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| A gorgeous sunny day here in the nursery |
We are having a wee run of proper summer weather this week, blue skies, sunshine and heat. It is so welcome, it lifts the spirits, helps us and the plants thrive. It is such a contrast to last week's torrential rain. Back to the nursery on Wednesday and as usual the first job was the cafe flowers. It is always good to catch up on some cheery banter with the cafe staff and treat myself to a mocha once the flowers are done. There are a wealth of garden and wild flowers to chose from at the moment for arranging, imagine how many more once I get more gardens planted. I spent the rest of the day weeding and tidying the stock beds and amazingly got all the stock beds finished despite the heat! Not sure what was powering me that day but it was good to get that big job done and dusted so quickly (until next time of course).
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| This week's cafe flowers are giving me some ideas for someone's wedding this time next year |
The pond plants for sale and water feature in the sales area is really coming into it's own now. We have a selection of plants suitable for ponds, water features, pond margins and damp ground. The water plants are grown in our specially built water sales area, created from recycled materials by David which adds another interesting feature to the nursery. We have waterlillies, Equisetum hymale, Ranunculus acris 'Flore Pleno', Mazus reptans 'Alba', Lobelia vedrarienses, Gratiola officinalis, Cotula coronopifolia and oxygenators.
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| Equisetum hymale |
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| Lobelia vedrarienses |
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| Our aquatics sales area |
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| Lovely exotic waterlillies |
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| This one almost didn't look real |
On Thursday the weather wasn't so good, guess we're slipping back into "normal" Scottish summer weather. I gave the sales area a tidy, removing plants that are going over and adding in a few new late summer flowering perennials. The last of the annuals have gone onto the reduced shelves and I've stocked up the fruit table. I tidied out the water feature and cut back some of the plants, good thing about doing it in summer is the water isn't so cold! The rest of the day was spent re-potting perennials in the stock beds, 9cm pots getting potted up into 1 or 2 litre pots for next year. By potting them now they will have plenty time to root through before winter.
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| MY cats watching for the school bus in the morning! |
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| The sales area in the sun |
Friday and it was someone's birthday. This old Quirky bird is not sure how she feels about being the wrong side of 45 sliding rapidly towards 50! How the heck did that happen? If it wasn't for the tiredness and aching joints I'd swear I was still 18. Any hoo, I was wonderfully spoiled by the lovely people I am lucky to have in my life these days. I got another piece of art to add to my wee collection from David. I love it's wierd wackyness, David hates it lol. Cards, chocolate, wine and books were all much appreciated from my boys, friends and family.
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| My gift from David |
In the evening I was taken out to one of my favourite places in Edinburgh, this time it was a venue at the Edinburgh festival, a night at the museum in the National Museum of Scotland. What a night, it was fabulous. Drinks, food, specially selected festival entertainment and access to the museum, perfect. We did the park and ride again, it was a lovely warm evening, chocolate cake and wine before we left the house, just to warm up for the evening you understand, ha ha.
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| The main stage in the museum |
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| Love this place, and it was extra special tonight |
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| Lots of lovely lighting |
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| These guys were excellent |
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| It would be rude not to |
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| Looking not too shabby for the wrong side of 45 |
Back to old claes and work on Saturday and Sunday. The weather wasn't so good either, it rained and rained, was overcast and not that great really. I spent a few hours in the tunnel on both mornings potting up successful cuttings and more seedlings. We have so many new plants for next year, it's exciting. in the afternoonsI worked through more plants in the stock beds potting them up. Adam was helping on Sunday and got the compost heaps compacted and then barrowed up all the dead, old and unlabelled grasses that are going out. He made a great job of chucking them all in the compost heaps and sorting out the pots. That means all that is left on the middle terrace is three batches of grasses to be re-potted and moved to the new grasses stock beds. Fantastic, it will be so good to get grasses finished at long long last. My aim when I go back on Wednesday once the daily chores are done is to plough through those grasses until they are done. That will be a big tick off the job list!
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| When Adam was clearing weeds in the old grasses are he found this Elephant Hawk moth catterpillar |
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| They are impressive creatures |
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| Earlier in the week I found this grey dagger moth caterpillar |
Our days off were turned around this week as David has a survey to do on the Tuesday evening. We weren't feeling like doing much on Monday so headed off to have a look at landscaping materials for our next big project. We called in at Brick and Stone in Broxburn where they specialise in recycled brick, stone, architectural salvage and stuff, as you can imagine we could have spent a wee fortune but we were good and didn't. Afterwards we went for a walk along the Union Canal from Broxburn to Winchburgh, a bit of the canal I haven't walked. The weather was warm, there were lots of wild flowers and Bracken enjoyed his walk too. After our walk we went for a late lunch before heading home to a relaxing evening. I feel a cold coming on, which is never a good thing, sore neck, throat and just that general feeling of yuk.
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| Starting our walk, a four mile walk to Winchburgh and back, just a nice length for tired people |
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| Filipendula ulmaria, Meadowsweet in full flower |
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| Bracken not sure about being so close to the water |
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| Views over the fields towards Edinburgh |
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| Niddty Castle |
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| Solanum dulcamara, woody nightshade, Union canal |
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| Stachys officinalis, Betony, Union Canal |
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| Swaying in the wind, crops, Union Canal |
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| Union Canal |
Monday and a long lie, definitely feeling under the weather with a lurgy of some kind but too much to do. It was a catching up and cleaning day resulting in a clean house, clean car and a much clearer desk and therefore a clearer head. The weather was showery and not very summery, no changes there then. So another week looms, we're back into the school morning routine especially as the taxi comes much later so I get an extra half hour in bed, happy days! Enjoy your day and week, catch you later.
Rona
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