I re-potted the sunflowers today and also a couple of trays
of marigolds. The small plastic tubs you get supermarket salad in make very
sturdy saucers for under the pots and are a good way of using them. Everything
in the garden seems to be enjoying the warmth of summer and it is encouraging
seeing the growth. Even the little strawberry plants I put into the herb
planter recently have got a few flowers on them, considering what they grew
from, I’m quite chuffed! I have had a couple of berries from the other plants
but my procrastinating to get some netting lost a few to the birds again. My
little limes are holding steadfast on the tree so this will be the first year I
have had fruit from it. I’ve had it for about two and a half years, because it
is in a pot I feed it every three months with a slow release fertiliser just so
I know it’s getting the goodness it needs...the name escapes me at present but
I buy it in a small bag (great if you are on limited income and can’t afford the
large bags and it is specifically for fruit/citrus) and that seems to do the
trick. All my fruit are in pots which always need a little extra care but I
rent at present and want to be able to take them with me when I move to my own
piece of paradise so that is the price of it.
Found a fabulous site (imperfect homemaking) for making the
most gorgeous rag quilts this morning. There are all sorts of great simple
living and recycling ideas on it and I have definitely bookmarked so I can
spend some time perusing it. Of course they wouldn’t be made from rags but the
potential is endless for what they could be made from...old clothes, keepsakes,
t-shirts, anything really. The best part though, was that because of the design
anyone would be able to make and sew them easily and oh so pretty! The quilt
squares are sown seams out so they will fray and leave a lovely frayed frill
around each one. Such a good way of using scraps of fabric or pieces that have
a fault, but still have useable bits on them. By reading some of the comments,
these have been made by many people but I hadn’t seen them before so thought it
was a great idea. Was quite inspiring actually as I have lots of pieces of
gorgeous fabrics that I was at a loss for what to use them for...now I have a
great idea on how to use them up and make them into a pretty and useful item. These
quilts would make a lovely gift, especially if made from special items but to
be honest even if they were made out of old tea towels I think I would still
love them!
Thinking it might be time to make some more marmalade and
maybe some lemon honey. The last lot of marmalade was received very well and
considering it was my first ever, I think it went pretty well. Some was gifted,
some traded and lots I ate myself. Months ago I brought a few new jars (ok,
over a hundred but in my defence they were a great deal), fifty metres of cheesecloth,
a dozen glass flagons and a large preserving pan. Does seem quite alot but I
considered it an investment as I won’t have to worry about buying any for a
very long time and I can reuse them over and over. I also save jars and buy new
lids online for them from a chap that sells alot of craft items. That way I can
choose the jars I want to save and just buy one or two specific sized lids...op
shops are great places to find jars too. I found a great book on homemade wine
and old fashioned cordials that I hope to put to use this summer, I can just
imagine how refreshing they will be on a hot day. Hoping to find some old
wooden chairs and maybe a table for the garden too...would be nice to have
something to relax on with that cold glass of homemade cordial.
