The dish garden that is just waiting to have some grass seed added in the next few weeks IS showing some more promising signs of life though. It's a bit early to move it onto the season table, but look at these bulbs starting to sprout! Narcissus, tulip and some tiny blue flowers I don't know the name of - they probably need a little bit more depth of soil but my compost is terribly twiggy.
Our nest box went up a couple of days ago, and I moved everything round on our improvised cat-proof feeding station. Both children just love feeding the birds and filling the hanging birdbath. I'm sure it's a fairly tenuous hope being where we are and with so mny cats around, but I'm really hoping our nest box gets used - we've chosen a lovely sheltered spot that even the most enterprising feline ought to struggle to get close to.
I've just today made this lovely little felted bowl for the spring season table. My mother-in-law kindly knitted me a little rectangle in 100% wool, and I lovingly felted it in hot soapy water and shaped it over a bowl and bashed it about in the dryer until it was felted. I thought I might cut a more oval shape out and fray the edges slightly, but actually I just love the odd curled shape it has taken on, and just settled for embroidering some daisies on it in pale yellow wool.
The warming-up of outdoors means the garden is getting far more use this week. Sadly the progression of late January has also brought spring showers and LOTS of mud, so my kitchen floor is disgusting and my children are permenantly in welly boots. On the other hand, I have reached that state of housekeeping grace known as Caught Up On The Washing. And I've been baking bread every other day; no more plastic wrapped tasteless loaves and a big saving on the food budget! Here is Jenna enjoying home-made granary bread toast with marmite (normally she doesn't like "funny seeds" in her bread and won't eat crusts, but home made is obviously different).
Spring feels SO CLOSE. I can't help wanting it to hurry up a little, in this end-of-winter greyness.
I love the first day of spring - the day that the wind just loses it's bite, and the sun has just a little warmth. I remember the year we got married, Broken Man was abroad for a month, and I emailed him to say that he had missed the first day of spring. He was a bit confused, as it was only late Jan, but however cold and bad it gets afterwards, the first day of spring is still the day when you feel the sun on your face.....
ReplyDeleteBroken Man's wife
Caught Up On The Washing? *jaw drops in awe*. There's washing drying on literally every radiator in my house!
ReplyDeleteLove the felted bowl btw.
My Dad laughed when he saw the landing - it's the first time he's been able to see the carpet up there in months! I'd forgotten how many clothes my children seem to have been given over the past year, because I only ever usually seem to be able to find one clean outfit... Oops.
ReplyDeleteLovely post Sarah:) We've just put our bird feeders in the garden today too, might even get to put some photos on my blog tonight if I get five minutes peace!
ReplyDeleteWe've also just started baking all our own bread instead of buying any (well that's the plan, it's been working weel for the last week!)it is SO much nicer to wake up and make toast out of home made bread isn't it :)
ooh, Mia has the same eco t-shirt as Jenna but in lilac :)
Gina xxx
Gina xx