I have to confess to stepping out into the garden and sometimes seeing only the tasks that I haven’t managed to complete (or even begin). Today I decided that this was a daft mindset and that I needed to focus on the good stuff going on out there.
I picked a few flowers, stuck them in a tumbler and suddenly it was easier to overlook the patchy lawn, weedy veg bed and jumbled stack of triffid-like tayberry bushes (about which I have no clue what to do- any tips welcome).
Here are the cheery things I spotted:
Thrifted red enamel garden shelves (£2 at a car boot last summer)
Porthole I made in the living willow wigwam this February.
Garden archeology – I think our flower beds may once have been a Victorian waste tip.
Hop shoots. These are edible, apparently.
Flax flowers. Each bloom lasts just one day. (Excuse the hosepipe and snoozing dog).
My beachy bunting, still going strong.
.Oh and a pig in a wheelbarrow.
Edited to add:
I just clicked on the images of eldest (now 5 1/2) in the willow wigwam, newly contructed in 2008. She was 2 and I was 6 months pregnant. I built the thing in the rain in the middle of March. That’s some slightly bonkers largescale crafting/nesting urge I must have been having.
No garden is complete without a pig in a wheelbarrow! Lots of beautiful things to see in your garden, most of all those cute little faces!xx
I think I need a hat like Miss P2's!
Your garden looks lovely and real.
Celia
x
gorgeous. today our garden has been filled with thunder and lightning, huge storms, and many puddles. on the plus side I can almost hear the plants say thankyou for the rain xxxx
I *love* your garden! Especially that beachy garland.
You've lots of lovely things going on in your garden!
I love the snoozing dog and I definitely love the pig in a wheelbarrow. 🙂
Vivienne x
I do enjoy a nosey at other people's gardens and your is always a lovely one to "visit".
You have a lovely garden, and ahsn't it been a glorious weekend to enjoy it!
It looks lovely I could sit in the sun and admire it with a glass of something cold.
Love the beach bunting, what a brilliant idea, and the pig is a garden essential!
Hulloo. We seem to have a alarge inflatable boat taking root in the garden. It has a hole apparently. Needs fixing so can't be put away. At least I can't see the state of the grass…
Can't help with the tayberries.
Love the pig. And P2's rather 20's flapper girl hat. Am going to call you this week. Tea. Soon. Ax
We find lots of china in our garden – I think in old cottages, before bin men, people just chucked their broken bits out of the back window! Love the red shelves, too.
Pomona x
Focusing on the positive and ignoring the negative sounds like a wonderful philosophy… and there are lots of wonderful positive things in your garden which looks gorgeous!
Looks like lots of lovely things going on in your garden – I love the beach bunting, we made a mobile but it always gets in a tangle – might try this with other shells.
Hang on, your girls have grown inches since I last saw them!
Still on for tomorrow?
Oh I know just what you mean–I so often feel overwhelmed by all the tasks to do on the allotment. But must take your advice. Now if only I had so many jolly things on the plot–your garden is fabulous!
K x
Love the beach bunting. Must give that a try sometime. Long my the sunshine last.
Lovely images, I am very keen on your thrifted shelves – what a bargain. Loving that sweet little hat too. PS Happy belated birthday x
gorgeous flowers, and the littles are so cute! lovely garden, i can see a project in the making with the broken china !
There is plenty of wonderful things to do and look at in your garden! Enjoy!
Beautiful garden – I know what you mean about only seeing the tasks, but you photos prove otherwise. Ben's just planted flax all down the outsides of his new cistern (photos to follow) – I do hope it looks like yours when it comes up!
Lovely set of photos. I love the tin garden shelves and that little hat is just beautiful!
Why aren't those shelves dripping with water? Are you one of those people who puts things away?
(Haha..just read the coffee lady..she lives in the North like me!Things left out either drip or get blown away)
Anyway thats not why I came here..I came to say how delicious your garden is and how those little shards of pottery might make some nice silver jewellery charms. Or perhaps you would have to buy some new pots and get out your hammer!
Speaking as one with a concreted, sunless yard – you have a lovely garden, patchy grass, snoozing dog, tayberries and all. I'm glad you are choosing to focus on the good stuff!
What a gorgeous post and such beautiful piccies.
I was thrilled to bits to see your bunting – we recently went to Dorset and I have plans to do something very similar with our beach treasure.
Hx
I love these photos of your garden. There are little treasures everywhere. Love the bunting and the willow wig wam. I am hoping that this is the year I really take control of my garden and start making it in to the garden that is in my head.
Love your garden Emma, especially the first pic with flowers in the glass. x
The pictures of your garden look like they been taken in the middle of the summer…so much growth and activity for April/May!
Love the Victorian finds…wish my garden was that interesting :o)
got to love the pig in the wheelbarrow . It doesn't matter what your garden looks like as long as you have one and you love it . The seaside bunting is awesome.
Lovely, all of it. My flax either croaked or got dug up accidentally, so I shall live vicariously through you.
(Those red enamel shelves are FAB.)
What a lovely view of the garden! I am quite smitten with your red shelves. I can't advise about Tayberry but, I do have an English Laurel hedge that I swear is pure evil and refuses to be tamed.
Thanks for the cheer!
Oh I do I love that view of your shed. Must get mine painted one day. Beautiful shelves, what a great find.
A cup of tea and a five minute sit is the best way to not get overwhelemd by the garden I find; everything seems manageable after that. Either that or just go back in!
Have a lovely week.
Stephx
Your garden is lovely and green, have you had rain? We didn't even get enough to lay the dust and Higgins is sneezing a lot down ad ground level. My be he needs a wheelbarrow too! Penny x
oh gosh. In my garden I spy three bikes, footballs, rugby balls, two cricket bats, a basketball… need I go on?
I just love your blog. I'm so happy we found each other 😉
I can't believe how many flowers you've got going on at the moment. Very pretty images! It's cold and rainy here in Vancouver, and hardly any flowers out at the moment.
You have brightened up my day.
Your garden looks fab 🙂
What beautiful things you have in your garden Emma! Especially the two little Pebbles! My garden makes me cry it is so messy with old bits of kitchen and broken plant pots – but I just have to focus on what I CAN do and not beat myself up about the things that aren't working well at the moment. x
I love the Victorian blue and white fragments. Treat tayberries like blackberries. Cut out the stems which have fruited in the autumn and train the best and strongest of the year's growth in to fruit the following year.
Your garden looks wonderful! And the girls too. I came to comment on your giveaway as I wasn't able to yesterday with all the problems blogger was having, but I see that the post has disappeared 🙁 Just a heads up in case you hadn't spotted it…
Popped over to visit your blog for the first time and it's so beautiful. Love your pictures!
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment!
What a beautifull child!