A Neglected Vegetable Garden

Well I'm back, happy and in full health, which is more than can be said for the garden. While I was ill the garden has been neglected. We worked hard at the weekend to make some improvements but at the start of the weekend the garden was (and still is, despite our efforts) a sorry sight. The weeds, left to their own devices had made themselves very much at home in our raised beds. The salad leaves and spinach, with no-one to supervise them, had got carried away and bolted. The many plants waiting to be transplanted had given up waiting for their new home and started fruiting anyway, as best they can in a three inch pot.

The greenhouse, which last year resembled a jungle with the towering tomato and cucumber plants, is, this year, almost bare. The cucumber plants we did manage to put into grow bags had fallen over and the salad leaves and herbs we were growing in there are scorched from the heat and lack of water. Our Little Garden Helpers sunflowers have fallen over and some of them have snapped. The potatoes have not been earthed up and billions of black fly have made themselves a happy home amongst our broad beans. The carrots, leeks, spring onions and beetroot are in a particularly sorry state. Many of them had failed to grow, caused by intermittent watering and being smothered by weeds. Those that have grown have been competing with each other as they have never been thinned out. Our rhubarb, which was so happy in its new shadier spot earlier this year, is all but dead, having disappeared completely from view by a particular vigorous weed. The worms are all dead. I could go on but I think you probably get the picture and if not here are some photos of our neglected vegetable garden.

 

Stunted tomatoes

 

Hello Blackfly!

 

Spot the Blueberry Bush

 

 Bolted Spinach

 

An Empty Greenhouse

 

Not So Sunny Sunflowers

 

100 weeds to every carrot

On the positive side of things, Grandad South did get rid of all the weeds from the patio so we can sit outside without the weeds tickling our ankles. He also mowed the lawns so we could see our Little Garden Helpers amongst the grass when they were playing outside and he finished the hanging baskets I started but never finished, which means that if all the other tomatoes fail we will at least have some lovely Tumbling Toms. And the strawberries, with no intervention on our part, are producing a punnet full of fruit every other day, so in all honesty I cannot complain. If I can sit down with a bowl of freshly grown strawberries at the end of the day I am happy.

Pneumonia

This is just a quick post to let you know I am signing off for a couple of weeks. I was admitted to hospital earlier in the week with Pneumonia and although I back at home now I need to rest as much as I can. So if you are wondering where I have disappeared to it is the sofa or the bed.

I'll be back soon though so please do return in a few weeks to find out if the garden has survived without me and get an update on all my little garden helpers who have been fabulous over the last few days, keeping a smile on my face.

Garden Dad In Charge

For the moment I have given Garden Dad charge of the garden. I have managed to line a couple hanging baskets and fill them with some compost and I have done some idle weeding but really Garden Dad is enjoying the time with Garden Girl and Garden Boy in the garden while I feed a hungry Garden Lass and try to get some rest.

Garden Boy's enthusiasm for planting and sowing seeds remains and he has helped me transplant courgettes to bigger pots and helped Garden Dad sow swede and turnip seeds. Garden Girl has been less interested in the garden since the arrival of Garden Lass, preferring instead to remain close by the side of her new little sister, She intermittently runs out to assist Garden Dad but she quickly returns to check on Garden Lass. Garden Boy meanwhile has been enoying some father/son time with Garden Dad, helping him dig and weed and playing with his new wheelbarrow. Today between the three of them they managed to plant our pumpkins out, build a couple of wigwams for the runner beans and plant them and prepare the bed for planting.And Garden Lass? Well she has done a lot of sleeping and feeding, enjoying the garden from the cosy comfort of her moses basket or relaxing on my knee taking in all the new sights and sounds of our garden.

The garden is in good hands and Garden Dad has been working hard to keep things going out there and I'm sure it won't be long before I get the opportunity to do more but I'm not complaining. I've got the best job of all, looking after Garden Lass.

