Easter & After

Hello! Gosh it's been busy around here and Easter feels like a long time ago already. Our Easter Day was quiet with a walk on the beach in the morning and roast lamb for dinner. John cooked and it was one of his best roasts yet, even in his hungover state. Angus picked a haphazard little posy of garden flowers for the table and I got out the embroidered napkins. Family called in and a lot of chocolate was exchanged and eaten. Bella and Angus had asked if we were doing an egg hunt. I hadn't organised anything, thinking they were probably getting a bit old for that sort of thing, but apparently not. So I was out there in my pyjamas bright and early Sunday morning, hiding small foil-wrapped eggs all around the garden. They absolutely loved looking for the eggs - it was a really sweet moment, watching them padding around out there in their dressing gowns. The Simnel Cake was delicious and I can report that homemade marzipan tastes a million times better than shop bought (and this is coming from someone who really doesn't like marzipan), with a lovely crumbly lemoniness and none of the cloying sweetness of the bright yellow stuff. The cake was a little over done but still good, with a lightness that the fruit cake I make at Christmas doesn't have. The Key Lime Pie was a bit so-so, to be honest. Not limey enough. 

When I haven't been eating I've been painting. We decorated Bella's bedroom this week and I'll show you some photos soon. It's not finished yet - we still need to wallpaper one wall and I promised her she could choose a new print or two - but the worst is done. This Easter holiday I have sanded and painted one bed (Bella's, grey, the same as Angus's), one garden bench, one wooden planter, and an entire bedroom floor. My poor hands!

I've made a little project out of this rather grim corner of our garden over this holiday. This fence and collection of pots is right in front of the patio doors from our dining room and I look out upon it every day. It was really starting to depress me. The fence is new and in good condition, but such a dark and dreary colour. The whole corner really needed some love. 

We started by jet washing the decking. (And the children.)

This is how it looked before...

...and after. I'm not wild about this decked area but it's practical and will stay for now. It's perfect for our outdoor table and chairs and the bench.

Do you remember this wooden planter?

I sanded it and painted it grey...

...then lined is with plastic, drilled in a couple of holes for drainage, before filling the bottom with large stones and the top with compost

Then I planted it with sweet peas. If I'm going to look out onto this area every day, then there may as well be something pretty and colourful to look at. I also planted up all my other pots with a mixture of carnations, verbena, pinks and pansies.

The planter came out really well and I'm so happy with it as a finished project.

And a week later, those sweet peas are already growing and filling up the space. 

Can you believe we haven't had any rain over the whole two weeks of the holidays? I've been remembering to water all my pots and am full of my usual spring time enthusiasm for the garden.

Other parts of the garden still need work though, like our wood store. You may notice that more wood lives outside the wood store than is actually stored in it. John says he needs a chainsaw to tackle the rest of it.

I finished my crochet cardigan, too. It's so lovely, I can't wait to show it to you. Now that project is over, I've begun something completely different - some crocheted fruit and vegetables.

I'll leave you with a photo of me gardening taken by Angus.