One of the things I love about this time of year is the subtle shift of focus from indoors to outdoors. It's still a bit early here to spend any great length of time outside, ie it's still bloomin' cold! But I am starting to spend little pockets of the day out in my backyard, pegging out the laundry, checking over my rather forlorn pots, pottering about with Little B. And it feels rather good.
I had a good squizzy into all of my pots this week to see what's alive and what's not. I'm happy to report that the honeysuckle is re-sprouting, as are the chives. The rosemary has bright new tips growing, and the mint is having a good think about waking up. Not too sure about the rest, lots of dead looking stuff, but then I did have a lot of annuals in the pots that are not supposed to carry on.
My Creative Mind is starting it's familiar annual journey into all things Outdoors. My head is buzzing with the possibilities, and it's simultaneously thrilling and exhausting. I am conjuring up all sorts of mental images (my Minds Eye is boggling!), plans to prettify. I'm thinking new bunting. Crochet seat pads. A bench (with cushions). More vertical planting involving trellis. More big planting involving erm..Big Things in Big Pots. Shrubbery? Small trees? I am hugely excited about it all.
One thing I think blogging is especially good for is Recording Progress and documenting Before-and-After endeavours. So with this in mind, I took a few photos in my back yard yesterday, even though at this time of year it all looks a bit grim. Consider this the "before" element of a work in progress.
I stood on a chair in the corner with the camera held above my head to take a photo so that you can get an idea of the scale. It's L shaped and tiny. Each stone square measures 60cm, so I've got about 12m² in the main bit as you come out the kitchen door and then a little bit more under the kitchen window.
This is the view directly out of the kitchen door. I love that old stone wall, although I would equally love to see some greenery scampering up there. Ivy perhaps?
This is the outer boundary wall that you'll probably be familiar with as this is where I plant up and photograph most of my summer annuals. Funny, I remember writing about this wall in one of my early posts about the back yard...here it is, June 2008. The ideas I had back then for topping the wall with a bit of fence and creating a narrow raised bed to grow climbers in are still in residence. I'm currently looking for a builder who can do clever things with stone as I've decided the raised bed must be made of stone. Like the house.
This is the view down to the teeny bit of "working" space I have outside, where I keep my pots and tools and gardening paraphernalia. It's not very pretty. But I'm visualising (in my busy Minds Eye) a weeny potting shed at the end there. Painted aqua blue and strung with bunting. Can you picture it?
And now we're looking back again, into the main square of space. To the left is the window into the dining room, my desk is under that window. I'm thinking of moving my herbs and putting a wooden bench under the window, as the sun hits that spot just in time for early morning coffee in the summer.
I have to say, although this is a small, humble little space, I really do quite like it. It has potential to be an awful lot more than it is, and isn't the Thought Of Potential one of lifes most exciting things??
J very frequently says how much he misses our old garden, which was quite a substantial corner plot. Lots of green hedges and flower borders, a large lawn, apple trees, a playhouse for the Little Peeps, a vegetable bed. Of course, he forgets how much work is involved with a garden. He forgets how irritated he used to get when the grass needed mowing and the hedge needed trimming and the large shrubs needed pruning. He says he feels guilty that Little B is growing up without a garden to play in. Pah, what rubbish I told him!! So to prove my point I took a whole load of photos and some (very sweet) video footage of Little B at play last week, to show him just how much fun can be had in our small back yard.
I filled an old washing up bowl with warm soapy water, and out came the watering can. Lots of watery, soapy fun was had.
The dumper truck was also brought outside, I wish you could hear the babble that accompanied this play. It was joyful!
A little water and a few pebbles, what good, clean fun.
We pottered and played with the water for a good while, then I decided to introduce a bit of dirty fun.
Ahhhhhhh yes, lets get dirty! Digging and filling up pots with damp earth, it was wonderful. A lovely little time spent outdoors before cold hands, wet clothes and sleepy eyes told us it was time to head back inside for afternoon nap.
And just as I was packing the play things away, I happened to notice the fresh buds on my sweet Little Nut Tree. Oh joy! I was given this small sappling in the summer when it was in leaf (it's a hazel tree) and of course being a deciduous tree it lost all it's leaves when the weather turned. I was very worried that it might've died, but I hoped with all my heart that it was just going to sleep. I am soooo excited about those leaves coming back again.
