Unexpected visitor and a crop of potatoes!!

This year we had a go at growing some potatoes in a barrel type thing  that we kept at the bottom of the garden, it was all a bit hit and miss because we had a wet summer and we thought that they would stay fairly well watered but when we got back off of holiday the hot spell that had taken place had reduced the greenery to brown stalks, so we decided to harvest them, not really expecting too much as the original potatoes planted were in my opinion a bit dodgy!!

So I was really pleased to see that we had a reasonable amount, enough for a couple of meals. Next year we will pay more attention to the watering and start with better quality potatoes!

We were surprised last week when moving the recycling bins to be faced with this little snake, I say little, it was skinny but around 2 foot long. It was quite a shock finding it there particularly as we didn't know what it was.  Beth said she thought it was a corn snake so we looked it up on the Internet and asked on face book and everyone agreed that it looked like a baby corn snake. They don't live outside so the advice was to bring it in and tell the RSPCA. so we went back and of course it had disappeared!!

Beth spent an age looking for it but it was no where to be found. I hope that it survives but I think there isn't much chance once the weather turns autumnal :(

This year we have had loads of pleasure out of our garden, we have been able to plant the border where the fir tree was and we have had mixed results. We have also learnt a few things about what to put where, so we will make changes next year. I am particularly happy with some Hollyhocks we planted, the sunflowers were disappointing and a new rose we put in has struggled. We will have to look after them and hope they are stronger next year. The plants that seem to survive whatever the weather throws at them are things likes lavender and rosemary they seem to love all conditions and all weathers!!

This verbena grew far taller than I had thought it would so its in the wrong place, it may have a change of home for next year!!

I put in a bird feeding table and we have seen loads of birds, we mainly seem to get the big birds, Magpies, pigeons and doves. They are so used to us now that we can sit around 5 feet away from them and it don't worry them!! It worries the dog who spends ages trying to catch one!! she has never got within 6 foot of one  they know just how close she can get before flying away!!