The constant gardener – 29 May 2024

A little bit of tidying up of the garden in the morning. Then a lot more.

I’ve had seven little pots in our overcrowded greenhouse, hardening off before I planted them out. Actually I’d almost forgotten about them. Today I was going to plant them in the real world. The post held sprouting sunflowers. Their cotyledon leaves had now been replaced by their ‘real leaves’ and it really was time to plant them in the raised bed, except I’d been using the soil from the raised bed to bank up the potatoes. This was a shambles. I admit I wasn’t really dedicated to this gardening lark, but something had to be done. I decided the thing to do was have lunch!

After lunch the job started properly. Scamp was intending moving troughs with old daffodils in them from the front garden to the back to get them to dry out so she could gather the bulbs for planting next year, all being well. I felt ashamed that all I did was lug the planters about and not do anything creative, so I emptied all the pots and old plants from the raised bed, pulled up all the weeds I could reach and then used a bag of cheap compost to fill in the holes I’d been creating in the bed over the past months. I planted all seven sunflower seedlings. I also planted about ten leeks that were languishing in their plastic trays. Next I replanted two strawberry plants that were looking sorry for themselves and finally dug up and planted what might be a tree. I think one of our friendly birds planted it for us, but now it’s growing in a proper pot. I’ll be interested in seeing if it flowers and what fruit it bears.

Scamp planted up her new trough with Violas, Lobelia, two Heucheras and a Geranium. The trough is long and narrow and holds a fair amount of compost. It’s a heavy thing to carry through the house. She also did some general tidying up and kept an eye on me to make sure I wasn’t damaging any of her plants. As if I’d dare.

When we’d finished we drove to Tesco for some shopping that should have been done on Monday, or Tuesday, but was completed on Wednesday!

I made a fairly decent chilli non-carne for dinner, assisted by my commis chef. It wasn’t very hot, but I’m loathe to put more chilli powder in it, because chilli non-carne or chilli con carne have a reputation of becoming much hotter on the second day.

Five couples were getting in each other’s way tonight at dance class, but we did get round the floor and joined the first part of the waltz to the second part seamlessly after Kirsty supplied the middle section. It wasn’t perfect, but I’m sure, by next week we’ll have it working perfectly, DV.

Before I started making the chilli, I went for a walk in St Mo’s. Not a lot of interest there, but PoD became an Aquilegia flower I saw on the walk home. I think their season is drawing to a close, so I’m making the most of them while they are still here.

Today’s prompt has been completed, but it’s still soaking wet after I tried a very watery ink and wash technique. I’m sure it will be dry for tomorrow.

<Update> And here it is: Today’s prompt asked for a Turtle. The only ones I’ve seen live were the small freshwater turtles, but the images I found were of their bigger cousins, the sea turtles, so a Sea Turtle it was.
Just for fun, I painted it wet in wet. It seemed to suit the subject.

Tea Dance tomorrow. We may even attempt the, as yet, unnamed waltz if everything goes according to plan.