Although the title of this post contain the words 'A Plan', this is more of a brain dump, general thoughts and musings about garden related stuff... a pre-plan let's say. I'm determined to be more prepared this year. I often plant things later than I could because it takes the temperature to rise for me to even think about planting seeds.

I asked for, and received, two propagators for my birthday last year and they've been sitting in my greenhouse patiently waiting to be filled.

Sophie alerted me to the fact that coral coloured sun flowers exist and I've been itching to plant seeds ever since. I grew sunflowers for the first time last year and enjoyed them so much I'm going to grow a lot more this year.

I'm also planning on growing more peas, not one single pea made it to the kitchen last year. They were all eaten, sun-warmed, directly from the plant. Delicious!

Cabbages will be planted again and this year but I'll be covering them up to protect them from being eaten by caterpillars. Cucumbers always grow well and I won't plant so many tomato plants this year as Andy is the only one who likes them. I always end up with many more than I can use or give away. 

If I'm really organised I'll get into a routine of planting spinach and lettuce leaves at regular intervals.

I have Bunny Tails grass Ammi, Honesty and Amaranthus seeds left over so they'll be planted again. The Bunny Tails I'll dry and pop into small vases around the house. I want to find other flower varieties that are good for drying too.

I need some more shrubs around the patio, and some for containers. I think box shrubs for the containers (which will stand either side of our patio steps), and I'd like some grasses to sway in the wind, and a few small trees for the hedgerow, but I'll need to investigate which varieties will stand the rigors of our open garden and not grow too big - any suggestions would be gratefully received :)

I was given a Magnolia plant for Christmas and wonder if it can be grown in a pot as rabbits, hare and deer eat almost everything planted in our front garden (they don't seem to venture into the back garden but the front is constantly being nibbled, we provide quite the buffet for local wildlife).

Strawberries! I want strawberries for the summer. And if I can get a fruit cage organised I'd love some raspberries and gooseberries too. This might be a step too far for this year, but we'll see.

I have some holes in the Beech hedge that need filling, which I think will need to be planted in early spring. And I want a lot more snowdrops for next year, and some more crocuses, I need to find out when to plant these, it's a piece of information that always escapes me. My forget-me-nots don't seem to do very well, they often get mildew, so I need to investigate. And after trying, and failing, to grow Erigeron from seed last year I might see if I can buy some plants instead and dot them around the garden.

I was given some solar lights for my birthday last year which need to be given outside homes, some will festoon (what a great word) our new pergola, others will hang in the trees.

I think that's enough to keep me occupied. I'm off to write a list and figure out what I need to do and when. I have a feeling that, with March almost upon us, some of these things can be done imminently so I better get a wriggle on!

The thought of spring arriving, and all these garden plans have put a smile on my face, I'm excited to get started!

xx

In the summer a friend turned to me and admitted that she thought gardening was actually rather fun, as if admitting to liking something she shouldn't. I smiled and admitted in a conspiratorial fashion that I loved it.

I've always dabbled in the garden. It started when I was a child, I'd help my parents plant, weed, dig, and water. When I left home I wanted to add some colour to the concrete back garden of the shared house I was living in. My three male housemates had no interest so I had carte blanche to do as I pleased.

I can't believe that there are no photos of the little garden I created. It was a random collection of shrubs and flowers in container pots, that I lovingly watered every night and added to with addicted regularity. I was so cross one day when I realised that someone had walked in the back gate and stolen my newest plant, in it's brand new (and very pretty) pot. It was Mother's Day so I can only assume that a Mother somewhere received it as a gift. I hope she looked after it.

These days I have a bigger garden to play in. Whilst I still have loads of things I want to add, change, and develop it's seen quite a transformation since we moved in 9 years ago. Although a lot of what we have done I call anti-gardening - digging things up rather than planting them. And we're still not finished.

My love for container planting is still with me, some play host to evergreen shrubs, others to seasonal plants and flowers. Some of the shrubs that I transferred in pots from my old house have now been planted in the ground and it has a lovely feeling of continuity. I remember where I bought all of my plants, and I'm actually (and perhaps weirdly) rather fond of a lot of them.

I have a great fondness for shrubs, especially evergreens. I love that they have interest all year round, often transforming themselves with flowers at different times of the year. Not everything I have planted has been a success, so my gardening ethos is simple - if it thrives, leave it where it is, if it doesn't dig it up and find it a new home (which can sometimes be the compost heap). I'm learning as I go along.

