Garden Progress

Since this post about the garden at the beginning of April there have been a few small changes.

Until recently I have always thought of gardening as a bit of  chore. The intention was to move house anyway, so as long as the grass was trimmed, weeds kept under control and it looked OK with minimum effort it was fine by me.

All well and good but lately I have been bitten by the bug. This gardening malarkey that people get excited about. Maybe it's because we are staying put in this house for now, I'm getting older, the weather is more favourable to being outside, I don't know, but I'm actually enjoying it! Getting my hands dirty and being able to grow things is very satisfying and a wonderful way to unwind.

I have given the planters, shed and garden furniture a coat (or two) of paint - Wild Thyme was my colour of choice - and it's made such a difference. They look almost new again and it's given a new lease of life to what was otherwise looking faded and tired.

The vegetables in the small raised bed are coming on a treat and I have used lots of the spinach in my cooking already.

The stony flower bed has been planted with Mint, Thyme, Rosemary and Lavendula. At the back there is a Clematis and Lily's sunflower for her pre-school growing competition.

To add a splash of colour I filled the large planter with Pansies. I've used the smaller planter in front of the shed for our strawberries, which have since been moved to an area which gets the sun for longer.

The pot on the table contains our tiny oak sapling. We have grown it from one of the acorns we collected on our walks last Autumn. It is growing quickly so it wont be long before I put it in a larger container.

The grass is now home to Lily's swing and on sunny days the large paddling pool.

It is only a small garden and is therefore, thankfully, quite low maintenance (I am aware my new found enthusiasm is likely to wane once the weather turns). It's not a lot but it is ours and now we have a pleasant and relaxing place to spend our time.

J. X

To the Sea

This week we spent a lovely afternoon in the garden enjoying the sunshine and making the most of the new garden swing and paddling pool. Simple pleasures and a blissfully happy time enjoying each other's company. It was such a treat to cool off in the paddling pool but it's not quite the same as being at the sea, therefore, a decision was made and  bucket and spade packed in preparation for the following day.

Friday morning arrived and it was a beautiful warm and sunny day. Not a cloud in the sky. 

Being a weekday the beach was fairly quiet. A few people were out flying kites, walking their dogs or just enjoying being at the seaside, making sandcastles, paddling in the sea and collecting shells.

The light cool breeze from the sea was a welcome relief from the heat but required a reminder to myself to top up with sun cream as it belied the strength of the sun.

I love being at the beach. It has a calming and restorative effect on me which has been much needed this week. The salty air, waves gently lapping the shore and the feeling of sand between my toes immediately transported me back to holidays and carefree childhood days. Not much can beat walking barefoot on the sand, that moment when you first dip your toes in the water, then relaxing on a blanket gazing out to sea in quiet contemplation, although I was heard to comment that an ice cold glass of Pinot Grigio wouldn't have gone amiss! 

The beach is also a place where Lily is wonderfully relaxed. Running in and out of the waves, scrambling on the rocks and playing in the sand, and I can take it easy knowing she is quite safe.

At high tide we took a short break from the beach to enjoy our picnic lunch, following a path which led us up above the shore to a wide grassy area on the cliff top with beautiful views of the horizon, returning only after treating ourselves to ice cream - chocolate, with chocolate sauce and sprinkles for me.

The afternoon was spent in much the same way as the morning. We were enjoying ourselves so much I was surprised at just how quickly the time had passed before we reluctantly made our way home again.

In Lily's words it was 'a cracking day!'

J. X

Birthday

Last week we celebrated Lily turning four years old. I can't begin to think how quickly this last year has gone by. She has changed and grown so much in this time and as each day that passed has seen her face new challenges, I am so incredibly proud of what she has managed to achieve.

Cards and gifts were opened in the morning, her favourites being a garden swing, books and some fabulous rainbow wellies. We just managed to put up the swing on the Saturday evening before it went dark, ready for her to discover the following morning. Her little face lit up when she saw it.  It was such a joy to see. I can see many happy hours spent on it this summer.

I made two cakes for the special day. One to take to share at pre-school that morning and one to enjoy at home. They were both deliciously chocolatey and covered in icing and other goodies.

Lily enjoyed a delightfully happy day and I can't wait to discover what adventures the coming year has in store for her.

J. X

Happy Friday

It has been a busy week, full of this and that. Nothing dramatic,  just ordinary everyday happenings, but things which have made me very happy indeed.

The weather has been glorious here. Starting out cold and fresh, becoming sunny and warm as the days moved on, then culminating with the most beautiful evening sunsets.

It has been lovely being able to hang out the washing every day and has felt so good to breathe in the fabulous scent of fresh air on our clothes and bed linen. There is something so very satisfying to me about seeing a line of clothes drying in the warm breeze.

The dry weather has also enabled me to spend much of my time in the garden getting jobs done and prettying things but more about all that another time.

Of course, we have been out walking. Considering the weather has been very dry, the fields are looking lush and green.

Always time to stop for a snack.

The wild garlic with its heady aroma is now out in full flower here.

Importantly for me, I have been feeling more like myself again. A run on Wednesday morning put paid to any doubts I had about my fitness. I  am aware I am very much a work in progress and although it was still an effort  I managed my run with no issues. Onwards and upwards.

Yesterday was quite exciting in that our seed planting  paid off and provided us with some  baby spinach leaves to eat alongside last night's pizza. Yay! Delicious leafy greenery, fresh from our very own garden. Fresh spinach is something we love to eat so we will hopefully get plenty more over the summer months.

The weekend is almost upon us and we have a birthday to celebrate. So very much to be thankful for.

J. X