I haven't done a weekly catch up for a while, mainly because I don't want to bore you all with nursery, nursery, nursery, which is what life generally is at the moment. Over the last couple of days the prairie border at home has burst in to colour, mainly due to the poppies I sowed earlier in the year. I liberally cast the seeds I got from David's Mum all over the border and I think every single one has come up! I do love them though. I was expecting the usual pale pink of Papaver somnifera but was very pleasantly surprised by their striking dark colour as you can see from the photos below. The bees love them and the border is literally buzzing.
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| Deep coloured Poppies with bee friend |
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| Bee close up on the poppies |
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| A border full of poppies |
We are getting so much done and have really made a huge difference to the look of the nursery to make it appealing to customers and it is certainly working. We get so many compliments from people who visit us. I really am loving it it but it is only natural to miss the freedom of going places for a day out, having time off, having a holiday and a life especially when you see everyone on Facebook away on summer holidays or weekends away and doing different things. I haven't had a summer holiday for two years and really miss that chance to get away for a couple of weeks and travel and explore somewhere new. Tuesday is my day off and although it would be nice to go off for the day, we didn't fancy driving around all day and wanted a relaxing time around the house. So the day went a bit like this:
A better night's sleep
A long lie, coffee in bed then a leisurely breakfast of scrambled eggs and good coffee
Errands done in the local town
A walk up Black Mount, our local big hill, been meaning to do it since we moved here a year ago
New pillows arrived and will hopefully improve my sleep
Lots of chores caught up on around the house
Some gardening done
Road tax paid
New chooks ordered and delivered the same day
Steak dinner cooked by Daniel with a lovely bottle of wine
The several week old ironing finished
I feel much better and on top of things again and it was great to get up a hill again, even if a relatively small one.
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| Bracken, king of the hill, on the trig on Black Mount |
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| Coulter Fell in cloud from black Mount |
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| Dead Heather, Black Mount |
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| A dark peaty puddle |
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| Everyone smile, at the top of the hill |
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| Jamie on the trig |
What about the new chooks? We've lost three old ladies in the year we have been here and I had promised Daniel we would get some more, especially the Light Sussex my Uncle has on Coll, which he took a fancy to when we were there at Easter. When I woke up at 7am on Tuesday morning I decided my first job would be to go ahead and order some as a surprise for Dan, I ordered two Sussex and one Black rock and waited on an email to say when they would be delivered. We went off for our walk in the afternoon and came back to a note through the door saying the new hens were shut in the hen house, now that is service. Here they are:
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| Buffy the cockerel inspecting the new ladies |
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| The new ladies |
I have had a bit of a lurgy, probably a cold combined with hay fever and not sleeping well which along with working six days a week and being busy busy has left quite exhausted. Although we are technically closed on a Monday I have been working to get everything done, but this Monday I decided to have a long lie and try to catch up on some sleep. I caught up on some chores, went down to the local town to fill up the car with petrol, has everyone else noticed the price is creeping up again? I bought a card and pressies to send to my niece for her birthday and then headed to work. The day was spent ordering new plants for next year (exciting) and dividing and potting (free plants). I find it really satisfying dividing and re potting the neglected plants, making more stock from a few plants for next year and watching them grow, invigorated by fresh compost, fertilizer and water.
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Andrew who runs the wood shack built this lovely planter in the
car park and I've planted it up. |
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| There are 2 litters of new tiny piglets in the field behind the nursery, they are cute |
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| Everyone smile |
We've not had much success with the vegetable growing due the even colder than normal summer here in Scotland. Daniel's first three varieties of potatoes have been good however. There is a promising courgette in the greenhouse and the kale is good. We are not expecting to get the beans, carrots or beetroot before the weather turns though.
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| Daniel's successful potatoes |
I love those dark poppies. I've tried to grow these in my garden without success. I'm glad that you've found some time to get things done and relax a bit - hope you're feeling better soon. Love the hilltop views, and I hope your hens settle in well :)
ReplyDeleteCathy x
Hi Cathy, they are a gorgeous colour, some hot summer weather would help us feel better I think. The new hens are being rebels and trying to roost on the garden shed next to the run rather than go in their shed at night!
DeleteI wish we had space for chickens! And yes, the piglets are very cute.
ReplyDeleteLovely photographs. You've inspired me to do more black and white images...
S
Thank you, a few chickens don't need a lot of space, it depends if you are happy for them to free range about the garden (they can be destructive!) My boys always enjoyed fetching the eggs and feeding them when they were wee. I don't do enough B&W even though I love the finished result :)
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