I dabble with growing flowers too.

In recent years I've discovered the joys of growing edible plants from seeds in my greenhouse. We've eaten lettuce leaves rather a lot in years gone by thanks to my heavy handed sowing. I've had chives growing in pots since our first year here, which are the icing on the cake of scrambled eggs.

It's exciting to see a seed you've sown grow into something that thrives. I want to grow nasturtiums again this year, one because they are really pretty but also because I can add them to salads. One of my hanging baskets has been reserved for sweet peppers, and my brother is saving me some strawberry runners.

Getting up and watering all of my plants and seedlings first thing in the morning is a lovely part of my day, it's so relaxing.

And I enjoy the days when the cats join me either for a garden wander or falling asleep whilst I potter in the greenhouse.

The thought of spring's arrival is keeping me going through these dull, grey days.

This weekend we went out and bought a tree. We took our time choosing it, picking the best specimen when we'd selected the variety. We came home with a flowering cherry that will come alive with double purple-pink flowers year after year.

We haven't planted it yet. We're figuring out the best place to put it, it'll be near the pond, we know that, but the exact spot has yet to be decided.

It's important that we pick the best spot, taking into account the changes we plan to make in our garden over the coming years, but the spot has to be just right because this is our Remembrance Tree.

There may not have been a first breath, but there was a heartbeat, with a heartbeat there was life, and when the heart stopped beating, death. But there can be no funeral when a life is not legally recognised.

Planting this tree will be our time to say a proper goodbye. And as it grows it'll be the only proof of existence, save for the scars on my body that will fade, and the feelings we hold in our hearts that never will.

Spring seemed to go on for ages, and yet the year seems to be flying by. Here's how I got on with my spring to-do list

See the bluebells
I love doing this and look forward to it every year. Andy and I went twice, as we always seem to go a little too early the first time, and have to return to see the best floral display, but it's time spent with my husband, so it's time well spent.

I was delighted to discover bluebells growing in our garden a few weeks later.

Plant up container pots and hanging baskets
I planted up my hanging baskets in autumn with winter flowering pansies and violas. They lasted until early June, even though they were largely ignored. They're now filled with Bacopa, a million bells, Lysimachia, and variegated Nepeta, despite being planted later than usual they're looking lovely. They make such a difference to how the house looks, they add personality and colour. They make the house look quite cheerful!


Hit the beach
My first visit was to Felixstowe with my nephews in April and involved arcade games, where I won some odd looking characters that I have no clue what to do with now I have them, and fish 'n' chips. I managed to talk my youngest nephew into joining me for a paddle - it was freezing cold!!

I returned in May with my Mum to celebrate her birthday. We spent some time painting pots, rummaging in charity shops, eating al fresco at Prezzo, playing on the arcades, and strolling along the seafront eating ice cream.

Do It Myself
I've been doing little bits and pieces around the house but my focus has largely been in the garden. It's hardly DIY but it does come under the umbrella of home improvement so it's good enough for me. My plan is to turn my attention inside and decorate when Andy disappears into harvest.

Make a plan to grow soft fruit
I have a raspberry plant that seems to be doing really well so far. As for strawberries I failed to buy any plants. I have an ancient plant in a pot by the front door but I doubt it'll be fruitful. I haven't given up on my plans for a fruit cage though, that's something I'm still plotting.


Mend
So far I've patched two pairs of jeans (one of which now has a busted zip!), and mended a torn hem on a maxi skirt, and a split side seem. It's not huge progress but it's a start. That said since doing these I've added a few more things to the mend pile. It's never ending.


Once a month veggie meals
In April I made Chickpea Tikka Masala - Andy Loved it, I only liked it, every mouthful was a bit samey.

In May I whipped up this Creamy Hummus Pasta dish that we both really enjoyed. I've made this several times now, it's a really easy weeknight recipe. I want to have a go at making hummus, I know I have a recipe kicking about somewhere.

In June I made a Three Bean Chili which we both really liked. Andy topped his with extra jalapenos, I added cheese and chopped red onion. Yum.

I also made this cucumber pickle recipe I found thanks to Vix. I made a half batch just in case we didn't like it. I think I needed to slice everything a little thinner (a Mandoline might be a good addition to our kitchen). Or perhaps cut the cucmber and onion into chunks so it has more of a Branston feel to it. I wasn't sure if I liked it at first but it's definitely grown on me. It's especially good with cheese and crackers, and lovely with a quiche.

