Wednesday 13 April 2011

Just add Basil

Sooooo, ok back in January I was bemoaning the lack of colour around here. And at some point I also promised to be a regular blogger again. Well, I apologise for the latter if you are one of my six (six!) followers - thankyou those of you who've chosen to keep up with my pathetic efforts! It's a complicated story but boils down to sharing one laptop to run two businesses, keep up to date with news (we have no TV) and the laptop in question having the most annoying whiney sound, dodgy screen and fickle nature. Anyway, colour in the garden has or soon will be sorted thanks to my inheritance, pictured above. If you've read this blog over the last year, you'll know about my dear sis. Lesley had a passion for gardening that knew no bounds. During the hardest days of her ongoing treatment, the garden and veg patch were her paradise & solace. During 2009 she acquired a greenhouse - a gift, the sort that gardeners are so good at! Free to anyone who will take it away. And so, that greenhouse was carefully photographed (very important if you have any chance putting it back together again), dismantled and stored in the allotment shed awaiting the right time. Unfortunately for Lesley, the right time never came and with her passing, we had to let the allotment go; the practicalities of keeping it on were just unworkable. But, the greenhouse had to be saved! And I, who had longed for one too, had now inherited it along with a gazillion packets of seeds, you see pictured at the top. Last year was just crazy and although, thanks to a kind neighbour & Mum & Dad, we did have time to plant a few tomatoes and peppers, giving us a harvest before the Summer was out, I didn't get into my stride at all.
Until Spring 2011 that is. I am sure I have waaaaay too many plants for the limited space available but inspired by a fantastic course at West Dean College (remember my chilli pictures) I have gone all out for a bumper crop of pretty much everything. If I do have too many plants, the nicest thing will be giving them away to friends and family or selling them for the church funds - whatever, I don't care, as long as I am growing.


And Basil?


Well, actually I haven't sown any yet!


No, he's the cute new addition to the family who's got Betty in a daydream.

Like me, he's loving the garden.


And If there's another 3 month gap between posts, it may well be because I'm curled up with this little chap.

2 comments:

Jennifer said...

It's so nice to see you back! I was thinking about you just the other day and wondering how you were. You were one of the first to welcome me here when I began blogging and I certainly haven't forgotten that. It meant so much to me.
Basil is such a little darling!
I'd rather be curled up with him than sitting in front of a cold computer any day of the week! :D
Enjoy your gardening. There's nothing like watching something you planted grow and flourish. My son and I just planted some herbs (including basil! heehee) and a little strawberry plant. We've already got a few strawberries that are almost ripe! Yippie! I think I'm even more excited than he is :)

Blessing to you always,

~jennifer

Susan said...

Looking at the pictures of Basil in the sun and taking his nap looks so wonderfully cozy that I could close my eyes and nod off myself!