A Series of Fortunate Events

There comes a time in every serious gardener's life when you stop, look around and say, yep that's done. The garden is under control, not pristine, not regimented, but pristine and regimented are boring.

Your list for the day looks like... weed strawberries, fill bird baths, try to propogates some plants .... and that's about it for the day. Not very onerous at all. At these times you can wander around the garden and enjoy how the garden is falling in with your plan, kind of, but still appreciate it has a mind of its own. Some of our best work has been dictated to us by a determined plant growing where it wants.

Here's my list of fortunate events that have amused and pleased me this week.

1. As I said, I'm trying to get better at raising seeds and propogating. I have a mini hot house that I am using to raise seeds. Each morning I check the moisture and heat and this one day there was dirt all over the inside of the perspex. Puzzled, I lifted the lid. A frog had

managed to jump in before I put the lid on. It had given up trying to get out and had settled down onto one of the seed beds, resigned to its fate.

2. A black bird family decided the newly cleaned shed would be a great place for its extremely messy nest. Extension cord had been lovingly coiled and hung. This was deemed by the black birds to be a perfect place for the nest and it appeared overnight.

Mr Mugrat - Ruprecht - was seriously put out but the eggs had already been laid. In true macho style he put out food and water for Mrs Black. She accepts his presence in

the shed, but friendships were stretched today when he wanted to use his extension cord. Bird won! For more antics see Blackbirds.

3. Our pond has been depleted of fish. The behaviours of the shag, hawk and heron have been fascinating but devestating. Just a few days ago I spied a baby fish, not much more than 1cm long, so we may be in for a second generation. There are now 4 escape tunnels at the bottom of the pond so lets hope the next generation is smart enough to use them. The noise of the frogs continues to be deafening and I have watched 2 froglets frolicking in the pond so far. It's great to think we can dig a hole, fill it with water, and nature takes over (yes even the birs of prey are nature).

4. Last year's veggie production was abysmal. This year I let the tomatoes in the green house

self seed. We have 6 plants in the green house and I transplanted 15

into the main garden. All are thriving. We were working in the green house ( a tight squeeze with 2 people) when we noticed at least half a dozen baby tomatoes. We should be eating our own tomatoes within a week. Hopefully by the end of the season we will have a freezer full to keep us in tomato sauce and paste over the winter. Nothing beats the taste of your own tomato paste on a pizza.

5. The veggie patch is looking much more under control this year. The self seeded snow pea has given us more babies, and the strawberries and raspberries are fruiting, We have tried year after year to grow carrots, and this year theyare responding to our TLC - so exciting.

6. We planted an apple and a pear tree at the back of the house and espaliered them to form a 'fence' for the courtyard over 5 years ago. The pear has grown well and behaved itself nicely. The apple not so much. So this year we have some fruit. The first plant to give us fruit? You guessed it - the apple. We have 2 tiny apples - stay tuned.

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Nothing much wrong with a life where you can sit outside, sipping wine, put pen to paper and chat about your garden with your very own Ruprecht! Off to fill the bird baths now.