Alphabet chart

I know it is not the garden but I was so pleased to get this project finished that I wanted to share it.

It was started when my children were toddlers, now they are 18 and 19 they are a bit old for it but hopefully one day there will be a new generation to play with it.

So now out to the garden to dig up and save the perennial gerannium from becoming part of the greenhouse base

Pumpkin Day, a Visitor and a surprise in the post

Things have moved on in the garden with Sunday being the day chosen to harvest Audrey the pumpkin. The plot now looks quite bare without such a large plant dominating it, but I have taken the opportunity to pot up some strawberry runners for next year. When they are larger and more established I will lift the older plants and keep them for next year too. Part of my planned 3 year rotation.











Luckily I was in a potting mood as I received a surprise in the post of a tray of plug plants. I'm guessing primulas - maybe winter bedding of some sort, not being a fully fledged gardener will have to do more research. However I have potted them up and now I am left wondering where to put so many in my small garden. I am looking forward to the greenhouse and have been wandering round thinking which plants to take cuttings from. The geraniums have done very well this year and if I can get some cuttings going I am hoping to be able to swap with my neighbours for other colours and varieties.

When we replaced the fence in preparation for the greenhouse I had to dig up a mature clematis. I have given it a bit of TLC and it has started to shoot again. When the root ball has re-established I will find it another home in the garden.






The caster oil plant has benefitted from repotting and moving to a more shelterd location, although it is a very shady area it is looking really healthy. Autumn is definately just round the corner as the sedum is starting to change colour and the kafir lilies have bloomed. Usually they are eaten by the snails as soon as they start to shoot. The snails in my garden are huge and think that it is just one large party platter laid out especially for them.





The winter crop of potatoes has made a flying start and I am looking forward to having our own potatoes at Christmas. At the moment we are just about keeping up with the shoots.






Finally the pond is looking very overgrown, so that is definately something we will have to tackle in the next couple of weeks. However the wildlife enjoy it and can't help popping in for a quick chat with Cyrano and friend.

A Change of direction and Audreys last week

With the addition of Audrey the pumpkin to our garden this year there has been a miraculous change in my husbands view of gardening. This has led to a garden revamp and an interest in grow your own fruit and veg. This blog will now chart the future changes in our suburban plot and our efforts to grow a few things for the table.

Audrey (named after the plant from Little Shop of Horrors) has grown to a huge size and on Sunday will be cut for judging. She had a mixed start and we nearly lost her when first planted out. All her leaves turned yellow and she was on the point of giving up. I decided to re-pot her and she has lived in a pot since. The area she is currently occupying will become 2 new veg plots. Unfortunately the corkscrew willow will have to go but it is really too near the house.

We managed to finish the small trellis fence and have planted some rosemary to one side. The robin box has been moved and hopefully this next year our robins will have better sucess in raising a brood. This year the parents abandoned the nest leaving 4 young. In changing the garden we are trying to keep as much for the birds a possible and to create new nest sites as we had a colony of sparrows on the honeysuckle which has been removed so that we can repair the fence. I will find a spot for some more, maybe behind the weeping pear tree we planted last year

A greenhouse is also being planned and we are just working out the size of the base. You start one job and it leads on to many more. Before the greenhouse can be put up we have had to replace the fence and dig up a small circular patio. In true recycling style I have reused the patio and put it round the bird table.

Although I have now realised why we go through so much niger seed. I think that the goldfinches and siskins just spit it out.

Growing the pumpkin made us try some new veg and we have had great success with baby aubergines. We will definately grow more of these next year. We have also started some late cropping potatoes in barrels and tubs and hope to be able to get a crop for our Christmas dinner. They have just started sprouting! The idea of growing our own sprouts this year as ended in failure as we have been hit by the cabbage white plague. We will try again next year.

The patio apples have now arrived and I have repotted them and will coddle them on over the winter. The Kiwi 'Jenny' also arrived and we now have to decide where that will go.

Goodness knows where we will put the olive tree

getting back to blogging

It has taken me a little while to get back to blogging as so much has happened over the last few months.

Anyway to start with I must show the picture of the RoeMayo 'Special places' competition

Congatulations to B Kerry who chose the blue ribbon border design to compliment her picture.

D Head was the lucky winner during the 'All About Dogs Day' held at the Peterborough Branch of Notcutts Garden Centre

The winning ticket was drawn by Peter Purves and Ms Head chose the stricking black and white star pattern for her lovely dog.

I have had lots of technical difficulties with the website this year, but have taken the time to revamp my business and the new website will be up and running soon. I am extending to offer more kits in many different things. Before my children were born I designed Aran sweaters so knitting patterns will be coming soon. ( My daughter has Land Knitwear designer on her birth certificate instead of Hand knitwear designer - I don't know what the registrar was thinking as the time!!!).

I am also extending into craft supplies and will have a special destash section for end of lines, clearance and one offs.

I will post as soon as it is up and running

Win a photo art cushion

This months theme is 'SPECIAL PLACES'

We had a great time in Tuscany this year. It brought back so many happy memories of my childhood. Especially climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was wonderful to take my children there and climb the tower with them. It is one of my special places.

This is your chance to have the photo of your special place in the centre of a lovely photo art cushion.If you would like to enter the competition and receive future newsletters, send your chosen special place photo as a jpeg image to

roemayophotocomp@hotmail.co.uk

Please include your full name and address. Also include which cushion and colourway you would like if you are the lucky winner. Please remember square photos work best. Prize is the winning photo made into the photo art cushion of the winners choice.

Closing date: 12th September 2008

The winner will be notified by 26th September 2008

For full details see our website: roemayo.co.uk

Prom!

"Muuum? When I've finished my A levels can you help me make a prom dress?"

Such was the plea from my daughter who has never used a sewing machine or shown any interest in learning how to sew.

She had sketched the design she had in mind and after much searching of the Internet we came up with a vintage Vogue pattern. Just what she wanted. Then came the fabric hunt as of course she had bought the shoes and needed something to match. It was when she realised that lace would have cost her £120 before the satin lining that she decided to settle on silk (I'll pay you back - I'm still waiting)

Two days before the Prom the dress was started and she learnt to sew in a straight line, but unfortunately the human shape and size have changed since the 1950's, and much alteration and fiddling was needed. At this point I really wished that I had a tailors dummy as I was sorely tempted to stick pins into my daughter. She finally kept still long enough for me to sort out the bodice and start gathering about 5 yards of fabric into the waist.

Feeling completely stressed out and sick I finally finished the dress at 6.15 and she walked out of the house at 6.45pm looking absolutely gorgeous even though I say so myself!

Photo Art Competition Winner

Congratulations to L Gregory who was the winner of my Photo Art Cushion Competition May 2008.

She chose the pink ribbon border design to frame the lovely photo of her kitten.

If you would like the opportunity to win a photo art cushion in the next competition, please see details on the RoeMayo website the next competition theme will be announced in July.