Last year was one of the wettest years on record and most of my fruit and veg was ruined. This year I’m hoping and praying for better weather, but so far there’s little sign of improvement as it’s still constantly raining or snowing and it’s freezing, and I mean perishingly cold which makes it hard to get anything outdoors done. I’ve never known so many birds visit the feeders, and I’ve had to buy three more to keep up with them.
And it’s not just the birds. I went out today and caught Duggy googling things like Spanish villas, sangria testing, etc, so I think I may be losing him…and the cat!
Yet despite the gloomy weather there are signs of spring, the daffs and crocus are out and I even saw a few cherry blossoms on our trees today.
Today I began chitting the potatoes. I’m going to to try and grow as much food as I can in the greenhouse this year as at least I can control how much water they get in there. The potatoes will go in the veggie patch in a week or so…..
Last year I took the runners from the strawberry plants that I grow in an old chiminea and started a new strawberry patch. It’s amazing how many new plants you can get from one old one. Having said that, the dogs ate the lot!
Behind the new strawberry plants I’m hoping to grow delphiniums, one of my favourite cottage garden plants.
And I’ve bought six new fruit trees, apple, cherry and apricots. I think I’ll plant them in tubs for the first year and plant them out next year as it does get windy around here. It gives them a better start.
Another job needing sorting, my veggie patch! I actually still have some onions and beetroot growing here. They have been in since last spring so I imagine they will be as tough as old boots!
Meanwhile, the greenhouse is quickly filling up. I can do without Sam squeezing himself in there. I bought a lemon tree yesterday that has lots of new fruits on so I’m looking forward to fresh lemons in the summer. Yum!
And finally, my speedy cress turned out to be speedy after all! And along with the cress I have raddish, garlic, broccoli, cosmos, marigolds and stock sprouting! Bring on the good weather eh?
Ugh…. No signs of spring here yet in the American Midwest. Would be nice, but we just got snow 3 days last week, supposed to have it again 2x this week, and with temps still hovering around 3-5C, spring feels a long way off.
I always love when you post Duggy’s picture. I think he needs some vacation, lol.
Btw recently I rescued another street dog with some nasty wounds on his leg. I think he’s a mix terrier. The problem is he carry too many fleas and ticks. And now my other dog got it too 🙁
What should I do to get rid of those tiny creatures?
Oh Debbie, how lovely of you, you’re becoming their angel.
Here in the UK there are lot’s of products on the market to deal with fleas, and they can be bought in supermarkets and pet shops which is a lot cheaper than going to the vet.
The best product here is called advantage, you put a drop of it under the dog’s collar on the back of it’s neck were it can’t reach to lick it off. Then every flea or tick that bites or sucks the dogs blood dies, and it lasts for months.
After all the products I’ve tried over the years I find It is the best solution as it kills every flea…..I’m sure it’s available in your neck of the woods, but if not there are plenty of shampoo’s and sprays available.
Good luck with your new friend, you now have a pack!!! xxxxx
I forgot to say….I’m sure you can get the flea treatment on the internet, if for any reason you can’t get what you need , I’m happy to get it for you and post it on. You’re doing a great job with those dogs, if only there were more like you.xxxxx
Advantage, I will try to find it on the pet shop. The vet gave an injection which I think doesn’t work. So I bought 2 anti fleas collar that smells like pepermint. Also I take them to grooming centre every week because they have some anti tick and fleas treatment there.
They told me to clean the house completely because the fleas hide on the bed or curtain or everywhere else. Well well….lots of work to do, lol.
May I have your email? I’d like to send their pictures to you 🙂
My email is dina_cuthbertson@hotmail.com. I can’t wait to see them.
The beauty of advantage or front line as it’s also called is that every live flea will die if it bites the dog so all the fleas in the house end up dead and you can apply it each month until the fleas are gone. It’s brilliant stuff, and deffo works better than any other product I’ve ever had.xxxxx
I’ve sent the email for you 🙂
So front line is the same as advantage? I think I’ve seen front line in one of the pet shops here. I’ll try to get it tomorrow.
