I’m crossing my fingers for a run of dry, sunny days in June, as I have a number of jobs that really need completing by the end of the month. The aim is to have some major tasks finished in time for E’s second birthday in August (how the hell did that happen, two years old!), when we’re hoping to invite friends and family over for a relaxed day of food, fun and sun.
We’ve really gained some momentum this year with our little Smallest Smallholding. Of course, there are tonnes of improvements and ideas we have floating about, and time isn’t on our side right now, but it’s great to feel as if we’re going somewhere with making our ideas a reality. So here are a few things that are on my To Do List, for June, to keep that momentum rolling.:
Paint the Tool Shed
There will be more on this in a later blog post, but we now have a compact and very useful little tool shed, which has freed up space in the “big” (medium-small) shed. It’s currently a bit naked, and I’m hoping to put a few pennies and pounds aside to give it a lick of paint. Maybe country cream or with some willow green It’s just been far too damp recently to even consider it, but I’m keeping an eye on the forecasts…
Sow All Seeds
I still have quite a few packets of flower seeds that need sowing directly, but firstly I need to get the beds prepared with compost. There’s plenty of the homemade stuff in our old leaf bin. It’s just a case of emptying it, carting it over to the vegetable garden and getting it in situ. Simple!
Plant Up Hanging Baskets
There’s nothing like the splash of colour and vibrancy that a brimming summer hanging basket can bring. We’ve left our baskets and containers around the back of the house empty for far too long. It’s time to get them planted up, and bring back some summer cheer.
Update Gardening Bag
I’m currently using an old tent peg bag as my garden bag, but it’s just not doing the job, other than being water resistant. I’d like to have compartments for garden labels, pens, a stake and string for straight edges, and maybe even space for my kneeling mat. Maybe a gardening bag like this. Budgets are always tight, but if I’m going to be spending more time on our mini flower farm field, I need to be better equipped and more organised.
Stop Raiding My Wardrobe for Workwear
Recently, I lost a load of baby weight that had been hanging on, and have managed to fit back into lots of my old clothes. Unfortunately, they’re also the only clothes I have to garden in, and I’ve got a knack of wrecking things that I shouldn’t be wearing when tackling the likes of monster brambles. I can’t tell you how many clothes I’ve ripped, jumpers I’ve wrecked and trousers I’ve rendered useless for daily wear. I’ve been thinking of investing in some practical trousers and came across these outdoor ladies workwear jeans from Engelbert Strauss. They actually have long pockets in a useful place, on the thigh, rather than at the hip where I’m always bending and compressing when in the garden. I’m thinking I could keep my secateurs to hand in those long pockets, and as they’re stretchy fabric, they’ll be comfortable too.
Plant Squash
This one is very specific; I find any kind of squash immensely useful in the kind of cooking I like to do – soups, stews, curries and chillies (let’s just call them one pot wonders). I’m aiming to grow a few butternut squash, and, if time and space allows, some kind of acorn squash or something a little ornamental. I’ve had great success in the past, but if I’d learned anything, it’s that I can’t be late planting in squash, and I need to regularly feed them to keep the plants healthy and flush with fruit.
There’s always more to do, but I’m trying to keep my to do list achievable this month! What’s on yours?
This is a sponsored post.
Knucklehead pumpkin
