Busy days.

Sometimes I sit here and think I really ought to write something but what,   I know we've been busy and if you look back using the search box at this time last year,  or the year before,  or the year before.....it involves all the same things to some degree.  

Strawberries - picking, eating and making into wine,  45 litres so far.

Planting out seedlings - peppers, kohlrabi, tomatoes, chillies, squash, courgettes, sweetcorn, pak choi,

Putting in seeds - mostly dwarf Borlotto beans which we soaked overnight before planting and they were all up within a week,  second planting went in Monday just gone.

Picking and eating lettuce and radish,  harvesting the green coriander seeds for using in Indian and Mexican foods,  I've mentioned this before,  the green seeds are very juicy, bursting with coriander flavour and it's a bit like eating a green peppercorn but coriander taste instead.  Last year when we realised how wonderful they were,  we went to pick the seeds and found the ants had got there first.  The big ants were up the stems biting off the seed heads,  as they fell to the ground the little worker ants took the individual seeds off to their store.   But not this year!  We check the seed heads daily and pick as soon as they are plump.  Still waiting for the beetroot to do something...pretty colour leaves though!

Picking and brining the first of the capers,  the flowers are coming out so now is the time to pick the small flower buds then in a few weeks as soon as they set seed I'll pick them too.  We still have a few jars of each type but you never know if something will happen to prevent a good year and so it's best to keep well stocked. 

Stripped out the last of the pea beds and dried any missed pods for next years planting.

Then there is watering,  fortnightly on a Sunday is our main day when we refill tanks and water the olives and veg,  the Sunday in between -  today - we use our stored water to do the vegetables and there is enough for a Wednesday watering session as well in hot times.  Plus watering the tubs and pots of which I realised today we have lots and lots!   Pots of lavender and herbs,  spider plants and parsley,  a clog plant and 2 sorts of basil  are all on the front terrace,   pots of  aloe vera  and 2 cactuses  (cacti ?)  from Yegen along the terrace edge.... the list goes on and on.  Some of the pots are out in the garden tucked in amongst planted flowers,  some are what we used to have as house plants in uk,  purple tradescantia and swedish ivy,  but they keep warm and if they look unhappy they get moved.  Some are plants which only flower for a few weeks and they get moved around when in bloom and put in a shady place when resting,  plants such as grape hyacinth,  star of bethlehem,  narcissi,  autumn crocus.  Under the front garden olive tree are even more tubs of hebes,  dwarf gladioli,  various succulents,  more aloe vera,  more tradescantia,  geraniums and mint.

I counted 40 pots today as I watered,  that wasn't including the ones under the olive tree or in the flower beds,  just  on the terraces,  and there are some out by the pool too.  The beds out there have been tidied up this week - and expanded as the plants just keep growing so I take cuttings,  and then have to find somewhere to plant the new ones,  and so it goes on!  But everywhere is  so bright and colourful.