The weather this morning really couldn't make up its mind as to whether it would be sunny or rainy. As a consequence I too was at a loss as to which activity to start as I was no sooner collecting things for the garden before it started raining, and as soon as I started getting organised indoors it came out sunny. So in the end I did the dishes, sorted out the mess I had made in the kitchen potting up plants of various descriptions and put on a load of washing.

By that stage it had finally decided it would be sunny, windy and overcast, but not raining, so I went out to set up my raised beds. Of course the critical item for making them is the driver bit that takes hex heads as I plan to use some of the numerous roofing-type screws that I have lying about (the ones too short to actually use for roofing, I have no idea why I have them actually) to attach the roofing sheets to the pieces of wood I plan to use for the frames. But i am not too sure where I last put it .... So rather than spend a day searching likely pozzies, I decided instead to make the steps I planned for between these new raised beds and the ones that are already there. For this I needed tyres. I had one tyre with nothing in the middle, but the other two still have their hubs attached. And the jemmy bar does not make a satisfactory tyre lever - at least not when I am using it.


Inspiration struck and I went to the service station which, under the new management, specialises in small engines, tyre rotations and replacement. And sure enough they have a stockpile of tyres out the back they were only too glad to get rid of. So I brought four home, but discovered I really only needed two, and set to work. Here is the result of my day's labour ...

I also pulled out the remaining brassicas which had all run to seed - there are still two broccoli in the patch, but i will cut them tomorrow and haul out the rest of the plants. So part of that bed has been dug over, and more compost added to the soil. The garlics that were poked in among the brassicas have been transplanted (eek, I hear you say) to the edges of the container and three gooseberries installed - their potted companions are to follow if the weather is kind tomorrow but these were bravely clinging to life in the sand heap, so were given precedence. And I have also started digging over the old chook pen floor in anticipation of a crop of corn and cucurbits in there. It is a pretty small area - only 2 metres square, so I will probably continue digging outside the boundaries so that I have a decent sized plot.


Out the front I was astonished to see that the crab apples have actually set flowers - they are still tiny buds at present, but they are definitely flower buds, not leaf buds - so that is exciting news. I also discovered these lovely little flowers in among the bulbs given me by Eleanor. They are a flower I have been looking for for years, but have been somewhat hampered due to the fact I have no idea what they are called. I first saw them as a child when I visited the elderly lady who lived in the two storey house that is next door to what is now Casaveen. Who knows, these may even be decendents of those same flowers since they came from an Oatlands garden ...

Finally, just to prove that the brassica bed did produce something of worth, here is the cauliflower before it became soup ...