Raining Cats & Dogs!

For the past few days we have had some very heavy showers of rain!

In between the showers the sun has been hot and yesterday we spotted a High Atmospheric Rainbow.

In the greenhouse we have harvested our first Tomatoes.

Still waiting for the Chillis to grow bigger!

I purchased some half-price fruit bushes at the garden centre.  Two Blackcurrant bushes for the new allotment and a pot of mixed berries - a Loganberry, a Tayberry and a Blackberry which we will plant in the fruit cage at the old allotment.  Also I bought some early-season Strawberry plants in the sale.

Whilst weeding a found this little Toad - so sweet!  He hopped into the runner bean bed - I hope he eats up all the slugs and snails!

This Gatekeeper Butterfly was resting on a bean-pole, warming her wings in the sunshine.

I planted out some Leeks and puddled them in.

Down the centre of two raised beds I planted some Purple-sprouting Broccoli.

I harvested a few Beans and a Courgette from the new allotment and my Husband picked these Peas from the old allotment.  I like shelling peas, it always takes me back to the summers of my childhood when I would shell peas with my Mum in the garden.

In the kitchen this weekend I baked some Blondies,

Banana Crunch

and a Chocolate Sponge.  I filled it with Peppermint Butter-cream and topped it with a Dark Chocolate Ganache and Fondant Daisies.

Craft-wise I knitted these Lavender Sachets.  They are decorated with the ribbon roses that I recently received as part of a swap and filled with Lavender from the old allotment.  They were knitted whilst I was watching The Olympics - or at least in between the moments when I was almost bouncing up and down on the sofa willing Team GB to win! :)

I have also made some other items as part of another swap, but they are a secret for now.

Best wishes, Pj x