Before I start this post, I must just say a huge thank you to everyone who took time to leave a comment on my post from yesterday. Very much appreciated, and even though I hate that so many of us feel the same, it's really nice to know you all understood where I was coming from. Even though the weekend was grey and rainy, the husband got out in the garden to do some work.
Other than pots, the little garden next The Girls playhouse is where I like to grow veggies. Things do ok in there, but last year I suddenly realised that as half of the garden went over part of the patio, and therefore only had about 2 inches of soil on that side, the plot needed to be raised up to give more space. The carrots grown last year would not have been so bendy and wonky had they had more space to grow.
So the husband went out and removed the little picket fence.
Then he and The Girl went out to buy wood to make a frame. It was at this point that my little Princess decided to splash into a puddle without realising how deep it was. Just like Dr Foster who went to Gloucester, she went into a puddle, right up to her middle, and declared that she would 'never go out in the rain ever again, ever'. I'm happy to report that she's already forgotten about it, and is happy to go out in the rain. Especially if it means playing in the dirt and making mud.They bought 'gravel board' to cut down and make a frame, this costs around £3 per length.
The picket fence was reattached to the front and sides.
It won't look hugely different than it did before when you look at it from inside Gingerbread House, just a bit higher.
Arty shot taken from a bedroom window!
The next step was to paint the gravel board with a dark wood preserve,and give the picket fence another coat of white paint. This means that you can hardly see the built up board.
before ...
after...
I realise you can't see much of the garden in the 'before' photo, but I forgot to take one before the fence was removed,and reused one shown on this blog a few weeks ago.It still needs topping up with more soil, and don't worry, we haven't gone insane by skewering it with bamboo canes. The neighbours cats keep pooing in our grass and flower beds. I love cats, but I do not want their poo in amongst my veggies! urgh. Dudley doesn't use the garden as a litter tray (he's an indoor cat), and I refuse to clear up alien cat poo! The husband thinks the canes will stop cats from using the patch as a loo.
The little washing line needs to go back in place too.
Even though I'm not really a summer girl, the thought of seeing the garden looking like this again is really quite appealing (this was taken at the end of June 2010).
Of course, there is nothing to stop you from making short cuts while we wait for gardening weather. I buy living herbs from the supermarket and re-pot into mugs for the kitchen (top photo). Brings a touch of summer to the kitchen. Last week, Gorgeous Girl and I sowed some cress seeds in teacups. I love growing cress with children, it's so quick and makes scrummy egg & cress sarnies.
