Stormy Waters.

Storm Kathleen arrived before dark yesterday and what a storm it was. Although we  were completely sheltered from the wind by the hill behind us the rain was something else. It absolutely bucketed down all evening and again during the night. 

By morning the rain had eased but the sea was very rough with the high tide crashing into the back yards of the beach side houses.

Then out came the sun as I sat there listening to the waves booming into the cliff with the occasional plume of spray shooting high in the air.

It looked as if we were going to have a fine and windy day so full of enthusiasm I put the sheets in the wash. By the time I got to hang them out on the line the first drops of rain were falling. I decided to take a chance that the wind would be stronger than the rain but I was wrong. I began work in the garden as the rain got heavier and heavier and by the time I decided to wait it out indoors the washing was soaking wet and not worth bringing in. By the end of the afternoon the washing was still quite wet which resulted in a long ironing session to get at least some of it dry.

Later in the morning the RNLI boat was out practising tackling rough waves. I think they had fun though they must have got a thorough soaking.

Yes, they are still there.

Back to the station for a cuppa.

Once the worst of the rain had passed I carried on working in the garden. I rearranged the path slabs and bits of stone before emptying out the second dumpy bag. Two more bags of gravel should be enough to keep anything from growing upwards. We had more rain later on and for a short time an intense golden sunset. 

Storm Kathleen.

Although I've read that dozens of flights and ferries have been cancelled so far here it's just been very windy and much warmer than of late. Let's hope that's the worst of Storm Kathleen for us. As soon as I was up I rushed to get the washing done and out on the line to take advantage of the warm wind.

This morning, for a very short time we were bathed in a wonderful golden morning light but all too quickly things turned grey though the sun has been shining at times too.

Whatever the weather I was determined to carry on emptying the dumpy bags and apart from a shower that sent us fetching the washing back indoors the showers were so brief that the wind dried me off almost before I had noticed it was raining.

I made good progress in the garden leaving only half a bag to be dealt with tomorrow. I also set out the six new paving slabs along the line of the path and put down some stone paving offcuts to see how my idea looks. I expect that after more time spent gazing at the garden I may well be moving those around to see what works best. The robin came down to see what I was doing but apart from three worms that were underneath the first dumpy bag when I moved it he was out of luck.

The wind and the waves began to pick up in the afternoon bringing out a couple of surfers, this kite surfer who went a very long way out to sea and one wing surfer who had difficulty holding the wing up in the air. There were lots of 'drowned butterfly' moments.

 

Windy.

With strong winds blowing from the south it has been much warmer today. From minute to minute it has been hot and sunny then pouring with rain. With a depression out in the Atlantic there's a yellow wind warning for tomorrow all along the coast.

I was up early as seems to be the case most mornings so was able to get everything done almost without rushing to be out by 9.15. I can't quite work out how nearly three hours go by so quickly though that does include at least half an hour sitting outside (or just inside the door when it starts to rain), 10 minutes with a heat pack over my eyes as instructed by the optician, Duo Lingo and all the usual breakfast and other chores.

Today in the lesson I rode Margaret, Cadno was having a rest day as he went out on a lot of hacks this week. No wild cantering around (shame) and instead we worked on 'turn on the forehand'. Basically that's starting from a standstill you get the horse to move its back legs around in a semi-circle while its front legs stay still so that you end up facing the other way. Margaret being a young horse I had to be very clear with my aids so that she understood what I was asking her to do. This exercise helps the horse to become more supple and is also very useful if you are trying to open a gate. One big disappointment afterwards was that next week's lesson was already full when I went to book. This happened to me when I first started and I usually book in for two weeks ahead to secure my place but going out for the long hack on the Monday then no lesson the following Friday messed up my system.

Then when I got to Morrisons I discovered that I didn't have the cool bag amongst my pile of shopping bags. It was so warm that I was concerned about the milk so I didn't have my usual wander in town checking out the charity shops. I did pop into the one charity shop near Lidl and found this small (billiard ball sized) glass paperweight for £2 to add to my collection.

