Last Chance Pot

Some elderly orchids (I have had them for at least 11 years) being given their last chance. The mulching bark in their pots had basically turned to leaf mould and as a result their roots were rotting through being too damp. Repotted in a mix of pebbles, bark chips and a small amount of orchid compost and we shall see if they survive.

Otherwise the next stop will be the compost heap.

Are you listening, you orchids? Sitting there on the sill looking pathetic.

This is a last chance potting!

Orchids

With winter well under way there is little colour in the garden but indoors is rather a different matter. I have south facing windows that seem to be perfect for orchids and I take full advantage of it.

Green Figs

This recipe uses up all of those unripe green figs that are still clinging on to your tree as autumn approaches.

Across most cooler climates is wise to remove any unripened  figs larger than a pea from your tree. This is because when larger fruit are left to overwinter not only will they seldom (if ever) ripen but they are also liable to deter new fruits from forming for the following season.

Yew

Walking along the path next to the churchyard  overhung by some very large yew trees and happened to glance upward as the sun came out.  The boughs are thick with berries, bright red against the deep green needles and a Haiku simply wrote itself by the time I reached home.

Translucent jewels
Nestling within deepest green.
A toxic beauty

Mollusc Might

I weeded the raised veg beds today and found that the molluscs have eaten every single lettuce and most of the carrot seedlings.

Chickweed they ignore, as they do speedwell and jack-by-the-hedge and every other weed – just went straight for the good stuff…

B*stards!!!

Much as I hate to relent I feel the purchase of several buckets of slug pellets coming on.

 

(picture pre raised beds)

Waspish Words

A couple of years ago we had a wasp nest in an air brick right under the front window. Now much as I hate destroying things for the hell of it there were just too many stinging-critters in the house so we had to destroy the nest. It took several attempts – they are tenacious little buggers!

Paint Spatter

I have been a little lax with blogging for the past week.   Life has been a bit of a rush.  Gardening, of course, is in full spate with the annual attack on borders and shrubberies. Not to mention revamping the strawberry beds.