Mellow Yellow

Today, whilst we were out for a jolly, we came across the cutest little bird house that we couldn't resist buying even though it was on the plain side. I saw the potential, brought it home and painted yellow flowers on it. Bri saw the perfect bee for '21Bee' which we also bought which meant we needed a new sign for the plot. So I painted yellow flowers on one of those as well. So, between us, we got something for the top and the bottom. Couldn't leave out the middle, so we found a little bee for the bee and herb garden sign. We passed on the gnomes even though there wasn't a shortage of them. We got carried away with all the yellow and bought a yellow butterfly for the shed and a sunflower door stop and some yellow mimulus as well for our other hanging basket. With all this yellow we will probably need sunglasses!

Another Fine Mess?

I have decided I should never sit for even a few minutes doing nothing down the plot because I will always come up with yet another strange idea. Yesterday's was 'let's make a leafy canopy over the patio bit to give us shade on blisteringly hot days', I know we only get one or two but you can't risk it! I also have a sudden passion for brown rustic string since the bunting caper. So I got Bri to heave me up on the bench so I could tie string into the opposite bushes to our posts above the bench and then I can train the Mile a Minute vine across to the other side and Voila! a leafy roof, dappled sunlight, pretty.. yeah! Well we shall see what we shall see. The Mile a Minute has already grown a foot since we left yesterday afternoon so I reckon my the end of this week maybe.... In reality I shall probably need a machete as I have read horror stories on wikipedia about this vine overnight such as it starting in York County, Pennsylvania crosssing the state line and going on for another 300 miles. Whoops! Bri says " that sounds like another fine mess you've got me into".

A-Bunting We Will Go

Yesterday, after planting some more peas, watering everything in sight, weeding and generally keeping control of the plot, we thought we would have a bit of fun. I made some bunting for the shed last weekend with some material I had had from the quilt fair that has tea pots and kettles printed on it. We thought it would be a nice touch of nostalgia to go with the 1940s postcards, cherry cake sign and Webb's lettuce signs on the shed door. It now feels like going back in time with growing our own and the atmosphere set for afternoon tea and scones accompanied by the birds singing and the bees buzzing all around us. Pure bliss... Ooo I have just found a really old fashioned recipe for cherry cake and lemonade. Where's the sun we're ready.

Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree...

... with anyone else but me, hum, hum...Our godson, Simon, sent us two cut off tree trunks yesterday because he'd remembered from our last visit, that I wanted one ass-sized to sit on which fitted perfectly and he had also carved mine and Bri's initials on it which was really, really thoughtful and another one to raise our bird bath off the floor. It now looks a treat. He had been clearing broken trees from his Mom and Dad's orchard and he knew this was just what I needed for our lottie. We can now sit, well just about, under our very young apple trees and sing! Well the simple pleasures in life are always the best.

Bread and Brass Monkeys

With the weather taking a turn for the worse, and it feeling like winter on the plot, we hurriedly potted on lettuce, sowed a few more beans as nothing has turned up yet, had a quick chat with Wendy and Carl the newcomers opposite the gate, whose plot is looking delightful, and said thank you to Barry for offering some white broccoli spears for me to steam, which we will pick tomorrow. We hurried home out of the cold and wind to try and persuade Molly to venture out. Nothing doing there, she's no fool. She has a cosy position on the back of the settee where she can look out without shivering. Talk about a fair weather cat! So what do we do with the rest of the day before going to Terry and Yvonne's for lunch? I know, we'll make bread, something I've wanted to do for a long time and now I have read about biga, I think I know how to get it less like a brick. My last effort could have been used as a murder weapon and the evidence eaten! So, I am making an Italian/ French country loaf. If all goes well, I shall be putting a photo of my loaf at the end of this. If not, we shall be using it as a door stop. Well, we are back from lunch and my bread must have been a success because I took it with me and my little great-niece (2), who wouldn't eat her dinner, had a slice and then asked for another and she didn't have to butter me up.