Gardening & nature update

There has been lots of things I've wanted to blog about in the last week, but haven't had any time at all unfortunately. So all I can manage for now is my weekly garden update, and hope I have more time this week for blogging.

In the front garden there is not much change, flowers I planted several weeks ago look exactly the same as when I put them in, no flower buds or new leaves. Garlic doing fairly well, and a blue flowering plant from last year has flower buds now but they are this time...purple!

In the back garden, 3 of my 5 potato bags have sprouted. In the garden itself there is some signs of poppies or cornflowers starting up (or weeds).

Inside, the mini sweetcorn is still doing really well, all six plants. I have about 5 bean plants now and, some quite big, and quite a few sunflowers. The chilli peppers are just starting to come up too, and the tomatoes are doing ok, though still just look like little seedlings. The beans desparately need repotting into individual pots, and the corn could do with it too.

On the herb front, re-potted the sage into different pots and some in the front or back garden. Most are surviving so far, though some looking rather the worse for wear. Flat leaf parsley desparately needs re-potting, and the basil needs repotting too. Lots of re-potting to do therefore.

In other gardening news, I went to a discussion in Lancaster about creating 'edible streets'. Quite interesting discussion, but most interesting was learning that there is a community orchard in Lancaster, only a few minutes walk from my house. There are volunteer days and evenings when you can help with maintaining the orchard, and it's free access for anyone to pick the fruit when ripe. There are apparently lots of different types of Apple trees (20 varieties) plus pears, plums, cherries, damsons and nuts (hazel, walnuts, chestnuts). Will have to go look this week. It's the Fairfield Orchard, just off Westbourne Rd in Lancaster. There are also apparently 3 'fruity corners' in Lancaster, where soft fruit bushes have been planted, including grapes in at least one. They are just off Dorrington Rd, just off Derwent Rd and also one in Williamson Park. Again, free for anyone to pick. If they get funding, there could be more being grown too.

On the wildlife and nature front, not a lot. There are nice clumps of forget-me-nots in Winckley Square in Preston, and I found my way to Avenham Park, a large park in Preston. On Friday I sat on a rock in Avenham Park and ate my lunch (there were benches, but too obvious!). It was lovely. That was on the edge of the park, it's very big and extends down to the river and beyond. Am looking forward to having some walks in the park, trying to spot wildlife including flowers (and trees when they get some leaves on to make identification easier), and also finding some nice spots to sit and eat lunch. Work is a bit mad (busy), so am going to need my lunchtime escapes more than I have in years.

Also today, saw a Blackbird with nesting material in her beak, and two Robins flying at each other and pecking each other. Quite a sight. They were either mating or fighting, I suspect too male Robins fighting over territory (they are quite territorial I believe).

Anyway, that's ll for now. Hope to blog more in the coming week than I did last week.