Suddenly, It All Springs To Life!

It’s Wednesday, time for ANOTHER catch-up from the garden.

Suddenly, it all springs to life!!!!
I was watching something on BBC2 last night about Britain’s love affair with gardening and all the changes it has gone through since the Second World War. From every spare piece of land being used to grow vegetables during times of rationing to crazy paving and the introductions of patios after everybody began holidaying in Spain. It was a glorious trip down memory lane and made me so proud of the way that at one time almost everybodies front gardens became an extension of their homes. Full of wonderful gaudiness and a blatant way to show off to all the neighbours. I think the competition element was helpful in raising the standards of the gardens and I have to say that, as all trends do, this way of behaving is of course back with a vengence.

The first picture in this post shows me planting up an Alyssum border. I love Alyssum. It reminds me of my Nana’s garden. It puffs up and fills in spaces with a delightful blousyness and the smell it provides is of a syrupy nature that I adore. The bees also adore it and as I’m on a mission to do all I can for the bees then I’ll plant it in every garden I ever have.

Can you see? This picture shows just how full the Alyssum can become. I also love its lightness. The tiny white flowers are perfectly formed and are an essential part of my very own cottage garden.
Did I say that the bees like them???

Check these baby’s out! These are my Sweet Peas and Broad Beans. All of which are doing well and are now living permanently outdoors.

One thing that I think should always be stressed when talking to others about gardening is the overwhelming sense of pride and achievement that one gets when you grow something from scratch. Seeing the first sign of green poking through the top of the deep dark soil creates feelings that are akin to very little else. Of course that’s just the start of the journey with that particular plant or vegetable but you go on it together. I’m sick of gardening being presented in a way that immediately intimidates people. With Latin names and terminology that one is just expected to understand. I love and adore Alan Titchmarsh for making things simple. He never makes a gardener feel like a dimwit and always explains things, both on television & in his books, with a lightness that is in no way patronising. This is good. It encourages. It makes you feel like you can do it too!

Sunflowers. Still being protected from the slugs I hasten to add but once again I’m putting this work in because the bees love ‘em!

And finally, my Freesias have popped out. Remember this post. Well I have kept them damp but not too wet and it has paid dividends. I’m yet to see how they get on in these pots but I have high hopes.

I’m entirely self taught in all that I do including gardening. I know what I like the look of and I give it a go. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but I believe that the earth pays us back for simply trying. And although you may never have a rose that’s good enough for the village fair you will always have stories to tell from your days out in the garden and to be honest…… I can do without a rosette!

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Jodie, Robert the Husband & I took the girls for their first picnic this past Saturday. They sat on the rug and ate their sandwiches like the best little girls I ever did see.

After lunch Daisy and I took a walk and she found her first full Dandelion. She went back to it with her mummy a little later and learnt how to blow all the seeds off of it.