Extreme Makeover

Jack was an only vine fruit, no siblings and as you can see a little on the plain side.
He decided on an extreme makeover to help make him shine
after intricate surgery and hours of planning,
he was ready to unveil his new look
HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The bulbs are in!

Got the bulbs in and used one of those bulb planter tools, wow was i impressed i got the job done in half the time. I have put the red hot pokers at the bottom of the garden in the hope they will grow but because it is north facing i think maybe I'm hoping too much as i think they prefer a bit more sun, but I'll see how they get on. Apart from the bulbs in the picture, i got hold of some beautiful Fritillaria Meleagris I have always admired these when I've seen them in other gardens. I got a real bargain as well £2 for 15 bulbs. I also bought some dwarf mixture tulips and daffodils and have planted them up in clumps here and there as well as in a planter box by my back door.

Finished clearing one of my vegetable beds and I've covered it over with old carpet, hope fully stopping any weeds from seeding in it. Then i went back out and guess what? Gypsy (my dog) had been right in there and re dug and uplifted the bits of carpet i had laid down. Yup gardening must run in the family! Needless to say i wasn't very happy at the mess she had caused but i had to laugh at her muddy face and i got my own back by giving her a bath!

I also emptied the hanging baskets and replanted them up with ivy and winter pansies.

Problem with Harmonia axyridis (Harlequin Ladybird)

For the last few weeks i have been having a problem with harlequin ladybirds in my daughters bedroom. They just seem to appear on the ceiling and window, even though the window has not been open in a while. They have appeared in numbers ranging from one to nine at the moment. I have tried looking for their point of entry but had no joy in finding it. I know they must be getting in somewhere but i haven't a clue!

Although my daughter isn't keen on creepy crawlies in general she used to love ladybirds. The problem is when she is going to bed on an night, any that are in her room seem to take to flying around when the light goes on and they seem to crash land. The thought of them crash landing on her bed is enough to put her off sleeping in there. It just seems odd that they are congregating in her room, when we used to see the odd ones in the garden it was a case of "ah how cute is that ladybird" but it is a whole new ballgame now they are squatting in the bedroom!

I have checked the seal around the window and it seems secure but i know i am obviously missing something as they are getting in somewhere.

Has anyone else had this problem and if so how did you get rid of the infestation. My daughter has taken to sleeping downstairs on some occasions because of this and i really would appreciate any advice.

The louder you scream the faster you go...

Last week the annual Hull Fair arrived. It is the largest travelling fair in Europe and it has become a tradition in Hull. http://www.hullfair.net/ui/historyhome.htm this site has some great facts.

I remember going to Hull Fair when i was a small girl and the magic and excitement as October drew closer was all me and my friends could talk about. Daring each other to go on the biggest ride and winning a goldfish in a plastic bag full of water on the side shows. The latter got banned as it was cruel, many of the fish ended up dumped because there was nowhere to put them while the kids still wanted to ride the roundabouts.

My favourite rides were the Speedway, standing up against the bar as it sped around and around, The Waltzers spinning cars till you was dizzy and sick, and with no safety restraints! Health and Safety was not as keen in the 1970's as they are today!

This year when i went i thought how i had changed, instead of getting excited to be going on the rides i was more excited to be taking the pictures, jeez i suppose that tells me I'm getting old and boring!

autuminal colours

American Style

I think one of the major jobs next year is to create some kind of porch back way in the garden. We have got decking laid as ya walk out but I would like some sort of roof/cover so that i can enjoy being out there sheltered doing stuff in the winter months. Some of the American houses with their porches look fab, in fact i like the traditional American style of housing full stop.

Oysters for tea.

I inoculated two logs with mycelium dowels last September/October time, one was shitake and the other Oyster mushroom. I put them behind some bushes at the back of the garden so they would stay damp and cool and this morning this was the site that greeted me.

Autumn Clean up

I took this photo this morning, looking through the dying foliage of a hanging basket, the colours look beautiful and it gives a great frame to the garden.

I have decided to turf out the contents of the green house today and give it a good clean. The majority of stuff in there which is still thriving seem to be the spiders that have spun webs all over the place and hang menacingly waiting for their next meal. The webs are going up at an alarming rate, maybe they are getting the green house dressed for Halloween!

finger lickin good

Had the first of my sweetcorn last night, wow it was so sweet and succulent. The photo looks boring, thinking i should have waited till it was cooked and glistening in butter!