All of the nice weather we’ve been having in the UK has been encouraging me to go out into the garden and get planting. Last year was the first year I gave gardening a shot, helped by this book which I got from a friend. It really helped me get an idea of the basics and has lots of hints and tips. I managed to grow some nice herbs and even some tomatoes, leeks and green beans too. I tried growing garlic as well but I think the squirrels might have liked them because they’ve still not appeared a year on. I like watching the squirrels play around outside though so I won’t hold it against them.
This year, I bought some more tomato plants in different varieties.These three are Jamie Oliver plants – green zebra tomatoes, citrina tomatoes, and tomatoberries. I can’t wait to try them once they grow.
I’ve also potted some parsley, basil, sage, oregano and sweet peas. They still have a wee bit to go but I’ll keep you posted on their progress. Here’s what they look like so far:
I’d also like to plant some Chinese lanterns so that I can dry them and keep them for ages afterwards. For some reason, the ones I tried growing last year never surfaced...perhaps another favourite of the squirrels.
To brighten up the fence, I made this bunting. I wanted to get a mixture of different patterns but in the end I went for the same colour. I bought this tablecloth material at my local market and cut out triangle shapes that I then sewed onto a piece of string and nailed to the fence.
How have you brightened up your gardens/balconies/window boxes?
All tips and ideas welcome!
Soon we'll show you the Mediterranean version of the PolkaDotLighthouse kitchen garden.
Carla
