2012 - The year of the slug

It's been a while since I wrote anything garden related, January to be exact. Back then I was pregnant with Pip and knew that I wouldn't have the time or the energy to do much this year. 

That said, I've managed to return the lawn to it's former glory following a winter of frosts, heavy rain and escapee chickens. I also made myself a fire pit so that we could sit out on warm, balmy evenings with a cider. 

The less said about those "warm, balmy evenings" the better.

So my plan was to get the lawn back to a decent state so that we could sit out there on sunny days, grow a few hardy veggies and some low maintenance flowers to give us something pretty to look at. 

Ha.

Ok, so the lawn was a win as the photo above proves. However, those "hardy veggies" (pumpkins and courgettes) stopped growing when they were re-potted outside and then got eaten by slugs. As did my sunflowers.

Most of my sweet peas didn't even germinate, I later found out that, that was because the bastard slugs were also coming into the conservatory at night and eating them! I got a few going in the end after putting cling film over the pots, but even those didn't do great after being transferred outside.

So around May time, I gave up and left the garden to it. 

Really, the only thing that has grown well this year are my peppers and that's only because they are indoors away from the elements and slimy garden critters. 

I have weeds growing in the flower bed, weeds growing in pots..hell, even my welly boots have given up the ghost.

Oh and do you want to hear something infuriating funny? That extension I made for the coop to give the chickens some shelter from the wind and rain is now apparently not good enough for them. Today during the thunderstorms, Margot, Maureen and Hen could be found under the tree, huddled and slowly getting wetter by the minute. Queue unimpressed face. 

It took me ages to get the wood for that! Even longer to measure it up and get it cut and put together (I was heavily pregnant so the going was slooow). 

And you know something else? If I forget to bring in their food bowl at night (which is often), when I go to refill it each morning, it'll always have a big, fat slug sitting in it. Seriously what's with all the slugs this year? They are the most pointless, disgusting creatures on the planet and they make me gag. Bleugh!

Anyway, rant over. This is pretty much where I am with all things green fingered. I've missed not going out and getting my hands dirty this year, but spending time with Pip while she's so little is priority number one. And at least the most important thing got done. The lawn is no longer mossy and muddy. 

When we do get a warm enough day, we can now sit under the shade of the chestnut tree and watch the chickens be silly.

So you know, it's not all bad.