Last Day Of February!

Well this is the life! After a cold frosty start the last day of February turned into a really beautiful sunny day and warm enough to shed coats and pullovers! A friend sent me pictures of a snowstorm where she lives and has to shovel deep snow every day from her path and here is me sitting relaxing in the sun! I did a day of intense weeding and the garden is looking really good at the moment.

Ok...this sitting about is all well and good but it never gets the work done! Where did I put my trowel?

The goldfish are probably looking for something to eat. So far this pond is frog free and it is probably not suitable to them anyhow. Rest assured they would not get staying if they ever thought about taking up residence!

Friendly Robin

Last day of February and the hard frost is back so gardening will be suspended for the moment until the sun comes out and thaws the garden. My little friend the robin is always pleased to see me, especially when I dig him up a few grubs! Sometime I have to watch where I put my feet or I could tramp on him.

I am always amazed how he can spot the grubs so quickly. I never can see any and I wear glasses! I call him a he but she could be a her..I dont know how to tell the difference!

Crocuses

Ok this is for all who are crying out to look at flowers! These are some of the crocuses blooming in the rockery at the moment. The snowdrops are actually begining to fade now. It seems no length of time since they were just coming up through the ground.

Frogs Spawning!

A happy smiling group of frogs in the pond admiring their handiwork! Every frog in the surrounding neighbourhood must visit my little water oasis as most waterholes in the countryside have been filled in. Last year I saw a newt at the pond. It was the first one I had seen in about thirty years or more. I used to have goldfish in the pond but they all disappeared. I suspect these frogs helped pack their bags and made them flit!

I remember being young and collecting this in jampots!

New Trellis

I know I finished putting up this trellis in January but it is something new to the garden so I thought I would include it! It surrounds my sitting out area which I still have to get a seat for so at this present time its a standing area only! I have planted two climbing roses to clothe the trellis with and I might add a clematis or two.

Compost

I don't know why it has taken me so long to make a place for my compost heap. I think it is because I have just in the last three years started growing my own vegetables and why I have not done that sooner is beyond me as well! Probably because there is an abundance of them at the open air market in Ballymena at the time one would be harvesting their own and they are not too dear to buy also. I wonder at times if all the hours I spend weeding and watering and fertilising is worth it when the wife can bring home an armful of stuff that would choke a donkey! Mind you it is lovely to see one's own growing and being able to go out and pull something fresh and inside a few minutes its cooking in a pot or a lovely lettuce for a salad.
I noticed yesterday the rhubarb has sprouted. I had one clump of it which I split into three and re-planted it in late January. Well I do hope the composting will be a success but I shall have to wait and see!

Lawn Extension

It is a mild but wet day so not much gardening getting done. I took this bird's eye view of the garden to show what I have been doing to the lawn which I think now will be a better shape and also I will have less to weed. The brown areas near the arch are the bits I am going to sow out in grass. I was tempted to dig up the whole lot but my back would not allow for that so hopefully when I sow out the new bits they will eventually blend in with the established lawn. As you can see there is a chair heeled up on the grass. I place chairs here and there about the garden so I can have a quick seat no matter where I am at and boy do I not need a lot of rests!

Hello Spring!

Winter is begining to let go her grip at last on the garden and the snowdrops are out in full bloom. Some crocuses are also in flower and the daffodils are not far behind them. It has been quite mild and buds are now breaking on the branches of shrubs and trees. I have been re-designing the garden a bit. Mainly the lawn which I am trying to enlarge so there will be less of flower beds to weed! I am not getting any younger and certainly not as fit as I was! I have made a new vegetable plot and a place to have my compost heap. The fish in the small pond have got their first feed of the year. I cannot belive they have come through such a harsh winter with so much deep ice on the pond surface. Coming by the large pond today I noticed some frog spawn. Yesterday I watched a female frog getting half choked round the neck with one male and another one clinging to her legs. Frogs are not my favourite creatures! Hope it stays dry the rest of the week but the forecast is not too good.