Our Spring Garden and plans for the Summer 2024

It's been over two years since we had the new shed on the far right of the photo. We kept the old sheds to store stuff in while we had the kitchen fitted (finished 2 years ago) and the extension finished (1 year ago) and bought a new smaller shed to sit round the side of the house to store the lawn mower in (6 months ago) and in April 2024 we finally got round to taking the larger of the 2 sheds down. There have been numerous trips to the skip with the old wood.

Both sheds have stood for over 20 years, with the larger one under going some repairs mid 2020, but it is time for them to go and for us to remodel the garden. 

The shed base was in perfect condition so now serves as our new patio area.

The smaller shed will be taken down in the next week or two, once I've rehomed golf clubs and and garden tools. Then we will be constructing some raised beds in the area.

Once the smaller shed has gone, the garden will really open up, we have a large sun umbrella we brought back with us from South Africa to put up and provide shade from the sun that's pretty much all day round in this spot from April through to October.

The plants in the garden have faired well over winter and the frost covers are now off.

Raspberries and bluebells.

Figs

It would appear I've been protecting some weeds over the winter.

Bobs memorial pot with Forget me knots from a friend and the vets.

There are a couple of areas in the garden where water has been pooling due to us holding back piles of dirt  (which we'll be using in the raised beds) after the building work, which Peter has addressed by finishing the patio.

I've weeded the front garden, removed a dead spiky shrub from by the bins and planted some wild flower seeds in the borders. It'll be a while before we make any changes out here.

This has all been cut back and is in full sun most of the day (when it does come out) so the green house and herb bins which also grow potatoes and chard will stay here.

The spring/summer wreath is up now until Halloween.

The side gates are going to be replaced with wooden ones with key pads for extra privacy and security.

It's nice to see patches of bare soil now the weeds are gone.

There's a lot more work to be done in terms of building (raised beds) a compost bin and cold frame to be built and I would like to invest in a proper green house at some point. We'll be off to the Three Counties Showground in May for a good look round. We bought all the sheds from there over the years, found the builders for the extension and even bought the Camper Van from there last year.

I'm hoping by the summer of 2024 all we are doing is mowing the lawn, watering the plants and just sitting in the garden enjoying it with the odd BBQ.

2024 Week 16 One Daily Positive, Project 365 and A Selfie a Day

April

106  Monday I woke at 3.30am with a migraine, I took meds but didn't get back to sleep. I took more meds before going to work and almost fell asleep by the end of the day. A quick trip into town, grabbed a coffee and picked up a birthday gift, home for an hours nap, dinner, TV, blogging, bath and an early night.

107  Tuesday The day didn't start well getting yelled at by a parent. I'd done nothing wrong and was backed up by other staff so no harm done, but still not nice. Home and back out to shops, met a colleague for coffee was out for nearly 2 hours, got home and Peter said 'what happened?' I replied 'Sarah' Evening spent watching Michael Portillo's train journeys around Australia pointing out all the sites in The Blue Mountains Peter missed due to the heavy fog when he visited last year that I'd seen in 2019.

108  Wednesday Lift to work and back, afternoon and  evening spent reading, blogging and TV. I did my packing and got my outfit ready for my interview on Friday.

109  Thursday Peter visited his mum in Keynsham and collected my mum on his way home as we're taking my mum to Brighton on the weekend. I got a lift home and spent the afternoon sorting out the garden furniture on the new patio. Evening spent watching the TV and blogging, bath and bed.

110  Friday No work today. I had a job interview as deputy Safeguarding Lead and Pastoral Officer at a secondary school in Worcester. Home and set off to Brighton. We spent our first night in the camper van on my cousins drive as it was too late for a camp site. I didn't get the job, I suspect it was an inside job. Not too disappointed as it was an additional 7 hours a week, plus 10 hours travel time and train fare costs, so all in all not that much of a pay increase anyway.

111  Saturday Packed up and said our goodbyes and headed east along the coast to our camp site for the night. Arrived at 2pm, took us 30 mins to set up and we headed for a walk along the beach. I found a sharks tooth. We ate at the club house, had a shower, watched some TV on the iPad and settled in for the night.

112  Sunday Peter was cold and restless so neither of us got much sleep. Camp site was quiet though. Had breakfast, took 30 mins to pack up and we headed to visit some English Heritage Sites. in Winchester as we parked an elderly lady fell over and face palmed the gravel, I propped her up and tended to her facial injuries. It was a 3 hour wait for an ambulance. As her husband had the car and they live 45 mins away with the hospital on route, we decided they'd be better taking themselves to A&E, we helped her to her feet, she was able to walk to the car. She was fully conscious and they were very sensible and she was coherent so we were happy with our decision. We then walked around the city and stopped in Hungerford at a lovely country pub for a Sunday lunch, getting home at 6pm. I drove back while Peter watched Man Utd game on the iPad. Unpacked, washing on, bath and bed.

