August at an end

Not been very productive in the garden - it was a horrible weekend.   Just deadheading and tidying.  Some of my pots are getting a bit bedraggled looking, others are just coming into their own.   Now had 5 tomatoes from my vine tomato in the greenhouse.  The other plant has some tomatoes but when will they ripen.   The one in the house has one large tomato - still lots of flowers.  I cut out a lot of the leaves last night and lopped off the tops to enable further tomatoes to perhaps grow. 

My carrots bolted and I have lifted these - still managed to get some little ones which we had for lunch on Sunday.   They were nice.  I will need to be thinking of looking at lifting my potatoes and onions  - the red onions are tiny - garlic looks good.   Peas have shot up and lots of pods so the wet and sometimes sunny August has worked on them.

My petunias have not been good this year and have suffered with mildew at times. Sweet Peas and Marigolds doing well.   Hollyhocks and Foxgloves got a bit of battering at the weekend but still standing.

Its such a shame when the nights are getting longer and the days shorter.   I hate closing the curtains at night!

Despite the weather at the weekend I went out and about - visited the SWRI show on Saturday - what a lot of talented people and I took some photos.  On Sunday I went to a Teas at the Whiteness and Weisdale Hall but the times were wrong in the paper.  I went had a walk around the garden at the church that the Beechgrove Garden helped with - then I went to Bonhoga and had my lunch and went around the Gallery.  The current exhibition is the Illustrators of Julie Donaldson books ( childrens stories).  Think the Gruffalo which is now and animated short film which I have watched several times.  What an excellent exhibition, I appreciated them even though I do not have kids.   You do forget when you are younger reading books with illustrations how good these can be in telling a story, and how beautifully detailed they are.  Some of these would make lovey pictures on a wall.

I did go to the teas and bought a geranium for the house.  At Christmas I was given a tin of petunias which I had forgotton about but are now growing merrily away in the kitchen window - not sure if I will get flowers or not but they are racing away.

Still stopped smoking - sometimes it is hard but getting there.  Need to loose weight as I have put on a few pounds - trousers not meeting around the waist!

Having problems uploading photos tonight will add them in next blog - try again
Cruise Liner

A fine week, Unst Wedding and now rain

It was a surprising good week of weather and even better a gorgeous Friday and I was on a day off.  

Mind you the midgies were a big problem in the evenings - so I have several bites which are gradually healing.   A mixture of weeding tidying, grass cutting and generally cutting back plants - some have been lifted and repotted to give to friends or to anyone who wants them - locally!

Friday was a lovely morning spent in the garden - I had to cover Snowy's ears in Sun Tan Lotion as it was so warm.   He didn't mind getting it put on either.  He is such a patient boy, except when he wants food and out now if you please doesn't matter what time of day or night it is.  He is covered in scabs from his various fights just now so he keeps wanting lots of scratching to get them off.

We left for Unst at lunchtime and headed via Brae to see the new Accommodation Block at Sellaness.   Across in Yell as we had plenty of time before our next ferry we took a drive out to Cullivoe.  At the Gutcher ferry Terminal we watched the Gannets diving for food and I watched 2 Wrens catching food and going to their nest.

On arrival in Unst we headed for the Unst Boat Haven - what a beautiful museum - well ordered and very interesting.  We were staying at the Baltasound Hotel - and had a lovely meal with others.  Our room was very nice too as was breakfast!.

Had a lovely night at Duncan & Sita's wedding meeting up with friends we had not seen for a while.  Thanks for the lovely evening. 

Beautiful day yesterday but back to miserable today - misty and wet!

Tomatoes seem to be growing as do the strawberries, peas still a bit slow and I will have to check out the onions, potatoes and garlic shortly.  Carrots are bolting!  Some of my flower pots are now going past which is a bit disappointing but others are just coming into bloom - sweet peas flowering well.

Some photos of the last week!

 Finally came out with the sun - the hedgehog also seemed to be heading for food under the birds area.  Sadly yesterday  I found a hedgehog which probably is this one as it is a baby one curled up in the long grass in the far corner dead.  Wonder if its mum had been killed and it could not get enough to eat?

 Ponies at Cullivoe

 Unst Boat Haven

 Duncan & Sita

 Victor & Greta

My Roses

And to finish Snowy!!!!

Sunshine at last

Luckily the sun shone on Wednesday for Cunningsburgh Show but poor Walls yesterday it bucketed down.

This morning the midgies were out in full force so did not get in to garden but as soon as a little breeze came up and the sun came out they were gone.  Spent some time weeding and tidying and actually sat out for an hour or so and read the Sunday Papers.   Went to the Craft Fair and Teas at Gulberwick Hall this afternoon.  Thanks to Elaine and family.  I believe they raised £470 for Robbies trip to Africa.

