Monday 30th May 2023: Yesterday was overcast for most of the day so I was able to get some work done outside. Today it’s sunny again so I have scorted about doing as much as possible before it gets too hot to work in. Our weather is nuts sometimes, we got from cold and wet to mild and wet to full on blue skies with not much transition in-between. My walnut tree is not yet in full leaf and usually shades the greenhouse a little is the summer but the heat we have had for the past couple of weeks is on a par with early/mid summer and as a result the plants in the greenhouse are suffering. I have removed all but those that love the heat, zinnia for instance, everything else has been moved out for now.
I am at the stage where I will be cutting flowers daily, mostly to keep more flowers coming but I do have a good few orders to do as well and of course Friday flowers which may soon become daily flowers.
I have had to put covers in place on a couple of the beds as the cats think they are deluxe toilet facilities 🙄 they damage the roots keep scratching the soil up. Other jobs included labelling and putting more plants out for sale, planting up some pots for the front area, feeding and watering anything that looks in need and anything else that looks like it needed doing, staking in this string breeze we have at the minute is a must.
Indoors at 1ish to have some lunch and sort the contents of the fridge, take some of it to the torts, sit down for a while a recoup. There are not enough hours in the day at the minute and I really need a clone or two 😂 or as I said to a friend, at least a cook and a cleaner. I already primed John that his job tonight is too mow a strip down the driveway, not all of it but just enough to make it look tidy. I can’t start the mower still because of my hand, I don’t have full grip yet otherwise I would do it myself. We have open gardens in the village soon so I thought I’d better make it look a bit presentable. Not that we are even in the village or that I am opening mine, I’m not, I used to open mine at our old place and it’s a lot of work. I have also gardened for those who then open their gardens and and take all the credit 😜
Yet again this year I will be lacking in veg that is mostly due to not being able to get things sown and planted when I needed to. I have dwarf beans, broad beans, courgettes and onions in but that’s it, if I remember I will get some sprouting broccoli sown ready for early next year that is always a welcome bit of greens to have. I have tomato and cucumbers in but no carrots, beetroot or any root veg but I can always sow some late carrots. The peas all shrivelled up in the greenhouse heat, what with that and my incapacitation it’s been a bit of a disaster year for the veg. At least the fruit is all coming along nicely though 😁
Tuesday: I spent the morning cutting some flowers and general pottering in the garden, mostly weeding but some sowing of annuals and a bit of watering as everything is very dry again already. The water butt by the greenhouse is empty, it’s all or nothing with the rain.
Wednesday: Overcast again this morning though we have had a smattering of rain overnight by the looks of things. It won’t take much at this time of year to perk the plants up no end and even if it doesn’t soak the ground it rehydrates the leaves at least which will give them a boost. It feels very much cooler today as well, the sun is supposed to appear later this has been the routine for the last three days I think.
Cut a bucket full of flowers today to make up into bunches, there is so much growing now that I will probably be able to put out flowers during the week as well as Fridays. I will make those up later and put them out into the flower shed.
Friday: Forgot to blog yesterday but I cut some jam jars flowers then went out for coffee and cake in the morning with the girls and the children then to the park for an hour so they could let off some half term steam. Onto the shop to get some shopping for the bbq on Saturday and then in the afternoon I felt a little unwell and actually nodded off for a while. John came home, he got the dinner and cut the grass and while he was cutting it I nodded off again! Definitely something going on. I made up the jam jars late evening once I was feeling better again.
Today we were up early as I needed to get a bucketful of flowers cut for an order later today then off to get some blood tests done. I haven’t had any for a while because I either was away or I haven’t been well enough to go. John then went off to the Osteopath, his shoulder/neck is still not right and it might be that he needs to have it looked at medically yet if it’s not resolved by other means. I find that these days you have to do a lot of looking out for yourself when it comes to medical issues due to the NHS being overloaded. I have only physically seen my consultant once since the pandemic and so now I test my own urine as they used to routinely do it when I went. I want to be able to pick up any problems as early as possible, I don’t mind doing it but I do feel that there are going to be so many problems ahead for people at this rate. I know we are lucky to have the service and they are fabulous once it’s identified that there is a problem but sadly many fall through the net I think. I was thinking about when I had that really bad cough, there wasn’t a doctor in the land that wanted to see anyone with a cough 😂 so I borrowed an inhaler from a family member which helped enormously but not the way it should be. The other thing I am thinking about is not having my next covid jab that they keep reminding me I am due for. I missed my flu jab simply because since last October I have rarely had any time that I have been 100%. I had infections that were difficult to clear up, then a cough worse than I have ever had in my entire life, a week or so when I was well at Christmas, another cough after which lasted forever, then the eye problem and finally the shingles 🤔 I am wondering (and I know I am not the only one) what the jabs have done to my already compromised immune system. On the other hand I wonder what would happen if I don’t have the jab, difficult choice to make 🤷♀️
The rest of today I will be sorting stuff out for the bbq tomorrow I hope it warms up a tad, it has been cold most of the week with overcast skies. When the sun does occasionally come out it’s hot mind you so maybe a bit of cloud and a bit of sun would be the perfect solution.
I have had to relent and put my fleece hoodie back on today rather than just a long sleeve top and Gillet, 2nd June and it’s flipping cold, ridiculous 🙄
The girls all came over in the afternoon and we sorted out the garden ready for the bbq, garden chairs needed washing etc. Sam then went and gave the horses a bath and Jack especially is looking very shiny now lol.
In the evening John and I went shopping for the bbq, it cost a fair amount but you are only 60 once I guess and you can’t take it with you so may as well enjoy it.
Watered the garden until it got dark, we have not have rain for around three weeks, we are not forecast any for at least another two weeks and when the sun comes out it is hot! Every year is different so it’s difficult to get a handle on what is best to do.
Saturday: 9am and I am already pooped 😂 did the morning jobs then get stuff out of the freezer to defrost, out to water the pots in the front, get out tablecloths and set up all the condiments and cutlery etc. Quick breakfast before everyone arrives to help out.
It was a long day 😂 but a really lovely afternoon and evening even if I did buy way too much meat for the bbq 🙄 luckily it was all fresh and so it is now in the freezer.
Sunday: Bit of a lay in after yesterdays busy day but once we were up we got on with the day. Once the usual jobs were done I cut a couple of bucketfuls of flowers for upcoming orders and Johns job of the day was to get the sink in the flower hut connected up to the water. I also got some hooks put up in the ceiling for drying flowers and the drying net for drying petals. Mum came up around 9 and spent a good few hours doing some weeding for me in the fruit cage which had got out of control. I had the hose connected to my watering system to water one of the front beds and I will need to do plenty of watering this evening. The lack of rain during May is ridiculous and none in sight for the next couple of weeks at least, everything is getting crispy.
frieslandfarm (flowers) 