LOTS of gardening!

So here we are again! Another week is over. Another week has sped by for me! Another week of sameness and feeling somewhat on and off blue. I really am a tap right now! One minute i'm alright and happy the next I feel as if something has been stole from me and that I will never feel settled and content. I think that's it really. Just really unsettled. I am definitely feeling miles better now the kids are back. Heck i'm hating early mornings but the routine is good. And getting some down time away from them. I'm just hanging on for the weather to warm up. Once we can all sit outside in the warm sun with a nice drink and a bit of cake we'll all be better! I haven't even engaged in that first day of the year hanging laundry out yet! I hear we are going to hit 20c this coming week though!? I'm not sure I believe that this early but we shall see ... Riiight i'm reversing again back to the weekend of the middle of March ...

Saturday 13th March:

This was a super busy day both in the garden and in the house.  I started out by getting outside while the going was good. The weather is lovely and sunny if but cold. But for March perfect gardening weather. Didn't get out as quick as I wanted as I was up late - goooone midday! Kids were sooo quiet to let me sleep in peace and harassed daddy instead! I really have got so used to sleeping more during lockdown. I really miss it when I don't now! This will need to change at some point mind as I can't keep doing this forever. So any way I wake up and get some late breakie. Then chill in bed with laptop and caffine - most important! Then the rest of the family join me and we have a family Roblox play session on the laundry simulator game! I play until my battery is flat then get dressed and go out in the garden. It is pretty much 3pm by now lol! I can't decide if I am loving this slow pace of life for just living what you feel in the moment or I am hating it as this really is a waste of day! Although I couldn't spend all day out there this time of year - summer yes ...!

First job - Chop this bush. Took the ornament thingies out of it to wash. Had to leave some long bits at the back as I'm too short at 5ft 2 to reach over it and to the back! Hubby can attack that over Easter ...

I started stacking some cuttings behind this old bush. This has 2 things to it. Our council has started charging for taking away garden waste. So we have 2 options. Burn or tip it. So we are tipping most but I decided to put some here to decompose itself and/or be used by wildlife.

Next job! Chop these 2 babies. Had to move the play house out the way to get to the front of them. Managed to move it even with toys/bikes/junk inside! Before and afters below ...

I've done a shocking job on the right hand bush! But what the heck it's been cut so job done LOL! 

I got stopped my my heather. It's sooo big but also so pretty in flower right now. Look at this little bumblebee all over it. He loves it! 

More spinage and carrots brought in from the garden. I'm going to put a lot more effort into growing carrots this year as - if I just can just blow my own trumpet for a minute - i've done a fanastic job! 

Potatoes ready to chit. I have Rocket - earlies and Maris Piper for main crop. Got them out the bag and ready to go. Which reminds me I STILL have last years main crop in a bag so I better get them up quick before they sprout!

So I come in from the garden after this and get a very late lunch. Nothing too filling. Crisps, yoghurt ad cake. About as unhealthy as you can get but fills a hole before spag bol for tea! Yummy!

After this I decide to get the wardrobes finished then I can abandon hardcore internal work/changes until the shops open and I can hit Ikea for the unit I want!! 

So I start by emptying Sophie's wardrobe ready to move to Jessica's room. It will sit her temporarily until her new Ikea unit is in place. As some blankets and odds and ends can go in here until it can go in the unit. So here it is empty ... Then I empty Jessica's onto her bed.

Then I need to move the lego table out from behind the door so we can get it open as wide as we can for moving the wardrobes between 2 rooms. The white one will sit in front of the radiator and landing cleared ready. 

Junk on Sophie's bed too and door open as wide as I can get without moving unit out way. Should fit though (and does!)

 

We get the wardobe into Sophie's room the realise it doesn't fit alongside the stool and jun on top of it. So I pull it out so I can put it back the other way round once the wardrobe is in. Let's just get that in first! Worse case scenario the stool can go in the garage ...

It's in! But it sticks out quite far! That is so going to have to move to a corner at some point in the far future!

On the contrary this wardrobe in Jessica's room makes it look much bigger lol! 

Odds and ends of bedding and blankets going in. These will prob move to the Kallax when we get it as the walk in wardrobe has no space right now on the shelves argh!

Walk in in temporary state of organised chaos until Kallax comes.

Sophie's wardrobe restocked. It has all the single bedding in it for Jessica's room for now as no where else to put it! Could possibly remove back to the hot airing cupboard on the landing but that would need a rejig to fit it all in again. Another job for the future long down the road ... Can't do everything at once!

I was reading an online magazine in the evening and found this recipe for making an online bath soak. I like my essential oils so this is on the to do list ...

Sunday 14th March:

Another garden day! It's nice weather out. I say nice - it's not raining - so it's about as nice as you get in March in the UK!! I wake to a disaster in the window sill. 

Looks like this plant needs a hair cut!! Speaking of which I start the day with a shower and then I cut my hair. Daring some would say! I copied an online tutorial on you tube for long hair. Basically put your hair in a ponytail when wet, then add another bobble a third of the way down then another bobble 2/3 the way down then cut bottom off when holding it tight between 2 fingers like a fan. I decided to take off a couple of inches as it's been a year since it's been done! 

Right off into the garden we go after a hair blow dry. It's cold out so need scarf, coat and fleece lined gardening gloves.

I noticed that Mr (or Mrs!) hedgehog has worn quite a path between our garden and the neighbours under the fence over the years. It's only that all the undergrowth is dead that I can get in and see behind the bush.

First job is to put down all the cardboard that was on the patio into these 2 borders. Aim: To stop weeds coming up and through in a large quantity! The top photo's border will be taken back and returfed with the turf from photo 2. To make the border a bit smaller. And photo 2 will be barked in a roughly rectangular shape to fit a trampoline in for the kids. I say these plans but we are 2 of the most procastinating people on the planet so this job might get done when they leave home ... However I am doing my part by prepping it now. 

A line of garden waste for hubby to take the tip this week in the car! Then this lot needs to have card put down on it too.

Ok next job outside the back door this bush is over growing from next door so this is midway through the cutting job! And after ... During this it does start to rain! But I am British ... We keep working through the rain. If we didn't ... We would get nothing done outside!!!

Anyone wondering what the silver duck tape is for it is from the webcam we had up for the pigeons in the nest last year in the big bush.

I end my gardening by going around and picking up generic garden waste into my "dustbin" for the year

So that was it for the garden this weekend. Lots done but lots more to go. I came in and chilled out with a book for a bit before tea. Nothing else to note. The usual evening routine of baths and hair washes and trying to fight little people into bed at a decent time - Ha! Then get uniforms, lunchboxes, breakfast bowls, coats, shoes and bags ready for the next day!

Right I'm going to skip off. Time for some Friday night gogglebox! After a bit of Roblox with hubby LOL! So sad we play this when the kids are in bed LOL!! Ah well ... I'll blame the pandemic. It's made us all go stark, raving, loony mad!!! Sleep well all! Good morning or afternoon! Keep looking up to the skies! Lots to see out there this time of year.Hope your all well!!Lots of love The Mad House Xx