That time Alma ate her first baked beans!

In the garden:

Final resting place.

I have moved the fruit trees three times because I got over excited and kept planting them in bog. Also me and Josh (Josh) built my new plastic zip up polytunnel but it blew away in the first gale and smashed into the Rhododendrons.

Luckily our new friend Cian (who was in the last blog but spelt wrong) is bringing over some gaffa tape tomorrow. I said we could buy some but he thought we didn't need to waste money as he already had some.... So all the seed trays are by the windows in the living room looking grand and some of my lettuce seedlings have already started to come up!

handsome!

In order to know my plants as well as my new Irish friends I have now seeded:
Mustard (golden frills), Rubens red lettuce, speedy salad mix, dwarf broad beans (Sutton), Brussel sprouts(Crispin F1 - don't judge me), Cabbage (Golden Acre), Dill, First early potatoes (Casablanca), Onions, Garlic, Nasturtium, parsley and two types of half hardy Marigolds. I also have 3 apple trees, 2 pear trees, 10 raspberry canes, 3 blueberry plants, 2 gooseberry plants and a woodland area with fennel, woodland and regular sorrel, Jerusalem artichoke, one Rhubarb and alpine Strawberries and horseradish from dad's garden.


They don't seem to sell seed compost here so I have used a mix of multi purpose, rotted woodchip which there is plenty of in the woodland area, and thrown in a bit of sand for good measure because it's free even though I have been warned it's too salty. I tried to sieve it all with an old onion bag but it got a bit boring even with Radio Ulster Gardener's Corner on.

In other news:

We saw some Meerkats in the garden centre/pet shop. We had the most magical weekend with our dearest friends Ephraim, Emma and Alma where we played lots of banagrams and Ephraim put us to shame with his fire making skills (me and Josh have done one successful fire each).

Heinz! Yum!

Emma cooked all the food, even stocking up our freezer so we are currently tucking into her soup. I've made a new friend, the piano teacher, who is coming over at some unknown moment to try the piano because she has to use the one at the school - her boyfriend is volunteering here to protect the old Irish goats who have lived here since pre-historic times. And I had to wheelbarrow down to Ann's to pick up some cow poo which she told me I am welcome to do any time.