Dig, Dig, Dig

A mixed bag of weather this week, sun, hailstones, rain and snow. I have been keeping on top of my gardens. I applied a generous stack of muck to my Autumn raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries. I have put cardboard under the gooseberry bushes to prevent gooseberry sawfly.

Autumn raspberries are cut back each year

Gooseberry and blackcurrant flowers are forming

Our beech hedge is coming into leaf.

When all the new leaves cover the hedge the dead leaves are shed

The farmers are busy rolling the grass and ploughing fields. The lambs are growing but are still young enough to gamble at dusk. I heard  the cry of three oyster catchers when I walked along the river in the evening. Candy my dog has gone back to the kennels she came from. 

Very smart

The gorse is a vibrant yellow along the lanes.

Acid yellow

Dandelions rule OK.

Dandelions are sun lovers and the flowers are also edible

The gentle Welsh poppies remind me of my friend.

Paper thin petals

I am making a series of door wreaths using flowers in season.

Ivy, blossom and daisies 

These are some of the flower arrangements I did for the Easter display at church.

For the entrance to the Haydock Centre

For the entrance porch

I have been weeding my allotment, extending the vegetable beds. I have made excellent progress with some very long days of digging. The soil is rock hard. I hope to finish by next week. Many of my vegetable plants in the greenhouse are ready to plant out, broad beans and kale and sweetcorn. I have planted some flower seeds today and the greenhouse is almost full. 

Hi ho, hi ho it's off to dig I go

I have redesigned my bees that feature in all my gardens and on my allotment.

New this year are wire wings

This is a sock monkey I made for my granddaughter.

Cheeky