Books read this week: Lee Child - The Midnight Line

Words written towards book: 0 I'm disappointed with myself this week, although I did write several letters and some postcards.

Clothes bought: 0

On the blog this week: Learning new skills - Art

Things that made me happy this week:

Patio finished, reading, coffees, sunny evenings, camping trip, finding a sharks tooth on the beach.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

19th - 21st April 2024 Post Comment Love

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I.

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

I've got a job interview today at a secondary school in Worcester as a Safeguarding/Pastoral Officer, wish me luck. I love my current role as a Teaching Assistant but my student leaves after their A levels and my job comes to an end. I've been told I'll have a new contract in September, but not been told as what. I do far more than my pay grade and this new role would provide me with further career development, would pay me what I'm worth and gets me back into a career that I loved doing. I last worked formally in Safeguarding for The FA in 2010.

Peter has finished the patio and I've set it up so it can be used all year round, without having to cover things or take the cushions in and out every day. And after dismantling the old shed we've now got a new area for the dining table and bought a storage box for the cushions and tableware so we don't have to store and lug things in and out the house either. Just the small shed left to dismantle and raised beds to be built.

We're going to continue the path in a straight line to the new dining area and the existing slabs next to the lawn will be removed and the area re seeded.

We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the next few days. 

Want to find out more about Post Comment Love #PoCoLo? 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Learning new skills - Art

I love my job working as a Teaching Assistant in a local secondary school and I love being back in school learning new things, meeting new people and generally feeling like going to work Monday to Friday in term time is more than just a job.

We've been doing things outside of school in small and large groups, from Pottery Painting, to nights out and coffees after work.

I decorated a jug, we use it in the van.

And 'a very useful pot'

Before firing

After. It's now filled with bits and bobs for my granddaughter to 'find' on her next visit.

I've been enjoying art lessons in school with years 7 & 9. I support students in 3 lessons a week. Most of the time I help the students work on their pieces, show them what the teacher has asked them to do and help them with ideas. Occassionally I join in and work alongside the students showing them how to implement their ideas.

I had a go at drawing with a pen.

Then using water colours.

I've got a variety of projects on the go at home that I've started and just never finished. There are piles of sewing projects, a dolls house to finish painting, embroideries to start and complete. I've tried knitting, had crochet lessons, but I just can't get to grips with it.

There's a felting project on the go since 2020 and a tapestry I started in 1994 for my eldest child, he's 32 next month. Do you think he'll want it if I finish it?

2024 Week 15 One Daily Positive, Project 365 and A Selfie a Day

April

99  Monday Inset day in work, only 7 of us in with on the same contract. Some generic training, time to catch up with paperwork, our line manager bought us pizza at lunch time. We attended Vulnerability and Exploitation Training then we had a lockdown drill. Home via the dentist to get permanent crown fitted, then to sort some online banking, dinner and evening spent blogging, watching TV and reading.

100  Tuesday Lift into town after work to go to the post office and have a coffee. Peter picked me up, arrived home to the neighbours kids on the doorstep wanting to come in and watch Blue, they're 2 and 4. Mum had a coffee with us. Peter then cooked dinner and I did some gardening, weeding pots and the front border and cutting back the bushes. Rest of the evening spent watching TV and blogging. I iced some cakes for the students for Eid.

101  Wednesday Lift to work and home again. Parent meeting first thing, then normal lessons. I stayed on till 4pm for homework club to settle in a new student. Home for dinner, reading, bath, TV and early night.

102  Thursday Normal day in work. Broke the news to work I've been shortlisted for a job in Worcester as Safeguarding/Pastoral Officer at a secondary school. Stayed on to settle another student into homework club then met colleagues for coffee, then the Doctors, home, dinner, reading, bath, TV and an early night.

103  Friday Work and home for chips and wine with friend. Peter took the last pieces of the shed down to the tip and tidied up the rest of the garden.

104  Saturday Up early and off to Gloucester to see child 1 after her medical procedure on Tuesday, results next week, but all good at the moment. On to the Forest of Dean to visit grandchild, call in at mums then drop off some presents with friends ending up in Monmouth for a coffee before coming home around 6pm. Migraine meds taken.

105  Sunday A visit to the garden centre for coffee and gluten free cake. Some work in the garden. Popped out in the afternoon to buy a roast for dinner, bumped into two colleagues from work and had coffee, home to watch a movie, bath and early night. Migraine meds taken.

Books read this week: Angels - Marian Keyes

Words written towards book: 1012

Clothes bought: 0 

Unnecessary items bought this week: replacement Air pods £129 Currys (hubby lost his in the tip) bedding £96 plants £36.

On the blog this week: Days out in March

Things that made me happy this week:

The garden taking shape. Visits with daughter, grandchild and friends, coffee, baking, long soaks in the bath, new bedding and plants.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter