Month: May 2021

You’ve been asking for ages to have a nosey round the Cottage in the Sky so here it is….starting in the bathroom. I talk you through how I managed to entirely gut the old bathroom and replace it with this one for just £250 ($355) including all the ‘furniture’…….and a bit of graft! There has never been much money to make the Cottage in the Sky comfortable and homely…….but always plenty of imagination, skip diving and hard work. Come and have a nosey…..

I’m feeling quite excited today….the sun is shining and we have warmth again…….and I’m right on the cusp of my first harvest of this new season! But first I need to tackle a pest issue……yes, I have Blackfly…grr…….but I share with you my gentle, organic solution. The varieties talked about today are: Broad beans both Claudia Aquadulce and Aquadulce Super, Celery Green Utah and Garlic Violet.

Not quite on the sofa but grab a cuppa and join me anyway for a natter and a bit of a rant……plus a few sleepless nights and a clumsy moment…oops!

On a very stormy morning I get myself organised in the shed for my next lot of seed sowing; today it’s climbing beans………I talk about the different types and how I use them. I also take a moment to reflect on lessons learned last year and how I hope to apply them in future. The seeds I’m sowing today are: Gigantes, Coco Sophie, Borlotti, Trail of Tears, Helda, Scarlet Emperor Runners, Madeira Maroon and Black Churchill.

It’s a big seed sowing day for me today but first, a quick chat in the shed about a change of plan and whether certain crops are worth growing……..including my beloved chickpeas. Are chickpeas worth growing? It depends how you want to use them!

During a quick ‘seedling exodus’ trip to the garden I make the most of my time down there by gathering up some free material…….this frugal gardener is always on the look out for free stuff to help in the garden (the only cost is a bit of time and effort)! Also a chat in the shed about a couple of my tomato varieties and about the changes happening on site as we come out of lockdown…….so many reasons to be cheerful!

It was a week ago that I shared my May garden tour with you and I was feeling a little behind and somewhat daunted by the all work that needed doing. I know some of you were too so here’s a quick look at the garden one week later…..please take heart from it…..we CAN do it! Also, my rationale for moving the paths over by just a few centimetres….

Grab yourself a cup of tea…it’s a chatty one while I take a bit of time out from a very hectic week. I have many beautiful things to say thank you for……and a bit of a chat about my excitement for moving house and what I’m looking for in my next property.

The great seedling exodus of 2021 has started! Every trip to the garden now means carrying a load of seedlings…..it’s exciting to see the cold frame starting to fill up. While I’m here today I also take some time to plant out some flowers from cuttings and corms: Crocosmia, Honeysuckle, a rambling Rose, Sweet Peas….and give the herb bed a bit of love too.

Yikes! The months are whizzing by and suddenly we’re in May….the mad month of May if you grow your own veggies. May is the month when it all happens…..there is much to do in the garden, more seeds to sow, more transplants to harden off…join me for a walk around the garden to assess where it’s at and what needs doing.