Our garden to do list

Even though we've made huge progress with our garden this year, we've still some jobs to finish. It's almost as if we've taken our foot off the pedal following the party, and have been enjoying ourselves at weekends instead.  So this list is as much for me, and to show that a gardener's work is never done.

Slate and circles

The circles are all done, and we're really pleased with the effect they've had on the garden, but we ran out of slate for the left hand side of the garden as you look at the picture below. We need to buy another one of those tonne bags and lay that on the weed membrane to finish it off.

WE NEED TO ADD SLATE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE

WE NEED TO ADD SLATE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE

Growing some grass

Some of our circles are still a bit bald at the edges, so we'll need to sow some grass seed to finish those off.  By the time the squirrel is finishing burying his treasure I'm sure we'll have some more spots to fill in as well.

AND SOW GRASS SEEDS TO FILL IN THE BALD EDGES

AND SOW GRASS SEEDS TO FILL IN THE BALD EDGES

The final gabion basket

We've a final gabion basket to position, get level, line, fill with soil and plant up. It won't take long but of course is the most tricky to get to, which is why we've probably left it. It'll be in the second row on the left in the photo below.

our+gabion+baskets+with+the+second+row+planted+up,+already+looking+softer+and+a+better+fit+in+our+garden.jpeg

Finishing the front of the pizza oven area

The pizza oven structure follows the arc of our stone circle, but is at a different level so we need to work out what to do there. My plan is to put in a step using some of the metal edging we have left and laying a couple of paving slabs right where you stand when using the oven. Exactly how we'll do that I'm not sure yet, but once we get going and I've explained my vision to MOH I'm sure we'll manage it.

Repair our gazebo

With the heavy rain back in June or July our new gazebo suffered a mishap. We learnt it wasn't strong enough to hold pooling water and after a particularly heavy rainfall were out in the garden early one morning dismantling it.  And we've done nothing more with it since then really.  

It's mendable - or at least repurposeable (yes I know that's not a word) but it'll give us a good winter project won't it? 

DISMANTLED AND JUST A LITTLE BIT REJECTED (DESPITE THE SUN)

DISMANTLED AND JUST A LITTLE BIT REJECTED (DESPITE THE SUN)

Putting the garden to bed

I'm hoping that the frosts are a little way off, but we're approaching that time of year when pots need to be put in frost-free places and the garden furrniture covered with a tarpaulin. This year we'll also need to cover the pizza oven, and I've an old Ikea fleece that I plan to use, along with a yet to be bought tarpaulin.

A winter spot for the hibiscus

Our hibiscus has flowered for many months now with plenty of blooms at a time. I'm still in two minds with what to do with it over winter and may move it soon as a precaution, mainly because I'm keen to keep this prolific flowerer for next year. I mean, you would wouldn't you?

The hibiscus is still flowering

There's also plenty to do on the plot, but that's a whole other post on its own.

I suspect I've missed something important, but if I have then I'm sure it'll come to me (and usually pretty soon after I've hit publish!)

A year "going left"

Since my year observing Greenwich Park and getting to know my walk to work in more detail (see: This was was my year in Greenwich Park) I've been looking for what could be my next "observation project." I thought something would present itself and it kind of has, but there were a few contenders along the way. I contemplated switching the whole park for just the Flower Garden, or maybe a spot on the river.

But somehow, neither felt right. And then last week, one lunchtime, suddenly I knew. I could spend the year "going left."

I know that doesn't make sense, but let me explain. Where I work in Greenwich almost every time I leave my office I turn right to head into the centre of Greenwich, but there is so much more in the area. And especially going left out of the office instead. 

And so, for the next year I'm going to share my year "going left." 

I'm not quite sure what it'll bring, and it may be something different each month, but I think it could be fun. It may not work, but I hope it does.  So at the start of every month I'll share my going left adventures, starting with a great new cafe that's recently reopened.