In fact, I am excited about an awful lot of things right now. So much Potential, so much creative fun to be had in the great outoors. I am brimming over with the thought of it all to come.
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Older factories, warehouses, vacant office buildings and churches are being revamped and adapted into creative conversions.
Posted by: truelofts toronto | August 07, 2012 at 07:14 AM
Backdrops are a necessary element in studio photography. Depending on your studio and the amount of space you have, you want to make sure that whatever you are shooting is not lost in the noise of a cluttered background.
Posted by: www.studio-six.com | July 03, 2012 at 01:06 PM
Hello Lucy,
I've loved reading your blog over the past few years, I,m a lurker not really a commenter. Your courtyard garden has massive potential, have you thought about using a window box? If the window sill isn't quite big enough you could brace it with rope attached to the wall either side of the window. If that is a sunny place your herbs could stay there and you could put a bench under the window. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Posted by: Anna Beecroft | April 18, 2012 at 02:52 PM
The degree of luxury can be much better than flying first class in a commercial jet, but luxury is not available on all private charter planes.
Posted by: private jets | April 12, 2012 at 02:03 PM
What good stuff you are doing with your growing little ones - children and plants. It's so good to see a toddler playing with mud and water!
Posted by: Natalie | March 20, 2012 at 09:15 PM
I have just found you and feel that I am getting all my birthdays and christmases together. Thank you for sharing your crochet patterns and your thoughts.
Posted by: Bee jewelled | March 18, 2012 at 06:50 PM
What a lovely garden, Spring must be very comfortable in it :-) Thanks for sharing thoughts and beautiful images.
Posted by: Ana | March 18, 2012 at 04:24 PM
Hi Lucy,
Just to say, if you get down this far, that it would be a shame, and probably not a good idea, to grow ivy up that lovely stone wall. Ivy can do damage to walls where perhaps the mortar isn't as strong as it could be, so you may be best growing something like evergreen honeysuckle on a trellis or wire framework. If it were mine, and I would love a yard like yours sometimes, I would just hang pots from brackets, filled with scarlet geraniums and trailing ivy. The ivy will remain all winter, but you can repot the flowering plants with different ones each year... possibly taking cuttings and growing them on in your dinky little potting shed?
Good luck, and looking forward to the photos!
Posted by: maggie | March 18, 2012 at 04:00 PM
Hey, I'm sure it will be lovely. I am a firm believer that you can make any space cosy and homely whether it is large or small. Enjoy yourselves. Val x
Posted by: \val | March 18, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Hi Lucy, another lovely post! I love seeing your outside space. It certainly has lots of potential to carry your fantastic eye for colour and brilliant crafting skills into your outside space. Some colourful pots bright flowers and a few container veg and your there! I've just blogged about my little courtyard space and the goings on there and what I've been doing to get my space ready for planting. I've been planting my little window boxes, sewing some seeds and doing a tidy up to get ready for spring to properly arrive. I can't wait to see what you grow in your space and look forward to seeing your progress. x
Posted by: Lucy | March 18, 2012 at 09:22 AM
I'm sure the yard will be looking super-dooper soon!
I fancy trying mini plum tomatoes this year...and rocket again though it gets eaten so fast I can't keep up with the growing!
We’re coming ooop North to Yorkshire soonish, staying in a little cottage in Staithes if you can recommend any fab yarn shops/places to walk/visit/eat/drink that would be great.
:-)
Posted by: Rachel | March 18, 2012 at 07:51 AM
Hi Lucy, cute garden space!! Just to let you know that I completed the blooming flower cushion today and I am so chuffed with it! Thanks for the awesome tutorial, you rock! It's here if you want to cast your expert eye over♥
http://jsmwebber.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blooming.html
Posted by: Sue Webber | March 18, 2012 at 01:53 AM
Isn't it great when all those little bits and bobs start to re-grow in the pots that looked totally dead a month or so ago? We have chives and mint that is putting in a reappearance and my hubby started some seeds off in pots in the kitchen yesterday too.
It gives you such hope for the brighter weather and longer days!
B x
Posted by: Bev | March 17, 2012 at 10:31 PM
Try climbing hydrangea for that wall (Hydrangea petiolaris). It's beautiful and even the winter stems look fine
Where have you been woman? Come back and talk to us!
Lovely post, as always.
