A Rainy Weekend

This weekend we have rain, lots of it.  The dead, brown lawn has transformed into green in 48 hours and the garden and allotment are soaking it up!  I'm so pleased - I will never complain about rain, I promise! not after the heatwave we just had!

I have been binge watching Black Doves on Netflix, it was brilliant. In the same style as Killing Eve.

Last week I did a different kind of painting - chalk paint!  My first time trying this out on my two old, shabby, yellowing 15 year old pine tallboys (which I use as bedside tables as we like the height for table lamps!).  The first cupboard showed brush strokes so I sanded it down and did a second coat with a roller on the larger areas.  I did the same with the second as sanding with a very fine paper gets a nice result.  I waxed afterwards with two coats.  They look ok (from a distance ha ha) but not as smooth and perfect as my machine painted wardrobe which they now match - 

I was expecting too much!  It is nice to have the furniture matching and I think it is a great improvement on the previous mismatched furniture in the room.

Ta da !!!

At the allotments we had the annual competition for best plot and then our annual BBQ.  There were veggie burgers for me and plenty of homemade cakes (key lime pie, courgette chocolate cake and scones/cream with homemade jam)... the competition was won by the plot neighbouring mine.  He has a lot of flowers: dahlia, cosmos, hollyhock, like a mini cottage garden. 

The ladies put pretty tablecloths out and made up these pretty posies!

I have taken some pictures of other peoples plots as they are so diverse - they seem to look even more beautiful in the rain!  

My beef tomatoes are so big they are falling down and I am not sure they will ever ripen, so I cut the foliage back, picked the largest and left them in the sun.  They ripened in a few days but are quite starchy.  Tonight hubby (the main cook in our house) made a pasta sauce with all the tomatoes and it was delicious!

My plot is tidy but there is empty space to plant a few things for Winter...

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I planted potatoes for Christmas (maris pier and charlotte) 2 weeks ago and they are showing tops now, but only a few carrots and parsnip have germinated which I spent Friday afternoon separating and replanting for more space. Currently I am still picking lettuce, rocket, radichio, herbs and my celery is not yet ready.

Hubby retired this week and has given himself a list of DIY jobs to work through. 

Above is my favourite early morning cup of tea spot where I sit with Mollie cat.

Last Sunday I went picking sloe berries and blackberries with two friends from the allotments.  We had such a lovely time foraging. And I have bottled my berries in sugar and gin to make liquor.   The woods are looking beautiful in Autumn golds. 

I was browsing our small, family run garden centre when I saw the above  broken pot being taken away to break up, I love a chance to recycle and they were happy to give it to me free.  I  used Hard as Nails, which is like a cement paste, to repair the damage and planted it up today. The crack is visible but is at the back.

Today I'm planting beetroot.  How's your weekend going?

Friday

 I had a 6am swim today as am waking early, then watered the allotment, which is full of colour.  We have been eating a lot of garlic  beetroot, potatoes and herbs from there.  I picked some gladioli and fennel.

We had a walk in the woods behind the house earlier in the week...

Sloe berries are out too early.  Himalayan balsam is flowering along the river bank but is managed as can be invasive.  Bees love it.

I had a nice afternoon in the garden with my paints, experimenting with gauche masking fluid on practice paper.  

How was your week?

Sunday

Thank you for your really kind comments and encouragement on my last post, I will enjoy getting back into painting again although I have had a reality check so know my limitations!

Mollie's moulting. She's turning a lovely brown.

I thought today I would do a sort of catch up post  of the weekly everyday goings on.

This was my treat from our Paris trip. A teeny vase from Maison du Monde.  I like putting my scented verbena and geranium leaves in there.  A quick rub of the leaves and a sniff is nice. 

 Today I woke at 5am as usual but after a cup of tea, had a wonderful, rare, sleep until 9am!  I decided not to get dressed but to putter about getting little jobs done.  We put up a blind in the bedroom that had fallen off the wall a week ago!  It had black mould speckles along the bottom so I cleaned the black mould  off with white vinegar, I was so surprised it actually worked! 

I have a list of small jobs like this to do and am just beginning... 

I used some leather conditioner cream to nourish my leather bags and boots, I do this every year - then spray all my boots with waterproofer.

Hubby drilled out holes in some logs to make bug houses.  I wanted one for ages.  He drilled deep so woodpeckers can't eat any solitary bee eggs. I am hopeful the odd solitary bee might choose my log for her eggs, ladybirds and woodlice are welcome too.

I picked hydrangea flowers to dry for a wreath I want to make for Christmas, they are such beautiful colours, all grey and pink.  I also went into the woods to pick up a few pine cones for the same purpose, but I still need to cut ivy twine to make the base.

A friend at the allotments has a new panoramic camera and very kindly took this 360 view of my plot from above,  isn't it lovely! See link: 

Plot 60

Our town has 2 allotment sites, On Wednesday I was one of four judges for the 'rival' allotment site entries for the annual flower show, each site judges the other. There were some good entries and I learned a lot about where mine might be lacking - some folk do so much - making nettle fertiliser - I would like to try that - saving their own seeds for next year - will try that.  Mixing flowers amongst the veg crops to ensure pollinators visit - need to do more of that. 

There was a Bbq and morris dancing from the local group yesterday...

We watched Destination X on catch up tv  - disappointing, the contestants got too much air time to talk nonesense and the clues weren't enough to keep you guessing for long. I think after watching Race Across the World we expect more.    

I read this book nearly every day!  bought on Vinted .

The weather is still warm, sticky and the forecast is for a windy storm tomorrow.  The woods are going into early Autumn colours and berries.   I have picked so many blackberries! these and rhubarb from the allotment are filling most of my spare freezer but I have plans for them.  I have seen sloe berries, it's far too early, nature has lots its rhythm a bit;  but I can pick and freeze those too.  My neighbour has an elderberry tree, I recently put some crystals there for good vibes and it has apparently fruited like never before - my favourite wild fruit and title of my blog, it makes a very nice alcoholic drink. She has told me I can pick some.  Elderberry trees around here are scarce but they fruit well about every third year, then they seem to produce a poor crop for two.  2025 is a good year!

How's your week been?  If you have nothing better to do, please leave a comment, it doesn't have to be about my post,, I''m more interested in what you've been doing - maybe I will get inspiration from your pastimes, hobbies and projects :)

Painting

 Been having a declutter and went through my painting drawer.  These were all painted over the years.

Time to dust those brushes off!