Thanks for the advise 😀
Six new fruit trees that is exciting, look forward to watching them grow and fruit for you. I planted my first proper apple tree at my allotment last year and I’m hoping to get my first crops this year. Spring is inching ever closer!
Thanks Annie, it is lovely to have something new and get all excited about watching it grow isn’t it….I do quite well for fruit as I have apple and plum trees, so hoping these take! Good luck with your tree!xxxxx
Good luck with all your growings of things… I am rubbish at growing anything…… I would love to be one of those self-sufficient types and grow all my own fruit and veg…. and I applaud you in your endeavours! Duggie has the right idea I reckon and I hope he finds a nice warm sunny holiday resort to warm his bones up a bit!!
Maybe he should learn to knit and knit himself a little sort of tube for each of his bones! Could be very colourful and jolly!!!
Trust Sam to stick his beak and everything else too into the greenhouse…!xxxx
At the moment you don’t have a scrap of time, maybe when you do you could throw some spuds at a container, home grown food is much tastier, somehow you can almost taste the freshness.
Lol….I have a confession, I can’t knit!!! But you have given me an idea for a little outfit for Duggie…..I feel like going somewhere warm too, I mean it’s ridiculously cold!!!!
Oh Sam….seriously GOOFY he is, poking his huge nose into everything and thinking he’s tiny!!! He trots around like a pony with a big square smile on his face!!!!xxxxx
As always a wonderful post and fascinating images……..I love the stocks.x
Thanks Janet. I bought the stocks at an auction, they belonged to a local village and are really old.
Lovely to see you here.xxxxx
Lovely! :yes: Plenty signs around these parts down here on the south coast….Faint ‘signs’ further north from where I returned last night…
In a few week we can all proclaim….Spring has sprung….;)
Thanks Ell, oh I do hope so. It was quite mild today so I was able to get out in the garden, what a difference a few hours can make.
I missed you, glad you’re home.xxxxx
Lovely to see the new growth and the daffodils.
I’m with Duggy, time for a holiday in the sun.
It’s so uplifting to see a blossom or two isn’t it?
Yes, I can’t say I blame him!xxxxx
Lots of exciting stuff going on in the garden. We’re starting to plan for our veggie patch & butterfly garden.
Oh….I love butterfly gardens, I’ll look forward to seeing your grow.xxxxx
Well Duggy is well dressed for his upcoming trip; too bad he’ll have to travel solo since he has no body to go with 😉
I bet you are pleased with the start in your greenhouse. We are in need of sunshine here as well, but it is only February and then March will blow in…so patience is necessary.
Your enthusiasm to my posts has perked me up and I’ve put up another 🙂 Thanks.
Hahahahaha….VERY good Glo….no body an all…..
I’m getting really excited about the greenhouse now, I sit in there every day, hail, rain or shine while the dogs get their run and each day new seeds are sprouting which is such a pleasure to see. My crocus have opened in there now so it’s bright and cheery with the daffs in bloom as well.
I simply love seeing and hearing about your wildlife.xxxxx
Beautiful Snowdrop picture, and I love the bit about Dougie. Your right about the signs of Spring, I noticed the first Camelia is out in my garden, a sure sign that things will soon be livening up out there. The poor Herb garden looks so miserable in Winter as everything dies right back and the sage bush looks very scraggy where the dogs have jumped all over it. But I know that it will all look amazing again once the growing season truly kicks in. Your Greenhouse is looking good and I am very jealous of your Lemon Tree. I might treat myself to a Fig Tree this year!
Lol thanks Sam.
My Camelia is as dead as a Dodo!
My herb garden is looking a little bleak too, but herbs have the capacity to green up so quickly.
I’m thrilled with the lemon tree, it has about twelve buds on so if I nurture it I should get lemons come summer.
I had a fig, and it died during the snows of 2011.xxxxx
I agree with you about the greenhouse – I certainly wouldn’t want to be without mine. Great to see things growing – I have my windowsills filled with tomato plants at the moment – the greenhouse is much too cold for them I just wish it would get a bit warmer. Sigh 🙁
Y’know Elaine, I’m thinking about some sort of heater for my greenhouse, just to get things moving after a bad winter. Here’s to your tomato plants germinating!!!xxxxx
There are plenty of signs of spring but we just need some better weather to go with them. It’s cold, grey and wet here this morning!
