September Surprises

Oh TT its wonderful, those dogs are such stars!! well done on another brilliant production......oh yes and the garden is looking fabulous, what about those frogs then?

A wonderful plant family. Everyone can think up things to use a garden for, apart from work.
Reminded me to put a half size pot upside down on some pot feet, on a large plant saucer, - hoping for froggy visitors to stay awhile.

I love how your landscaping blends into the natural surroundings and that Rose Prince adds a little sparkle. I think you made two frogs happy today by replacing their flower pot.

Super blog as always TT it is a pleasure to look around your garden, ideal froggy homes you have there they must be very happy to have separate rooms! Looking forward to watching your latest movie with your star heroes :)

Wonderful brilliant blog loved the vid

I loved hearing the robin sing at last! And doesn't Crocus just love that bell? Your three heroes score again...

Your front garden looks really settled now - have ot confess I didn't think it would be so successful - should have know better - Team Terra always gets it right!

That Frosty Morn is beautiful and so unusual - it will look even more fantastic when it grows into a big clump - you'll have people begging for cuttings.

Your front garden is looking great now without its lawn and so much easier to cope with. Lucky you to be given all those propagators. I used to have some myself at one time and found them really useful for both seeds and cuttings. The trick is to remember to open the vents in the daytime and to close them at night. Good luck with whatever you decide to use them for.

Oscars all round for performances and production. Well done Team Terra. Your front garden is looking wonderful. It will be fantastic in Spring. Love the frogs.

Brilliant film footage Terratoonie Truffles did make me laugh when he turned and crashed Crocus loves the bell have you been teaching him campernology and Conker the star of all he ll make a great fire rescuer so gentle but thorough.
Love how your front garden has now established it self it looks great all that hard work has paid off.

Your gardens a delight Terra, were the high fliers red kites, Icouldn't see the tail feathers

Ihope the froggy visitors repay your kindness by munching on any slugs and snails theyfind

Will watch the video asap, so many lovely comments I can't wait!

Loved the video TT what stars you all are, Crocus made sure the alarm bell was heard! Truffle too, Conker aka Little Lassie certainly saved the day for the lucky ducks, great sets too :o)

Thanks everyone for your generous response to my blog and movie. It is fun to have frogs around the gardens ... they are welcome to eat all the slugs ! Good luck, Diane with getting your own frog visitors.

Bathgate .. the frogs are multiplying ... this morning, as I was checking my plant label on a rosemary in pot, a slightly smaller frog surprised me by leaping out !

Pam .. in the pigeon pic, I'm not sure which birds are flying overhead. They have long necks. Thanks, Waddy, for the propagator advice.

Peter, Neena, Stera, Scotsgran, Dotty, 3d ... I'm glad you like the movie .. took about 8 hours to upload to facebook ! My original film footage is clearer, but facebook reproduces the film reasonably well. I have lots more ideas for movie themes ... so I hope we get the opportunity to film more pet tricks stories over coming months.

Geese maybe Terra?.......

lovely to really see your lovely boys in action and having such fun.....especially Crocus ?

I like what you've done with your garden TT it looks wonderful , we have frogs in our garden they often make me jump when they leap in front of me ...will be viewing the video as soon as ! lovely to see Conker and Truffle looking so well especially Conker after his dreadful ordeal you nursed him well :o)) ....

Thanks Pam ... My garden does sometimes have water birds flying overhead.
Crocus got very enthusiastic about his first movie performance, and he did it so well that I just couldn't bring myself to crop the footage, so he has quite a section of the film all to himself. Lol.

Thank you Amy ...
Yes, it's quite startling when frogs jump out suddenly, but I like having them around the garden. I hope you enjoyed watching our movie. The previous two movies, Supernanny and Breakfast at Conkers, have links on my recent blogs.
Conker is now in his 6th year of durable remission after the stressful year of Chemo back in 2009. I still have to be careful with where I let him walk, and with what he eats, but he is enjoying life and I know I'm very lucky to have him. :o) x x x

As usual Terra, your garden is beautiful ! We have seen more butterflies than bees this year !
I loved the video ! You are one very clever lady ! xx

We Loved the videos TT , I say we because I had to call Tony to watch with me it was great fun ,it must have taken hours of patience and two very clever little dogs not forgetting one little Crocus to produce a movie like that , 'Britain's got Talent' springs to mind ... xx

Thanks Rose ...
we're pleased you like our dog tricks films .. we have great fun making them. x x x

Thank you Amy ...
that's great to know that Tony enjoyed our movies too ...
Crocus did get very enthusiastic when he heard he was filming for our third tricks movie ... he played his part so well at almost 11 years old, that I didn't have the heart to crop his film footage. x x x

Gosh, Terra, what can I say?
Your front garden is so full of interest - much nicer than just lawn - but such a lot of hard work has really done you proud & looking much established already!

Sadly no frogs in my garden altho I did see a newt once under a planter, I wonder what my little pooch would make of them tho. She barks indignantly at pigeons when they sit on the shed roof, she either wants to chase them or is complaining that they can fly & she can't.

