The Secret Garden

Well, the garden saga continues...it's a real project and having house repairs to do too means just doing a bit here and there. I think it'll be great when all is done, it's just getting there!

We started on the veg patch...dug up some slabs, found hundreds of stones and all sorts of buried rubbish! But there's a load of worms...soil should be good. Still plan to extend the veg patch a bit more, knock down the shed (which is rotten) and have a larger one...lots to do!

The Chickens...as yet unnamed

Still we have some work to do with the chickens, but they are in a much better condition than they were left in!!!

Next we hope to get a proper roof, we covered them in tarpaulins, which was a great improvement as part of the run wasn't covered and the area is so muddy they were just swamped. Hoping we avoid some wet weather for a while to keep them dry. Next year we hope to get a new coop for them, the current one is a little small for 5 chickens, but if we can keep the run and just mend it where needed as it's large enough for them all. So another on-going project!


Plants
The garden's pretty basic, a lot of hedges, some which will become trees if we're not careful, would like to get some fencing up, but that's a plan for next year. Also we have a large tree right at the bottom corner of the garden and whilst I don't want to chop everything down, we could use some branches being cut just to get more light into the garden, else it'll be a bit dark for the veg patch.

I've got various seeds waiting to be sewn next year and ideas on boarders, but for now it all needs tidying, lot of clearing rubbish and then let it settle over winter ready for spring. I also want to introduce some wildlife areas, I love birds, already have a feeding area, but would like some more areas and a bird bath, though there are lots of cats here - seen at least 4/5 different ones and with the possibility of getting one ourselves it's the dilemma of looking after birds and keeping cats away...not an easy win!

It's been a while...

Yeah times passing and it's been a while since I did anything on here. I have plans and ideas, but getting round to it is something else, and my creative block wasn't helping. It's still not completely gone, but I'm not madly crafting like I used to... that will change at some point, I'm sure stress of moving and work doesn't help.

Well I thought I could share a project I began work on a while ago. In line with my genealogy obsession I have been trying to organise my notes. I figured try and go by surnames, for women this gets confusing with maiden or married names, so I'm going by the documents- whatever their surname on that, file it.

I have realised I have quite a bit of information that I hadn't chased up and discovered some more information about some of the family...still not answered the big mysteries though!

So as part of my organisation I decided to decorate my file.

It's only partly done so far.

I drew a basic tree onto the file, then painted it. I needed it quite big as a little one wouldn't look quite right and I'd have to fill the cover with something else.

I plan to cut some leaf shapes (already started) from paper in various colours (if it looks ok) and each leaf I'm going to write a name. I was thinking just a surname, but I'm wondering now whether to have full names or a mixture of surnames and then christian names. A lot of names do repeat in the family and whilst there are a lot of surnames I have discovered there might not be enough...well I'll find out.

I'll see what it looks like layering the leaves on and then if all is well I'll glue the leaves on. Hopefully it'll look more impressive when done!



Finally another glimpse of the snow we've all been getting. It was quite picturesque Sunday, but I'd glady welcome some warm sunshine now!

If I could draw I'd love to do a wintery scene.