It looks like you’ve already made a good start to the new season. xx
Yes spring has sprung but the sun refuses to shine……hopefully we’ll see it soon!
It is lovely to watch the seedlings sprout, something you never tire of seeing.xxxxx
Personally, I love lemons. I drink lemon juice with soda (no sugar) all summer long, and put a little lemon in my tea in winter. Sorry there are thoughts of exodus among your intimate companions, but I did enjoy the pictures. Maybe you’ll have to widen the glass house, if your country continues to become more cold and rainy…
Well I have to say I’ve never had lemon and soda or put it in my tea. But given your recommendation I will now give it a go!
Ahhh….what can I say, my friends are fickle!!!
I am seriously considering getting a few more greenhouses, last year was such a washout and I do really prefer home grown food that has no additives, chemicals or pesticides in it, and it’s so good for the pollinators.xxxx
Yes, it sure does look like spring! Your snowdrops look so sweet. Mine are very very late. One of my sparaxis blooming – talk about confused! Love love love seeing all the new starts in your greenhouse. Can never get enough of new spring growth! Now about those buried “old boots”….
I’m amazed you don’t have snowdrops, especially as your roses are budding! The weather is weird worldwide I think and the plants are very confused as are the wildlife. I watched a documentary the other day which confirmed that the weather is extreme worldwide, they called it weather wierding!
Ahhhh, new growth, I can’t get enough of it either.
Lol to the old boots!!!!xxxxx
Hahaha I love Dougie in this one – I don’t blame him getting off to warmer pastures x
Lol, thanks Scarlett…..he is NOT amused!xxxxx
Yes; the first signs of spring are there – we just need the warmth and the sun now. You’re going to have some lovely fruit when everything is established – wonderful! I lost my lemon tree last year in one exceptionally cold night, even though it was swathed in fleece. Seeing your tree reminds me to replace it. And I’m sorry you’ll lose Duggy because he’s wimping out in the cold. He should show a bit of backbone!
Awww….what a shame about your lemon tree. I lost all sorts in the snow two years ago, an aged tree fern, a palm tree and all my bay trees. The bay eventually through off new shoots as did the palm but my tree fern never came back.
I’m hoping the lemon tree thrives in the greenhouse, and I can always bring it indoors over the winter if it gets too cold.
Yes, a little warmth would be a godsend!xxxxx
Let’s hope that your grown-at-home efforts pay off. And don’t let a bit of veggie growth put you off a holiday in the Med.
I’m really hoping to use every inch in the greenhouse this year just in case we ger a repeat of last year’s dismal weather.
Ahhhh….a holiday would be nice!xxxxx
Poor Duggy; I see his bags are packed…hope the sight of your lovely daffs and the lemon tree encourage him to stick it out…cat, too! Since I’m looking forward to snow again tomorrow, I’m greatly enlivened by your photos and endlessly positive spirit, Miss Snow Bird. Thank you, and happy Full Moon!
I can’t BELIEVE you are still getting snow! You poor thing, you must have cabin fever, just like Duggy, maybe a holiday is forthcoming?
It is lovely to see the first blooms of spring appearing. I’ve had enough of the cold now!xxxxx
Excellent idea to grow as much as poss in the greenhouse so you have some control over the British weather – genius! It all looks so organised and I do love your enthusiasm!
Lol thanks Gilly. I’m doing quite well with the greenhouse so far, I’m already eating fresh salad leaves, cress and water cress! I’m planning on growing leeks, garlic and broccoli in there too. xxxxx
Oh Jo….the very thought of another hour of daylight lifts my spirits. As the nights get lighter you can get so much more done.
I only got my greenhouse about four years ago, they do make such a difference, especially getting the seeds started! Thanks Jo.xxxxx
I’m really hoping that this year isn’t the washout that it was last year. You’ve got a lovely big greenhouse, you should be able to fit plenty in there, mine’s only 6X4 so no room at all, I just about manage to squash a few tomato plants in there. There are lots of signs of spring about now, and we’re only a few weeks away from the clocks going forward which gives us some extra daylight at the end of the day, I always think that makes a difference.