perennial sweetpeas – Eileen's Tiny Welsh Garden

Six on Saturday: 11 December 2021

Published on 11th Dec 2021 by Eileen's Tiny Welsh Garden10 Comments

Another grey and damp morning here in North Wales with not a lot going on gardening wise outdoors or in, though I did remember to water my houseplants this morning and gathered more leaves from the patio yesterday during the ten-minutes of sun. So, to this week’s Six on Saturday hosted by The Propagator.

The babies on my air plants grew large enough to be removed. I’ve used a stand that previously held hanging candle holders and three glass ‘baubles’ that I’ve had in my craft cupboard for a while waiting for the ideal project.

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Monthly Roundup: September

Published on 1st Oct 202129th Sep 2021 by Eileen's Tiny Welsh Garden4 Comments

Compost Corner

Not strictly September but on the last day of August, I emptied Compost Bin 2 into old growbags and compost bags – eleven in total – ready to take to the allotment to help improve the soil in my bed. So while Bin #1 does its thing over winter, I can start a new batch in Bin #2.

I could, however, have done without the eight-and-a-half-hours in A&E with chest pains that followed; and the potential diagnosis of angina following two ECGs, four blood tests, and four hours on a cardiac monitor. I am now on one low dosage aspirin a day, have a GTN spray for when the pain starts. BUT, after a chat with a cardiac nurse on September 10th, it MIGHT NOT be angina after all. Further tests are being arranged.

Gardening, apparently, is the best exercise; though I doubt she meant lugging great pots of compost around and stretching across raised bed. She probably thought I meant a little gentle pruning and a bit of weeding!

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Monthly Round-Up: August

Published on 1st Sep 202130th Aug 2021 by Eileen's Tiny Welsh Garden

August has been a long month, concentrating as we were on house and garden maintenance; not so much gardening, more prettifying the area around the garden by painting exterior walls and paintwork, as detailed here and here. A month that, as it neared the end, found us running out of energy and time to do the things that had to be done.

Tuesday last week found me painting the other side of the gate and the frame around the garage door, which I wasn’t looking forward to as it is fiddly to get at. The old paint was flaking off and required a lot of preparation before I could start. But it’s done now (though with the garage door half open I did spot a couple of patches where the brown paint hadn’t covered the blue; but they’re underneath the dips in the door and can’t be seen when it’s down. I can live with that for a couple of years).

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Six on Saturday: 10 July 2021

Published on 10th Jul 2021 by Eileen's Tiny Welsh Garden15 Comments

A grey day so far, cool too. Everything that needed it had a good watering and feed yesterday, and there seems to be a lull in the vegetable production, though salad leaves of several varieties are still going. In the front border, I’ve deadheaded all the peonies; they only lasted a couple of weeks this year and no sign of further buds – perhaps the clumps need splitting, a job on the list for autumn. I’ve also managed to beat the birds to the alpine strawberries and have a few handfuls in the freezer. When I have enough, we’ll eat them with some ice-cream.

Right, time for my Six on Saturday selection – six things in the garden – suggested by The Propagator and the highlight of the gardening week (along with Gardener’s World on the tellybox).

It’s honeysuckle time in the shady borders at the back of the house (under the trees).

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Six on Saturday: 26 June 2021

Published on 26th Jun 2021 by Eileen's Tiny Welsh Garden7 Comments

Late again! Not because I overslept but because we took advantage of the ‘sunny’ weather here in North Wales to get on with our ~~TOP SECRET~~ Project (all will be revealed hopefully before the end of this month). The sun did come out, eventually, just as we were packing up for the day. So before I sit back and look through all the Six on Saturday posts for this week – courtesy of The Propagator – I’d better send mine hurtling through cyberspace. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to sit down with a beverage of your choice, a chocolate Hob Nob or three, and to read it!

Perennial Sweet Peas have suddenly produced flowers – and very pretty they are too. Shame there’s no scent.

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Six on Saturday: 12 June 2021

Published on 12th Jun 2021 by Eileen's Tiny Welsh Garden11 Comments

With the weekend forecast set to HOT and VERY HOT, I’m planning on staying inside with the blinds closed. Nextdoor’s trees have been shedding fat catkins for a fortnight and now the patio is awash with laburnum blossom. Of couse, he doesn’t see any of it – or have to clean it up – because the prevailing wind is from his direction.

Sweet pea ‘Cupani – I’ve now planted every pot on either side of the arch in Raised Bed A and they’ve been flowering for two weeks. Not yet the bower of sweet perfume I’d hoped for, but getting there. Mine are approximately two to three feet tall; they should grow to between five and six feet tall. They probably need feeding (and dead-heading).

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