Autumn Raspberries and Chair Covering

I’ve been cutting down the autumn raspberries and weeding the bed. Where did all those weeds come from? So many have grown since I harvested the last of the raspberries many weeks ago.

I grow the autumn raspberries now instead of summer ones. So much easier. None of that tying in new canes each year. I just need to cut back last year’s canes in February or early March and they will grow up again and fruit around October. Another good thing about them is they avoid the raspberry beetle’s season when they lay eggs which produce little white grubs in the fruit.

The early crocuses were closed today but when the sun warms them they show their lovely insides.

I keep a garden diary. It’s just a plain day-to-a-page one which gives me enough space to record my activities and the weather. I’m not out every day, I don’t enjoy cold weather, but when I do I like to note down what I did and how things are coming along in the garden.

It’s a really useful reminder of what I’ve sown, and when, and the progress, successes or failures of the plants. I make a note of anything I’ve harvested for a meal or preserving. I also like to jot down any special sightings of birds, butterflies and other insects. On nights when I can’t sleep (very often!) I love reading last year’s diary to see how it compares.

The last couple of days I’ve been busy indoors. I bought some beautiful fabric to re-cover the dining chair seats. The old covers I put on many years ago. Although they weren’t too bad they were mismatched and I’d done a rough and ready job of them with some fabric samples.

I ordered online from a local firm so I was excited when the fabric arrived and was even nicer than I expected.

I removed the old covers and pulled out the staples and tacks. Then I measured up and chose a section of pattern to centre on the seat. I made a better job this time of attaching the fabric and they now look lovely.

Ridiculous as it may seem we only have three of these chairs! We bought them for a £1 in an auction years ago when we’d just returned from abroad and were setting up home again. The chalk marks you can see under the seats were the auction lot numbers. We love them and don’t want to replace them. I”ve looked for all these years for another or even three to complete the set but never found the right ones. That is, until last week when I spotted two on eBay. They were a perfect match and in good condition. Sadly when I enquired about them they’d gone! So disappointed. So if you have one exactly like these, by any chance, that you’d like to get rid of please pipe up.

Although we’re all tired of lockdown and this awful virus it’s vital that we’re patient and continue to be cautious. The last thing we want is for it all to start up again and lockdown enforced yet again.

I miss the local plant nursery the most. We’re really lucky to have one close by. It has the most wonderful plants and their prices are unbeatable. I’m usually there every few weeks indulging my passion for anything pretty to fill a space, even if I have to find space, in the garden. As soon as I feel it’s safe I shall be there making up for lost time.

Meanwhile I keep myself occupied at home and enjoy little things that are not perhaps the most obvious ones but give me pleasure when I look at them in the right way. Have you noticed, for example, how lovely an orange is? It’s lovely colour, aroma and the beauty of the juicy inside.

How the sun lights up a room and makes the colours glow?

Little pleasures like these cost nothing and lift the spirits. I hope you are all enjoying these small things while confined to home. Stay safe. With you again in a few days.