garden Archives - Just muddling through life

We are nearly at the end of the school holidays. Good Friday tomorrow then Easter Sunday, back to school next week. Have the kids achieved much these holidays? Answer no, not really, though my seven year old has read about Deserts and worn daddy down to get his own way with the Ipad.

My five year old has been unwell. Good timing being school holidays, next week would have been difficult. She is a lot better now and followed me out to the garden this afternoon. An hour spent in the garden today proved productive.

The last two weeks have raced by and I have struggled to go to work this week. Leaving the kids and daddy watching television has not been easy. The children are demanding and my workday can be a welcome break from their constant requests.

Today as I was getting ready to leave, my daughter said to me, “Mummy the sun is shining, it’s lovely, can we walk to town?” I would have loved to have taken her, maybe bought some chips and enjoyed some quality time, but there are bills to pay. It’s so hard sometimes being a grown up.

This morning I woke full of the joys of having to go to work today. Full day of work planned when the sun is shining and I finally felt motivated to pull weeds. So, as soon as I finished work, I took the opportunity for time in the garden. Weeding and mowing a quick job, but does look better and the green bin is now 3/4 full, so tonight it is out for the dustman tomorrow. I still have loads to do, an ongoing work in progress. Was nice to find flowers hidden under the weeds. I am hoping that this year we can spend more time outside. It was too cold and then too hot last year to enjoy it.

The year seems to be racing now, nearly at the end of April. We did not have Easter bonnets or Easter buggies this year. Made mum’s job easier but felt a bit strange. The kids coloured pictures of eggs instead.

Before returning to school we still have homework to complete and reading. My seven year old was so happy to choose all his library books, but with lack of strength from daddy and a strongwilled child, the Ipad has not been far away. I should stop worrying about him as he reads well but it is frustrating.

So, what are your plans for Sunday? And have you bought many chocolate eggs? I give mine a present rather than chocolate. By the end of Sunday, I’m sure they will be full of chocolate, just hope they are not sick.

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In the summer my garden world looks amazing! well at least it did in 2017. Many trips to the garden centre and many hours spent weeding. I had a garden that I was very proud of.

Roll on 2018 and freezing cold weather. The motivation to weed and tend to my precious plants vanished. Mowing the lawn had became an effort. I was last in the garden centre months ago and that was for advice on my lemon trees. So why the change? my pride and joy right now looks like this.

During the freezing cold weather I put bubble wrap on my pots to help prevent them from cracking. I also put them on pot feet or bricks so that they were not sat on the damp ground. I then purchased Haxnicks Easy Fleece Jackets. My Cordylines survived the cold covered with these, however with the temperature hitting -7 my lovely palm tree did die.

The really hot summer then did not help. To hot to go outside and roast in the sun. The garden world is no longer beautiful. The weeds have taken over. Also is it only me that can spend loads of money in the garden centre, tend to the plants and love them. Just for them a few months later to be dead? I am not an expert but these are my poor clematis. I am hoping that come the summer they will actually be alright, despite looking dead now.

My garden washing up bowl pond looks quite effective though. However the sticks have moved around and the pond plants are long dead from my 5 year old throwing them around the garden. It once had large rocks in it that meant that small animals could climb out. At the moment it is a bit of a death trap. I’m sure in the next few weeks it will be a block of ice.

I really hope that the weather this year is better then the last. However, I am not sure if I will be making as many trips to the garden centre and spending as much money.

Here are my hydrangea’s that never really grew and the sad Jacobs ladder that I am sure is also dead. I have currently got my palm tree and buddlia bush in my summer house. Both in pots and i’m sure neither will appreciate the freezing cold weather.

Here are my fern bushes, I am not sure where I will move these to next and I am hoping they will last a while longer in their pots. There are four in total, thriving happily in the shade of the wall.

I tried to make my garden world beautiful but also somewhere where the kids can play. They enjoy riding their bikes around in circles and playing football. Balls are forever flying over the garden fence on all sides.

Sadly right now my garden looks neglected and sad. I would love to have it looking as good as it did in 2017 but there is a lot of work and weeding ahead of me. Plus trips to the garden centre but, I need to be sensible this time as so many of my plants have died. Maybe amongst the weeds I will find some that are still alive.

So has anyone else had a bad gardening year? completely unmotivated and feeling sad about how bad it really does look? I am hoping that my green wheelie bin makes many more trips to the dustcart then it did last year.

The pretty colours that once was my garden world have become dull green and brown. 2018 for me, has been a very sad gardening year.

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