A Few Rays of Sunshine

Searching for the bright spots today .....in a week of miserable weather .... a few rays of sunshine.

We were desperate to get outside so we did go to the garden.

We waded squelching and squishing through the main gate .... such a mess at the moment.

We are advised at this time of the year to keep off the grass but its impossible to get into the garden without doing so.

As I look around it feels such a long way from anything remotely spring-like but on closer inspection the signs are there. 

Behind the polytunnel a celandine nearly out .....

....... a violet ....... 

 

......and most astonishing of all, newts tussling like crocodiles over a slug in the pond.

 I fished them out with a net and did not expect to see four.

After taking the photos I popped them back in. What an amazing sight.

And another welcome splash of orange.

 

We hadn`t intended doing many jobs but we did spread some old carpet on cleared veggie beds.

 

We had a nice teabreak in the polytunnel with my sister Paula, Anne and Hollie with  Lila and baby Donald. Paula and I had our first cuddles with Donald.

And lastly here is a picture of the dead hedge which is filling up nicely at this time of the year.

 

 

Pastel Socks and Worry Monsters

The seasonal de-cluttering is going very well indeed. The loft looks a lot clearer. There are more empty boxes than ever. Bags of useful stuff have been sent to my nephew`s school for craft lessons and bags more are waiting to go to charity.

Apparently the synthetic fur I got rid of, was very welcome, as the children were making masks. 

In my scrappy box I found some very bright pieces and used them for these funny little furry creatures.

As I cleared and tidied I found several pairs of  new socks which I`ve had for ages so I used them all for squidgy sock toys. This is a project I have always enjoyed doing and not for some time.
 

They are all so cuddly and soft. And I love the pastel colours. Very restful.

My latest job is sorting my wool stash and this week I have been through every single box .... I do have rather a lot.  Rewinding where necessary and discarding if I couldn`t see myself using it. I managed to completely empty two boxes. I kept all the tiny balls in one box .... ideas coming thick and fast.

And another box I made up of pastels .... more ideas coming for Easter.

Talking of Easter I used up some oddments of different yellows for cute tiny chicks.

My next big project was a very colourful worry monster, again, for my nephew`s class. It has a deep pocket as a mouth. You can write your worries on a slip of paper and put it in the wide mouth. The monster will eat up the worries.

On Monday I had to say goodbye. Its going to the school on Friday.

 

And to go with him, I have made 12 individual worry worms for the children, using the same colours.
 

Following on from the tiny Xmas wreaths, I thought Easter ones would work well. Two worry worms entwined round a double twist of pipecleaner. They will make a pretty addition to an Easter display.

 

And there are always fairies ......
and more fairies.

 

The last two were inspired by an artificial rose.

Tomorrow is a wet day so I am planning to do more in the loft. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faded Clothes and Crochet Hats

What a beautiful day. We made the most of it. The polytunnel was perfect for a scarecrow change-over day.

I went armed with two bulging carrier bags of old clothes from the loft. 

 

After stripping off the old faded clothes, I found the faces and hair were perfectly ok for another year.

 

The first scarecrow I ever made for the garden was called Mabel but she has had so many make-overs, she can`t possibly be the same one any more.

 

I proceeded to dress them both ...... a mixture of my own and Paula`s discarded clothes. I wished I had had my sister there because we would have had a good laugh doing it together.

It is worth taking a closer look at her colourful hat which I crocheted for myself, thinking I was being hip and trendy and going back to my 60`s roots. But when I tried it on, I felt like an old granny, only confirmed when my brother and sister dissolved into fits of giggles and were actually quite rude.

The trouble is I don`t have the long plaits any more!!

Well it looks alright on her anyway.

 

There are a few floral finishing touches I will be adding later.

 

I even had time to have a look at the poor old gnome. A sad sight, though I must admit he has worn well.

 

After taking off the faded outer layers I found the inside and the legs were fine. 

The head is intact but will need a new layer.

 

He just needs a new set of outer garments.

 

This afternoon I have been in my loft to find all that I need.

 

 

Steve spent his time pruning the crabapple and the quince.
 

Elsewhere around the garden the pussywillow looked fabulous against the blue blue sky.

 

And the very first flowers of the year.

Pulmonaria.
 

Now we are watching the original " Magnificent Seven."

The end of a perfect day.

 

 

Beachcombing with a Difference

 We found ourselves in a most bizarre situation today. During recent storms, several containers were lost from big ships in the Channel near the Isle of Wight. Since then all sorts of things are washing up on our southern shores ..... bananas, facemasks, packaging foam and onions!!!!

So we decided to take black sacks and disposable gloves on our beach walk.

This is what greeted us. Masses of onions.

A mother and daughter had already done a sweep but they told us that as the tide changed, more were washing up. So we retraced their steps but closer to the waves.

As well as onions there was garlic. 

We filled up the sacks and I was grateful when my brother elected to heave them up the beach, over the dyke and to the rubbish bins by the road.

The beach was glorious.

 

We had a welcome rest on the shingle. We could have had a picnic it was so mild.

All in all a rather unusual beach walk. It has been heartening to see how many people have rallied to the call for volunteers to clear the beaches. 

Onions and garlic would in fact degrade quite easily but they are toxic to dogs and possibly marine life.

I wonder what will wash up next.

 

Tunnels and Quagmires

 

Today was our first visit to the garden for 2026. On the way we realised that it is the start of our 15th year. 

How well I remember those first days when Steve laid out the garden with string and pegs and the only shelter was a pigsty. We hunkered down there for teabreaks out of the wind.

Well these days we have plenty of places to sit for teabreaks  either inside or out. And today we sat in the polytunnel contemplating our latest finds in there.

Rabbits have tunneled up into the broad bean bed. Where have those tunnels come from because there are no signs on the back path. We reckon they must have tunneled from outside the garden on the other side of the fence. How can we stop it? I have no idea. Steve dropped bricks into the hole and filled it up.
 

Strangely enough the rabbits did not eat the broad beans.

The net curtain was torn so I had to replace that.

Next job was pruning the fruit trees. Unfortunately the loppers were the only tool that have not been sharpened but I loved my new secateurs ... a present from Steve.

Needing a change, I began clearing the huge raised bed. Alstromeria, calendula, nettles, grass. I also removed rabbit wire and canes to make a fresh start later.

Boring photo .... sorry.

 

Still to go .... oh dear.

Never mind ... it was a great joy to be outside after quite a few days indoors.

Quagmire!!!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

, I began on the huge raised bed