Check
the label on plants before you buy to see if they are suitable for your garden.
Didn’t see it coming
“You’ll need to take that off before it collapses the roof”
I am getting a bit of friendly advice from a visiting relative about the ivy
that is quickly engulfing the garage. I cleared some of it last year but in no
time what so ever it has re grown and not only covered one outside wall, it’s
crept into the garage through the cracks around the window. The funny thing about the ivy is that I just
didn’t see it coming and never even noticed the shoots creeping into the
cupboards in the garage.
The day after being given the advice I have taken down the
main bulk of growth but I’ll need to dig the roots out at some stage before it
comes back. My mother’s reasons for not growing ivy and any form of climber on
the house walls were confirmed as I found loads of slugs, snails and earwigs
living in the ivy. My mother was convinced that climbers harboured rats and
mice too and she also thought rats come up the toilet bowl when you go on
holiday; maybe I’ll check that later.
Mower Moan
I’m still unsure about the mower but I have reinstated an
old pair of edge cutters to get where the flymo can’t get which will save me
having to get the strimmer out. It
didn’t take much sharpening and a bit of oil got it cutting as good as new,
slicing through the long grass with a satisfying whooshing noise like the doors
of the Starship Enterprise (That noise is actually made by pulling a letter out of an envelope). I might even have a go at fixing up an old scythe I
have, it might be easier to use then the mower.
Giving it all away
I’ve got an abundance of salad crops at the moment and have
been giving bags full of them to visitors - whether they like it or not. “Ah go
on, just a few more” I tell them as I put more and more lettuce into a
bag. I am also giving away spinach by
the bagfull to and tell people that you need at least four carrier bags full
for a meal “as it boils down to nothing”. Things are expanding at a phenomenal
rate the all of the rain and sunshine. So much so I am taking out last years
broccoli to make a bit of space. Don’t
get me wrong, I love the stuff and even though it’s in the ground for a long
time I wouldn’t be without it. The issue is that it’s still cropping when
everything else the following year needs to be planted out into their growing
places. I think we have about got
everything off of the plants that we can, the remaining shoots are so small
that it would take about a day to harvest enough for a meal. “They go well in a salad “I tell visitors as I
throw some into the carrier bag. It’s time to allow the rest to go to flowers
for the bees as I need the space for the
summer squashes and tomatoes. I never have much luck with outdoor toms, but
this year might be different.
Thorny Issues
I got a few bargains at the garden centre this week. I
needed a centre piece for a container and wanted something a bit different to
the usual Cordyline and found a Dwarf Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) reduced
from €18 to €4 for some reason. I didn’t question why as it looked fine to me
and felt as though I had bought a bargain. These plants are quite hardy
although might need a bit of protection against hard frost. They can grow to
3.5 metres too but I doubt that’ll ever happen. I put the plant into the boot
of the car and maybe found the reason for the price reduction. The spikes on
the stems are like razors. They make rose bush thorns look like soft feathers.
It was only after the spikes took the skin off my hand that I read the warning
on the label. It even told me to keep the plant away from clothing. Maybe not
so much of a bargain after all.
Tail Wagging
Chips the dog came back to us after her overnight stay at
the vets this week - minus the eye. It’s all stitched up and thankfully she
didn’t come back with the lampshade of shame on her head. The vet said she is so well behaved and
doesn’t scratch that it wasn’t needed. She is at the door as usual with a ball
in her mouth ready to go for her walk. Her
tail is still wagging and her enthusiasm for life is still unquestioning as she
delves into the brambles and undergrowth with the tail wagging. Inspirational
stuff.
