my day and everything is very much on a go slow.  Oh well.

When I was young spiders would put the fear of god in me and I would scream if one was anywhere near me.  Needless to say my brothers loved this and if they had not been quite so afraid they, would have picked them up and put them on me.  However, lucky for me there never quite managed to do this. 

Even in my 20s I was still found on a chair with my kitten in hand ringing up someone to come and save me from the beast that was on the floor.  Don't forget your key because I cannot get off the chair and please be quick!

I am not sure what happened in my 30s, but I found some sort of peace in the words of my father.  He always said that ' they will always be more frightened than you' and the gift of a 'spider catcher' like this has given me some freedom and understanding towards them.  No longer do I always feel the need to run and get the hoover to remove them one way or another, now they can be released back to the garden.

I have been running round the house tonight trying to catch one, spider catcher in hand.  Although it did not move quite as fast as they do in my imagination, it darted under a dresser and was gone from my reach.  I am sure it will be back out tomorrow and I will have another go.

So when you see one and jump on a chair, remember it will be more scared than you are and the hoover is not the only solution.

we had one the other day.  Seems the shower in en-suite was never fitted properly when the house was built over six years ago.  All the pipes have corroded and started to leak, maybe they were leaking all the time but they started to leak more and the water worked through to the ceiling in the front room.

We have a wonderful house but it does seem the standard of work undertaken by the builders was lacking and we now have to live with the results.  Lots of the neighbours have had leaks far worse than ours.  We still have issues with our chimney and the harling on it.  Fingers crossed the builder is going to come back and fix that again.

Although I try no to, I worry there will be other things just waiting to happen, lots of the neighbours love talking about how badly the houses have been built and this just makes me worry even more.

We now have to get the front room ceiling fixed and also sort out the en-suite, the shower has been cut off and they had to take tiles off to get to it.  We were thinking of getting a new en-suite put in later this year, so we need to bring that forward now.

It is all a pain.

I had a dream last night that I was at work and I was in a meeting to try and fix something and my husband just kept talking to me.  I was trying to get on with what I was doing but he would not stop.  Then the alarm went off and I had to get up for work, the husband was sound asleep next to me not saying a word.

I am not sure what this was telling me but maybe just that I did not want to go back to work after my nice extended weekend, however back to work I went.

Maybe it should have been a warning that I was going to be disorganised all day, I am not sure what went wrong and it is most unlike me, but disorganised I was.  I must try harder tomorrow.  At last it is the weekend very soon.

We had a nice break near Windermere but the weather was not so good, we had rain and fog so ended up spending time in our cottage just relaxing.  We did get out for a few walks between the rain drops and got a few photos.  Here are some...

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Today has been another really nice sunny day.  I have been out in the garden for most of the day.  I have cleared the weeds from behind the back fence and cut down some of the broom that was growing very close to our back fence.  I also removed a few weeds in the garden and cut down the final few plants that need cutting down.

Everything is feeling like it is ready and waiting for more sun and to start the spring and summer garden show. I even saw a butterfly today but it looked like it had only just woken up and was warming in the sun.  No bees as yet.

This evening I put dinner on and sat on the deck with the husband having a glass of wine talking about the things we plan to do before the summer.  It was very nice but I was a little tiddly by the time dinner was cooked and over half the bottle of wine had gone, I blame the puss...  Think it will be an early night for me!

The husband took me out for a quick drive last night to show me some snowdrops he had spotted.  They were in a small wood just beside a main road and there was a huge mass of them.  They looked fab but it was a busy road and quite dark under the trees so we were not able to get a photo.

The drive home gave us really good views of the Pentland Hills and we did stop for a quick photo.  The sky was nice and blue  with a few moody clouds passing by, the hills are dark with just a few painted on lines of snow.

The badger is back...and I think he has been bad.  Someone dug up some of my newly planted plants and I think he has a guilty look on his face.  He better not do it again!

Yesterday I got out in the garden for most of the afternoon.  I potted on a few of the seeds I have been growing and sorted out the heater in the greenhouse.  I also planted out the plants I brought the other day and some plants that had been in the greenhouse all winter.  The beds now have some colour so look much better but there is still a long way to go.

I sat watching the temperature in the greenhouse plummet last night and in the end I went out and got the little plants to keep them in the house overnight.  It got down to almost freezing and that would have finished them off.  I will put them back out today but think I could end up bringing them in and out for a while yet.

