Strawberry Tables and Tomato Climbing Frames...

This last weekend was split between creating in the Studio and catching up with work in the garden, that was once the sun decided to come out and play on Sunday.

We needed the sun's rays to shine to dry out the soil as it was turning into a treacly, sticky mess making any planting very difficult. It would seem the only creatures enjoying all the damp in our garden are the family of frogs living under our log pile. We had to haul this over to the back of the garden on Sunday and so had to move them to a new abode. The family range in size from large to tiny dots and Gary commented they were reminiscent of a group of Russian Dolls. He would love to have taken a photo of them graded in size but they just wouldn't stay still, or in place for long enough! 

Two of the 'must do' jobs were to plant up the new strawberry table Gary had built with off cuts of timber plus finish planting all the tomatoes in the newly acquired greenhouse. Dread to think just how much our ebay purchased greenhouse has actually cost us in total. It started out a bargain buy but after re-painting it, buying new bolts and clips and building a base we both have decided not to calculate what has actually been spent. Needless to say the tomatoes will be treated with the same reverence the Tudors treated their recently discovered tomatoes.

The tomato canes and twine have turned the greenhouse into a jungle gym. We have raised a selection including Super Marmande, Roma, Sungold and Gardeners' Delight, plus a couple of varieties free from Gardeners' World magazine. Looking forward to a colander tumbling over with a colourful array of tomatoes.

How to shoehorn plants into a tight space...

We bought two types of strawberries, one that fruits in June/July and a late fruiting variety to try and extend the season. Once the blackbird family have spotted the ripening fruits we will have to fashion some sort of netting cover to deter them.

Hoping to keep the snails at bay

Destined for the top of a pot of homemade yoghurt

In summer months our suppers tend to revolve around salads using anything that looks tasty in the veg garden. On Saturday evening we were about to sit down to a mixed salad when Gary reminded me of how he loved my homemade Pitta breads, their pockets are roomy enough to make a feast of a sandwich. So on Sunday afternoon whilst baking our bread for the week I mixed up an extra batch of wholemeal bread dough and took the time to make half a dozen Pittas. Smiles all round.

Fresh and smelling delicious

Back to the art and as promised here's a preview of another new print to arrive in our online shops, such a cute little face!

Cute Pug printed in two colours

And here's another little face to raise a smile, one of our two girls when she was a wee kitten.

Did someone mention Cheese?

'Doubtless God could have made a better berry, than the strawberry, but doubtless God never did'
William Allan Butler.