Going potty

Yesterday was fairly dreary weather wise and I spent a good long while in the greenhouse potting up the last of the chillis, moving cuttings from the “intensive care corner” to the “rooted and on the way to the cold frame” shelf and then potting on and hoofing out to the cold frame those cuttings on said shelf that were well established. The net result of all this was that the cold frame became too full. Today, after a heroic ironing session (which I celebrated with a small jelly and custard) I set forth to make some space. Lachlan was packed off to the local old folks home, and then the pub, with a landrover full of potted tomatoes and chillis and I then spent a rather mellow afternoon in the sun potting on a good half of the cold frame plants into bigger pots and moving them outside to what I now think of as the “Garden centre”. I am tempted to introduce a “scone of the day” and coffee meal deal for visitors………

The tranquility of the potting was disturbed mid afternoon by the reappearance of the fruit cage squirrel. I spotted it first yesterday, when picking strawberries, but it had quite a turn of speed and evaded my attempt to get a snap. Today, however, Lyra was down helping me in the garden when it appeared. A frenzy of fur and netting ensued. Lyra barrelled into the potato patch and attempted to scale the outside of the fruit cage whilst the squirrel shot up the inside then froze at the top trying desperately to disappear. Luckily for the squirrel, Lachlan reappeared with much chugging of the Landie and, during the distraction, it sneaked down.

The cows came over shortly after to see what was afoot, as ever hoping for cow treats. Muggins was sent to the shed for the beet pellets and then much cow petting followed. Lachlan took the opportunity to indulge in some serious grooming. Catriona the 23rd is now looking rather sleek (apart from the especially poopy bits on her tail) and I had a barrow of poop encrusted cow dreads to take to the bin on my way back….Snouty, Little Wonky and Shuna Spurtle observed these proceedings but showed no inclination to make a booking for a shampoo and set.

I ambled back bathward with the pleasing low level tingle you get from a day spent out of doors and admired the low golden light glowing through the flowers. The penstemon in particular are in fine fettle at the moment. I am all the more pleased with them because each and every one came from a cutting and they all did the shuffle from shelf to shelf in the greenhouse then to the cold frame before finally finding a home. I took another 7 cuttings on the way back just in case, seemed a shame to waste all that new shelf space.