A New Garden Helper

Garden Lass, now almost one week old, was born happy and healthy, weighing 8 pounds 11and a half ounces. She has been feeding well and letting us get at least some sleep and with the lovely weather we have been having she has already been relaxing in the garden. Garden Boy is a little shy of his little sister but very gentle with her and has taken on the responsibility of helping with nappy changes. Otherwise he has pretty much carried on as normal, playing with his toys and winding up his big sister. Garden Girl is behaving in much the same way as she did when Garden Boy was born and just wants to be wherever her new sister is. She has given Garden Lass endless cuddles and kisses, she has been singing her songs, reading her stories and telling her all about the things she likes and the things she will teach her.

Garden Dad and I are a little tired but we are enjoying the time with our three little garden helpers. It has been nice to have the sunshine so we have all been able to get outdoors although there has been very little gardening and much more sitting on the patio feeding Garden Lass for me and running about playing for Garden Girl, Garden Boy and Garden Dad.

The Calm Before the Chaos

You would all be forgiven if you thought that my lack of posting was due to the arrival of Garden Bump and the accompanying chaos and fun that comes with a newborn. But in reality, all is calm in the world of our Little Garden Helpers, in particular with Garden Bump who seems quite content to remain snuggled inside my tummy for the time being. I am hoping that the sunshine we are now enjoying might help to encourage Garden Bump into the world. In the meantime I have spent the last couple of weeks wondering if every ache and pain and every braxton hicks could be the start of labour. I have ended every day exhausted, though perhaps less from running after two toddlers with a big bump, and more from all the tense moments of 'could this be it?' only to be flatly disappointed when it turns out just to be backache from spending too much time sitting on the floor playing trains. 

Today I am sitting on the patio with a cool drink, looking at all the plants hardening off and wondering whatever possessed us to sow so many seeds which are now healthy plants needing attention I am not able to give them. Whenever the weather permitted, Garden Dad, Garden Girl and Garden Boy did venture out into the garden at the weekend to transplant some of the plants and try to keep on top of the weeding but last year I did so much of the gardening midweek with our Little Garden Helpers that this year, by comparison, we are far behind schedule. And I am missing the dirt between my finger nails. Still, now that Garden Bump is a week overdue at least I know that he or she will make an appearance within the week.And hopefully the weather will remain as beautiful as it is today while Garden Dad is on paternity leave so he can occupy our Little Garden Helpers with garden tasks whenever they need distracting from the baby.

Freedom to Speak

Garden Boy has been ill for the last couple of days with a sky high temperature and the need for lots of cuddles. Consequently I have been forced to spend time sitting on the sofa relaxing. Unfortunately I have also been forced to get up in the middle of the night a lot, to provide comfort and a willing ear. All the sleep Garden Boy has been getting in the day time has resulted in a few hours of night time alertness that Garden Boy has been enjoying. You see, usually Garden Boy struggles to get a word in edgeways. Garden Girl has always been a chatterbox and Garden Boy who is currently working very hard at speaking in clear sentences is often cut off by an eager Garden Girl who speaks faster and louder than her younger brother. Now though, Garden Boy has discovered that in the middle of the night, when Garden Girl is sleeping, words can tumble from his mouth freely and without interruption.

During our night time conversations I have discovered that Garden Boy loves his sister, loves cowboy hats and pretty much anything to do with Toy Story, that he wants to help change Garden Bump's nappy, wants Garden Bump to come out of mummy's tummy, wants to cuddle and rock the baby and he wants to show the baby his garden and his greenhouse. He also wants Garden Bump to wear welly boots and eat ice lollies. He wants Garden Bump to be a boy but thinks it is a girl.

He is clearly excited about being a big brother and proud of his garden, so despite the lack of sleep I am smiling. I just hope that these night time conversations remain rare but treasured shared moments and that his future hour long monologues take place at a more civilised time.

A Photographic Tour

Between the wet weather and a growing bump the garden hasn't seen much progress recently, however everything we have already sown seems to be flourishing in the warmish and wet conditions so with nothing to report progress wise I thought I would give you a photographic tour of the garden.