Photo a day....29th July.

Meet Bill and Coo. They are our new garden residents. They arrived earlier last week and we have had a few days display of great affection....lasting ages, followed by mating, on this gate arch! I hope they are nesting nearby.

I am away for two days in Kent from early tomorrow. I am bringing two teenaged boys back for a week's stay. It is not as daunting as it sounds because they have been very well brought up and are a delight to have as guests. My DH will have an excuse to go fishing as they both like to go with him.

On the way to Kent I'll drop in at Wisley...to check up on Carol Klein's 3x3 kitchen garden....I hope the "plunts" are flourishing!!!

Photo a day......28th July

I walked the dogs right along the beaches this afternoon. It was really bustly as everyone was making the best of the sunshine.

Yesterday I spent a long morning at the plot. I took up all the onions and threw a lot away. The ones I think I can salvage are now here at home in the polytunnel. I hope they'll dry out enough to be able to store some of them.
A neighbouring plotholder suggested making the best of a bad job by chopping up any iffy ones (discarding the brown slimy bits), then giving them a quick blitz in the microwave, then bag them up and freeze them. I am going to try that. We have a new chest freezer (that always makes me giggle inwardly!) coming on Wednesday and I hope to be able to freeze a lot of stuff from the plot.
Has anyone got any idea how I go about freezing courgettes, or red cabbage? We have both now in vast quantities!

Photo a day....26th July.

These trees were in Cowes. We saw them during our walk along the shopping street there on Sunday. "Nothing remarkable"! you may be thinking.....but ALL of them were in pots!

I went to the plot this afternoon in the rain to get some veg as we were out! I brought home potatoes, carrots, courgettes and a cabbage.
Not having been for a while as I have been very busy decorating etc, and the weather has stopped all gardening anyway, I was surprised to see that all the tops on the onions were toppled over and beginning to spoil. I think the weather has affected them. So I lifted them all, leaving them on the surface, and hoped that they will dry off soon. I'll have to go tomorrow as we are promised a sunny day, and I will assess the damage then. I do hope they don't rot as there are over 200 of them....hopefully our whole winter's supply.
Has anyone else experienced this this year?

Photo a day.....25th July

On Sunday morning we had to get out of the house for hours with the dogs to allow our friend who did our floors time to do two coats and for them to dry. We hadn't visited Cowes since we lived here although we used to go often when we came on holiday. One place that we used to check up on was this shop...Jolliffe's. It used to be a Mens' Outfitters, and the shop is a listed building because all the interior features originally built in to allow its use for selling clothing; cabinets, counters etc, are all still there.

We first saw this shop about 7 or 8 years ago. It was empty and up for sale. We really wanted it. We saw it as a shop which my husband could use for his business....Accountant...and we could have a flat over it. We were desperate to move to the Island but it didn't happen then unfortunately.

We were delighted on this visit to find that it did sell in the end. It is now a Chandlery, and they have sensibly taken the name "Jolliffe's" as they have to preserve the front as it is. My photo doesn't do it justice, but it is a delightful building. It has curved windows in the shopfront, wood panelling, cupboards and a beautiful stairway inside, and views from the top floor. Up there are offices for some famous sailors...Ellen McArthur being just one of them.
To see a better picture click here
http://www.chandlery-boats.co.uk/index.php?WSid=b43f7bc338a9305e85feb9cb075daa68

I have been so busy today that I have run out of time and energy for a photo a day. There are pictures in the camera, but I don't know where it is and I'm too tired to hunt for it. Decorating takes it out of me!!!

Just got back on-line after a three day absence. The floor man accidently broke the phone line...it was very brittle....and we have been without phone and internet since Friday evening...!

I'll get back to blogging tomorrow...!

Photo a day.....19th July.

This was the sky over our house yesterday evening. I have never seen anything like it before. It looked pleated.......!

The gazebo which our furniture is in leaked....thank goodness we covered all the furniture in plastic as insurance. We didn't trust it. And it couldn't be a worse week to choose......but the floor is looking lovely already!
I hope this posts as it is because the reduced version didn't look anywhere near as good...!

My clever DH has set up my computer on the upstairs landing so I can go online after all. But I'm much too tired to post a photo tonight.....will do so tomorrow.

I won't be blogging for four days as I have to dismantle all my computer and "office" as we are having all the downstairs floors sanded and sealed, starting today....!

Photo a day.....18th July

At Barton Manor last Sunday I was surprised to see that they have a black swan on the lake. He looked lonely as he was the only swan. He kept coming up for the food the crowd were feeding to the carp.

Photo a day....17th July.

