Sunshine, Garden and a Greenhouse!

Hello!

It seems such a long time since I last sat down with a cup of fruit tea and my lap top to write a blog post. Well actually it has been! I have been absent from blogging for many months and I have really missed writing, planning new posts, taking photos etc. I honestly did not realise how long it had been. Time really does fly when your having fun! My daughter is now 9 months old and growing up far too quickly. I know I am biased but she is so beautiful and lovely. I love how she holds hers arms out towards me for a cuddle or to be picked up and she adores our dog. Well, its finally time to give my little blog some attention.

We have enjoyed some beautiful weather recently, with temperatures reaching mid twenties. I have been busy in the garden, pottering around in the greenhouse, weeding the flower beds and drinking the occasional fruit tea or smoothie in the sunshine.

Enjoying the view from my garden

Some of you may know from reading a previous blog post which can be found here, that my husband and I created our garden from scratch when we moved to Meadow View just over 2 years ago. I love looking back at photographs to see how the garden has grown and changed. My rose arch collapsed in one of the winter storms we experienced. I decided not to replace it, instead, I moved a lilac tree from one of the flower beds which was so overgrown last year that I missed it bloom!

My Lilac Tree

I also had to say goodbye to my greenhouse. I was a little sad as it had been given to me as a present six years ago. I remember feeling so excited to have my own greenhouse. I grew so many things that first year but sadly the winds damaged it that following winter, so it really was so bashed about, the polycarbonate panels  took quite a bashing and the metal frame was bent out of shape.

I knew I would hate being without a greenhouse as I love to grow flowers, salads and vegetables. I get so excited in February when I sow pepper seeds indoors and eagerly anticipate the start of gardening season. I spend winters looking through books, magazines and seed catalogues for ideas and inspiration.

I thoroughly researched greenhouses and the different types you can buy. How I would love a big Victorian one with a dwarf wall. I fear that I would need a much bigger garden! In the end I bought a lovely wooden one by BillyOh. It really is lovely and very sturdy too. Its bigger than my old one which is a plus and I have more shelving space.

I was so pleased to receive a free packet of camomile seeds with an order I had placed with Pai Skincare. Their products are amazing by the way and I love the moisturiser. Here is a picture of my seeds growing

Thanks for taking the time to read. What are you growing this year?

The Month of July

I can not quite believe we are into July already! This year seems to be flying by. We are official in summer now and can enjoy lazy days in the sunshine, sipping home made lemonade, dining outdoors and trying to cool off in the shade. 

Enjoying smoothies outside 

The UK has had a hot start to the month with temperatures reaching into mid 30's! I love the warmth of the sun but I confess it has been rather too hot for me. Being fair skinned I burn very easily so I avoid the sun and apply factor 50 sun cream! 

July 4th not only marks Independance Day in America but my wedding anniversary too! A year ago tomorrow my husband and I said our marriage vows in front of friends and family. We have had a wonderful year and looking forward to sharing and creating many lovely memories together. 

1st Wedding Anniversary 

My garden is looking pretty and colourful, everything is growing very well thanks to warm weather and a sprinkling of water from the hose pipe. 

Flowers picked from the garden 

I find myself enjoying morning and evenings the best in July, especially when the days have been rather hot. I love sitting in the garden in the evening, watching the bats fly overhead, taking in the scent from honey suckle and other flowers and enjoying the calm and peacefulness of the twilight. 

Evening skies

What Home Means

Home to me is a place that reflects upon who I am. It is full of my style and things that I like. It is a place were I can relax and unwind, be myself in. Where ever I go I always know that my home will be there waiting for me to return. It is mine. 

In my home and garden

The best thing about moving into a place that needed work doing to it meant that I could change things to my taste. I didn't have to put up with the brittle wallpaper, thread bare carpets, an old and battered kitchen, no garden. I could see passed all these things and know that I could create my dream home. 

I enjoy decorating my home with floral displays and pretty accessories

Okay, so I might not have the roses growing over the front door (yet!), I may not have the converted barn as a craft room, nor the sea view I yearn for but I do have everything else I want and could possibly need. Most importantly my home is filled with memories and loved ones. 

I like to collect mementos from days out, holidays and walks in the countryside. Wild flowers fill jugs and picture frames of my favourite places hang on the wall 

I feel so lucky that I have such a wonderful view to wake up to every morning. In the warmer months I enjoy a cup of tea on the patio overlooking the meadows. It is quiet and peaceful, only bird song can be heard. It is these simple pleasures that should not be taken for granted. 

A nesting box can be found hidden amongst the clematis in the garden 

The Month of June

For me, June is about saying goodbye to Spring for another year and welcoming Summer with open arms.

Summer skies 

The days are long and warm and it feels so nice to feel the sun on my face. I can have the doors and windows open wide, I can step into the garden without putting on an extra layer. I can enjoy leisurely strolls across the meadows.