Snowy has been out and about for most of the day - trying to catch birds, beasties, butterflies and also sleeping as can be seen in the photo.    There seemed to be lots of wheatears around today.

A lot of bees too in the Foxgloves.  I bought some carnations yesterday and there were so many sideshoots that I took them off and put them into water to root.  Will plant out in garden when I can - have done this before and had success.

 My tomatoes - there are lots more now beginning to grow!  Patience is beginning to pay off and sunshine would help.

 Sedum in flower

 Spirea

Snowy sleeping in the garden.  Enjoying the sun.  I forgot to put sun tan cream on his ears but hopefully he will be okay.

Is this weather never ending!

Its getting a bit wearying now this weather.   Grass is needing cut again as we have had so much rain.   Didn't get out in the garden this week.  I usually take a turn around in the evening and deadhead but that is as far as it has gone.

Went to Voe Show on Saturday and enjoyed it.  Bit guttery underfoot but it was dry overhead although cool. I always love the produce, flowers and crafts section. It gives me inspiration and I am a little envious at those with real green fingers. The animals are always great to see too.  Such fine looking beasts.  Its Cunningsburgh Show tomorrow but working, might go to the Walls Show.  Its also a lovely place to meet folk you haven't seen for a while.

Sunday it bucketed. I did some planning for next years garden - between showers I checked the pots and seeds that had grown this year and wrote up my packets of seed that I have received through Amateur Gardening.  I like that magazine - some good tips - I just have to remember to add on a couple of extra weeks to when following any tips on cutting back - planting etc.   The Beechgrove Garden (BBC) is an excellent programme as it is from Aberdeen so you can more or less add a few  days to their planting.

The No Smoking is still apace.  Just starting on the 8th week.  Still on patches and chewing gum and or the inhalator but can go for a few hours now without anything.

Snowy seems to be behaving himself - no big fights lately - just getting rid of his scabs from the last one.  I think he has had a sore tummy today as he has been sick.    He is a good eater otherwise.


Some photos from the weekend

 Lots of Lovely Vegetables

 New Potatoes.   We had Shetland (Ness) Lamb and Ness Potatoes for Sunday Dinner - MMMM it was delicious. 

 My Geraniums never look like this.

 I have no idea what this is but it intrigued me.   Quite a difficult photograph to take in a Nissan Hut!

 There were lots of beautiful hanging baskets

 A fine Shetland Lace Shawl   - the work is so fine.

 Aw I am cute!

 The Canadian Canoe in Shetland!

 Lovely colour on this poppy.

 Of course no Blog would be finished without a picture of Snowy and finally

The fun you can have with vegetables and fruit!

Just been checking my tomatoes and one is changing colour - its nearly red!

A blink and it was gone!

Spent a good deal of time on Saturday and on Sunday in the garden cutting back - tying up and weeding.   What a difference.   Can actually see some plants that I had forgotten about.  More tomatoes appearing in my indoor tomato plant.    Not been weather this week to even unzip the greenhouse.   Have ensured that they have plenty of feed.  Plenty deadheading to be done each night.  Did come a beautiful afternoon today but its back to mist and rain!

Had a wander around our Park in Town the King George V on Sunday.   Its also between flowers going over and those just coming into their own.   I always think our Park Keepers does a very good job.   I wonder if they ever have a plant sale for any of their extras or cuttings.  There were loads of plants that I would like to grow in my garden.

Back to work this week and its been pretty hectic.  Still a few yachts in the harbour and a Tall Ship - Thorheyerdahl came into Lerwick this afternoon.   Does brighten up the harbour again!

We had an adult hedgehog and youngster in our garden late last night.  I see hedgehogs visiting every night so I know that I will have less slugs in the morning.  There are still a few slugs around.

Snowy managed to catch and kill 2 young Starlings this week which the Herring Gulls seem to like to eat.  Yeuch.   His scabs are healing slowly and crossed fingers he has not been in any fights.

A young lark came into the fence tonight.

Some photos as usual

 The King George V Park

 Wish these were mine

 Another beauty!

 Envious - this was just beautiful

 Globe thistle perhaps

 Another lovely bed

 In contrast my tidy, cut back, staked and a bit bare now that the big Daisy has gone! The little purple flower is Penestom which I thought grew quite tall - this one is obviously a dwarf!

 A very tidy vegetable patch - sorted out the grass and the stones around the edge.

 These pansies or are they violas are really vibrant

Mum & Daughter (Maybe) passing by my feet at the back door.