Ive been in the garden

The front of the garden to be precise. Its been very hot, very dry and the front of the garden has been full of weeds and in much need of water. So I set to and discovered in our compost heap a nice pumkin (I think its a grey pumpkin). Thats whats so great abouit a compost heap all these surprises arising. Normally I may replant them but mostly just pull them out but this pumpkin can grow out quite nicely without doing any harm.















And then i remembered my Roma tomatoes which at the last look (embarressingly long ago) were bare. But now they have gorgeous shaped tomatoes. Just perfect for my sundried tomatoes. This
lovely kiwi blogger had a great recipe for drying and preserving sundried tomatoes and I was inspoired to grow these Romas after reading of it. But I wonder if it was on her old blog? Oh well Ill have to do my homework after this. Her blog is great though for simple living (my favourite kind of living)














So I was madly watering and suddenly all these cute little praying mantis insects arise from my lavender crop. They were everywhere. Then I got a bit worried as they are fantastic garde friends as they eat the predators. Unfortunately they also eat each other..as one school Mum discovered when she found two mantis , put them in a jar for show and tell at School and couldnt work out how one of them had escaped by the next morning. (I broke the bad news!). So I semi sprayed water over them when they got to close trying to scatter them apart from each other (there were babies and they would be gone in one quick killer grip) . After a while I left them to it but I hate to be the bringer of tragedy in the garden.

And these are coming together so quickly. Ive even started to soley handstitch them infront of TV at night as they just grow and grow with alacrity. Very exciting.

So sad this end of the country. A family friend was murdered. I have known many to die youing..but never a murder. It has sent my hairs up on end reading the details in the paper. He broke up a fight outside a country pub. Someone either stabbed him in the car or drove him offf the road and stabbed him there. Last year his father died suddenly, the year before his brother was killed in quad bike accident coming into the farm off the road and just prior his dear Aunty died after a long illness. It just seems quite unbelievable. and I remember this farming family well and feel so sad.

Sadly yours

Cherry