Hope you are all well
Tracy, xx
Posted by: TracyP | March 17, 2012 at 10:12 PM
I think your little space is lovely and I'm excited to see how it develops in the next few months. I've been out in the garden today and also feel that same excitement and anticipation of things to come! I have been reading your blog for nearly a year now and you have effectively taught me to crochet so thank you so much! I have enjoyed knitting for a few years but wanted to learn to crochet and my search led to you! Thank you for your joyous posts! I always look forward to them and they always bring a smile to my soul! Rachel x
Posted by: WoollyBudgie | March 17, 2012 at 07:45 PM
Hi Lucy, thank you for visiting my blog and kind comment.
I too love this time of year, so much happening, all the lovely spring flowers and the trees in bud.
I love your ideas for your back garden, a stone built raised bed will be perfect for your plants and perhaps your 'pale blue shed strung with bunting' could double up as a mini summerhouse if there was a little striped awning.
Too big a garden (which ours is!) means you spend all your time working in it and have no time to enjoy it. Your little one looked to be having a great time.
Love how you visualise the potential and look forward to seeing photos of your blooming lovely garden later in the year.
Carol xx
Posted by: Carol | March 17, 2012 at 02:21 PM
Your back yard is so cute and definitely has a lot of potential I think. Our garden is actually completely daunting right now as it is something of a barren wasteland after Simon attacked it when we moved in last July. It did need that as it was horribly overgrown and it's lovely in a way to have a blank canvas but it's also an awful lot of work, especially with a busy boy and one on the way! But I'll be watching your progress for some encouragement. F x
Posted by: Fiona | March 17, 2012 at 12:45 PM
I just love reading your blog it lifts my heart.I am still back tracking and reading old posts.
Your back yard is beautiful and with your talent for all things colourful, I know it will soon be beautiful. Have you thought of yarn bombing it, ha ha. A big blackboard on the wall, some hanging things,colourful beanbags etc beautiful.
Posted by: Jacqui's Jumble | March 17, 2012 at 09:36 AM
Hi Lucy - have you seen this crochet on Pinterest? http://pinterest.com/source/karinaandehaak.blogspot.com/
Must admit that I read Heather's blog and deleted my boards - aw shame! But I still like looking & thought you may like to see this amazing stuff too.
Posted by: Adaliza | March 17, 2012 at 07:37 AM
I love your blog and want to subscribe, but when I click the "Subscribe" button I get a page of HTML code. I'll keep coming back to your site so no big deal. I just thought you might want to know. :-) Keep up the great blog!
Wendy
Posted by: Wendy Darbouze | March 17, 2012 at 05:35 AM
Dear Lucy I have been thinking garden space and deciding what to do.
It is good to get outside, like having an extra room. When my eldest son
was small he would play outside the kitchen with his toys and when it rained he would still be outside in his plastic mac and wellies.
This saturday I plan a little trip to the garden shop.
Look forward to seeing what you do with your space this year.xx
Posted by: Sarah west mids uk | March 16, 2012 at 11:44 PM
It seems you had a long cold winter , I wish I could have traded with you. I wanted it to snow so badly and we got a whoping 2 inches LOL , usually we get 3-4 feet at least 3 times in a winter ..Something happened this yr and our snow faucet was turned off!! I hated the 50s and 69 degrees in the middle of what used to be 20- 30 degrees around here.. You can have my winter any time. I dislike Spring and Summer around here because it has turned tropical muggy sticky dewy hot gray rainy ..Im glad you get sun , blue skies we mostly dont. I would not complain if it was dry and cool sunny.
Posted by: Izzy | March 16, 2012 at 09:10 PM
If you want to have something growing up the wall Virginia creeper is lovely. It does lose it's leaves in the winter but in autumn when the leaves are turning from green to red it's gorgeous.
Posted by: Debbie | March 16, 2012 at 09:05 PM
Instead of ivy on your walls Lucy, consider planting some clematis. You will get flowers on the first year of planting too. There are lots of different colours to choose from and they aren't expensive. I'm sure your local market will have them in soon. Around about £6 each I think. You will love them they are so you and will get stronger and thicker every year. For speedy coverage with white flowers, try mile a minute, you can almost watch it grow!
Posted by: kathleen mckirkle | March 16, 2012 at 06:42 PM
...by which I meant vertical entertainment, not vertical small people....which they tend mostly to be!!! fee x
Posted by: fee@chippernelly | March 16, 2012 at 06:11 PM