For a little while I am going to parallel my two blogs. If this one stops doing the red xs I 'll revert to this one completely because I find it so much easier to load pictures on here.
(I have reduced the number of pixels on the photos and if they post OK at that reduced size then I might as well carry on doing so.)

This is Bembridge Windmill....a National Trust maintained attraction here on the Isle of Wight. We walked the dogs along the footpath behind it a few weeks ago, and this is one of the photos which I posted then that came out as a red x .

This is a trial run to see if reducing the pixel count of my photos helps.

I have managed at last to sign up to Wordpress (had to suppress Pop Up Blocker before I could log in!!!) and have a blog on there that I am trying out. It is at this address
http://lilymarlene.wordpress.com/
Please visit me there and tell me if the photo of the shed steps has come out for you

I am so fed up with this pictures coming up as red xs business that I am going to research into changing to another blog host.
This may take a few days as I'm really much too busy to do this for a week or two. We are having our downstairs floors all stripped and varnished next week, and weekend and I have a great deal of preparation to do....!
Bye for now...!

Here are the photos I posted the other day of the step I made into the shed, and the tidied up interior.
Nothing wonderful but I wanted to see if I am on a roll as far as pictures not red xs go...!

My dear friend in Florida suggested trying Irfanview for re-sizing so this is the result.
Photo a day....9th July.

These alliums on an exhibit in the Grand Pavilion at Chelsea were delicious!

( OK ...I've come back to this after checking that it is there and not a red x again and so far so good.
To get a bigger view you can click on the photo. It doesn't come up as big as they used to but it gives an idea.
I suppose the days of my lovely, clear detailed photos on my blogs are over....! One wonders what is the point of 6.3m pixels. One also wonders how Talj and others with super cameras manage to get the wonderful definition in their photos to come out on blogger.....I think I am missing something but am not tecchie enough to know what or even how to articulate it...!))

It seems to have worked...re-sizing the photos before uploading them to Blogger.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I've tried them all, and decided to use this method for a while.

The photobucket option is a good thought but I can't see how to upload them the way Picasa does. I am not very tecchie and need the easy to use methods.

Using the small pics on Blogger means they don't "blow up" so much when you click on them, but perhaps that's a good thing.

So....back to my day. No gardening actually today as I felt it was time to clean out the mobile skip on our front drive that should be a car!!!!! It was shameful how dirty it was. It is now all sparkly inside with new seat covers and a special dog protection seat cover in the back. I wonder how long it will stay clean this time?!!!

Photo a day....8th July

At Bembridge (IOW) there is this windmill, cared for by the National Trust. There is a footpath that starts alongside the mill which leads to Brading, through fields and aling a stream.

We took the dogs there last week on one of the suunny afternoons and they had a wonderful time sniffing!

This beautiful farmhouse and barn were by the path.
Alongside this stile is a little space the dogs can get through....thank goodness as we didn't fancy getting over carrying the dogs!






(NB I hope this works today. I have asked Blogger to do all small photos as a trial. Perhaps it doesn't like medium ones even though they offer them.)

These are the photos of my work at the plot the other day. I have decided to reduce the size that I ask blogger to make the pictures in the hopes that it will then post properly.

Just a trial

Did this one work.....it looks like not!

Photobucket Album

I've followed Ruth's suggestion and uploaded two photos to Photobucket. It only loaded one to Blogger, so I have a steep learning curve to climb!!! Picasa was so easy, but just red xs would be easy I suppose!!!!

I've worked myself to a standstill today.

I sieved and spread half of one of the compost daleks contents. Then I turned the next composter contents into it. I disturbed a nest of bumble bees which seemed to be under the composter so I left the bottom inch alone!

I weeded and mulched the asparagus bed, mulched the sweetcorn bed, and mulched the cabbage plants....all with cut grass. Noted that the red cabbages are almost ready to cut....whooppeeeee!

I weeded the strawberry bed.

I watered the tunnel and weeded the beds in there.

I googled for 'insect hotel' to find out exactly how to make one myself. It is possible to buy them ready made from Harrod Horticultural, but I think re-cycled stuff works, and looks best; and is free. I didn't find any info that was much use....anyone know of a good place to look?

Now I'm going to sit and plan what goes into all the spaces left by eaten crops.....!

No photos...sorry...... but I can't be bothered until Blogger gets its act together and stops doing red xs instead of photos...!

Please help.....
Does anyone know how to stop the red xs which come up rather than the pictures. I have researched it on blogger but they only say it is to do with picture size....which is rubbish as I have posted successfully before with the same amount of pictures of the same size.

Would I get the same problems if I did my blog with another company? And how much would it cost me to do so
All advice very gratefully received....!
Thanks!

