Sunday 30 June 2019

Dairy of a permaculture (ish) garden, June 2019.

I love it when the foxgloves flower, they're soo beautiful!

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

Our biggest garden-y excitement this month has been that the driveway is almost finished!  Seven 850kg bags of gravel have been spread (we may have bought one too many, but we've come up with  a plan for it!).  Joe's about to put up a new fence, there's a bin store to build and we want a couple of big pots with something pretty in by the front door (any suggestions - we want something hardy and evergreen and it's mostly shady apart from a few hours of sun in the morning).  I have a new waterbutt too, it's 250 litres and filled in one night - it's been really rainy here!  We've also had new guttering and facias so please note how nice and shiny they are because they cost £1700 (our old ones were asbestos...).

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

I think the gravel will be slightly less white and a bit more more pale grey once the rain's washed the dust off.  Look at this side path too - I think it's sooo nice!

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

The front garden raised beds are doing really good!  I've already had my first potatoes and there are beans and peas growing in with the potatoes too.  I've got carrots and beets on the way, and I've trimmed all my onions back because they were hitting the top of their protective mesh (the internet said I could trim them back to 4 inches high a couple of times during the growing season, and it would send more energy into making a bigger bulb, so we shall see).  I've had loads of kale, the sweetcorn is up and my tomatoes and peppers have flowers on them!

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

I've got little apples on my little apple tree! 

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

I've got broad beans, peas and borlotto beans in my back garden raised beds.  There are some courgettes in the other raised bed and a lot of weeds too (not pictured!).

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

Here's the garden in full for posterity. 

Diary of a UK permaculture (ish) garden by UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenblogger #ukpermaculture #suburbanpermaculture #raisedbedgarden #frontgardenallotment

How's your garden doing?  Every time I plant a new plant a slug eats it and I'm getting fed up of that, and I had to pull up nearly all of my outside tomatoes because of blight, but otherwise I'm enjoying my garden! 




Sunday 23 June 2019

Charity shopping.

Technically, I haven't bought any of these things, they were all presents! 

Charity shopping.  From UK charity shop blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #charityshopping #thrifting #secondhand #pyrex #phoenix #kitschkitten #retro

This is Oscar Gerald, he's been sitting in the charity shop window for weeks, unclaimed, until Joe bought him home for us after a particularly poopy week.  
Kitsch kitten, 50p, local Age Concern charity shop. 

Charity shopping.  From UK charity shop blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #charityshopping #thrifting #secondhand #pyrex #phoenix #kitschkitten #retro

My mum got me this awesome bit of vintage woven trim from her charity shop.
Vintage trim, present, local Oxfam shop.

Charity shopping.  From UK charity shop blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #charityshopping #thrifting #secondhand #pyrex #phoenix #kitschkitten #retro

Charity shopping.  From UK charity shop blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #charityshopping #thrifting #secondhand #pyrex #phoenix #kitschkitten #retro

Charity shopping.  From UK charity shop blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #charityshopping #thrifting #secondhand #pyrex #phoenix #kitschkitten #retro

My Aunty Rose (not my biological aunty, but the lovely lady who I lived next door to for 25 years) passed away a little while ago and this is some of the stuff from her house that was deemed not good enough for the charity shop.  It's all a little chipped but I don't mind!  I love the Phoenix flowery dish and the snowflake Pyrex, and I just couldn't see all those glass dishes go to the landfill.  The big clear bowl is Pyrex and I'll use it for baking.  I've also made use of Aunty Rose's colander in the garden.

Charity shopping.  From UK charity shop blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #charityshopping #thrifting #secondhand #pyrex #phoenix #kitschkitten #retro

Charity shopping.  From UK charity shop blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #charityshopping #thrifting #secondhand #pyrex #phoenix #kitschkitten #retro

My Aunty Jenny (my biological aunty this time!) saved these from going into the bin at her charity shop up in Widnes.  There's several meters of woven garland, a little rug and whatever these pretty knitted thingys are.  There was loads more in the bag too, more knitted stuff and socks and gloves, I chose what I wanted and the other stuff went to my mum's charity shop, I believe to be sold by Oxfam at festivals. 

Have you bought, or not bought, anything good from the charity shops lately? 

PS. Check out my other charity shopping posts for more like this! 










Sunday 16 June 2019

Garden visit, Gardener's World Live 2019.

Joe and I had a lovely time at Gardener's World Live today.  We saw Alan Titchmarsh and the presenter from Gardener's World who always says 'plont' not plant, and on the train I sat opposite the actress who played Martha Jone's mum in Doctor Who!  And then I ate 2 Pret vegan chocolate cookies. But most exciting were the gardens, here are some photos.

I loved this yarn bombed garden, it was so colourful it made my heart sing, 

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

The Clockmaker's garden won the best garden prize, it was so lovely, 

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Can you spot the bunnies? 

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Here are some more of my favourite bits, 

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

Garden visit, Gardeners World Live 2019. From UK garden blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #gardenersworldlive #gardenersworldlive2019 #gardenblogger #gardeninspo

This is our 2nd year at Gardener's World Live and we bought our tickets for £12 each from Wowcher.  If they've run out of cheap tickets for Gardener's World, look for tickets to BBC Good Food show, one ticket gets you entrance to both shows anyway, and they're much cheaper than the £25+ official tickets. The cheapy tickets give you entry from 1pm, which is perfect to spend around 4 hours wandering round and having a couple of sit downs before beating the rush out when it closes at 6pm.  After a couple of hours you'll have had enough of people running over your ankles with their folding shopping box cart thingys anyway.  This year we got the train early and had lunch in Grand Central station Birmingham before carrying on our journey to the NEC, which was a good idea because it was cheaper and less stressful.  Even though the BBC Good Food show goes on at the same time as Gardener's World I still struggled to find something I wanted to eat, that was vegan and that hadn't all sold out, last year.  If you're planning a trip to Gardener's World Live, I hope these tips help! 

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