Signs of Spring

Recently I've been wondering whether Brighton had
mysteriously turned into Narnia one night while I
was sleeping. Truthfully we haven't had much snow -
in fact all our snowfall was before Christmas but
nonetheless it has been relentlessly cold for the last
five months.
Many of my bulbs failed to flower this year - probably
sharing my view that Spring had been cancelled.
These beautiful blue hyacinths are notable exceptions
reassuring me that Spring is on its way albeit slowly.
Beginning to think that my eldest daughter currently
living in Italy having vowed never to spend the winter
in the UK again has the right idea.

Signs of new life

I know it's still January but I have had enough of
winter. Enough dark mornings and dark evenings
and cold days requiring multiple layers of clothes
and furry boots in the attempt to feel warm.
Somehow everything is harder work in the winter
and I'm definitely ready for sunny Spring days.
Sadly they will not be arriving in the UK anytime
soon but in the meantime - signs of life in the garden
and a couple of trips to sunnier climes are both very
welcome.

Recycled Christmas Tree

Christmas tree branches, bay leaves
from the garden and white tulips make
for a pretty combination and prolong
the lovely piney smell that you miss
when the tree comes down.
Thanks to Martha Stewarts Living
magazine for the idea.

Comfort Food

No time for blogging recently as children move out and others move back in!

Instead endless shifting of boxes, rebuilding flat pack furniture, rearranging the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedrooms in fact most of the house. Back to cooking and shopping for five - all adults now!

Sharing your house with your grown up children and their friends is both delightful and demanding!

Blissfully have three weeks away booked soon!

In the meantime comfort food - Marble cake for a birthday celebration and lavender biscuits from the Edible Garden

Yum.

Sunday in the garden

The first mint tea of the summer

Strawberries growing in baskets

Knitting in the sunshine

Perfect Sunday

In the meantime

Spring pretty much arrived while we were away with lighter evenings and some long-awaited colour in the garden.

These tulips are on the deck outside our kitchen window providing a welcome splash of colour when you look out.

It always seems like you plant loads in the cold days of bulb-planting but never seems enough when the flowering season starts!

Signs of Spring

Despite the continuing bitter temperatures

giving the impression that Sussex has turned

into Narnia (where it is always winter) there

are signs of spring in the garden.

Surely it will warm up soon!

Snow days slow days

Tuesday was back to work day but
by the evening it was snowing again
so school has been closed all week and
life has slowed down wonderfully to
a week of working at home admiring
the view from my window.
So far I'm just enjoying the unexpected
gift of a quiet first week back after the
Christmas break lots of time to knit
and read and reflect on the year to come.

Snow day

With only a week till Christmas we
also have snow!

Patchwork skies

This week I have been doing lots of patchwork

but it is for a present so I can't post photos yet

Instead some patchwork like photos of our

July skies. True to form the British summer

has brought lots of variable weather this month!

Baby pears

Our tiny pear tree is laden with
baby pears right now.

July skies

Been taking photos of the sky this month.
The summer weather has been fab this year
(though not so good this week sadly) but we
seem to have spent lots more time than usual
in the garden enjoying sunshine and blue skies
and it's still only early July.

Mint Tea

Also been growing mint for mint tea
just like they served me in Valvona
and Crolla in Edinburgh -
but of course free!

Sunday Lunch

Roast for us means roast vegetables - here
with lots of salad - salad leaves also grown in
the garden - Yum!

How does your garden grow?

Usually my garden just grows weeds but this
year I have aimed to keep the view from the
kitchen window looking good. So for the last
four months the tubs have been flourishing.
How pretty these Verbena are - wish
I had planted more. You can just see the
Nasturiums starting to grow next to them so
hopefully they will feature on the blog in due
course.

In the garden

Picked the first strawberries from
the garden. Yum!

New view from my window

Recent crazy winds finished off the tulips in
the tubs so this weekend saw a trip to the
garden centre in search of some replacement
colour for the deck.
As well as flowers we planted lettuce and
strawberries. I'm not usually particularly
good at growing things so we shall see.

Blue Skies

How often do we see skies this colour in
Britain? This month (April) we have had
great weather and today was particularly
beautiful. All the better for being a weekend
when we could all enjoy it. Due to change
tomorrow though!

Apple Blossom

The apple tree in our garden is

covered with blossom - hopefully

it will be covered with apples in

due course.