I had planned on cooking a veggie lasagna but the recipe was American and some of the ingredients were hard to find, and I simply can't be bothered to work that hard for an everyday recipe.


Read 12 Books
I read 14 and of these Sylvia's Farm was my favourite, I still think about it now. I'm going to write a review at some point in the near future, I'm normally terrible at book reviews but I like this book so much I'm going to give it a go.


Attend the Suffolk Show
I've lived in Suffolk since I was tiny but I'd never been to the Suffolk Show before. So to remedy this I went along with my Dad, we had such a lovely day. We indulged in some shopping, spent ages watching horse demonstrations, and blacksmiths in action, ate Cornish pasties, strawberries, and date and walnut cake. We meandered around the many stalls and exhibitions, including an art exhibition. At the entrance to this was a large sculpture of a dog with a big stick in it's mouth, which was surrounded by three real dogs, barking at it but all too chicken to try and nick his stick. It was so cute, and noisy.

Also during spring, Andy and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary, I hit the charity shops with Sophie and Kezzie, I started my bee friendly garden quest, made elderflower gin, a malteaser cheesecake, lemon curd thumb print cookies, granola, and I started a new wardrobe challenge.

Although I make these lists each season and I never manage to tick everything off, there are always many other things that crop up to keep me busy and out of mischief. Making plans is all very well but there is always something to be said for last minute plans, acting on ideas as and when they strike, and going with the flow.

Hello! Have you had a good week? It's been a tad disappointing weather wise, but it's been a productive and sociable week nonetheless. With three birthdays - Andy, his Mum, and my Dad - we've had a lot of family time that included a no-bake Malteser cheesecake, a Chinese take away, and several sirloin steaks.

I planted my hanging baskets. I waited weeks for my winter flowering pansies to stop looking so lovely and alive, so that I could declare them 'done'. I was finally able to do so this week, and turfed them out for some lovely trailing plants. I did love the pansies though and have decided to grow them from seed to plant in my hanging baskets in the autumn.

I made Elderflower gin. I can not wait to taste it in a few months time. I wanted to make some cordial and perhaps some elderflower delight too, but the recent wind and rain scuppered any chance of picking any decent flowers. I'll just have to wait and harvest the berries for more gin instead #everycloud

I voted

and I found a source of free books on my way home. The telephone box in our local village had been turned into an Info Box, and in it are a few shelves and a sign saying 'Please feel free to take a book', so I did. I'll return it, along with a few others, when I've finished reading it. I love that this sort of 'honesty box' mentality still exists, it really made me smile.

I ate an awful lot of lettuce. I planted too many seeds and now we have a more plants than we really know what to do with. I've given away one tray, and we're eating a huge amount of lettuce every lunchtime, and for supper too. Andy has had some for breakfast on a few occasions, I can't quite bring myself to do that. I love it, eating something I've grown myself feels like a little victory. I can't wait for the spring onions to be ready. And at least I'll know not to make the same mistake next year.

And now I'm looking forward to another Sunday cinema date with Andy, a craft and vintage market in my local town hall, trying a granola recipe, and indulging in some serious reading time.

What has been the highlight of your week?

A new year's resolution of mine was to make a bee bath and plant some bee friendly plants in the garden. With the weather warming up I've been spending more and more time outside and I'd started to ponder how I was going to go about it.

I decided to start with a few small additions - the bee bath and a plant or two that bees are known to love.

I'd purchased and potted up a lavender, and was spending the afternoon pottering in the garden. It was then that I discovered an old bird bath languishing in our hedge. The base was hideous - adorned with squirrels and ivy - but the top was the perfect thing to create a bee bath.


I scrubbed it (almost) clean and placed it on an old pot to give it a little height. I'd already purchased some glass pebbles in readiness, and I had a pot full of stones (used in some of the table decorations at our wedding), so I popped a few of these into the dish and arranged it next to my newly potted lavender.


I wanted some more glass pebbles, and found a seller on ebay selling a selection in different sizes and colours, they were exactly what I was looking for and I was able to convert my Nectar points into ebay vouchers, so I got them with parting with a single penny!

I keep it topped up with rain water, and I'm really pleased with how it has turned out. And I love that I could re-purpose an ugly old bird bath and make into something new.

The first time I see a bee using it I'll be chuffed to bits - "build it and they will come".

Moving forward I'd like to plant some flowering thyme, I have some seedlings currently doing well in the greenhouse, and I'd like to plant some different lavender varieties, and cotton lavender, with it's pale foliage and bright yellow flowers, in other areas of the garden.

