Friday 29 September 2017

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017.

This month, most of my gardening time has been taken up with de-lawing.  I no longer have a (weedy, patchy, lumpy, bumpy, weirdly small) lawn!

We sheet mulched it, which involved digging the edges of the lawn up, laying card and newspaper over the lawn, then topping with a thick layer of bark chippings.  Bonus feature - the garden currently smells like a pine forest!

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

We also removed the stones that edged the narrow border between the lawn and the fence, which is why there's a pile of stones in the middle of the path now!

Here's what it looked like before.

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

I'm much happier now.  And once we've got the hard landscaping sorted (path, patio, shed + stompy builders stomping all over the garden) I'll plant up the ex-lawn and have lots more lovely plants and trees.

You can see I also bark-chipped over the ex-weedy patch at the bottom of the garden, as I'm probably not going to get round to planting it all this year, and the chips will prevent weeds and soil erosion, and rot down into the soil and make it nice. 

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

The bin's there because it's waiting to be planted up with a thornless blackberry plant I was given for my birthday.  I figured it was the biggest, cheapest plastic free option for a large pot, that would also stop the roots escaping and spreading through the garden.  It also matches my steel raised beds. 

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

This is my plant waiting area.  Every time I go out to garden it rains on me!  Waiting to be planted are a blackcurrant bush and the thornless blackberry - excellent birthday gifts from my father in law and his partner, it's not very often someone buys you exactly the things you were planning to buy yourself, with no prompting or clues, but this was one of those times.  There's also two hazel nut trees, an almond tree and a discovery apple tree that I bought with some birthday money I was given.  

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

This is my other plant waiting area.  There are lots of herbs waiting to be planted, including a curry plant that smells amazing and Siberian perennial onions.  I have a tray of herbs I bought from Homebase in the sale for £2 to plant too.  The herbs and trees are from Victoriana Nursery, it's hard to buy plants without a car, but I think this is a good online option, they seem pretty eco-friendly and the plants are healthy barring the odd insect hitch-hiker.  

I bought these perennial cut and come again cauliflower from Victoriana Nursery too, which I'm pretty darn excited to plant! 

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

My back garden raised beds are doing good.  I was worried I wasn't going to get any beans from my lazy housewife beans, but they're coming along now.  I had two cabbages that suffered from being eaten by cabbage white caterpillars.  I've tried to live peaceably with my caterpillar chums, because butterflies are struggling so much, so I just left them to much away happily.  I like the thought that the caterpillars have eaten their fill, and now one of the cabbages is making a comeback, so I'll get to eat my fill too.

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

There's lots of yummy salad growing too, and some beans and sweetcorn that I'm doubtful will make beans and sweetcorn before we have frosts - but you never know! 

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

This bit of the garden is really pretty right now, all the flowers seem to be putting on a final flourish before winter.  I'm planning on planting my new almond tree at the back of this patch by the fence, and I have a smoke bush on order I want to plant along here too.  There are lots of plants to move if the weather is Ever un-rainy.

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

This cute little calendula has been my favourite flower this year.  It's smaller and yellower than all the others and has flowered all summer long, I'll be saving seed from it.

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

I shall leave you with this beetle friend.  Isn't he cute!  I'm so pleased there are beetles in the garden - they eat slugs don't you know! 

Diary of a suburban edible garden, September 2017. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #permaculturegarden #ukpermaculture #suburbangarden #ediblegarden #sheetmulching #raisedbeds

 How's your garden this month? 

 
 

Sunday 24 September 2017

Photo an hour, September 2017.

Saturday the 26th was August's photo an hour day, here are my photos.
 
Photo an hour in organised by Jane and Louisa, anyone can join in and post their hourly photos on social media throughout the day tagging them #photoanhour.  Why don't you join in next time?
 
8am - Tidying away my autumnal potato prints from last night's Rainbows/Brownies (safe to say I came home covered in paint!).  I'd been up since 7 waiting for a delivery, but stayed cosy in bed until the delivery man called to say he was on his way. 
 

9am - The delivery arrived!  It's my new chair for in the dining room, unfortunately I've completely failed at clearing a space for it, and Joe's doing some DIY in the kitchen so it had to go in the middle of the floor.  

 
10am - I had plans to plant things in the garden.


11am - I was planning on moving and doing stuff, but then this film came on that I've already seen a zillion times and I got sucked into watching it again. 


