| At last the rain has stopped and Rusty our dog | | | | they have not been staked. Just about all the |
| has been able to get in the garden again to carry | | | | daffodils have died back now and should be |
| out his favorite pastime of chasing the balls up | | | | de-leafed to keep the garden nice and tidy. Also |
| down the garden. The weather has certainly been | | | | bluebells need the foliage removed as these have |
| a bit Jekyll and Hyde just recently with enough | | | | died down, at the same time you can lift some of |
| rain for a month in the last three to four days. | | | | the bulbs as they reproduce quickly and use to fill |
| Just when we thought there was no let up, the | | | | up gaps in your spring borders, this is a good idea |
| weather has done a u turn and now we are back | | | | as bluebells can be invasive and easily smother |
| in the blazing sun. | | | | other spring flowering bulbs. When replanting |
| We wish we had had the camera handy the other | | | | spring bulbs we always make sure we bury them |
| day, to catch a wonderful snap that brought a | | | | at a good depth, this allows summer bedding to |
| smile to our faces. Rusty was laying out on the | | | | be placed over the top to keep your borders in |
| patio in the garden sunbathing just outside the | | | | continuous colour. Do not forget to get that hoe |
| kitchen door. At the moment we have many | | | | out again just to whip it round the garden to get |
| baby birds at all stages of development including | | | | rid of those pesky weeds. Just by doing this now, |
| blackbirds, starlings, wagtail's, sparrows and robins | | | | for a few minutes can save you hours later |
| to name a few, and as we are both intrepid bird | | | | causing you to dislike the great gardens you have |
| lovers we have bird tables and feeders scattered | | | | created instead of enjoying them. |
| all around the garden. We also feed the birds with | | | | How are those lawns doing? They should be |
| grated cheese, for the parents to feed their | | | | getting lush and weed free by now. Something I |
| young and the babies when old enough to feed | | | | should have mentioned before is after you weed |
| themselves, this is good for them and they can | | | | and feed the lawns at least the next three lots of |
| not get enough of it. The birds soon learn to | | | | cuttings should be disposed. Do not put them on |
| come to the kitchen door and cheap when they | | | | the compost heap because of all the chemicals in |
| want feeding, and on this occasion Sandra threw | | | | the weed and feed. Do not forget to change the |
| some cheese out for them but some bits went | | | | height of your lawn mower to suit the ever |
| onto Rusty. The next thing we knew was this | | | | changing weather conditions, so lower the blades |
| baby robin flew straight down onto Rusty's back | | | | in wet periods and heighten the blades in dry |
| and was quite contently eating away. Although | | | | times. By doing this simple operation will keep |
| Rusty does not take any notice of the birds | | | | your lawns in pristine condition complementing |
| hopping round him in the garden we did not know | | | | your garden. |
| how he would react to this. We should not have | | | | Just some more information on the orange and |
| worried at all, as all he did was rolled his eye's | | | | lemon tree's. The fruit on the orange tree's take |
| upwards as to say hurry up so I can get back to | | | | at least eighteen months to grow to eating stage, |
| my sleep. What a good dog! | | | | but once you taste the fruit it is certainly worth |
| Right, back to the garden for some more garden | | | | the wait. The wait for the lemons is shorter only |
| tips. After all this rain and wind you should be | | | | ten to twelve months but they do grow all the |
| looking for damaged plants. The best thing to do | | | | time, so as you are using the ripe lemons, |
| is pick any flowers that have gone over in the | | | | younger one's are ready to take their place. The |
| rain and take them and put them in a vase with | | | | care required is quite minimal. Apart from feed, |
| some greenery to make a gorgeous display | | | | water and some pruning to keep tree's in shape |
| indoors, waste not want not as the saying goes. I | | | | that is it. As we have said before they are just |
| find at this time of the year when the iris plants | | | | another great talking point for your garden |
| have finished flowering, is a great time to lift, split | | | | I hope these garden tips help to keep you great |
| and replant them. This is especially good for the | | | | gardens looking how a good garden should look |
| tall varieties as the wind tends to catch them if | | | | like. |