At last...Orchids!

I planted 50 orchid bulbs ages ago and they grew wonderful leaves, but alas did nothing else. I went away for two weeks and then they decide to flower!

There are also lots of spiders building their webs in strategic places, i.e. across the path. Find ourselves fighting imaginery attackers regularly! This one is the main culprit....

Waiting for the rain to stop so I can go out and pull up a few of the weeds.

Well it may have rained for most of August, but at least one thing has benefited from it! Garden looks pretty good even if I do say so myself, just a shame I can't sit out in it to enjoy it. The bench is covered and will probably remain so for the rest of the year now. It's great to go and pick potatoes for dinner (or to send Jon out to do it anyway!) and we are still getting a good crop of tomatoes. Have just discovered a pear tree at the bottom of the garden so we can add those to the apples. Neither tree is ours but no one seems to be claiming them so I shall...

First potato crop

Went and and dug up a potato plant today as they looked like they might be ready. Enough from one plant for a meal! Probably could leave them a little longer however, as there were still small ones on the roots trying to grow. Decent size though. Look forward to having those later...

An amusing tomato

Went into the garden at lunchtime to pick some ripe tomatoes and couldn't resist this...childish I know but since when is mis-shaped fruit not amusing?

Butterfy count

I heard about this on the radio and thought it was a good excuse to sit in the garden for 15 minutes...

http://bigbutterflycount.org/

You just have to count the number of butterflies you see and log them on the above site. They even give you a really nice chart so you can butterfly spot as well as count!

You have to count them between today and the 1st of August.

Spent an hour today planting some flock and loads of leeks. I think they are leeks, might be onions! They got mixed up in the greenhouse. Mental note for next year, don't shun labels...

I'm very pleased with the Fuchsias. The ones I didn't plant in the ground and left in the pots are doing much better. I can't believe the size of the flowers, this one fills my hand! It also has some amazing curved petals which I think I will have to draw, they would make a great embroidery. Dahlias are also blooming and the sweet pea wall is having another go now that I have pulled all the pea pods of it. It's still not going to look spectacular though.