papa's got a brand new...

pair of socks!

I have been furiously knitting away trying to get my dad's Fathers Day present finished in time and managed to complete the second one at gone midnight last night. It's a pattern I've not used before called Harris Tweed, and whilst I like the quite masculine pattern along the leg, I'm not sure about the rather odd wedge-shaped toe. If I make any more in the future I'll use one of my other patterns to get the more rounded toe shape that I'm used to knitting.

He was pleased though, I've been promising him a pair of knitted socks for months.

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The other very super Daddy in my life has been working flat out on our little patch of allotment, playing at being a 'real man' by getting all sweaty and grubby. He has even taken to drinking ale.

I'm trying to decide what to plant, as it feels like a funny time of year. I think I'm going to sow some more spinach, as we get through masses of the stuff, and I fancy growing some pretty rainbow swiss chard.

I think the rest of the patch will then have to wait until August, as I've seen a fantastic bargain pack of Winter brassica plug plants. It's a bit of a cheat, seeing as all my Summer veg has been grown from seed, but unfortunately I've missed the sowing window for most winter veg.

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Back at Purl Cottage, we have been harvesting our first crop of peas- my goodness they taste so sweet and wonderful straight out of the pod. I doubt any will make it as far as the steamer, let alone onto a plate!

We have gazillions of ripe strawberries too, which are going down well with the small people....

I never want this Summer to end!

oo-arr

We had a brilliant time visiting Pennyhooks today as part of Open Farm Sunday. We visit little children's farms with the girls fairly regularly, but looking round a real working farm was a totally different experience.

We were taken on a tour of the whole farm, including the meadows dotted with rare orchids and a brook, which is home to the endangered water vole (we saw poo to prove it!)


There were plenty of friendly animals for the children to see too and Pearl's latest new word is tractor!


If I had my time again I would have loved to have studied agriculture of some sort and entered the farming industry- I always feel so at home traipsing about in mud and breathing in the country air!

Well, another weekend draws to a close. Time for Countryfile!

but don't worry, you can sun-tan

Considering this blog was originally intended as a tool to document my gardening year, I am long overdue a proper garden update, so have taken an 'aerial' picture to contrast with this picture that I took on the 1st May. It's quite amazing how much can change in just a few weeks.

We have a few strawberries ready to be picked...

some courgettes getting going...

sweet peas starting to blossom...

petits pois climbing like crazy...

and the veg box is crammed with rapidly growing carrots, lots of lovely spinach, little Brussels sprout plants and more lettuce than is humanly possible to eat...

even the sweet williams that I swore were duds have some tiny little flowers on them!

and, because I was feeling so 'home-sick' last week, we brought some shells and pebbles back from our trip to go in the little grass and gravel patch at the front of the garden, making it feel like our own little bit of beach...

all that's missing is the sea!

dirty cash (and fingernails)

Friday was payday and it is traditional in our house for the first Saturday after this long awaited day of the month, to be spent buying as many shiny, new, cheap and cheerful items as possible. Where better to fulfill this task than Ikea, where we headed straight off to this morning and rampantly filled our trolley with pretty trinkets that we didn't previously realise we absolutely 'needed'. Predictably, my favourite section of the store was the garden accessories area and my choice selection included a ginormous terracotta pot for my cucumber plant; a purple plant pot to grow some basil on my kitchen window sill; a small, very excitingly shaped, bright green watering can for my indoor plants; some stripey cushions for my garden chairs; some solar powered fairy lights; and some bargain £2.99 mini obelisks, which will form the frame for my sweet peas.

That guilty feeling for spending a little too much on consumer items I didn't really need was quickly quashed when I got home and found my BBC Dig In free seeds had arrived and were waiting for me in a very jolly envelope on my door mat. The pack contained a little packet each of courgette, basil, mixed salad, carrot and french bean seeds, along with a leaflet and some fantastic stickers for the girls. It must be a good six weeks since I filled in the application- I had given up hope of them ever arriving!