February round up

 Nothing on craft, I started my garden month well, Fridays garden shopping boosted the total.

 I did get a couple of new soft jumpers for the spring season, no reason other than I liked them and some underwear. 

10 Books read this month.

This month is always expensive, car MOT, insurance and tax, we had budgeted for it, the insurance was the same as the pervious year, so we stayed with the same company, tax is only £30, it's not increased since we purchased the car. MOT just one advisory for breaks not unexpected. 

We have made a good saving, our internet contract ends in a couple of months, Virgin has doubled their price for the second year, so we have gone with a local firm who is receiving loads of great comments, they have done all the installation and its working well, they give us free connection until our Virgin contract expires, we always requie a mesh to boost our signal inside the bungalow, the new firm has been really on the ball, the customer service desk have helpful people who we can understand. It's great when things go right and at a better price. Another bonus I can now see all post from Chris at Always Smiling.

Just a few bits of food waste, having the children here made a huge difference. We have  been sent the council food waste bins, I won't be using them much, most of our peelings, egg shells and other kitchen bits go into my composter, I already have a covered container I use in the kitchen, I will put teabags, onion skins and pepper bits, which I don't compost, we are going to keep the bigger bin outside. Daughter is apprehensive about the system, her kids waste far too much food, it's going to be a shock for her, hopefully she can try and reduce amounts. 

My weight is stable, small portions are working, I am walking a bit, not everyday, it's been too wet for that. It did wobble over Valentine's weekend, we did have Prosecco and chocolates.

Adding colour

 I adore these spring blooms, all silk and years old, I only keep these out for a couple of months sat on kitchen window sill. There is a cracking this jug, so it can't hold water, I do love it, came from hubby's grandparents house.

This spider plant is growing well here, Lilly has not attacked it, the amaryllis bulbs are a disappointment, the back bulb is from last year and only leaves, the front bulb is new this season, no bud at all.

This is the second book from this author for me, it's as good as the first one, a murder in a small village, local DCI is in charge, he returned home to the village from London after a divorce, BBC news is there, his ex is leading their coverage, everyone knows each other. More murders, a very clever plot, the perpetrator hiding in plain site, I could not put this book down. Book 19 read this year.

At B&Q I got some coloured stone for my sink, it stops the squirrels digging. I also got 2 half price packs of smaller daffodils, just £8, I love to get them at this time of year, so I can fill any gaps. I put 6 sections in the daisy bed, 4 in square bed and 2 in fruit bed, plus the containers are great for seedlings. There is a nice mixture here, I'm not bothered if they die back, they will return next year.

I'm feeling so much better, a couple days of sunshine has lifted me, all black moods have gone, I do ache, from jobs done outside, nothing big, just the start of the growing season stuff. I have done more knitting, I am enjoying the design, it looks complicated but is actually very simple.

I was so pleased when outside to see so much wildlife, bee's, butterflies and small birds, we feed the birds all though out the year, I try and have as many open flowers, avoiding double blooms, which are not so bee friendly. Sadly we have lost many of the pink buds from our Magnolia tree, either the squirrels or pigeons have had a feast on them, I have picked up loads of damaged ones from our lawn, it's never happened before.

Thursday morning we went to B&Q, hubby wanted some slate for his front garden, it's cheaper there, then on to our favourite garden centre, we had coffee and cake. I was looking for a couple potato growing bags, in both stores the bags are much smaller, so I will look elsewhere. I did not look at plants, at this point there is little I want, I have loads of my own in pots. The daffodils were a bargain, with 3 bulbs in each section, 36 bulbs for £8, I still need a couple small pots of tete-a-tetes. 

I spent the afternoon knitting, I have finished another row of colours, this time speckled ones, I now need to find 9 balls of plain colours.

Nothing planed for today, it's wet after heavy rain last night, there is more rain expected, later I'm at daughters house for a sleepover,  Will's birthday treat is paintball in the woods on Saturday, he is very excited, its an early start, I will stay home with George and Molly. 

Spring Blooms

This fruit bed in my veg section is at it's flowering best in spring, I can see the left hand side from my chair in the house, the striking difference between the red hellebores and the yellow of the primroses shine out. There is a small dark hellebore in front of the strawberry tower hopefully it will fill that area.

Further along this bed, the wildlife pond is pretty, I purchased a few pots of small daffodils last year, they had gone over, just 50p per pot of four, they have all flowered again this year. The grasses are all loving this area. 

