Seed, soil, Grow

We have sorted the decking this morning, 

and worked in the garden

 I used grit for the bottom of bird cages, much cheaper

has the look I wanted

Behind in sink, loads of mints

 I have been sowing, tomatoes, cucumber, sweet peppers and a couple lots of flowers

 Lovely new tool for weeding

 Bottom of the fridge soup for lunch

 Later this will become a bag

We spent the morning in the garden, we have not had the sunny weather promised, it's been dull all day, but dry. I have cut things back and weeded the side flower bed. A couple of years ago I was give two plants with lovely pink flowers, the second year they were huge and I dug them out, each spring I dig out loads of these plants which regrow, when I asked Win if she wanted a plant, she declined, I wish I had, the new tool I used was brilliant, I could dig out roots whilst not disturbing any of my growing bulbs, I love it when a horrible task is made easier.
I am pleased with my Acer, it has the right look, the grit from our local pet shop is light enough whilst not being completely white, and the cats should not like the gritty bits, so they should keep off.
I am pleased with the seeds I have started, I have sorted my stash and thrown loads away, I don't have room to grow much else other than salad items, so why keep all the others.
Watched Gardeners World last night, I do like to see what Monty and the others are doing. I also listen to his jobs for the weekend, my Clematis and Rose bushes are now much neater.
Hubby made the bottom of the fridge soup, and it was lovely, with another two bowls for the freezer. I am going to cut the fabric out this afternoon, and my plan is to sew tomorrow, the weather we are expecting is rain all day.
Shaping up to be a good weekend, daughter informed us baby Will, who is 21 days old, slept from midnight to 7am this morning, mum and dad were shocked and pleased to be able to catch up with their sleep.
Later we are thinking we have earn't a Chinese takeaway for tea.

Cute and craft

1st official photo

They are all lovely and it's hard to say one is better than any other

I have a link to studio, if anyone is along south coast. 

 Yea stitching, this project will have large blocks of colour

so I am balancing the blocks with the dainty other stitching. 

 Amaryllis time, all 4 flowers on 2nd bud 

 My Hyacinth has loads of leafy growth

but no signs of flowers, I just can't grow these.

Tulips have gone funny, think they needed a different vase with side support

 A couple more books, I'm not a fan of crime, but her style is to my liking

As predicted this week is going fast, I had day out with hubby on Monday, we popped to a couple of out of town places, looking for items, not all of which we could find. I spent my company Christmas gift card on some new clothes, most of it in M&S sale. I did get a couple of small things for the garden, which have been added to my stash spend. I also got a nice pot, which I have planted up for my sister's birthday, she knows I have made it.
Yesterday, I took my daughter and Will on a small shopping trip, she had things to get, we had lunch out together, it was a lovely warm day.
We also on line found a perfect potting bench for my greenhouse and that's on it's way here. We will have to build it, but it's more useful than the one I was designing, hubby is only so good at DIY.
I should be out in the garden today, but it's cold and raining, I will get an hour in the greenhouse later, I want to sort a few more things and get everything ready for planting seeds.
I'm not sure if I will cross stitch later or get my sewing machine out, I have an idea for a shopping bag, which I would make for a lady in work.
We have moved our camper van to on our drive, we will now spend time sorting, me interior, hubby exterior, to get it looking nicer. We are planning our first trip soon, just an over night to test everything. We can't wait until the warmer weather is here, the freedom of having the van and weekends are calling.

Spring colour

Hellibour Lenton Rose, 

 every year I see these blooms on other blogs

This year I got one for our garden

 I will plant it later in the week

Snakeshead Fritallery are growing in my bowl

 Sunday morning we changed our sitting room to our summer layout

a bit early but we both love to look out into our garden from our chairs

 Hubby brought me home flowers

I'm off this week so they brighten the room. 

This year is much the same as every year, I am itching to get in the garden and grow things, but March is a difficult month, many times we have had snow, so I wait, I have some seeds to start, which should do well in my greenhouse. Hubby and I were looking this afternoon at wood to make my potting bench, I know what I would like, in terms of height and a lower shelf. We have measured the space in the green house and hope to built it later this week. Once the potting bench is in place I will have loads more space, the center of my greenhouse is filled with over wintering plants, which I will be able to move around. I want to get salad seeds into my raised bed, the hope is to extend my growing season, Plus I have cucumber, tomato, herbs and sweet pepper seeds to get going.  Having this week off is going to get my gardening ahead.
I am still looking for white sand for my Acer pot, it was too expensive in the aquarium center, I will try a few other places, I have seen it on line so I do have a back up plan.

Morning outside

 Inside first

My second bud is flowering

 So much beauty from one bulb

 This area looks stunning

 Hubby made the new pot for my Acer

 Raspberries have started to grow, so I put these supports in early

 I have a couple extra at the back

We are sat with a nice mug of coffee after our lunch, we had a busy morning, at 10 am we gathered with 30 other locals to help with a beach clean, this is organised twice a year, for almost 2 hours we collected all the waste from the beach and the surrounding grassy areas. We were surprised how little litter there was on the beach, we found more along the shore where the bramble bushes grow. We are very lucky to live so close to Portchester Castle and shore, on nice days we spend alot of time walking along the beach to the castle, where family's have loads of space to enjoy time together. We have joined a local facebook page and found out about the beach clean, we hope to do other things as well.
When we got home I stayed in the garden for an while,  hubby had built the frame for my Acer to go in, the pot it was in was far to small. The new pot is off cuts from my sisters new decking, it's built to fit in the same spot near my steps, it has over twice the amount of soil, so it will grow well. I have to get some fine white grit for the top of the soil in the Acer pot, with a couple bigger pebbles, I can rake the top and give it an Japanese feel. I have put a couple of lilies in the blue pot and will get some French marigolds to finish it off. I also move a pot of flowering bulbs, so this space is looking good.
This afternoon will be at home, I have started some sewing, a new project, it felt good to be stitching, photo's next time, at the moment it does not look much.
I am planning in my head things to do this coming week, the days pass so quickly, and I have a few nice things to do. I have the week off from work, we don't normally have time at home, the hope is a few afternoon's with Su and Will, and mornings doing craft and gardening.  If the weather stays warm and dry it would be a bonus, as I would like to be on top of the garden, it's too early for most of my planting, but I want to get loads of seeds into my cut flower bed. Later in the week I am having lunch with an old friend,  which I am really looking forward to.