Bats, Beaches and Border Towns

Back to earth on Wednesday and back to work with youngest son in tow as he is doing his work experience with me this week. We checked the tunnel and did some watering and potting and then brought a trolley load of plants back to sort out. It is colder this week, so back to layers again. Dan spent most of the day working through the seedlings we brought from the tunnel, potting them into strips for selling while I carried on weeding the stock beds and sorting through some grasses ready for re-potting. David came over and finished the irrigation system in the tunnel so now I can turn a tap and the water comes on and the tunnel is watered without me having to stand forever watering. Yeh! The evening was spent catching up with domestic chores including doing the food shopping online and the massive monster ironing! The excitement.

Cardamine pratensis 'Flore Pleno' in the sales area

A later start on Thursday in order to go to the post office, bank and doctor, a few wee errands out the way. I checked the tunnel while Dan opened up and got everything ready for the day. I spent most of the day weeding and topping up the sales area while dodging showers, but I got it done in the end with some new plants out for sale from the tunnel, it is really filling up and so nice to see at last, after a long winter of no colour on the sales tables. David came over and worked on his latest project, making wooden crates while Dan dug out some black currants. These are in the way of the water storage tanks so we have moved them further along the hedge where they will soon grow away. He then flattened the area and made it ready for the tanks. So all in all a productive day despite the showers. A lazy relaxing pamper night was in order after tea. With David out working most evenings I get command of the TV too for the survey season.

Looking good in the sales area

Pots, herb planters and wee Quirky birds for sale here in the nursery

The wind has got up and it wasn't the beans! Chilly again, but I'm weeding the drive so that will help keep me warm. Dan emptied a lots of dead grasses from the old grass area and swept up leaves and weeds, so at least it looks a bit tidier until I have all the grasses moved and re-potted. Having weeded the track I carried on and started the steam planting as it really was needing some attention. The plants are really filling out now having been in for almost a year but the weeds are growing faster! The Candelabra primulas are coming into flower with P. pulverulenta in pink and P. chungensis in orange. The Gunnera has got two leaves and Anthriscus 'Ravenswing' is in full flower. Once the borders around the top were weeded it was time to get the wellies on and get into the stream to weed and top dress the bankings. Once weeded Daniel brought down barrows of compost from the compost bins and I topped up some eroded part of the bank, covering exposed roots on some of the plants. Once established the plant roots will bind the soil of the banking together.

We haven't had a tunnel photo for a while, I have taken so many plants out but you wouldn't know as it
fills up so quickly. You can just about make out the new water system working with the sprinklers in place

You too could have your own Quirky bird in
the garden, available in the nursery

Despite being tired on Friday night I decided to accompany David to Penicuik house where he was doing another bat walk. It was a pleasant evening despite the occasional drizzle. We saw plenty bats of three varieties including the Daubentons bat that feeds just above water.

Doing dog stuff while the bat group checked bat boxes

Inside the ruins of the house

The ruins of Penicuik house in black and white

Oxalis in the woods

Violets under the trees

The weekend and from having two extra bodies in the nursery most of last week to just me and the dog. David and Ben are working and Dan is away to is dad's. The weather over the weekend was not too bad, with a couple of heavy showers on Sunday afternoon, sunshine and short sleeves. I managed to get a chunk more stock bed weeding done, potting and moving plants back and forward to the tunnel. Bracken managed to behave himself as nursery dog. There were lots of lovely customers to chat to and help. I treated myself to some luxury ready meals which were very nice and a good bottle of wine then a relaxing evening of relaxing watching tv with the doglet.

Caught!

The post must have known I was having a
weekend to myself and supplied reading
material

Cacti in the greenhouse at home are looking great after their re-pot a month or so ago

Pelargonium 'Tornado'

Another buy day on Monday with re-doing the cafe flowers and preparing plants for the plant sale we are doing on Saturday. I selected several trays of good looking plants and tidied and labeled them. I might add some more if I feel there are enough out in flower by Friday. The rest of the day was spent restocking and weeding the sales area, weeding the stock beds and some potting. The weather was not too bad



Dianthus and Tulips in amongst the herbs at home, making
an eye catching little scene at the back door

Our day off this week took us to Berwick upon Tweed, a town we've passed many a time heading up or down the A1 but not explored for many years and certainly not together. It also meant we could have a walk on the beach and enjoy the sun. I love the beach in any weather, it's a good thing I don't live next to one or I'd get nothing done. An hour or so down the road found us parked next to the long pier that shelters the mouth of the River Tweed where it empties into the North Sea. It was a bit dull to begin with but we didn't mind as we walked to the end where the lovely stripy light house sits.

Light house on the pier, Berwick upon Tweed

Message in a bottle

This gave me a chance to tick something else of my bucket list, to send a message in a bottle off into the horizon. Being at the mouth of a big river the current and out going tide should take it out on it's journey.

There was plenty Sea Thrift growing on the pier

We walked back along the pier and onto the beach where Bracken had a great time racing around. He loves the beach and we love watching him. He ran in huge circles, taking off and flying over rock pools and splashing in them looking for the sticks we threw him. 

Bracken on the beach

Flying dog

I found it

From the beach we went off in search of lunch, which we found in a wee cafe. I had scampi and chips, because you should when by the sea. We then had a lovely walk around the old town walls and the sun came out, it was lovely to wander and enjoy the views of sea and town. We could peek down into old town gardens where cherry trees and magnolias were flowering in profusion.


The pier from the town walls


Old town 

Cherry trees and blue skies on the town walls

A lovely day off after another busy week, and some valuable time together. There is still masses of work to do in the nursery so I better crack on. Have a great week.





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Comments

  1. I have polytunnel envy!!

    Beautiful photos as ever :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Ali, Believe me it takes some work to keep up with it, but it is fab, I had hoped to have a corner for veg but I seem to have filled it with all my propagating :)

    ReplyDelete

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