One day I'll plant a lavender hedge around one side of the greenhouse, but first I need to dig out an old gnarly rosebush that's claimed the ground as it's own.


I'm also planning to plant a Californian lilac with it's clusters of gorgeous blue flowers at the side of the house and in the front garden. And a common myrtle with it's delicate white flowers some where else, possibly on the other side of the house. They're ready and waiting in the greenhouse.


I've read that bees are particularly attracted to blue, yellow and white flowers, so with luck these will bring the bees humming and buzzing about, and in time I'll add other plants that will further entice them.

Greenhouse pottering
I've spent a lot of time in my greenhouse this week, it's old and and in need of some serious TLC but I love it. I'm growing numerous things but sometimes I just sit in there with a cup of tea, sometimes with a book. It's warm, my cats love to join me in there and at this time of year, when the weather can be a little chilly, it allows me to be outside without having to brave the elements.

Knitting
Every once in a while I get the urge to knit. I love knitting Monkey Moo, he knits up super quick and is always loved by his recipient.

Baking
A slightly out of date jar of lemon curd inspired me to pop on my pinny and make some Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies (I wasn't about to let a use by date cheat me out of the lemony goodness). They're utterly delicious! It's left me with a hankering to bake more often, perhaps some banana oat cookies...?

Reading
My current read is charming, and one I found via Yarn Along - Sylvia's Farm: The Journal of an Improbable Shepherd by Sylvia Jorrin. I'm really enjoying the short chapters, each a stand alone story of the farm. It leaves me a desire to make the most of each and every single day, to do just one more thing to work towards a goal, and to be happy and grateful with my lot.

Changing my routine
I decided to change my working hours in an attempt to have a little more routine to my days. Now I work in the mornings, I'm at my desk by 8am and finish some where between noon and 1pm.

The afternoons are mine. This is when I get my housework done, or I potter in the greenhouse, maybe read for an hour, write my meal plan, bake, go for a walk. It feels nice to know that after lunch I can ignore the emails and focus on everything else that life entails.

Before doing this, I had a 'just quickly' mindset, where I'd just quickly pop some washing on, just quickly run the vacuum around, just quickly nip outside and water the plants. I found that I'd 'work' a full day but rarely get more than half a days work done.

If I need to work into the afternoon then I do but I find this way I can concentrate on the task in hand. I feel like I'm achieving more each day. Multitasking has it's place but day-to-day I'm finding it's better to focus on one thing at a time.

Also
Having a bit of a bee moment. Thanks to Instagram I was alerted to a rather delicious sounding coconut and pear lip balm, it's limited edition and for each one sold 5,000 wild flower seeds are planted. Isn't that lovely? I purchased three (they're as nice as they sound), and gave one to my Mum.

I also uploaded a #SelflessSelfie via the Burt's Bees website, they add flowers to your selfie and with each one uploaded a further 5,000 seeds are planted.

Meanwhile in my own garden I've been planting bee friendly plants and made a bee bath, but that's for another post...

What have you been up to this week?

Celebrating our Wedding Anniversary

Two years. It's gone by in a flash! Cotton is the traditional gift for a second anniversary, so predictably I bought Andy a shirt. But I also made him a cross stitch. I'd been planning to do this for months, but of course I left it to the last possible minute. I ended up bunking off work on our anniversary to finish and mount it before Andy got home.

Heavily influenced my Pinterest I plotted a chart and pinched my Mum's collection of silks to stitch with. It's not perfect but I'm happy with it. Andy seemed to like it too.


Of course I saw this as a perfect opportunity to wear my wedding dress again. The chill in the air had me reaching for my tweed jacket, but it didn't feel any less fabulous!

We opened cards, looked though our wedding album, and read our guest book. He gave me the biggest bunch of flowers, and then cooked supper.

The bunch of flowers was so big it had to be split between three vases, and with all the cards up, our lounge felt very much like it did just after the wedding. Lovely.

Making daisy chains with my niece
 
This should be done every spring. A daisy crown was made for me and I wore it all afternoon, answering only to 'Your Majesty'.


Pottering in the garden

It's that time of year when I start to  pay attention to my much neglected garden. After a visit to a local garden centre to pick up a box shrub and a rather lovely metal yellow watering can (an absolute essential for any garden) I've planted some seeds, pruned a few shrubs, re-potted a few things, had a general tidy up and made a few plans for some new plants and shrubs. I can lose hours just doing bits and pieces, lost in my own little world, it's the best therapy there is.

