After the Rain

It has been a very wet few days, but the garden is loving it. Picked the last of the apricots this weekend and made a very delicious - if I say it myself - apricot tart. Spot of cream and it was perfection. Have now lightly pruned the apricot tree, but I think it needs a little more :o)-

Had eight for lunch on Sunday to include a cousin I've not seen for about 20 years, with her two and half year old daughter, kept my two girlies well on their toes, they could not believe how much mess she could make. When I told my eldest, that when she was that age I had her baby sister as well, she rolled her eyes heavenwards.

I've also got the makings of a compost heap, which appears to be attracting all the flies in the neighbourhood. Not totally convinced by this idea yet, especially having learned that it will take 12 to 18 months to be any good. We'll just have to wait and see. Very impatient me.

Have removed about 20 snails from the plants this morning and nipped out the side shoots on the tomatoes. They have really benefitted from the recent rain, and the best is that it is free water :o). I look to have a few blackfly on the tomatoes and on the hibiscus, so am going to try boiling some garlic in water and applying that. If this dosen't work, then I will have to check out some sort of chemicals I guess :o(

Am hoping to find a light tent on ebay today to help me with some of my macro photos. Then I need to source some cheap form of lighting. Things like this appear to be so expensive here, compared to the UK, so I will have to investigate some of the bigger DIY stores and maybe a trip to IKEA will be in order. Lighting conditions here are pretty good normally, for portraiture and landscapes, but more is definately needed for some things.