The sky is blue so am off to get dressed and organised to go out and do a bit more.

and still they keep coming.

Yesterday this fella showed up, we were thinking that overnight Mr Fox might have him for his supper but he is still around this morning.  Say hello to Pez the pheasant.

It is my day off again.  Am going to have a quick go round the house then I want to get out in the garden for a while.  I got some new plants yesterday as I want a little colour in the garden, so I will be putting them out today. I will also be going to check on all my little seeds.

Have a good day.

yesterday, we saw the most wonderful sky.  It was like the sky had turned into red sea and the waves were flowing all around.  I had my little camera so here is my best shot but it is not great.

Realised today it is this weekend.  Have not sorted out gifts but I do have cards... somewhere, but I need to find them.  The husband says we should not worry about gifts and just send the cards.

Not sure how well that will really go down... what do you think?

but would much rather be at home doing stuff in the garden.   Right back to my email.

I went out to do something in the greenhouse just before it got dark.  I looked down at the bed checking on my seeds, needless to say they have not grown yet, which is disappointing.  They were planted this morning so you would think they should have done something by now ... anyway I digress... there on the bed was a SLUG .

Going to have to go to the shops and stock up on salt.

I went out to lunch with a friend today, it was nice to catch up and have a relaxing time in the middle of the day.  After that, I had a potter in the garden.  The ground is still frozen in places and there is still a little bit of snow. However, I got on and cut back my dogwood, the council had done the ones round the local pond so I know the time is right.  I also dug up a few of the plants that have not made it through the winter.  I think some of them were bedding plants from last year so it is expected that they will need to be replaced.

I need to go behind the garden soon and dig out the weeds, they are all coming under the fence so if I get them before they start to grow again it will make life much easier, maybe a job for Friday or the weekend.

I have started off some seeds in the greenhouse, but it is still quite cold in there so not sure if much will happen yet, but it feels good to have made a start.

It is a beautiful day today and my day off.  Yesterday was a bit of a mad day at work so I am quite pleased to be away from there today.

I was up early and the chaps came back to seal in my bath... again, but they have also put in extra supports, fingers crossed it does the job this time.

Housework is mostly done and I have washing hung out on the line.  I had to clean the clothes line, which was a bit of a strange thing to do, but it is out and fingers crossed it will dry.  Next lot just about to go in!

Here are a few other photos from our recent visit to Dawyck gardens, don't worry it is not more snowdrops.

These all looked like they were crying out to be touched, but they also looked good.

Today is warm and the sun is out.  Even the snow is having a struggle not to melt away and be gone.  It really feels like spring has arrived.  I am off out in the garden to potter and help the husband clean the car.

Yesterday we went to Dawyck gardens to see the snowdrops. It is a beautiful place to go and very nice to see lots of snowdrops.  We arrived at lunchtime, had something to eat and then went for a wander.  It was quite in the gardens and we walked all around.

Several times we stopped to listen to the birds, there were many different ones around, all very busy collecting food and not that interested in us.  They were singing away as they went around collecting. It really was wonderful to just be still and listen to their songs.

A few photos of Dawyck for you.

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The snow is clearing from the garden and hill behind and is now just looks brown and boring, but we did have a blue sky.  It is a little warmer so fingers crossed the flowers will soon start to show.

This guy is hanging around our garden today, the little birds have done the sensible thing and are not around.

It seems quite funny when someone has to correct your graffiti for spelling errors.

Nice sentiment though.

Also saw this fella on the bottom of a wall on the same day, thought he was quite sweet and just minding his own business.

Looks like he is in a bit of a rush.

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Today we have a Pied Wagtail in the garden.  He has been here most of the day and is enjoying having an easy source of food.  He has been sitting in the swinging bird table wagging his tail, as they do.

He was more than happy to pose for a photo.

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Yesterday my latest copy of Easy Living arrived.  I have just been sitting having a flick through the pages, without trying it opens at an advert showing my 'personal invitation' to discover the Youth Activating Concentrate that has got women talking... then next flick and a big advert to 'Unlock the Youth Code'.  I think they sent this on purpose to get at me! 

I am sorry but I cannot be 40, I would like a recount!

I am not 40, that is how old my mother is, so I cannot be that age as well. What happened, where did the years go? I can remember being 21, it was not that long ago!

Really something has gone wrong, time went into fast forward I just know it cannot be true, please tell me I am not 40 already!