........... said Anne. "Like a slap in the face when you expected a kiss.” - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Ingleside.
We haven't had snow this April but we sure have had a slap in the face. Continuing on in lock down we feel lucky to be at the nursery every day with all the space and sunshine and being able to get on with all the work needing done but desperately missing our customers and of course the income of the nursery.
We have had to take decisions to change the way we get our customers and plants together. We have been doing deliveries to the Peebles and Tweed Valley area and this week made the decision to experiment with a click and collect method of selling plants. I already have all our available plants on the website, so now customers can make a list and email it to me and then pay over the phone and come and collect their plants from the nursery gate. We've been doing it for several days and it's going very well. Its a lot more work for me but it is bringing in some money and our customers are appreciating being able to buy plants.
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It's a gorgeous day for doing deliveries, who knew our
business model would change so dramatically! Keeps the pennies coming in tho |
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Enjoying the April sun and warmth, one is working hard
and one isn't as you can see |
Work in the nursery and gardens continues. David is making great progress in the new garden, digging, shift compost from our compost boxes to dig in. The garden is moving on amazingly quickly. I'm getting on with nursery work, potting, tidying, propagating, working through the stock beds tidying, working through the polytunnels. It's all getting there. The gardens are coming to life helped by all this glorious weather. I know as soon as it rains we will have a massive surge of weed growth, all those seeds waiting to germinate - help!
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| continuing on with our rainbow plants - Violet |
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| and Indigo |
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Meanwhile Poppy cat has decided shredding my
expensive sansevieria is a good game! |
Every day there is more colour in the gardens and nursery, especially on these sunny days, everything shines! hellebores and daffodils are in full flower and little gems like the anemones and pulmonarias are doing their thing.
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| Carex dipsacea |
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Epimedium 'Spine Tingler' and
Gymnocarpium dryopteris |
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| Primula auricula 'Callender Park' |
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| Primula auricula 'Chaffinch' |
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| Sempervivium |
Useful plants from the garden - Fennel
An aromatic herb, green fennel makes a great, hearty clump of tall stems with fresh green, feathery foliage and flat-topped umbels of pale-yellow flowers in late summer. Use the seeds to lightly fragrance Basmati rice. Easily attaining 2m in favourable conditions. Looks fab in summer with tall grasses and summer perennials and the bugs and beasties love it too!
Fennel Pesto
1 cup toasted walnut 3 cups loosely packed fennel fronds
1 lemon juiced 1 clove garlic
1 tsp sea salt 1/2 cup olive oil (plus extra)
Toast the walnuts over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until they start to turn a nice golden brown color. Set aside to cool.
Add the walnuts, fennel fronds, lemon juice, garlic and salt to a food processor. Add in half of the olive oil and pulse or blend until incorporated. Continue blending while slowly pouring in the rest of the olive oil and desired consistency is reached (you may need to add in a little more olive oil or water 1 tsp at a time if you prefer it thinner)
Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze for later use
So the lock down continues, this strange time we find ourselves living through, trying to cope with the new normal they are calling it. We are taking it day by day, enjoying making progress in the nursery, quiet evenings and day off at home, good food, simple things, grateful for good health, healthy children, friends and family, gentle walks from the cottage and much more. It has been such a gorgeous April, glorious sunny days, abundant lambs in the fields, daffodils and blossom everywhere and ironically very few of us are able to get out and enjoy it!
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| Lambs everywhere |
Having caught up on domestic chores on Tuesday morning, we did the reverse of our river and woodland walk, mixing it up as try not to get weary of not getting out and about on our day off. We headed along the river, easy to cross now that the water level is down. Up through the ancient birch woods where we found wood anemones, more primrose and buds bursting everywhere on the trees. Bracken and I enjoyed a seat on the bank in the sun while David changed the memory card on his camera (no otters yet but plenty sheep, the heron and ducks!) On up the hill out of the woods and onto the forestry track and wandering back home. So pleasant in the lovely weather and exciting to see the woods come to life after winter. We've only ever sen the river and woodland winter having moved here in early December.
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| Anemone nemerosa, the wood anemone |
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| Bracken the dog, another wild thing |
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| alfresco lunch after our walk |
So thats out week, trying to fill all my social media with lovely plant and flower photos or mad dog pics to help everyone feel a bit better. Take care, stay well.
#rural #countrylife #countryliving #cottagelife #antiquecottagescenes #interiors #scottishborders #independantretailer #smallbusiness #localbusiness #independantplantnursery #uniqueplantnursery #hardyscottishplants #scottishgarden #gardeningontheedge #scottishborders
If you want to find out what's been happening in our garden at home like our Facebook page
If you to see whats new and looking good at the nursery like our Facebook page
All contents and photographs © Rona, unauthorised reproduction & use of these images is strictly forbidden, thank you
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