Broad Beans and Stuff

I planted out my broad beans yesterday, in two nice straight lines.

I even used a measuring implement. That's the yellow thing in the background. 

Never mind. It doesn't look too bad, looking at it from the side. 

 Other people use canes for support. We don't. We use telegraph poles.

In other news. Look at these tomato plants !

These were sown two weeks later than the others and they've grown at 10 times the speed. They are the Yellow Pear.

And to end this post, I'll present to you evidence of lovely sunny weather over the past 2 days.

This is a late afternoon shot (from Monday) when the sun hits the mountains across the Kenmare Bay.

Tuesday morning, a band of merry kayakers passed by. Some where motorised (!) kayaks, others used paddles. You know, the thing one uses to 'manually' move the kayak  through the water

 Since last summer these motorised kayaks make much less noise than the years before. Different kind of engine, I believe. Much slower too. Chances are that people have complained about the level of  aggravating noise (not us, btw)

 I love it when there is a bit of life on the estuary. A few kayaks, a fishing boat or a dinghy. 

The swans are also back.

Spring has arrived !

Patricia xxx...x

Kitchen or Greenhouse ?

I do think Bert should get us a greenhouse or a micro polytunnel. 

With the repotting of seedlings, space on the kitchen worktop is becoming limited.

Resulting in having to stack the trays 2 high. 

These trays, by the way, I bought while living in France in Brico Dépôt, in the builders aisle. Very handy they are too. The 'tops' are upturned Ikea crates. To keep the blimmin' cats out !

Pumpkins, courgettes and runner beans where sent up to the attic. They've been placed under a north facing skylight, while getting accustomed to cooler temps.

Today, I would like to plant the broad beans into the raised beds. The weather forecast is good. Sunny, no rain, but chilly.

Coffee first, eh.

Patricia xxx...x

Pelting Down with Ice Cold Rain. All Day.

That was yesterday. You would be forgiven for thinking that there would never be a summery day again. Ever !

The water in the estuary was rather choppy.

 And full. But that is because of high tide. Look at the difference with the picture below. Taken when the tide is lower (but not at its lowest). Sigh..we lose a lot of land when it's high tide.

What can you do on a day like this but drink copious amounts of coffee ?

A heaped mug of coffee. It's an art form. Or a serious lack of depth perception, as is the running joke here in the house. I seem to be doing this quite a lot.

Enjoy the week !

Patricia xxx...x

A Day to Enjoy

It sure felt like spring yesterday.   

The view from outside the kitchen.

In a good month's time the grasses will turn green again.

The view towards the village and in the distance the white peaks of our highest mountain range.

I just love the soft rolling shapes of these ancient mountains.

They almost look liquid.

The forecast for today doesn't look promising. Wind, rain. 

I think I'll focus on getting on with the blinds for the bedroom windows today. Maybe I'll even manage to finish. Focus, focus !

Have a great weekend, whatever the weather.

Patricia xxx...x

Erm... What Was It that I Came in Here For ?

My befuddled brain is full of measurements and calculations while I try to make the roman blinds for the bedroom - finally. It takes a fair bit of focus, you see, and I'm so easily distracted.

But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Not yet, anyway.
I'm here to show you our mini plant nursery, which is what my kitchen now has been promoted to.

 The upside down plastic boxes are to protect the seedlings from ...

 ...these two on the right.

 The pumpkin seeds have sprung and are growing at triffid speed.

Rouge Vif d'Etampes 

 Left : squash Futsu. Right : yellow and green courgette.

 Squash Butterbush

 Crystal Lemon cucumber in the front and only two Tuffy squash plants

More courgettes that I've sown last week. A small variety of white colour.

Bianca di Trieste

 The broad beans have come on in leaps and bounds.

I've now placed them in our homemade cold frame for another week and then they can be planted out.

 I've placed the potted cutting of a lilac tree in the cold frame as well.

It had overstayed its welcome in the kitchen. Not really, but it should also find its final place in the garden soon.

While I was outside I took a peek into the cloches that protect the recently transplanted strawberries.

And they're doing just fine.

And this is what I have to deal with when trying to measure, calculate, cut, pin and sew.

Till next time.

Patricia xxx...x

My Tip for Wrapping a Birthday Present.

Make it bold and blowsy ! Make it count !

Especially if you have to wrap something bulky and you only have brown wrapping paper and a few scraps of pink tissue to do the job.

It was our friend Sophie's 50th birthday on Good Friday. With five couples we chipped in and bought her a large stockpot, for Sophie to make her cheese.

 Sophie

The stockpot.

We didn't have a birthday card, so I found another way to 'sign' our names to the gift. Birthday cards, lovely and beautiful as they are, either get thrown away or find a place in the darkest corner of a drawer for the next 10 years.

Sophie loves flowers and herbs, so I took a dive into my seed stock and came up with seeds from five flowers and five herbs.

 I made sachets from brown wrapping paper and Bert had the responsibility of printing the labels.

For an extra layer of protection I used tin foil to contain the seeds.

The tin foil then went into the brown paper sachet. Sealed it.

I had scrapbook paper lying around (never done scrap booking in my life, but can't resist buying beautiful paper every now and then) and made the cover sachets from that.

Bert made the labels that went onto the envelopes, with the name of the herb/flower and the friends who gifted the present.

I then attached florist wire to each of the packets of seeds.

Wrapped the stock pot with brown paper, embellished with pink and green tissue, lots of ribbons and fastened the seeds at the top.

And there you have it!

The party was amazing ! Great food, great music, a lot of dancing and many many people.

And there was some booze too. ;)

Till next time

Patricia xxx...x