I want to keep track of progress in my new garden and thought a thread here might be the best way. So, here's some pictures to start with.

Here's the view of the garden from the back porch. That privet hedge is about 6 feet wide in places and will need some rejuvenation work.

   

The view from the lounge doors. Again, the hedge is taking over the ornamentals planted in front of it.

   

Looking back towards the house from the middle of the garden. A good view of the missing panes in the greenhouse, too.

   

Looking down from the middle of the garden. That shed there needs some, ahem, attention. Also some of those trees are going to have to go too.

   

The apple trees at the bottom of the garden. Not sure about the biggest one, it's too big to reach any of the fruit (if it has any). I'll make a decision in the winter.

   

Plenty to do!

Pulled up 2 Purple Sprouting Broccoli (PSB) and a cabbage stump today and, in my usual way, couldn't bear to throw it in the compost, so.............
1.  I cut off the top of the plants where the sprouting shoots had been.
2. Cut the stalks into two parts - one with roots, the other with the leafy bit.
3. Cleared a space in the middle of some montbretia (to distract the chooks from finding the PSB)
4. Dug holes and planted the roots and the base of the leafy bits. 
5. Walked away and left them to do whatever they wish.

Its something similar to how I propagate the perennial kale - but I use side shoots jabbed in the soil. There were no side shoots on the PSB. Believe me, I looked!!

Some years ago I joined the  Bumblebee Conservation Trust and they sent me a wallchart of Bumblebees something like this one https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/bu...ies-guide/

There are 24 species of UK bumblebee  - comprising 11 bumble bees, 5 carder bees and 6 cuckoo bees.  
7 bumblebees and 1 Carder bee  are likely to be seen in gardens -  as are the 6 Cuckoo bees.

Cuckoo bees aren't very nice as they attack bumblebees - they don't have pollen baskets on their hind legs and have darker wings. 

I'm on a mission to learn to identify and spot these Bumblebees - - the common ones 
It may take a while as I only know them as white tailed, red tailed and ginger tails - and big ones and little ones.
Didn't even know there was such a thing as a Cuckoo bee until tonight. 

Any bumblebee experts here?

All bar 5 of my runner beans have come up without a growing tip or leaves? Just a stump....anyone had this before?

I have just nuked some compost in the microwave to ensure there are no hidden bugs. I first noticed this a week ago but everything else sown in the same compost is fine.

Any clues?

I recently joined a FB Reduce/recycle etc website for my postcode area. There's a sister group for Gardening items. 
Anything that's offered will be within a couple of miles from home - so not far to collect stuff.
Its amazing what people give away - so far I've had a hardly used Halogen Oven, brand new keyboard and mouse, 2 bags of Alpaca Wool! and today, a Dyson Animal cleaner (needs new hose - about £7 on the bay). 
I've offered a GTech Cordless sweeper (that was my Mum's) - 8 requests so far and a bag of Hair accessories my neighbour gave me that I'll never use.
Unwanted books go in a box outside the gate for any passers-by to take.

Who else finds joy in other people's junk?

Many happies Mamzie

I received this in the  post this morning.  I'm  so looking forward to spending it.
Thank you Boss and all you lovely G&G's

   

I read this article in my local tv online channel and thought worth sharing

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0401/...lle-scale/

We are pleased to announce that G&G will be holding their Annual Harvest Festival at the end of September.
You are warmly invited to join us at this Virtual Event. 

We hope that you will share with us the finest of your crops and produce (in photographic form) and we will soon be listing some items that we would like to receive to make this Festival a success. 
Meanwhile, take lots of photos of your veg, fruit and flower harvests and keep the best ones somewhere safe in anticipation.

Further details to follow. 

I now take my phone with me when I am out walking with dog to photograph anything I find interesting, or something that appeals to me with a view to getting the Acrylic paints out one day (my original retirement plan) with easel and trying to capture it on canvas.

Yes Veggie, I have had a sheltered life!
.
Today I got to thinking that its not only my eyes which glory in the moment, but my other senses as well.

As I get older I have learned to appreciate the sounds of the countryside as well.

1)My favourite is the crunching of the small pebbles as I stride along a country road.
2) Second is the babbling brook on a forest walk
3) The sounds of farm animals is next with cockerels, geese,cows and sheep. I particularly like the old 'Yew' sheep calling to its lamb in a 'croaky' deep tone.The lamb running and bleating in its high pitched cry.
4) Away from main roads there are a variety of bird calls (no idea which bird they emanate from) but they are captivating.The only time I took notice of birdsong was when I was on my early morning paper round as  nipper. I was also a whistler and tried to copy the bird call resulting in me being better than an alarm clock for some......or so I was told!
5) Thunder is another sound I like and the pitter patter of rainfall or hail to go with it. How fresh the air feels after a thunderstorm.

I used to live close to Newcastle Airport so these sounds are a revelation to me, rather than the sound of planes taking off and landing.

Maybe age has something to do with it, I don't know, but I was never this appreciative from my late teens until now 

Have I missed any sounds worth listening to? Have I missed out on some gems?

 Smell also plays a part and I don't really mind the farmyard smells and the smell of wild garlic in the woods plus comb honey which is particularly appealing in the smell department.