Baby it's hot hot hot

Too hot for me and the furries to be outside after around 10, and that's pushing it.

An early walk, an hours selective weeding, a check round the various pots and beds and indoors for some shade. Not forgetting the daily chores.

My selective weeding is done up the stone steps and along the path. I let the mint spread as it wishes, if it gets out of hand I can just pull some up, wash and dry it for tea. There are some creeping buttercups and I allow a few to flower, they are pretty and the bees like them.

Some of the lawn grasses have escaped to poke up around the stones, some are mini boulders, that border the steps and I leave them to grow tall. They provide a refuge for tiny wildlife although I do cut the stems back before they seed, likewise the corners of the lawn. They grow tall and get cut back by hand before they get too unruly. It all helps to soften the edges and is to our taste, my Mother would have rooted it all out and just had a designated wild area. I have one of those around the hedgehog house, the brambles are so fierce that even Herbie keeps out. Revi and Poppy show no interest, perhaps because there is a patch of the 3 cornered wild leeks growing there. A very handy source of food, they have a strong scent but taste very mild, we are having omelette and salad tonight and there will be stems in the omelette and flowers in the salad. The flowers make tasty fritters with gram flour to have with chilli or even curry. Makes a change from onion bhajis.

As many of the plants as I had space for have been taken from the greenhouse to enjoy the fresh air. Some will be staying in there, tomatoes, for the duration and even though the door is open all night I am sure that a spell outside will do them good.

I am thinking of having a leanto greenhouse on the gable wall of the kitchen. There  aare 2 plant shelf units there now that Michael made but I want to move them into the little courtyard garden. The clumsy Revi has stood on or fell in/over everything in there, hopefully she would see the shelves. She isn't really clumsy, like a  foal she needs to grow into her legs. I am sure that she considers herself to be the same size as Herbie, if not Poppy. She constantly tries to get herself on my lap, not understanding that there is not room for her body, head and all 4 legs. She usuall ends up with her bottom perched on my knees, head under my chin and front legs wrapped round my kneck. Not comfy for me and she slowly slips floorwards.

I washed a pile of socks this morning, Michael is busy working and going through them at an alarming rate, 1 pair for work and a clean pair after his shower.

My new "sourdough" is doing well, I have made 3 loaves and the bubbles are getting bigger and the distinctive aroma and taste is getting there.
It isn't a true sourdough, I got the recipe? method? from a YouTube channel, Mary's Nest. As yeast is as rare as rocking horse manure. along with baking powder, I thought that it wouldn't hurt to try it out.

I have been looking at the garden with a new idea. My square footage is on the small side and I have fruit trees and some ornamentals, but there is plenty of room upwards. I plan on getting the structures in place over this winter. Not me personally but I know a man who can. I thought about a pergola over the path but that would cast too much shade so it has to be the south facing fence.
Posts will have to sunk independantly of it, I don't want it collapsing under too much weight if we have gale force winds. Cross rails with bracing struts firmly fitted will give me the basic structure. Then I can tie in hazel poles with canes woven in at an angle to strenghten it. Peas and beans can romp away and the raised beds will gain a bit of extra shelter but lose no sun. Between that and the fence will be the ideal place for squashes to rampage.

Man makes plans and the gods laugh, we will see. I may be aiming too high, pun not intended, but if you don't make a plan it doesn't stand a chance of happening.

On that note I am off to make a cuppa, mine is sitting beside me as cold as a witches t*t. sobs into a tissue.

Stay safe. 

                              TTFN                                   Pam