Many hands make light work!

A big thank you to Melanie, Michael and Philip who've spent a very productive day on bended knee or with spade in hand to clear the paths and steps so well. The paths have never been so clear all at once! Look forward to many people walking along them and I'm on path patrol for the next 12 days to make sure they stay clear!

Pitter Patter

Raindrops! all over the place, marvellous and it means I can take a break from the garden, which I have to say is looking very pretty at the moment. Eleven bags of assorted sized pebbles later and we now have a 'beach' area to finish off the summerhouse's setting nicely. Just need the nasturtiums to really get going and it will all settle in well. Might have to get a slimmer watering can to fit under the tap of the water butt now, but that's not a problem. We've also pruned the prunus this weekend - fingers crossed it will flower again next year - so the view from our bedroom is much lighter and brighter, and, more importantly, the tree looks lighter too. So, the list of jobs to do before the big day is gradually deminishing and after tomorrow, when we're looking forward to having three extra pairs of helping hands, there will be even less to do. Two weeks to go but still only two tickets sold, so if anyone reads this(!!!), and would like to buy a ticket, write on my wall and let me know. Sandgate's Open Garden Event is on Sunday 13 June from 2 - 5 p.m. with 8 gardens, one artist's studio open as well as tea/coffee, cake and crafts at the Chichester Memorial Hall. Tickets cost £3 for adults - children (under 15) are free.

Crazy crazy

I once met the man who laid the crazy paving around the front of our house; he did it when he was a teenager and I'm sure had no idea of the amount of weeding it would require all these years later. He sells books for a living so it obviously didn't inspire a career in hard landscaping. The cherry tree, which was probably just a sapling when the paving was laid, is now creating much uneveness amongst the crazy slabs, but it looks beautiful in blossom so is forgiven. The slight or light rainfall we must have had in the night, and again during the morning, has left the garden generally looking lush and the sweetpeas have definitely benefited from it. They are beginning to be big enough to entwine around their supports. Aliums are doing well too; some already in bloom and others with huge buds just waiting to burst forth. I'm telling them to hold on for another week or so though so they look at their best on 13 June.

Making headway

Today was good, a light breeze to make it easier to work and we now have seven full bags of garden rubbish waiting for a trip to the tip. Everything is bulking up nicely with hardy geraniums starting to flower along with the iris sibirica (?) and one beautiful pale blue flag iris blooming in glorious isolated splendour on the path up the hill. I've photographed that one since it might be the only flower from that clump this year as I kind of moved it earlier in the spring and I'm not sure it was the right time to do that.

The body count is growing in the beer traps, but no slugs as yet. A few snails, flies and a couple of woodlice so maybe it's the snails who've been chomping on my beans. I've planted more bean seeds and have extra plants ready to fill gaps if needed.

I'm hoping for rain tonight so I can have a day off tomorrow!

Sensory delight

What a scorcher today has been. I chose to garden on the hill today, which was a good mix of heat and dappled shade when needed. Lots of couch grass to get out, again, and two large garden rubbish bags later the area looks much better. Borage has self seeded all over the place and I have had to be tough and pull quite a bit out for fear of having other, more cherished and carefully placed, plants overwhelmed. You can almost hear that growing it's coming on so quickly. And talking of hearing things, the back drop to my day has been the sound of beach activity, power boat motors, buzzy flying things and glorious birdsong, all topped off by the aroma of freshly cut grass and barbecues from neighbouring plots. As I left to return to the house for dinner I looked back to see the large flower bed glistening in the early evening sunshine, still warm, still covered in flying insects and the haze of pink, mauve and blue from the aquilegias and iris was just wonderful. If only we'd opened the garden today!

A postscript: David and I have just made our slug beer traps - thank you for that tip Ian - we had to use Stella, that was the only beer we had but hopefully no more of the beans will succumb, the little pests will have a pleasant end, and David's beer sacrifice will be worth it.
If only we'd got chickens!!!!!

22 days to go

It's war against the slugs! My fault for saying, only a few days ago to a friend, that we weren't troubled by them in our garden! Ha! Three runner bean plants eaten overnight so now it's a fight. I'm armed with organic pellets and coffee grounds - and I'll use them!

Only 24 days to go

Lawns all neat and tidy again now and the first of the iris are in flower, am confident that there will be even more before the open day so should be a big splash of colour, even if it rains.

The back is aching and the knees are giving out, but we carry on in good spirits.

Sweetcorn is showing in the pots now and all the celery and broccoli plants that I bought as plugs and potted on seem to be thriving. Something's eating some of the sunflowers and an ant bit my arm today!