Chicken bald back

[BlueSilver]

I just got my home delivery of farm manure and wood chips for mulching my berry patch and front garden. I am stupidly pleased; bags of poo make me happy. Who knew?! But some things are worth a squee or otherwise not-very-adult sound of delight. A packet of seeds you've been waiting for. The first bulbs you planted the year before coming up in the garden. The first season's strawberry, still warm from the sun.

 

Share your simple pleasures -or am I really the only person on the planet delighted when a pallet of poo arrives at my door?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I suspect you're one of many on here who would be delighted .

 

I was pathetically happy this morning when I opened up the bottom of my compost bin and it's all looking pretty good for use on the veg patch! I had to pick out all the egg shells and teabags though, which just don't ever seem to biodegrade . I stopped putting them in the compost ages ago but these'll be from last year.

[Daphne]

Not at all! I've just been bowled over by some iris bulbs I planted last year. I thought they were the early reticulata type (ie about 4" high which flower in Feb) but for 5 months all I have looked at are very long leaves. I thought they were duds, but in the last week they have grown to about 10" high, put on a fat flower bud and come out Unfortunately they are white, not the purple I was expecting, so not very showy, and definitely not reticulata, but you can't have it all!

 

I am also mightily relieved that a bougainvillea I pruned to within an inch of its life in January and which proceeded to sulk for 3 months, has, at last, put on a real spurt of growth from quite low down, so I think it will be covered in bloom again

 

These small wins make up for the distinctly down-feeling I had when I put my seedlings out to harden off about a month ago and a passing hailstorm decimated them, and for the real sadness I felt when the fantastic show of wild flowers was killed off with herbicide by my neighbour (apparently its just what you do round here) You have to be sanguine...but the sun really helps to look on the bright side

[BlueSilver]

Wins and losses! I hear ya. Sadly I've just been hit by the back-pain jinx and all mt manure and wood chip is still sitting where it was. I don't think I dare risk doing anything for at least a week. My neighbours will have to share the joy of big bags of poo by the door for a while.

[chickencam]

Couldn't agree more, I have just found a self sown plant from one that I lost last winter the first time that you see shoots and flowers in each season is very exciting.

[Gertie]

I'm excited too because my grass seed is growing. Have been slavishly watering it for 2 weeks whilst the sun has shone and now it's a lovely green fuzz! Grass = less giant empty flower beds to weed!

[chickencam]

I have 4 French bean plants poking through in their posts

[Valkyrie]

I had a delivery of a roll of fleece and enviromesh today! I'm well happy. Now I can transplant the triffid tomatoes and keep them snug at night in the greenhouse!

 

And the parsley has germinated (so therefore I should be the one wearing the trousers in my house). And my parsnips are looooooking gooooooood!

 

Heyyyy I am wearing trousers! The parsley was right!!! And with the sun out that will be my cue to go and do something constructive in the garden!!!

[BlueSilver]

Triffid toms FTW! I still have all that stuff in bags in the front. I hope I can sort it tomorrow. Much poo-spreading shall ensue.

[Bramble]

I'm giddy with excitement over a bag of used coffee grounds my brother has just given me, sad but true!!! They make a great mulch, there's just not enough to go around!

 

Everyone howls with laughter at remembering me being thrilled with a supply of doggy-poo bags which my mum had acquired for me (nothing to do with the garden, but in the same vein, I guess) ... small things ...

[Daphne]

I'd gladly donate all our coffee grounds to you, all of ours end up in the bucket to go out to the compost. It resembles a slops bucket with all the liquid from slooshing out the coffee pot

 

I've just discovered a self-sown courgette plant, not sure whether to be thrilled

[Bramble]

I'd gladly donate all our coffee grounds to you, all of ours end up in the bucket to go out to the compost. It resembles a slops bucket with all the liquid from slooshing out the coffee pot

 

I've just discovered a self-sown courgette plant, not sure whether to be thrilled

 

I'd be over the moon with anything self sown (apart from the usual dandelions etc, so a courgette would DEFINITELY be a bonus!!!

 

Excellent, I could do with a trip to the sum (picking up a consignment of coffee grounds from Portugal sounds like it could fit the bill nicely!!

[Olly]

Isn't this exactly why gardening is so fabulous? I went into the greenhouse this morning and lettuce seeds sown over Easter have just germinated - the thrill of seeing little green leaves poking through the compost is one that never wears off. So what if most of them will damp off/get eaten by the hidden snail that's living in there/die before I can plant them out, there is new life in there. This never palls - and nor does finding an egg in the nest-box!

[Bramble]

Well said, Olly!

The thrill of finding newly emerging seedlings never goes

[BlueSilver]

For some reason none of my lettuce has germinated this year, which is really weird. But! My cherry tree is in full flower and I just noticed my strawberries are forming buds and will bloom soon! I can almost taste the first strawberry of the year. Much squee already, I love strawberry season.

 

Once in my well-spent youth, I brought a punnet of fresh strawberries round the office; jet-set solicitors and partners whose faces lit up when I offered them a strawberry. "I haven't had a fresh strawberry in years!" Gushed one if the partners when I offered him one. Couldn't believe it; he made more dosh than I will ever have in my life, but no time for a strawberry? Yikes. He did go and pick up a punnet when he went home, tho. Simple pleasures!

[Valkyrie]

Strange about the lettuce. I had old seed and I ended up throwing the remains in a flower bed. And hey ho they all blinking germinated!!! So find a spare spot and broadcast the old seed and you'll be getting loads too!

 

OH has just drilled big holes in one of those water containers that go upside down in those machines. Then he filled it with compost and planted strawberry plants (I dug them out of the strawberry bed - all new little plantlets) - he's well chuffed with himself! Still have loads of little strawbs to plant up and some will go in the greenhouse for an early chomping session.