Have you had a good week?

At last spring is here! The sun seems to be making a more regular appearance which always lifts my spirits and makes me feel more energetic. I'm so excited to start putting my plans into action, and doing all my usual spring things.

See the bluebells
I always look forward to this, Andy and I go to local woodland and wander through the gorgeous carpet of blue. It never disappoints.

Plant up container pots and hanging baskets
This is another yearly task that I enjoy immensely, even though I know I'll be watering them daily for months I love how much colour and character they can bring to the house. They make it look so cheerful and welcoming.

Hit the beach
I'm hoping for some company this time around - my nephews with a big bags of coppers for the arcades, followed by chips, obviously.

Do It Myself
I've purchased paint for two decorating projects and I can't wait to get started.

Make a plan to grow soft fruit
My vegetable seeds are being planted this weekend, and after that I want to turn my attention to soft fruit plants - strawberries and raspberries are a must.

Mend
Having ignored my mend pile over winter I need to set about it. Most items are warmer weather clothes so the sunshine should be a good incentive.

Veggie meals
After a good start over the winter I want to continue cooking a vegetarian meal once a month. My new recipes to try are Chickpea Tikka Masala, Vegetarian Lasagna (hopefully it'll be better than the boring spinach lasagna I tried in the winter), and Three Bean Chili. And I also want to try this cucumber pickle recipe I found thanks to Vix.

Read 12 Books
I've read one book already - The Winter Place which was a tad unseasonal but enjoyable none-the-less. I'm looking forward to my first hammock reading session. Perhaps I can squeeze in a beach reading session too?

Attend the Suffolk Show
I've lived in Suffolk for most of my life and I've never been. Shame on me.

What plans have you got for the spring?

I wasn't going to write a resolutions post, especially as the start of the new year seems like ages ago. I hadn't planned to make any resolutions at all, but the dawning of a new year turned my thoughts to a whole year stretching out before me and all the possibilities it brings. There are so many thoughts and ideas that have popped into my mind that I wanted to get them down before they become a forgotten memory.

I've incorporated some of these into my winter list already, so apologies for the repetition, but adding them to seasonal lists might give me a greater chance of success. Maybe...

I want to grow strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, and maybe build fruit cage, I love the idea of eating sun warmed berries straight from the plant. Perhaps this year I'll just try my luck with bushes planted in pots, and see how I get on...

As for the garden I want to plant a eucalyptus and a spindle somewhere, and a cherry tree, and an apple tree in pots.

Rather than using our greenhouse to just store my tools and the BBQ, I want to grow a few veg. Spring onions, leeks, potatoes, and salad leaves... for a start.

When it warms up I want to create a bee bath. I found a number of drowsy bees last year and revived them with sugar water. I'd love a beehive one day but have no idea where to begin. In addition I'd like to plant some bee friendly plants. They love the thyme I have in the front garden but I could do with some more.

I'd like to improve my flower arranging skills, either by going to a class or relying on online tutorials, I'd like to progress from dumping stems into a vase and hoping for the best.

Embrace natural cleaning, I decided that this would be the year I finally get round to swapping out my chemical cleaners for more gentle options, I've been thinking about it for too long.

I want to cook a veggie meal once a month, Andy really enjoys vegetarian food but I rarely make veggie meals.

We've got into a terrible habit of eating in front of the TV, mostly because our dining room was drafty thanks to an old wooden window and door frame, but now we have a sparkly new double glazed french doors, there's really no excuse not to eat at the table. I'll start with at least once a week.

I have so many ideas for home improvements I want to make, I drive Andy nuts with my constant musings. One thing I can do though is decorate, the more skilled stuff will have to be left to the professionals, but I can daub paint on the walls, hang pictures, change lampshades and generally make things look prettier.

Last year I realised the importance of looking after me, it's a shame that taking some time to focus on your own needs can be seen as selfish but it's so important. I now have a regular head neck and shoulder massage to prevent a re-occurring problem I have with my neck - thanks to sitting at a desk everyday - but I also need to make time for exercise, and time to just sit and be, and to do things just for me.

Some days can feel very ordinary, some days can feel like your just living the same day over and over again. I'd love to keep a detailed journal but it's beyond me, believe me I've tried, so I want to write at least one positive thing in my diary every day. So far, so good.

My word to sum up 2016 was Crystallise, this year I want it to be Change.