I did pop out in the garden first thing on the Saturday morning but that was just for Mark to take a quick photo of me and my Rhubarb. The first Saturday in May is Naked Gardening Day, yes it’s a thing, and the only thing you’re supposed to wear is a smile, so here’s my contribution.

Hopefully the neighbours weren’t looking out their upstairs windows at the time.

Once that was done, a freakishly busy Saturday, and yes more freakishly busy than normal, was to follow. The local church that I ring at recently had a massive restoration project done on it. The church is over 700 years old, and all the stonework, roof, windows, you name it, it was done and restored back to its former glory. For over 5 years scaffolding was going up and down all over the church, making sure that they kept the bell ringers secret door clear at all times. The church had planned a celebration weekend, but due to a certain virus it was postponed, but finally it happened this weekend. The church and grounds were open to the general public and we had visits up the bell tower to see how we rung the bells. The tower visits started at 10.30am and finished at 3pm, and 97 people came up to see what we do. I did all the talking (obviously) and apparently everyone enjoyed themselves. Afterwards I didn’t go straight home, but to our local butchers to get meat for the next couple of weeks, then Sainsbury’s for a general weekly shop and then I finally got home a little after 5pm! Just before I left Sainsbury’s I texted the family…”Just leaving Sainsbury’s. Wine please xx”. They obliged.

The reason I wanted to get all that done on Saturday was because I wanted to spend all of Sunday in my garden. So after ringing, yes more but only before the morning service, I grabbed a mug of tea and out I went. The front garden was first on the list with some general tidying up and watering which didn’t take long. My Lupines are in full flower and look so pretty.

Once that was all done it was into the back garden. First of all a little check on the greenhouses to check on the watering, and to see how my French and Runner beans were doing. I sowed them on 1st May so I was hoping for something. And bless them they didn’t disappoint. Some are just popping through the surface of the soil, but others are still asleep, hopefully they’ll all wake up soon.

The greenhouses are getting pretty full now, but if I’ve got time then I would plant some out today, but others next weekend.

A bit more weeding and watering of the back beds again. We recently had a little bit of rain, very fine drizzle early one evening, but it was enough to put some water in the butts. I don’t only get water from our roof, but next doors guttering runs down into ours so I get theirs as well…ssshhh…don’t tell them, I’m not sure they know.

Because I was out in the garden, the chickens felt they should be out to play also, so I popped them in the brassica cage so they could have a dustbath and a play. I’ll be planting this years brassicas in that cage soon, hopefully next weekend, so I’m not sure how they’ll feel about that. their playpen will have to go somewhere else, or they’ll just have to stay in their run.

In the remainder of the brassica cage where the chickens were playing I have a little bit of space left, so that’s where this years onions are going. I sowed them from seed in late January, pricked them out in early March and now they’re ready for the big outdoors. I plant them about 6 inches apart, so they have enough room for the bulbs to swell. Once they were in I watered them in well.

Here’s a little video with a bit more information…..

On the outside of a couple of the pots I found some small slugs. Now I don’t get many in my garden for some reason, snails you don’t see often either, not sure why. But so as not to encourage them to live in my raised beds I gave the little slugs to the chickens. Which they really enjoyed. One grabs it and runs off and the others all follow. Round and round they go, they’re so funny.

A little bit more weeding in the potato bed and I was done for the day. The perfect end to a very, very busy weekend. Now for another very busy week…..Is next weekend just as busy?…..Nearly, but not quite.

Have a great week and hope you get to enjoy being in your garden xx