Before going to the supermarket I dropped off some garden waste at the dump and called in at the builders' merchants to order the next two bags of gravel. Delivery to Borth is usually on Monday or Tuesday so I was pleasantly surprised when they rang to say they were coming this afternoon.

Even better was the deliveryman's suggestion that he use the crane to drop the bags right inside the garden. That not only reduced the distance I had to carry the buckets of gravel but I was also able to get at the gravel from all directions rather than just digging down one side. Of course I went straight out and emptied half of the first bag so that the remaining bare soil is now covered. Fingers crossed for dry weather tomorrow.

 

Sun and Showers.

We seem to have had almost every kind of weather today from light drizzle in the morning to beautiful sunshine followed by heavy showers. 

I spent the morning clearing more blanket weed and some of the floating plants out of the pond before my order of more ramshorn snails arrives. I also rescued pebbles from by the pond and used them to top up the stones in some of the raised beds and in the big planters in the back garden.  Eventually I shall put the new shingle over the gravel by the pond to match the rest of the garden. (This probably doesn't make sense but I know what I mean.)

Meanwhile I've been pondering over what to do with the edges between the shingle and the herbaceous borders in the corners. If money were no object then bricks or pavers would be my choice but frost proof bricks or pavers are expensive. Cheaper are the flexible plastic strips which you peg into the ground but I would prefer not to have plastic. So I had another look at pictures of gravel and shingle gardens and although I like a neat edge I much prefer a natural look. Beth Chatto's gravel garden (below) is more like the type of garden I'm aiming for though I would like the plants to be even more spread out. My current thought is to have solid planting along the edges of the borders, plants that don't die back in the winter like London Pride and marjoram which I already have.

Later on I had a frustrating time drilling holes in the walls of the sitting room and my study walls trying to locate the position of the studs (vertical wooden beams) behind the plasterboard. If I can work out where the studs are it will be a simple matter to screw brackets straight into the wood to put up some shelves. But none of the holes I drilled hit wood. - Peter has come home and tells me I need a longer drill bit which he will find for me in a minute.

Peter has been out coxing a row in the afternoon. It was sunny but once out on the sea you get very cold as the cox but he kept warm in his bright yellow work coat.

 

Chilly.

Steady drizzle in the morning forced me to sit just inside the open door for my morning cuppa. The drizzle eventually eased off but there has been a cold wind blowing all day. And at the end of the afternoon we had a little sun.

I had some jobs that I could do indoors but I thought I might as well do something outside first. I wrapped up well and cleaned out the accumulated soil from the small gully by the side of the paving slabs in the side passage. By the time I'd done that the drizzle has stopped so after a break and another layer of clothing I got on with the fun job of pressure washing the slabs.

I get a bit irritated by the way the outside boiler (oil), the grey box at the far end of the passage, blocks the way especially when I have to take the pressure washer out by the garage, down the road and then up the garden from the bottom gate. The pressure washer is far too heavy for me to lift over the boiler which is what I used to do with the lawn mower though I can just squeeze through the gap myself. Anyway the job got done and it was quite a transformation as the slabs changed from black to a rather vivid brick red. At least they match the roof tiles.

Later I went on to go over the steps and do some of the slabs around the pond. They have faded to a less intense colour as they dried. I'm getting hopeful that Peter will soon be able to cut ten slabs to fit the gap next to the rockery. Once that's done I can clear the rest of the stuff cluttering up the paving and finish washing the slabs with the pressure washer.

 

Grey - Blue - Grey.

Quite a lot of grey today but in between the first picture taken early in the morning and the next two taken late in the afternoon as the wet weather set in we actually had some sun and both the sky and the sea were much blue-er.

