Monthly Archives: July 2020

End of August (oops, that should read July!) flower round-up

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Helen

My flowers might not be the magnificent display that I see elsewhere in the blogging world but they have brought a smile to my face when I’ve popped out for a breather this week. Overall, it seems there are a … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Pond and bog garden | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Sewing an Upcycled T-Shirt Face Mask

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Helen

Hurray! Today my face shields arrived. However, after reading the post below, I am almost envious of those who can wear a cloth mask. I’ve tried several patterns for face masks over the past few months, but the one I … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Both sides of the border

Posted on July 26, 2020 by Helen

This last week, we had a few days away, staying in Berwick-upon-Tweed. The original focus of the holiday had been to visit Bamburgh Castle after hearing about the recent finding of Viking remains and artefacts there. However, this turned out … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts, Days out, soil management | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Someone has a sense of humour!

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Helen

On Tuesday, I returned to my birthplace. Well, not the hospital or a part of Stockton-on-Tees that I had ever been to before but RSBP Saltholme. We were on our way up to Northumberland for a short break and I … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Slow burn echinacea

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Helen

I’ve lost count of how many years ago I bought a pack of echinacea seeds, sowed them and tended the seedlings till they were ready to go out in the front garden. Nothing happened, they appeared to die. So, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, herbs | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Thirty a week?

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Helen

There seemed to be quite a lot of interest in the post ‘Over 60’ I wrote a few days ago. One question I couldn’t answer was how much fruit and veg should we perhaps be consuming in a given time-frame. … Continue reading →

Posted in foraging, Gardening, Health | Tagged | 15 Comments

Nine-star broccoli

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Helen

It’s a few years since I was introduced to The Backyard Larder. This is a specialist nursery which sells perennial vegetables. I get the impression that business has been booming since lockdown, which is undoubtedly one of the plus sides … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, perennials | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Fulford

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Helen

Every year during the first week of July, the International Medieval Conference is held at the University of Leeds. This year, because of the pandemic, it was virtual, which meant that I could attend a few of the sessions. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Over 60

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Helen

Robin Harford is a forager who I receive regular newsletters from. In his most recent he mentioned that the average person eats a range of 20-30 plant foods. I presume that is in say a year rather than in one … Continue reading →

Posted in foraging, Gardening, Health | Tagged , , | 20 Comments

Some vigour at last!

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Helen

The information I gleaned about my dwarf water lily (Nymphoides peltata) was that it was a vigorous plant, so much so that it could be invasive. However, last year it showed no such characteristic. Then of course it died down … Continue reading →

Posted in Pond and bog garden, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 14 Comments