I’m writing this post while staring out of the window as the snow floats down outside. Sitting cozily at my desk I find the large flakes have a hypnotic affect and fill me with joy, but I’m not really a Winter person. I don’t like cold, wet weather and I am looking forward to feeling the warmth of the sun again in the Spring. It’s not just the better weather I am dreaming of though. My children and I have been hibernating recently. With schools closed we rarely leave the house because I struggle to take the 3 of them out of my own for a walk. As it gets warmer my children will be able to play in our garden more and get that much needed fresh air which helps improve our moods.
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| I love it when my garden is filled with colour and we can spend long days outside |
I have been mostly ignoring my garden since Autumn, but looking at it now as it gets covered in snow I am thinking of all the work that needs to be done to get my garden ready for summer. I always miss the window in Autumn to do the pruning and tidying up the garden which means there is a lot of tidying to do in the Spring as the garden starts to come to life again. I want to sew seeds and new plants to fill the garden full of colour, the plants need cutting back and the unwelcome weeds like nettles need removing. This year I am thinking of getting flower boxes as an easy way to add colour to the garden without lots of digging.
Last Summer we had a patch of bamboo removed which involved taking up the paving near our back door and dismantling a wall. I managed to put some of the slabs back in place, but I need to get some concrete to secure them properly. While I would love to have a professional to do it all for me we have a list of more pressing tasks that need money spent of them so using a domestic concrete supplier and doing the work myself is a more affordable option. Plus there is a lot of satisfaction to be gained from looking at the results of your own hard work.
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| Our garden was left a mess after bamboo removal and the paving needs to be redone |
These days there is so much advice online on how to do DIY and gardening jobs (including a huge number of step by step videos) so that many tasks which used to require tradespeople can now be achieved without them. There are still times I use experts of course, for example when it requires special tools or knowledge. Our new gas hob will definitely be installed by professionals for instance, but the wall that needs repainting in my son’s room will be imperfectly, but lovingly done by me. Unless I win the lottery in which case I’ll happily pay others.
I want to make our garden a safe haven for my family again. Some where my children can play and we can all relax without worrying about the outside world. So this Spring it will become my priority and I am hoping to transform it, hopefully with the help of grandparents when they are finally allowed over. I will also cross my fingers that my children can be persuaded not to pick all the flowers to make “perfume” so I can actually enjoy the flowers too.
***This is a collaborative post***
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