My reduced hellebore has flowered, lovely white blooms, the second plant at the end of the raspberry bed I have had for a few years. I can't wait for the white blooming plant to get to a bigger size. 

I have six different blooms from hellebores, I have only grown them in the past few years, they are a firm favourite in my section of the garden, I have another 2 plants growing in the flowerbeds, and 2 more smaller babies, I am hoping hubby might like them in his garden. 

The crocus are beginning to go over, it was nice to see early colour, I have just one clump of snowdrops blooming, I do have another clump which as yet has not bloomed. 

I have cut some damage daffodils, I prefer to see them outside, once the stems are damaged they suffer and the blooms lay on the soil.

Tuesday and Wednesday I spent a few hours outside, just pottering, working in the greenhouse and enjoying dry days, we have had more dry time than rain this week. I sorted my first early potatoes, they are planted in two bags, I have some second earlies to chit, and some shallots, all to be grown in bags. My two bags for cut flowers are ready, I will sow a few mixed seeds in each, in hope they all grow. In the veg beds, my leeks are still small I will leave them a bit longer, my broad beans are starting to flower I always grow an early variety, I have a few cabbages doing well, and my Japanese onions are looking good. We had our last portion of last year's runner beans with our tea, I hope to be able to freeze more things this summer. 

I opened all the windows today, good to have fresh air circulating around the house, our laundry on the line dried. Lilly is spending all her time outside, today a fox on our neighbours sunhouse roof snarled at Lilly, I was close by, it dissappeared when I shouted at it, Lilly did not run away, its a worry, hopefully she will learn to avoid that part of the fence.

Enjoy the weather this week, it's our first sign of spring, gardeners call it fools spring, still far too early to plant out anything.

I get instant cheer from working outside, this winter has been hard on me, so many bugs and absolutely no energy, I am fed up with looking at the rain through our windows. I should not complain, we have had no snow and we are safe from flooding, our home is warm and safe, March can be a hard month here along the south coast, I have everything crossed it will be mild and dry. 

Something new

 Another new author to me, it's a gentle book with a mother looking back on her teenage son's life, he died along with his dad, the son was troubled in the last few months of his life. She wakes up in hospital and has to piece everything together. Book 16 read this year. 

I have read this author before, I really did not enjoy this book, I kept reading it as it was an easy read whilst the children were sleeping over, I'm not keen on books where you can ascertain the outcome of every action in a positive way, and the woman gets her man at the end. Less said the better, Book 17 read this year. 

More fun with growing, I've tried a few times to grow peanuts (Monkey nuts here in UK), I was chatting online with a guy who has got them to shoot, and followed his advice. As you can see they mostly have shoots, eventually they will be put into a couple of bags, they are a member of the legume family (peas and beans), I have an intolerance to nuts, hubby loves them, these are on a sunny window sill with a radiator below. 

I have some spring blooms showing, hyacinths planted last year, there is a good mixture of colours already in the garden beds. Daffodils of all sizes have buds, sadly it's still rather windy, the taller ones are getting battered. My transplanted primroses are full of bloom, this bed is filling out.

The plant in the downstairs bathroom, is flowering again, it's just a very giving, with such stunning flowers.

Friday evening was good, both little ones were in bed early and fast asleep, Will choose another film to watch, I was in bed by 10pm. Saturday morning started with George at 8am, Molly was still asleep, they were both rested and happy. They came into the garden to help me lay cardboard in the new raised beds, and leaves on top, mummy needs some topsoil. We made cheese and bacon wraps for Will's lunch box this week. I was home early Saturday afternoon, daughter looked relaxed after a bit of pampering and a good night's sleep. Hubby at home had been baking, mince pies in February, using the last of the mincemeat. 

Sunday was home together, we sat for ages watching our outside space and the visiting wildlife, it did not stop raining again. We each have suggestions for outside, nothing big, just enjoying the view, again at the start of another gardening year we are happy with our layout, can't wait for warmer drier weather. Monday is another lazy day, fighting bugs, I will pop to our library, I have books to return. .

Hubby has a bad cold, which I passed to him, in a kind gesture he has passed it back to me, I feel rotten, chest hurts, stupid cough, I did a covid test because I felt so bad, it was negative.

Thank you for your comments regarding our lovely little family from my last post, living so close to them brings us so much joy, sadly school takes up so much of their time and we see less of them. Their lives have changed so much in the last 18 months, daughter is fierce protector of them, ensuring they live their best life.