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 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.