Envelope stuffers need not apply...

One advantage of temping part time, as I have been for the last week or so, has been the time I have had free in the mornings to spend in both the garden and the allotment. The weather has meant there has been plenty of time to potter about, do some much needed weeding, and chat to fellow allotmenteers, as well as the best bit- harvesting!!

Thankyou for all of your wise words and advice on the temping side of things. I have been incredibly bored, but it has been very interesting 'working' (ie.stuffing envelopes and answering the phone) for another company and seeing how differently things are done. It has been rather nice to be anonymous. No one has particularly cared who I am, where I live, what I'm like, and in a way I have quite liked that. It's given me a chance to do lots of thinking about what I do or don't want to do in the future. I have had the confidence knocked out of me a bit over the last few weeks but probably didn't notice it much when I was working for the same place I have done for years..it was the prospect of being 'the new girl' in a new company that scared me a bit. When we were kids we moved quite a bit and I hated being the new girl at school. My first day of temping felt a bit like that. I think I realised quite quickly though, that unlike school, if I didn't like the job I could walk away. I wouldn't actually do that, it't not my style at all, but I think the knowledge that I could helped.

I have to say that nobody has been mean to me or made me feel unwelcome. Equally I haven't made any lifelong friends, but then I didn't expect to. It's just been nice and quiet, boring at times, but easy. I certainly haven't done anything to earn my pennies. Apart from filling several million envelopes.

Anyway, back to the gardening!

The garden itself is starting to look good. Bulbs I had forgotten about have emerged, and everything is looking lush and healthy.

This is the yellow rose that Rob bought for me soon after we got together, after telling him that yellow roses were my favourites. It has grown massively from the small pot it first came in and is at the bottom of the garden, amongst the bamboo.
I have never grown radishes before but these have done brilliantly. I can't say I am a huge fan of them particularly but they are such a fabulous colour and I am sure they will taste great.

I have just been pulling leaves from these lettuces as and when we want them. They have flourished, and are so quick and easy to grow

At the back are my Kohl Rabi, ready to be transported to the allotment, along with summer squash next to them. At the front some little gem lettuces, along with some free lettuce seeds from Gardeners World magazine a while ago.

It looks a bit rubbish at the moment but this is my flowerbed! There are several types of seed thrown in here, Marigolds, Cornflowers, Asters...they are all coming through now after much snail culling!
Another rose bought for me, this time by a friend when I first bought this house- a 'garden warming' present. It doesn't smell particularly but is very pretty..ignore the fence if you will!

There is a new girl at the allotments who has taken on a plot about half a dozen along from me. It's great to have another female on our side of the allotments (although all of the men I have come across are very pleasant as well!) but girls appreciate flowers and pink sheds and funky wellies. Boys do not. My new friend has made beautiful wigwams of sweetpeas with a wide entrance for her children to hide in and use as a den. It will look so fabulous once the flowers are flourishing.

The other good thing is that we have been able to swap produce. Today I had an enormous bunch of sweet williams given to me, and returned the favour with a bag of broad beans. Hurray! Broad beans are coming out of our ears at the moment, so to be honest I was quite glad to get rid of some of them (sorry Dad) and the flowers are beautiful. I have another big vase of them on the windowsill.
Todays broad beans...shelled and ready for the pan...

Loose leaf spinach..really tasty and grows madly.

These are the outdoor cucumbers I have been growing in the back garden. Complete with very expensive irrigation system!

Tomatoes in the greenhouse.

Lastly I want to thank Catherine for the very fabulous box of birthday goodies she sent in the post.

It was so kind Catherine, thankyou, and fabulously wrapped as well, I might add!! Thankyou for such a lovely present.x

I am now off to scan the job pages to see what might tempt me!