A mixed week...

I'm having a bit of a funny week, its been warm, misty, down right freezing and almost every type of weather in between. And, chickens have been more than a bit cheeky in both coming into the house, hopping into the car when you fancy getting on with something and generally just being menaces - their summer free range days are over (soon).

They are now driving me crazy - can't turn around but you find 5 'mountian-goat-like-chickens' on top of the piano looking very innocently on. Waiting for a tune, no doubt? And the second photo is a chicken LEAVING the house - lol. Pesky chickens and thier adventuring, but they do make me giggle.

I managed to get the tomato window boxes filled at the weekend, prior to planting, for our great 2011 tomato growing adventure. We've planted 10, another 10 to go - 2-3 in each box and they will be planted for growing upstairs in the living room. But, whilst filling them with chicken looking on, of course, it wasn't long before 6 of them had a pad about in the compost, before we got it inside, just to check it was OK you understand, very pernickly chickens it would seem!

The sun at the weekend brought out alot of things quickly, which meant a walk at lunchtime in town around the normal route - with el hound. Peedie - trotting down the path quite the thing whilst I nosied into folks gardens to see whats up and growing well.

The spirea has just burst out into flower, this does well here, early, suckering and pretty robust and a scent to die for.....

Of course, the star of shrub land at the moment here is flowering currant - looking gorgeous and everywhere around the island - very beautiful and a great early flowering shrub - hardy where we are.......

Another flowering beauty at this time of year are Primula denticulata (or Kirrie dumplings as I know them from central scotland) - they are all over the place, purple, through to white and almost blue in some cases - gorgeous - here's a look over a garden near the college where my desk is......

Aren't they wondeful? I love them! One thing that grows well here, and is cut back to the ground in mainland scotland is Fushia magellanica - buds up and growing about to go bonkers..........

And I've been tidying up my veggie plot at work  during teaching at the weekend, (in the sun! wierd weather here) - and lifted alot of a gorgeous alpine strawberry - white fruits, taste like bubblegum - yummy collected the seed from fife but it didn't come true red, it came white and they are all like that - and really prolific - so I listed them on eBay and as if by magic they've mostly sold. Yay for flowers helping to pay the bills in our little homestead!

Next, of course I've a hedge to plant - 1000 mixed species of willow (salix) cuttings (hard wood) about to go into the ground, you'll be hearing my salix symphony quite soon - or should I be asking for some salix sympathy?

After I'm done? I'll be achey thats for sure!!!! But aren't they gorgeous? About 100 cutting in each pot of water! A forest on my table, well at least a 150 m, 1m wide hedge..........! They are being soaked for 24 hours prior to planting to get the stems ready for planting - helps to active the preformed roots inside the stem which this species has - quite unlike other shrubs - clever little willows! By this time at the end of the summer, each of them will have grown into lovely little shrubs about 1m tall.

All in all, a productive, chicken infected, mix of a week!

Hope your week been good!