Breakfasts at the Trafalgar Cafe

I popped in for lunch one day and had eggs florentine, I learnt as they've only recently reopened they're just serving breakfasts, but with an extensive breakfast menu that's not a problem. In fact, it felt like a bit of a win.  And there was green stuff too.

Eggs florentine at the Trafalgar Cafe in Greenwich

While I waited for it to arrive I couldn't help check out the decor. And it was then that my idea started to form.

Greys, metals, mesh and wood decor in the Trafalgar cafe in Greenwich

I love the decor, these lights are throughout the cafe which give it a homely feel.

The classic lights with copper interiors looked great too

Tea arrives in a mug, with milk on a board and with somewhere to put your tea bag, so that's good. The mix of materials and colours work and are carried through into the serving ware, all give it a modern feel I think.

A mug of tea served on a board at the Trafalgar Cafe in Greenwich

Flowers too - and you can't go wrong with sunflowers - i've also spotted a large vase of lilies too. 

THE NEUTRALS ARE LIFTED WITH A POP OF YELLOW FROM THE SUNFLOWERS

THE NEUTRALS ARE LIFTED WITH A POP OF YELLOW FROM THE SUNFLOWERS

 
Sunflowers cheering up the newly reopened Trafalgar cafe in Greenwich

To test out my theory and if it was a good spot for lunch, I tried it out the next day too.  This time opting for avocado and poached eggs on toast with some bacon on the side. Again it was good, but I think I preferred the eggs florentine.  Realising I couldn't make this cafe my observation project, because it was likely to morph into "how many eggs could I eat in a year" I used my time there to contemplate if there was enough of interest to spend the year going left.

avocado on toast with poached eggs at the Trafalgar Cafe

I think there is - and I'm sure the cafe will feature again - and it's a good project for me too, as it's right on my office doorstep and over the next few months I plan to share you just how varied and vibrant - and in places undiscovered - this part of Greenwich is.

And I won't be keeping an egg tally...

 

 

Post Comment Love: 29 September - 1 October 2017

Hello there, one thing before I welcome you properly. October.

October! 

How is that happening this weekend, I love autumn, but I don't feel ready just yet.

Right I'm glad I've got that out of the way, welcome. If you were here last week it was great to see you and I'm pleased with myself for making it round to all of your posts, now there's just the small matter of catching up to deal with. If you're new here this week, it's also great to see you and I hope you'll find some great posts, and potentially new to you blogs to read.

This week started off with a relaxing weekend in Norfolk and then a night out on Monday, which is enough to throw my week. And true to form I've been double checking what day it is ever since. I was out at a blog event Monday night with Mira Showers and had the best night. There were cocktails, a neck massage - which was very welcome as I seem to have slept "funny" on mine - and an attempt to make some beauty products. I'm looking forward to trying the new showerhead and my beauty products too.  I also bumped into a couple of journalists there who'd been on the Stihl trip back in January, and as well as meeting some new-to-me-bloggers, that all made for a lovely evening.

I've successfully managed to dodge the rain so far and I think I'm close to deciding on my next "a year in" subject, so if you're interested pop back at the start of the month. Oh there I go again, I've just reminded myself it's October soon...

autumn in greenwich park

My picture this week is of Greenwich Park and of a vista I don't see all that often. Walking home a different route, on my way to the hairdressers I was blown away by the prettiness - and autumn-ness - of it all, so even though I was running late (no surprise there!) I couldn't not take a picture now could I?

Blogger Showcase: Lorna from Lorna Cole

Lorna who blogs over at Lorna Cole terms herself a beginner blogger who's blogging for fun right now, although admits it's her dream to earn some money from her blog. She's finding her feet with her blog but loves interior design and is hoping to share some of her ideas in the upcoming months. She's opted 100% for tea, but at the start of the summer was obsessed with iced coffee. To find out more about Lorna and read her full answers, head over to Morgan's blog to say hi!

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