Caught a Garden Thief

And here was I thinking I had a very thirsty rabbit!

My Garden: 7th July 2015

I picked up a Phlox plant at a sale back in March. The variety wasn't labeled but as it is becoming a tall plant, I am assuming it is the common variety Phlox Paniculata. Mine has yet to flower but when it does I imagine [hope] it will look something like this:

"Phlox Paniculata" by Atilin - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Mine is looking much more under-whelming at the moment, but still healthy:

Flower buds are starting to appear. I am afraid to put it in the ground incase my rabbit eats it.

Lots of little plants have sprung up around mother plant so today I have taken cuttings and potted them on. I cut away the baby plants trying to preserve some roots and have planted them in pots of seed compost. Some of the cuttings had no roots attached so remembering something I read somewhere on the Internet, I applied honey to the cut end, to act as a natural rooting hormone. We'll see about that! I stripped off the lower leaves and covered the pot with a plastic bag.

They are sitting in my greenhouse at the moment. Tomorrow I think I'll cut a corner off the bags as the conditions might be too humid. I will know they have rooted when there is new growth but I suppose if they aren't limp looking in a week's time, things are looking good.

My Garden: 28th June 2015

Another glorious day. From reading this blog you would think that the sun always shines in Ireland but I must only be inspired to post on the good days. We were out in the garden before 8 this morning; I in my pjs and wellies and toddler in his wet gear as it had rained quite heavily last night. Torrential rainfall followed by warm sunshine is a combination in which the garden really blooms. My courgette plant opens a new flower almost every day but none as fantastic as this morning: 

Where another flower has dropped off, a courgette stands waiting to be picked. I had heard that courgettes were prolific fruiters and I've found that to definitely be the case so I am glad that I only have the one plant.

My little helper illuminated. He had great fun poking his finger in the centre of the flower. Helping along pollination I'm sure:

Basking in the sunshine:

I am growing four varieties of tomato this year - Moneymaker, Sungold Select, Black Cherry and Indigo Rose (pictured):

I bought the Indigo Roses as plants in a local GIY plant sale, the rest I grew from seed. The purchased plants were much more established that my own and they have been the first to start fruiting. I am really excited to see the purple black tomatoes emerging. Most of my plants have started to flower at this stage so it shouldn't be long before I have a range of colours.

See you in July!

Crusty Life: 23rd June 2015

This week I am bottling my Elderflower Champagne. If you haven't already, check out MY POST with step by step photos of how to make this simple and light summer drink. It's makes a great gift for all those occasions where you would like to give something small but meaningful. It's so easy to do and great fun.

From the garden I am eating salad crops such as radish, courgette, pak choi and young beetroot leaves. My tomatoes are starting their first tiny fruits. All but one of my pears have fallen off the trees (apparently there is something called June Drop) but the remaining one is swelling nicely so fingers crossed for this baby!

Water charges were introduced last month (our bill was €55) so I am being even more conscious of my garden related water use than ever. Next big job is to get a water butt and make use of that wonderful rainfall we get. It has been quite dry lately and the plants are suffering.

Onwards and upwards!

Cleaning with Lemons

Lemons are best used fresh in slices stuck into the neck of a bottle of Miller but for more sober moments, I like to keep a bag of whole lemons in the freezer. I buy them when on offer and just put them in a ziplock bag and into the freezer. To defrost, just put into a cup of boiling water and it'll be ready to use in 15 minutes or so.

I use my defrosted lemons mainly for cleaning surfaces. Simply squeeze the lemon into a plastic container and add warm water. Floating pips for decoration. You could spread out the remains of the lemon and rub directly onto the surface you are cleaning. I cleaned my kitchen work tops and the high chair top with lemon juice and water this morning and they look superb. It leaves a nice neutral smell and it's so much better to prepare food on a surface that you haven't sprayed with a harsh cleaner. I do use disinfectant sprays, mainly around the sink area, but never on the high chair. I don't have any illusions that lemon is a great killer of bacteria so I do take care to use something stronger after dealing with raw meat.

My Garden: 20th May 2015

My pet rabbit is still wild in the garden until we finish making her run. 

She is decimating everything, even the plants she doesn't eat - she likes to lie across my lavender. My vegetable garden is so sparse compared to recent years. The only upside is that it is changing my focus from the usual vegetables to other plants such as fruit trees and container grown flowers and veg.

Aren't these lupin seedlings so pretty?

Here is the only Scented Nightstick that survived but I have some planted in a border, although I'm not sure of they are coming up.
I really hope they do because they are just outside the backdoor and I am really looking forward to sitting outside after the sun goes down and enjoying that gorgeous smell they release at night.

Pods are emerging on my lonely broad bean plant. I had very poor germination rates this year but my seeds are a few years old:

I planted a Conference pear tree in November to act as pollinator to my Williams tree that I planted (I think) four years ago. It has done it's job because judging from these swollen flowers we might have our first pears this year!


This is the Conference:

And the Williams:

My comfrey has started flowering and this will bring many bees to the garden:

Back On Two Wheels (with a companion)

Until my pregnancy, I had been driving motorbikes for five years. I started off on a Suzuki Marauder 125:

After six months I upgraded to a 2000 Honda Rebel 250, which I drove to France alone thus spending one of the best weeks of my life. I loved this bike so much.

But I was doing to much road for a 250 engine and with a trip from Ireland - UK - France - Belgium- Holland planned, I had to size up. So I sold the Rebel and welcomed a 1992 Suzuki Katana 400 into my life. Big, beefy and beautiful.

I still have the Katana but I haven't been back on the her since bambino came along. It needs a good overhaul after being parked up for two years and I just don't want the responsibility, or cost, of it right now. But I was yearning for a bit of a thrill so when I saw a cheap second hand bicycle for sale locally I went for it.

It's a Triumph, from the 70s I believe.

I've worn him strapped to my back and now strapped to the back of my bicycle!

Today was our maiden voyage - to the library, playground and back home! Carrigaline is well equipped with cycle paths so I worked out the safest route with the least severe incline. We had a blast and I'm fitter than I thought. I really didn't think I'd make the hill back but just as my stamina was running out, we had reached level ground again. I can't wait to get back out!