12pm - My nice husband made potatoes and suggested we watch Gardener's World while we ate them.


1pm - Bit of garden pottering, these raspberries have been so good this year.


2pm - I was still crocheting this on last months photo an hour day too!


4pm - After a couple of hours of furniture moving I finally got the chair into it's corner, and the kitchen looking a bit tidier! 


5pm - Time for a rest - alternating between playing Words with Friends against my mum, reading the paper and eating home grown raspberries. 


8pm - I wasn't going to bother taking any more photos, as I was just being cosy, reading, crocheting and watching TV for the rest of the night, but then I noticed RON SWANSON in an episode of the Gilmore Girls and couldn't keep it to myself! 


11pm - Bed and book, goodnight! 


Did you take part this time?  How was your day?


 
 

Friday 22 September 2017

What I've been reading.

I've been spoiled with excellent library books lately, here's what I've been reading,

 What I've been reading.  Book reviews from UK book blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com Lost for words - Stephanie Butland, The Secret Island - Enid Blyton, The Power - Naomi Alderman, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine - Gail Honeyman. #bookblogger #ukbookblogger #bookreviews #ukblogger

Lost for words - Stephanie Butland
It's so rare that I open a book and love it from the first page, but this is one of those books.  I love Loveday and the way she talks to us, and her observations of working with people and books (all too true to a library person such as I).  I wanted to live in this world.  Such a beautiful book and not too cheesy despite the title and the main character being called Loveday.

What I've been reading.  Book reviews from UK book blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com Lost for words - Stephanie Butland, The Secret Island - Enid Blyton, The Power - Naomi Alderman, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine - Gail Honeyman. #bookblogger #ukbookblogger #bookreviews #ukblogger

The Secret Island - Enid Blyton
My favourite childhood book, I loved this and it inspired much thinking and planning about self sufficiency and gardening in little me.  I did enjoy re-reading it, but I've come to the conclusion that Jack is an insufferable ass and the gender roles are crap, but what can you expect from a book written in 1938.

What I've been reading.  Book reviews from UK book blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com Lost for words - Stephanie Butland, The Secret Island - Enid Blyton, The Power - Naomi Alderman, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine - Gail Honeyman. #bookblogger #ukbookblogger #bookreviews #ukblogger

The Power - Naomi Alderman
Ooof this was a good book.  An electrifying power is awoken in all women, who then take over the traditional power roles usually held by men.  I spent the first half of this book like 'yeah, girl power' and the second half like no no no, this is baaaaaaad.  I found the premise of the book really interesting, and I'll probably re-read it at some point, but beware because there are really violent and graphic rape scenes.  
PS.  On Goodreads the best question and answer about this book is thus, Question 'What would happen if an author wrote a book about men having the power to electrocute to death women?', Answer 'It would be under the history category'. 

What I've been reading.  Book reviews from UK book blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com Lost for words - Stephanie Butland, The Secret Island - Enid Blyton, The Power - Naomi Alderman, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine - Gail Honeyman. #bookblogger #ukbookblogger #bookreviews #ukblogger

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine - Gail Honeyman
As I said, I've been spoilt lately with a run of excellent books.  Eleanor Oliphant lives a life of routine loneliness until she starts interacting with the world, and all her terrible secrets come out.  This book made me laugh and cry.

Other books I've been reading,

New Boy - Tracy Chevalier
weird retelling of Othello, based in a school in the 1970s, set in a day, which was very dramatic for the length of time it was set in!!

All that she can see - Carrie Hope Fletcher
The first half of this is cute but troubled girl can see people's sad emotions and tries to help them with magical baking, the second half is scary dystopian nightmare.  Don't think I'll read any more by Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Once and For all - Sarah Dessen
I seem to like every other book written by Sarah Dessen, and feel a bit meh about the others.  This was a meh one, but entertaining enough to keep me company on a day when I was off sick from work.  Can cynical and heartbroken wedding planner Louna find love again?

Freshers - Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison
Man, this book made me glad I'm well over my Freshers days.  But it perfectly sums up the weird, lonely antics of the first term of university.  

Bee and Puppycat - Natasha Allegri 
This is a cute graphic novel, I identify more with Puppycat than Bee, he's slightly grumpy! 

What have you been reading?