Garden round up

I feel like I am working quite hard in the garden at the moment but it is still a mess! There is a lot going on there, what with work on the new patio and deck area, plus lots of ongoing maintenance.

Our big rain saving tanks have arrived. They are going to be installed hopefully later this week or next week. All of the rain from the house roof will be collected and stored there for use on the garden. I'm so pleased about that as I feel uneasy about using the hose pipe on the garden. It just doesn't feel like the best possible use of clean treated water in my view, although I know at times there doesn't seem to be many other options.

The shed and deck area still need staining. The front trimming still needs to go on the decking too. I had hoped to store tools and corn in there but today it was hard to get in for children! Here it is so far.

Sitting on the seat up there you can see lots of elderberries and hawthorn berries. Miles has taken to climbing on the seat and picking himself a few elderberries. They are still really bitter but he is enjoying them. Craig despairs at his foraging children. I think he feels having an iceberg lettuce and a few tomatoes in the salad drawer is being sufficiently * close to nature*.

Pringles, the newest addition to the garden is settling in just nicely. He's quite tame and as yet hasn't moved quickly - hence he's been out and about on the deck.

The courgettes are still going strong - although the one you see here is now in a pan of soup!

The spinach is not so happy. I'm not sure what has gone wrong. I thought it would grow into a reasonable sized plant and didn't rush to pick any, sadly it seems to have gone to seed.

You can see some of the pak choi next to the spinach. It's been nibbled by something but it's otherwise doing well.

The hens have behaved disgracefully. Henrietta by far the worst having even made it so far as onto Soo's sofa. Nana and anyone who knows Soo well will understand what a heinous crime that is! We are all getting into the habit of closing the patio doors behind us but Miles tripped over Hermione's foot this afternoon and bashed his head. In the fuss and fumblings for arnica which followed the door was forgotten and in they came.

As well as their persistence in trying to get into the house the hens have also provoked what some would think of as rather distasteful conversations.

Hermione - Daddy, the window cleaner came today. He was really nice and told Mummy she can have his cock whenever she likes.

Craig - (Looking rather shocked and a little flushed) Did he now? I'll have to speak to Mummy about that.

Hermione - Please Daddy, please can she have his cock, it would be great to get more hens in the eggs!

Craig - Ahhh. No.

The new planter was looking good. I bought some plants and even bulbs but unfortunately Miles seems to think it is some new sort of sandpit and the hens are quite keen on it too. Now he has been banished from the veg patch I think he has claimed this as his creative space *sigh*

I think some of the sweetcorn is ripe and I suspect we will try some within the next day or two.

So much to do, so little time. I'm forever promising myself half an hour sitting down out there on an evening with a glass of wine but it never seems to happen - by the time I've scrubbed the mud off the kids and got them to bed I'm worn out!