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Recent Entries to this Blog
Saved by the Mist
Posted: 23 Jul 2014 Posted: 20 Jul 2014 Posted: 17 Jul 2014 Posted: 16 Jul 2014 All Entries |
Mrs Smith's Blog
Saved by the Mist
Category: A Gardener Who Gardens | Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:38 pm It was meant to be a killer hot day but as we drove to the East of the island to our job at Archirondel we descended into the sea mist coming in from France. It ended up being a muggy day but never reached the temperatures threatened. Our Wednesday garden is a treasure, owned by a wonderful lady who lost her husband last year and needed help to get it back under control and to maintain it, everything being hidden under a blanket of bindweed and ground alder. It has a typical english garden wrapping around the main house with a grassy slope rising behind with apple trees, birch and cherry, getting wilder the further up you go. Right at the top you get the most magnificent view of France and on a very clear day you can practically smell the croissants! I've taken a picture of the lower half to show you and on a day there is no sea mist I shall take a hike to the top to show you France. I shall also put a photo of some mystery flowers I found there to see if anyone has a clue what they are. Au Revoir! Love Rachel. This blog entry has been viewed 155 times
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A Gardener with No Garden.
Category: A Gardener Who Gardens | Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:16 pm 
Meadowvale Cottage ( photo / image / picture from Mrs Smith's Garden ) We sold our much loved (but twice flooded) Meadowvale Cottage three weeks ago and have been living in a bungalow on the other side of the island while waiting for contracts to be passed on a new house. This purchase seems to have now fallen through due to problems in the contract, such is life. We are staying in this current house for only six weeks because the building is condemned - it's all black mould and rising damp and I have found myself at a loss with no garden to play with at the weekend. The garden here has been extremely neglected and even though I know the land here will be a building site by the Autumn I can't resist wondering outside to cut out dead branches from the roses and feeding the fuchsia I even spent the whole of last Saturday strimming (yes Strimming!) the lawn. It's a jungle out there! I know It's all a terrible waste of effort, but it is extremely difficult for my twitching green fingers ignore these poor plants in need. We went to view a place last week which we are going to rent for a year while looking for a new house to buy. I couldn't help but smile to myself when I saw the small garden is in a bit of a mess.. thank goodness, something to do. Most of the space will be filled with our pots of cuttings and layerings taken from our favourite plants at Meadowvale (what we call our portable garden) but the rest is all mine to potter around in for a while. In the meantime I think I shall settle down and watch some cricket whilst trying to ignore that hydrangea over there with all those dead branches. Enjoy your Sunday Love Rachel 
Meadowvale's Garden ( photo / image / picture from Mrs Smith's Garden ) This blog entry has been viewed 187 times
Phew What a Scorcher!
Category: A Gardener Who Gardens | Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:25 pm Well that day was a challenge, temp was over 24c - that's pretty hot for Jersey by the way. Last time I wear a padded bra on a hot day. Gives the shape darling but soaks up all the moisture so when I decided to hose myself on the back of my neck (tried and tested cooling technique) it soaked up the water giving me slightly disturbing wet patches all day. Oh the glamour. When I wasn't watering myself I was watering the very thirsty garden. This time of year seems to be all about fighting with hoses and dead heading. I also gave the pots a feed, we use Miracle gro soluble, which works wonders. I've done a half and half mix with Tomato feed this time to encourage the sweet peas, Ivy leaved geraniums and fuchsias to flower more. Also I was tying up a Mexican jasmine today so our client could put them in the house and wow they smell amazing. Off to sleep now. Feeling more snoozy than usual as friends popped round and I had a few sociable glasses of wine before dinner. Night Love Rachel This blog entry has been viewed 168 times
New Girl
Category: A Gardener Who Gardens | Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:03 pm In March my husband Chris' boss Andy had to quit due to health reasons, mostly back trouble (don't we all know about that one). Chris was left holding the fort with a bunch of ancient tools and a rickety old truck only good for the dump. He was left with a decision ... whether to gain employment with someone else, or to take on the business himself. We decided to make a go of it as a team. I have been gardening for many years in our own garden and with my limited knowledge and 39 year old body (emphasis on the old) became partner of 'Gardensmith'! Since then I lost my father to cancer in April and my Father in law in June, whos' ashes are currently sitting on our kitchen windowsill (where is the socially accepted place to put a loved ones ashes anyway)? We also sold our house and treasured garden of 18 years in June so this year so far has been a rollercoaster mix of emotions and exhaustion. I suppose this blog is to put things into order for my addled brain, so if anyone also enjoys reading this then all the better! To improve our standards we have replaced the truck. It was a serious health hazard and over the last few months as money came in we have replaced the strimmer and mower, which had snapped after only a few weeks. We are very lucky to have taken on several beautiful gardens (I'll post a few pictures later). We specialise in working on larger gardens which suits Chris' impressive knowledge of plants as our clients want a great variety of shrubs and plants which can be tricky to care for. I shall endeavour to play catch up so that I can name a few more plants. I know what to do with them but when it comes to naming plants I am pitiful. I suppose this blog will be a bit of a tales of misadventure and as I am a fan of photography, it being one of my many previous jobs, a photographic record too. Well, I must be off, part of the deal of me working is that Chris takes on some chores so he's got Wednesday as his day to cook. I'm off to enjoy a frittata, lucky me. Bye Love Rachelx This blog entry has been viewed 156 times
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