Potting, digging and Inverness

Hello, we've had some pretty good weather recently, dry and even warm. There is still lots of colour in the nursery with the trees and shrubs taking on their autumn tints and late flowering perennials still with lots of showy flowers. I've finished re potting all the trees and shrubs, still lots of perennials to work through though.

There is still lots of colour in the nursery, Mints and Pelargoniums are still flowering

I've been making the most of the good weather by getting on with the entrance to the Secret wildlife garden in the nursery. I'm digging over a bed on either side of the path leading to the arch and planning to plant them up with native plants and some small trees. The ground is stony and full of perennial weeds and grass but over time we'll get it cleared out and will add in organic matter to improve the soil. I'm looking forward to seeing this area finished and then we'll move through the arch and start on the wildlife garden. I've also got a honeysuckle to plant over the arch and will add some roses and clematis for summer colour and scent.

Digging new beds at the entrance to the wildlife
garden in the nursery

Thursday was a bit of a stressful day as my car went in for a service and needed a lot done, I didn't get any change out of a £1000! So it's bread and water for the rest of the year. I also arrived at the nursery that morning to find something had turned over a lot of the newly potted up plants in the stock beds, so a morning wasted putting them all back in pots, sweeping up compost and re potting. Still my car is running a lot better, smoother and has brakes, always look on the bright side!

We've had some great sunsets and I've discovered if I walk up into the sheep field at the back of the house
I can get some great shots down the valley

Part of the bucket list

I had some old friends visit the nursery last Sunday, I used to work with them and it was lovely to catch up with Ron and Jane and wee Indie and treat ourselves to some coffee and cake in the cafe. Daniel, my youngest has been cooking dinner every night, if it's not ready for me getting home from the nursery, it's ready soon after.  He is a star at 14 and doesn't let his aspergers hold him back. There is a hint of Gordon Ramsay when Daniel is in the kitchen cooking, but the food is spot on and presented beautifully too. I am also working on my huge bucket list, I've done a lot on it, but not for a while, so I am ticking of the easy to do things. I don't want my life to be completely taken up with the nursery. I want to own it, not for it to own me as I have seen happen to so many other people.

Interesting sky driving home during the week

Lots of lovely squashes for sale in the shop at Whitmuir

David has been busy helping when he has a spare hour or so, it's nearing the end of the bat season so he is especially busy. But he has renovated an old bench for a corner of the nursery, I love the colour of it.

Newly renovated bench by David in the nursery

On Tuesday, our day off, we headed off on a train trip to Inverness. A bit of a way for a day trip but David had a survey to do on an old school so it made sense to go by train as it was in the city centre. It is ages since I've been anywhere by train and it made for a very relaxing day, as we headed north over the River Forth, through mountains and across rivers. We got good views of the new road bridge being built, enjoyed a picnic lunch as we travelled through Aviemore, chatted and read books.

Crossing the Forth Rail Bridge

The river Forth from Fife

We had to change trains in Perth, so had a wander around the station while waiting

Ben Vrackie from Pitlochry, I've climbed that one

Inside the school being surveyed, reminds me very much of
my old primary school

Some of the art still hanging in the school

The self seeded Budleias in the school grounds were covered in bees

Flaking paint on huts in the school grounds

An imposing building 

Rowan berries in the school grounds

After doing the survey, we still had a bit of time before the train home, so we did tourist stuff. We climbed up to the castle and enjoyed the view along the River Ness to the mountains in the west. We did some shopping and enjoyed coffee and cake.

Inverness Castle, a Georgian creation built on an ancient castle site

Views to the west and fond memories of mountain climbing there

The evening sun on the hills as we headed home on the train

It was a great day out, I am enjoying our days off as we make an effort to do something and go out so it really feels like a day off, going by train really made it relaxing even when we nearly missed the first train in Edinburgh in the morning!

Lights on the new forth Bridge as we crossed the River Forth

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