The Meadow

It is also the time of year where the garden starts to bloom. Flowers emerge into a beautiful array of colour. 

Red Hot Pokers

Rose

Chives

Pansy

The first crops of home grown vegetables and salads are ripe for the picking. Nothing tastes better than those tender lettuce leaves in a salad. Dining outside underneath the patio table parasol just makes this month even more lovely. 

Sunny days

Pressing Flowers

When I was a little girl I used to spend hours picking baskets of flowers from the hedgerows during walks in the countryside. I also loved to walk around the garden collecting as many different types of flowers that I could find. Afterwards I would press them between pages of a heavy book or in a flower press. 

Most often these flowers lay forgotten about until one day I would come across them. I would then make cards and pictures for family. 

As I got older, my love for flowers only grew. I love having a garden and house full of flowers. 

I was delighted to discover a pretty wooden flower press from Laura Ashley and promptly ordered myself one. I could not wait for it to arrive! 

It did arrive quickly, so I chose some little flowers to press. You place them between pieces of blotting paper and cardboard and leave the flowers in the press for about a week. Larger flowers will take longer. 

I have a few ideas about what I would like to make with my pressed flowers. I've seen such pretty arrangements that have made a lovely framed picture. 

Garden Days

I love this time of the year when the garden springs to life after a long winter. The nights are getting lighter, it's warm enough to enjoy drinks outside on the patio and the doors can be left wide open!

Feels lovely to be outside again!

As you know from my previous post, I did not have much of a garden last year so it was lovely to see buds appearing on the trees and new shoots growing on shrubs.

I could not wait to get started sowing seeds in the greenhouse.  I would like more colour in the flower beds so I decided to grow a variety of flowers as well as salad and vegetables.

Isn't is lovely to see the greenhouse being used again after the winter?

This year, I treated myself to a potting bench! I have wanted one for a while now and thought it would be ever so useful. I was right! It has handy hooks on one side, which is perfect for keeping my gardening tools organised. No more excuses for loosing my dibber and plant labels!

My potting bench. My lovely friend Rachael from Sew, Ray, Me sent me these little seed packets that she made. How cute are they?!

I found the little cream watering can in a local antique shop a few years ago. Its perfect for giving seeds a drop of water when they have just been planted. The flower pot, seed tin, paper pot maker and fork were from Sainsurys. I just love the garden accessories they have on sale at the moment, 

I've been busy planting up some pots for the patio too. My husband and I both enjoy relaxing with a drink on the patio in the warmer evenings in front of the log burner. 

I would love to hear about what you are growing in the garden this year. Isn't it exciting when seedlings begin to germinate?! Hopefully we shall have some nice warm weather to help everything grow. 

Dreaming of a Garden

I love a pretty garden so I was quite disappointed to discover that we only had slabs. Not one flower bed to plant flowers, no lawn for my dog, no trees, plants or shrubs, nothing! As soon as the weather began to warm up I set about creating a garden.

The garden was such a mess!

My husband, at my insistence started by lifting up slabs where I wanted a lawn to be. I debated whether to sow grass seed or buy turf and in the end I went with the latter. I knew it would be impossible to keep my dog off the patch whilst waiting for the seed to grow and didn't much fancy muddy paw prints in the house. Instead I ordered rolls of turfs and before I knew it the day arrived to lay our lawn! 

Once the lawn had been created we started work on the flower beds. We had to lift up chippings and then a black liner before digging over the soil. Lots of weeds too! Along the garage wall, mounds of soil had been placed against it. Well above the damp course. It took ages to remove it all before we used left over slabs to cover it up. 

The rubbish by the garage wall!

I'm so pleased with the transformation and the garden is well on its way to becoming established. Dog loves the lawn and spends ages lying on it. Trouble is, he also likes to dig parts of it up! Oops. Nothing that a bit of grass seed can't fix.

Filling the House with Flowers

Don't you just love flowers?! I do enjoy filling my home full of them in pretty jugs, jars and vases.

I enjoy picking little posies from the garden too!

Flowers can brighten up any space, especially during those winter months when it's so cold outside and all you want to do is sit in front of the fire and light lots of candles!

Home Sweet Home

My first blog post! Hi, thanks for dropping by. I'm Nikki and I can be found nestled amongst the meadows in my little home. My husband and I moved into our home 16 months ago and have been renovating ever since!

Our home over looks meadows so I feel very lucky to live here. It's very peaceful and the views are breath taking. Our dog loves living right by fields and enjoys lots of walks through the long grasses and wild flowers.

The view from my garden

The property was very run down when we first moved here so many improvements needed making. So far we have replaced the kitchen, bathroom, hung new doors, decorated the hallway and created a lawned garden from scratch. 

By writing this blog I hope to create a record of our journey into making our house a home and gain inspiration from other blogs out there too. Please drop by and say hello! I would love to visit your blog. 

Have a lovely day! 

Nikki x