Talking of pets, what a cute little film you're 3 have made -- with your help, :) . You put such a lot of thought & effort into a fun project. Your props cupboard must be full, lol, & now you are sound editing as well!
I'd love to see you training them to do their tricks (out takes perhaps) one day maybe.

Thanks, Green finger ... this is the link to my blog where, about a year ago, I took away my front lawn and replaced with the recycled pavings etc. ...
http://www.growsonyou.com/terratoonie/blog/27544-front-garden-facelift

Not sure I've ever seen a newt. Interesting comments you make about your pooch barking at pigeons... Conker knows to chase those away, but he lets the smaller birds hop around, such as sparrows. His dilemma is over the medium-size visitors such as blackbirds and collared doves... he's never sure whether they should be classed as 'large' with the pigeons, so chased away, or left alone, being just that bit smaller !

You're right that our movie props store is overflowing ! Yes, our first two tricks movies have music only. The computer movie program which I use, doesn't really allow for making a film which has some parts music and some parts real sound. I had to think very long and hard about how to fool the program into letting me do that !

The newt I saw was black with yellow/orangy underside - it was gone in a flash & never seen one since. No ponds around here but there are deep damp ditches & the little R. Ratt at bottom of hill.

I read your last years blog, Terra & also the one called Jewels & I'm even more impressed now - just goes to show where there's a will there's a way plus a great attitude & determination!

I had 2 scrappy strips of 'lawn' where I lived once b4 with a horrid concrete path down the middle. Took up the turf & levelled it etc, as well as turf removal my main job was planning & stone picking - I swear stones grow as every morning more appeared, lol, but that was in the days when I had a workaholic hubby to do the heavy part.

How on earth did you manage to break up the slabs & did you make the raised bed & dog run area yourself too?

Looking wonderful, so envious. I like the Sedum Frosty Morn, another one for my purchase list. The front garden with cobbles etc is inspirational.

Green finger ...
Yes, it is a challenge working out how to achieve heavy tasks when you have no help and you are not very strong.
I wrote two blogs last year about how I rebuilt my dog run. You can see how I sawed up timber in 'Bee and Kew' car park, to fit it in my little car... ha ha

blogs are RIO ... Rebuilding It Ourselves 3rd June 2014 and Turning Green ... 18th August 2014.

You asked about my recycled slabs. They were heavy .. I could not lift most of them, so I had no choice but to break them, so it was a case of dragging them across a concrete edge and then hitting them with a huge mallet. Then I could lift the broken pieces !

As with you, I don't know of any ponds nearby, but I guess the frogs arrive in my garden when quite young, having hopped from another garden, and then they fatten up on my slugs ... great !

I like the name River Ratt... fab !

Gertrude ...
Thanks ... I did the front garden make-over on a tight budget .. basically just for the price of the cobbles, because the rest was all recycled pavings and plants split from other parts of my gardens. And this summer, I was lucky to be given some more larger cobbles from a neighbour across the road who was clearing a space for his extension !

Sedum Frosty Morn doesn't seem to spread very much, so I would suggest suitable for a feature plant somewhere special.

Hi Terratoonie, Sorry i havent been in touch lately but my blog will explain why. I have just seen the video of the fire men, I think it is brill lv cmsue x

Thanks Sue ...
The other two movies are Conker in 'Supernanny' and 'Breakfast at Conkers', with Conker and Truffle.
Fun to watch, especially if you need cheering up.
I'll go look at your blog.
Hugs. x

Thanks for the links to those blogs, Terra, also followed a couple of others about your heather planter. All very interesting & enlightening to read.
I have a similar fence that needs redoing so think I will follow your lead & have a go as my OH altho capable is def not a keen diyer, lol, but it will have to go on my long to do list.
I can't believe you dismantled a shed!!! Make stone planters & dog runs.......You're turning into Wonderwoman!

Thanks Green Finger ...
I'm pleased you enjoyed the blogs.
Yes, do have a go at remaking your fence. I'm sure you'll make a great success of it. Some tasks, such as working with stones and concrete are quite easy, if done a stage at a time. But I do rather make it up designs as I go along .. no written diagrams or plans !

Hi Homebird .. Thanks for visiting my blog...
I'm just catching up with GoY ... not been on here as much as usual.
Yes, I guess you missed my notifications, because I did write quite a lot of blogs this year.

Thanks, Avis ...
I really don't have room indoors for propagators, and I don't have a greenhouse, so I'm wondering whether in springtime I could have the propagators in an outside location.
What drainage is needed, and when can I make best use the sliding roof slots ? Plus any other general advice please. The seeds will probably be marigolds and antirrhinums collected from my gardens this year.

Thank you, Avis ...
Weather permitting, which month would you suggest I start sowing the seeds please ?

Thanks Avis... these are seeds collected from my garden, so no printed packet. Gradually feeling better thanks x

What a lovely blog TT. I have not been on GOY much recently as my OH,at 85, needs a lot of care. The wind and wet has kept me out of the garden too. I love the photos of the enterprising froggy houses and your robin too. You keep so busy and tidy, you are a miracle. The two boys are fabulous doggies as well. We have been adopted by a pretty calico cat, who I share with a near neighbour, who is mad about cats. OH is very fond of her. She likes his duvet!