As I sat out contemplating the garden this morning I began to think about why I enjoy designing gardens so much. To start with there's the whole complexity of the task. In comparison an architect makes two dimensional drawings which then have to be turned into three dimensional structures. An engineer than had to make his three dimensional structure into something that moves and has the parts interacting with each other. But for a gardener things are so much more complex. First there's the actual layout of the garden, the hard landscaping and groundworks. And then there are the plants. With a world of choice the first considerations are usually the colour scheme (or not) and the shape, height and growth habit of the plant. But the gardener also needs to factor in the fourth dimension - time. What will the plants be like at different times of the year and how will they look in years to come? Not forgetting considering the type of soil, light and local weather. And of course there is the cost to bear in mind. Few can simply buy every plant they think of. For most of us it's a matter of what do I have growing already? or what plants are in our friends' gardens? and after that we visit garden centres or plant swaps or grow from seed. So many things to think about makes for the most stimulating puzzle and hopefully results in a garden fit for our individual needs. 

My actual work day has been spent out in the garden getting on with all the usual gardening jobs that had been put to one side while I worked on the lawn/not lawn. Most of the climbers in the back garden needed tying in to the trellis before they attached themselves to nearby plants or got broken by the next lot of windy weather. Everything seems to have got through the winter and there are lots of buds to be seen on the clematis. Any honeysuckle above the trellis has been cut back and the whole of the back garden had a thorough weeding. Out in the front garden I cleaned and put away the two empty dumpy bags, did some general tidying and weeded the steps. That was mostly mind-your-own-business which although it softens up the outline of the concrete steps, collects water and can make the steps slippery.

And finally some more photos from Sunday's walk.

 

Silver Seas.

Rain first thing, dry and warm for most of the day and more rain in the late afternoon.

I had been looking forward to the change to BST (British Summer Time) yesterday as I enjoy being up to watch the dawn and before the clocks 'sprung forward' an hour it was already light by 6.30 which is when I tend to get up. Yesterday my body was still on winter time but this morning, even though I'd had a late night, I woke early and was up before 6.30. Only to discover that it was raining and all I could see was a grey sky and a sliver sea. I had to drink my morning cuppa sitting in the open doorway to stay dry.

Luckily by the time breakfast was over the rain stopped and I was able to spend the day out in the front garden. Over two sessions I emptied the second dumpy bag. As I thought it needs three bags to cover the whole area with the first layer of gravel. It's a shame they only deliver once a week but that will help me pace myself and get some other gardening jobs done. I might even be able to fit in pressure washing the original paving slabs. In between gardening I baked some chocolate and walnut brownies as an Easter treat, just half the amount as I'm still on my diet. I have to say they are very sweet, next time I shall adjust the amounts, less sugar and more flour. I have been eating small amounts of chocolate on my diet but mainly 70% cocoa or higher. But in their favour the brownies haven't been made in a factory with all sorts of additives to make them last longer or to eke out the more expensive ingredients.

And here are the latest garden flowers for the first day of the month.

I'm very pleased with the way the rockery looks at the moment.

Down at the far end of the garden the mystery bulbs from the wall that went across the garden turned out to be these lovely blue irises and a few red tulips.

Most of the daffodils have finished flowering but the narcissi are still looking good.

Last year I separated the two colour clashing azaleas (bright pink and tomato red) and I'm pleased to see that the red one has survived being dug up and plonked down between two hydrangeas.

The bluebells, which have just begun to flower have turned out to be Spanish bluebells rather than the native British bluebells. Both types are pretty anyway. 

Whilst not out in the garden this saxifraga stolonifera did come from a friend's garden. I first came across it when I was at uni, it was either in the university greenhouse or in the greenhouse (sorry should say glasshouse as we were frequently told) of the school where I went to do gardening evening classes. It stuck in my mind after I saw it being grown as a hanging plant and for over 40 years I have been on the look out for one. So when we visited a friend's beautiful garden and I saw it growing in her herbaceous border she was kind enough to give me a few runners and it's happily growing in the sitting room window.