Neighbours

Saturday was a lovely day.  I spent a couple of hours alone on the allotment.  It was just before eleven o'clock when the Red Arrows flew over in formation!  They were circling round ready for their fly past over Nottingham for the Armed Forces Day Parade.  Nearby the gliding school was in full swing with planes taking off and landing from the Syerston airbase.  Later a Dakota came over as part of the East Bridgford Village fete.  It was just like being at Waddington Air Show!

Later we visited the village fete where I purchased this rather nice Astrantia Roma which complements this peony perfectly!

Sunday morning saw us out on the lane with the shovels and cement mending the pot holes. Last winter really took its toll on the unmade surface and we did a quick fix in Spring but we needed a good drying day to mend it properly.  Sunday fitted the bill.

Now when I say "we" I used the term quite loosely ... I made the tea and cut the hedge and swept up a bit ... there are advantages to being female.

There are thirteen houses on the lane: nine older properties then four new ones built behind our house.  The older residents don't tend to associate with the new ones! Things improved on Sunday.  Nothing like a joint venture to break the ice.  Because of the 'road works' people had to walk passed us and conversations began.  The cement has now dried and I hope there's firm foundations for more than just the lane.

Such a busy time of year!  I've filled two builder's rubble sacks with spent Forget-me-nots, weeds and garden waste since Sunday!  I've planted large pots of basil, coriander, thyme, mint, oregano, dill and chives near the kitchen door and tidied up the herb patch.  I finished the front pond make over and tidied up the front garden.  It needs lots of new climbers over the fences so I've taken cuttings from the honeysuckle and clematis. These are now sweating in plastic bags and hopefully putting down roots in the greenhouse.

Carol Klein has been collecting and sowing Polyanthus seeds so I followed her example ... then did the same with some bluebell seeds and some fritillaries.  It might work ... I have a pot of tiny Pineapple bulbs from last year's seeds so who knows!

Delphinium seedlings are growing nicely ready for the allotment.  I'll be collecting seeds from the ones flowering in the garden in a few weeks to plant in September.  The pale blue one is particularly attractive but I like the pink one too.  I might be very lucky and find the seed comes true!

The woodpigeons have been at it again and we have two noisy cooing creatures sitting on nests while at the front I was amazed to be shouted at by a tiny wren who was upset by my presence near the hedge!