The Distancing Diaries - Day 146 & 147

On Thursday (day 146), after my daily Wii Fit workout and breakfast I wandered around the garden checking what havoc the previous evening's violent storm had wreaked. Although my geraniums had been battered senseless everything else seemed fine, including the new plants which I'd left on the table and bench in the shade when we'd got back from the garden centre.

Last week Liz had mentioned needing a few things from town and I'd offered to go with her. She arrived at 10.30 am and after an al fresco coffee and an inspection of the plants, we walked the mile-and-a-bit into Walsall, calling in at Wilko, Waterstones & the clearance charity shop (which wasn't on the list but it seemed rude not to). Unusually Walsall was quite busy but, other than an elderly chap in the book shop, everyone wore masks and maintained a safe distance, and happily, despite rain being forecast, we managed to get everything ticked off Liz's list, walk home and have another coffee in The Egg without feeling a single raindrop.

I spent £5 in the charity shop purchasing a multi pack of replacement pads for Jon's TENS machine, four books (I realised after I'd bought it that I'd read The Secret River years ago but I'd loved it so shall happily re-read it) and an Italian-made leather & woven fabric belt with the Jennifer Lopez for Guess tags still attached (I'm not interested in Guess or Jennifer Lopez but liked the belt) and this time the belt really does fit me. I'm obviously starting to function properly wearing a mask! 

After waving Liz off Jon handed over three parcels that postman Izzy had delivered while I was out. There were the Lotta of Stockholm clogs I'd submitted a cheeky low offer for last week, I was expecting them to be slightly worn -as they'd been described - but they were perfect. Jon & I had admired a collection of vintage Indian padlocks in one of the havelis we'd visited in Jaisalmer and I'd managed to snaffle one on eBay for a lot less than I've seen them on flea markets for in India. I never expected to win the auction for this early '70s Anokhi maxi skirt (their early collections often sell for £££s)  and I was delighted when I did, it's heavenly on. 

After our lunchtime noodles Jon continued with fitting the kitchen skirting boards, which he'd started before I'd left to go into town. As predicted the rain arrived but only lasted 15 minutes so I was able to spend the rest of the afternoon in the garden. I deadheaded the geraniums that the storm had battered the previous night, planted my new delphiniums and dug up the bamboo in the border, replacing it with the Black-eyed Susan & Geranium "Tiny Monster" I'd bought on Wednesday along with a Pulsatilla that was being swamped by the massive nasturtium.

By now Jon had joined me, moving a wayward ornamental grass from the border to beside the pond and harvesting our lemon cucumber for tea. We swept and raked the drive and the patio and then called it a day. 

I caught up with blog comments whilst Jon cracked on with tea.

Half a mini Cheddar cheese quiche, grilled haloumi and salad with a side dish of homegrown lemon cucumber, which is so-called because of its appearance as opposed to the taste.

We've just discovered Monty Don's Around The World in 80 Gardens currently on the BBC i-player. On Wednesday we accompanied him to Mexico & Cuba and last night was the turn of Australia & New Zealand. Afterwards Jon got the urge to make music & I caught up with blogland before putting the upstairs plants in the bath to soak overnight.

Source

On Friday (day 147) I was up at 6am to book next week's National Trust visit as I'd heard slots for the garden we wanted to visit were as rare as hen's teeth, the early start paid off.  After my Wii Fit workout I gave the plants upstairs their fortnightly feed before swapping them over with some of the downstairs ones. I'd also filled the utility room sink with plants, too.

WEARING: Vintage India Imports of Rhode Island block printed maxi skirt (eBay, 2019), embroidered cotton off-the-shoulder top (originally Zara via a charity shop), Jennifer Lopez for Guess belt (clearance charity shop)

My lovely friend Shaz will notice that I'm wearing blue.... again. It's the third day running!

After our fruit & yogurt Jon popped out for a few groceries & some compost. I did two loads of washing - I'm loving the 15 minute wash cycle - and pegged it all out on the line then I sat under The Egg with Frank, hand-stitching the hem of the skirt I was already wearing. I took it up by six inches last year, I'm not shrinking, it's just that I'm either barefoot or in my Lotta's when I wear it.

 Jon got back, santised the shopping and brought me a mug of coffee. He decided that to make some room for the red cabbage plants he'd bought on Wednesday, he'd dig up the potatoes (grown from the sprouted new potato I'd found under the cooker back in the Spring when I was cleaning).

After lunch (noodles, obviously!) I took my new-to-me Anokhi maxi up by a couple of inches. Not wanting to lose the gorgeous orange & yellow detail at the hemline, I folded a 2" section from the block printed border to the inside, machine stitched it in place, ironed it flat and then sewed the fold by hand whilst sitting in the garden.

Jon planted the strawberries in a length of drainpipe we had lying around the garden and transplanted the Lollo Rosso lettuce into pots. 

Aren't there a lot of cabbage whites this year? At one point today there were six in the greenhouse.

I repotted the remainder of the new plants into terracotta pots and moved the collection on the patio around to make room for them, sweeping up my mess once I'd finished. Jon sanded down and filled the outside sill of the lounge bay window as it was starting to fall apart. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon lazing on the lawn with the lads, it was a more "normal" 24°C and after this week's tropical temperatures it seemed almost too cold to bother with a bikini!

Tea was bargain pizzas with homemade potato fairies (not with the homegrown new ones, that'll be tomorrow) accompanied by one of Al's homemade beers - I'm glad we shared one, my half went straight to my head.

We've just watered the garden and we'll be settling down with Gardener's World at 9pm.

Stay safe & thanks for reading!