Tiny Sprouts, Big Winds, Repurposing and Pooping Kitties: EARLY MAY GARDEN JOURNAL CHALLENGE!

Things have certainly been happening with the seeds that I have planted and it's great to see them pop. I've sourced some more junk to repurpose and have been gifted some wonderful pots so I now have more space to plant out my indoor starts if the weather ever warms up. Speaking of weather, it's driving me nuts and so is the pesky alley cat who uses my next-door neighbor's astroturf to sunbathe and my garden as his toilet...

This fabulous table below, although a little worse for wear was left outside a house around the corner with a note saying "free" on it. So I happily carried it home. Which wasn't an easy feat as it is a little heavy. Getting through my narrow house was mission impossible so I had to take it down the back alleys and crashed into every neighbor's fence along the way. Still, it was worth it and quite satisfying.

My dear friend and neighbor opposite was cutting her new bathroom flooring to size and used my garden to do it as she didn't have room in hers. As a thank you, we used the leftover to place on top of the table to make it look a little better and I think in time, I will paint the legs to spruce it up some more.

When left alone, nature finds a way to take back what is rightly hers. I love the fact that this bramble is slowly meandering its way along my back fence. I think I manifested it as I had been wishing for a little more green and a little less red. How lovely that this bluebell surfaced from the missing tile on the floor too. The splash of lilac and green is a very welcome sight in the yard, especially as it is still rather bare.

What hasn't been welcome is the weather. This time last year, it was hot. Not like England hot either. We seemed to go straight into summer from winter. But this year has been a whole different ball game. Hail, snow, temperatures consistently below 11 degrees Celcius during the day and almost freezing celsius at night. It had been a rather dry and sunny April but May seems to have been lumbered with April's Showers and the high winds and heavy rain have battered my basil and destroyed a fence panel. Still, at least I have a use for the tumble dryer drum fire pit. 🙌😊

So how are the little seeds coming along? Well, everything except the Chives has popped. I think perhaps, I should have kept them indoors so lesson learned for next time. So, in no particular order here is what I have so far...

Indoors, I have commissioned my daughter's bedroom as the greenhouse. She isn't here during the week and only has to mind them on the weekend. She commented on how waking up to seeing they had spouted really uplifted her mood. I thought this was such a lovely thing for her to notice, considering she isn't a huge fan of growing plants.

Two days ago I went to water my lettuce leaves which were growing really well, still small but strong. As I tipped the watering can over the box I could see only two of the seedlings and a clumped-up lump at one end of the box. The local alley cat was at it again. I thought he had buzzed off to use someone else's garden instead of following our lovely chat the other week when he jumped my fence to find me sitting in the garden. I asked him very kindly if he would please not use my vegetable boxes as his toilet. I naively assumed that he understood me when he left quite abruptly.
Boy was I wrong. I am so angry with him for destroying my food. I wouldn't go and poop on his dinner. (Do I sound annoyed? I guess I am). But I have to forgive the little dude. He is just doing what cats do. My neighbor said I should shoot him, she hates cats with a vengeance as her garden used to be the local litter box. I absolutely do not want to do that. So I have devised a plan to make a kitty litter box near the gate for him and hope and pray he gets the message.
After all, within the problem lies the solution. Right?
In the meantime, I have put lemons around the box and cannot wait to pot out the lemon balm once it is a little bigger. I have sprinkled some more seeds in the box, which is kinda out of sync with my lunar planting, but I was really hoping for some salad soon. Fingers crossed it works.