I am so tired of spending ages doing blog entries only to have these wretched red xs appear.

Photos for previous post!

I had a massive clear up at the plot today. I hoed everywhere....boy were the weeds taking over....not now though.

I staked the three broccoli plants that were beginning to flop.
DH strimmed the paths and some of the wilderness that I haven't got to yet.

I made a step for the shed. The weeds were beginning to make it difficult to open the door, so I dug out a lot of soil and weed roots (nettles mostly!) and leveled it. Then I put down weed stop fabric, then the slabs which were laying around on the plot.

I also installed another set of shelves in the shed and had a good tidy up. It doesn't look very tidy but I do know where everything is now.
The green stakes in the tub were originally the framework for a large cloche which was left by the previous plotholders. It had collapsed but I find the stakes invaluable for all sorts of jobs. In fact a neighbouring plotholder wanted to know where she could buy some as she can see how useful they are.

Now to walk the dogs. Then I'll start out the back......!

Tomorrow I hope to start digging some new bits at the plot.

Photo a day....5th July
(I posted this yesterday but the pictures were just red x s.

These were either on the Jamaican or Trinidad and Tobago exhibit. The red ones look like some strange animals, and the lower picture has the wonderful Bird of Paradise plant. (I've got one of these in a pot, but no sign of flowers yet).

We'll see if the pictures come out this time...!

Photo a day...5th July.

I think this was the Jamaican exhibit, but it may have been Trinidad and Tobago......somewhere in the Caribbean anyway.

Aren't they colourful?



















Today was another wash out day as far as gardening goes. I did watch the BBC coverage of the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, and enjoyed it. It was nice to see Chris Beardshaw get another Best in Show...!
We have a strange echo in our house when Carol Klein is on....every time she says "plunts" I hear an echo ("plunts") from my DH!!!!!!

I don't seem to get much gardening done these days....I think its the weather....! LOL! Today's effort was merely picking the sweet peas, and some peas for dinner, watering and feeding the crops in the tunnel....and emptying the kitchen compost bin.
In my defence, we did have a computer engineer in all morning, and we went to B&Q to get a gazebo this afternoon. (We are having the downstairs floors stripped and varnished in a couple of weeks time and have nowhere to put the furniture whilst it is being done. DH has been on about getting one of these for ages and it seemed to be the sensible solution. It is 9mx3m so there should be enough room. We also got plastic sheets for the furniture to stand on.) (DH has always wanted the gazebo, actually more like a small marquee, as he fancies having parties in it. I don't fancy the work that implies.....!!!!!!)

Photo a day.....4th July.

A little plug for the Isle of Wight!!!!!
Isle of Wight Lavender had an exhibit as usual. I nattered with them for a while. I got to know them when I went to the farm near Newport for a day, learning all about the propagation, and growing, of lavender. They also showed us how they extract the lavender oil for the cosmetics they sell.

They were so hospitable on that special day....we were fed so well.....Lavender scones, lavender ice cream, lavender sponge! I bought a recipe book too, but still haven't been brave enough to use it......!

Photo a day.....3rd July.

This exhibit took my eye because it looked like a cake shop! I couldn't get over how diverse the range of cacti is. And I am sure there are many more types too.

I have never wanted to grow them because I think they are vicious things, but I do admire them when I see them like this....!


















Today was a bit better weather wise. I managed to do a good weeding of the front flowerbeds in between the showers. It all looks a lot better now.
I hope to get to the plot tomorrow afternoon, weather permitting.

Photo a day....2nd July.

Mandeville Street.

One of the Lifelong earning exhibits in the Grand Pavilion was this one. I have copied the leaflet we were given as it explains what this estate in Hackney (Clapton Park Estate) are doing to improve the environment for the residents.

The leaflet is entitled "A Fresh Look at Urban Green Space Maintenance".


"If you drive from the Chelsea Flower Show to our estate in Hackney this is what you will see.
Our exhibit is literally a cross section of one of our green spaces...warts and all.
By sowing annual flowers instead of the traditional twice yearly spray with herbicide we have transformed the muddy edges of our Estate into flower meadows.
We are here to show everyone what can be done and, we hope, encourage other estates to take another look at their green spaces."

"Put poppies in front of a dull fence and suddenly the space makes you smile....all for 50p worth of seed". John Little (Grass Roof Company)
If you had to live in London it would be nicer to live here than most other estates...!












Today was not really plot weather as it was very very windy. I did go to dig some spuds and harvest courgettes. Then this evening I weeded the front garden. Usually that is a real pill to do because it dries to concrete, but the weeds just popped out this time. I'll finish that tomorrow and maybe get to the plot for a couple of hours.