Middle of May

Cant believe it has now got to the middle of May , and the middle of another week. Yesterday it was pretty hot here, getting up to 18 degrees and wasnt surprised when Jack came into tell me my bees had swarmed and were hanging on a post off the deer fencing. Would love it if they swarmed when it was a bit cooler as with a bee suit on it is pretty hard work with the sun beating down on you. I managed to get most of my 'pots" out into the garden which had been cluttering up the summerhouse since back end - back end is what we hear in North Yorksire call late Autumn. I havent got a green house here at the moment so bring them all inside to keep the frost off them . With my infrequent watering they all seem to have survived.6 large fuschias are already flowering well. The Olive tree has been out all winter and looks not very blooming, so I thing it will probably have to be taken from its pot and dug into the ground and a good feed of Tomarite. I give Tomatite to eveything, even my lemom trees which I have 37now of varying sizes and about 60 which are about an inch high ones .I must start to think about selling them or not planting any more pips -they grow like rattle . Or maybe I could give them away to guests.I even managed to get the Bird of Paradise out too. It is so big the pot it is in has to be rolled rather than lifted out. It has one flower on and another in the making .Last year it had 4 on . All the plants seem to love going outside. They were moving their leaves about and I dont think it was a wind causing it .I often says isnt nature marvellous. My chocolate mint is coming on great guns and I am pleased to see the tomato plants which I planted so late will be giving me a late harvest. I seem to have little plants all over. But nothing beats bluebells growing in our woods. It takes forever watering them and as I run out of space I even have some in the bedroom on the window sill. I think my dad will be keeping his eye on me I wonder if he has got the Head Gardener's job up in Heaven yet.

The birds are singing their hearts out and the woodpecker is still around and coming more frequently so guess it has a nest somewhere in the poplar trees. Last year it hatched 5 off so there was quite traffic flow of wood peckers in the garden when they started to fly . I have 8 artichokes and hope they do better than last year so popped them in down an aspargus bed . The asparagus will be ready next year so how about scrambed egg and asparagus for guests breakfast . And I have apricots too,lets hope they dont get into the squirrels mouths like the peaches did last year before we have time to pick them The flowers are not the only ones enjoying the sunshine. Cows and calves are enjoying it too.

May Day 2023

I really must get back into my writing blogs as there is so much happening around here for you all to know about. I think I will write about that and then something else waylays me. I thought I would get an early start.It isnt quite 4 in the morning as the song goes.It is 20 to 5am but I wanted to be up to record some bird morning chorus. I can hear them even though the door is shut.It isnt quite day break but obviously the birds wanting to make an impression on finding a mate so they are up and about. I dont normally go out on the road on a Sunday - too many Sunday drivers for me, but with the temptation of free entrance into Nunnington Hall which is less than 6 miles away and takes about 10 minutes I decided to take up the invitation. The car park was pretty full so I wasnt the only one who knew about the Open Day. I was greeted at the gate by who I understood to be a volunteer - he was so keen and eager at his role he ran to find me a park waving and smiling as he went about his duty. I met other volunteers who were all as helpful and friendly .I just hope the National Trust give them a nice Christmas present as they do all this for free and I have noticed how large some of the wages of jobs advertised are for such places .Anyway enough of the politics of life and on to the joys that Nunnington holds. Nunnington is a lovely village built on a hillside which slopes down to the River Rye. Mellow stone cottages with pantiled roof tiles ,all very well kept .You can tell it was once an "Estate" village.I have come here since I was a child as the school bus brought us round this way every day.And then in later year when I was hairdressing I used to come to some of the ladies in the village. One time I was up at Mrs Tate when Prince Charles came into the yard. He was joining the Sinnington and one of the two men he was with, ask if we had seen the hounds anywhere.They bide us Good Morning and we watched them ride off from the kitchen window. Prince Charles as he was then, wore a Royal blue hunting jacket with gold buttons.That would be nearly 50 years ago. The gardens at Nunnington Hall are nicer than they used to be and it has exhibitions that change each year in the rooms at the top of the house.The minature rooms of the Carlyle Collection are still there. It was intersting to see so may people taking their time to look at the minature. Ladies looking at the rooms ,while the menfolk were more intersted in the tiny works of art of the carving of gardening tools and the shoemakers tools of trade. Rooms in minature we have to remember -not dolls house rooms but still I think it would be a very lucky child that got a dolls house full like this.