Friday 8 April 2016

A mixed bag!


The days seem to be speeding by at the moment, I cannot believe it is the end of another week and time to join Amy at Love Made My Home for Five On Friday.


I haven't really done anything terribly exciting this week, mainly due to the unpredictable nature of the weather we are experiencing at the moment. Tuesday was a glorious day but guess what - I had to work that day so didn't really get to enjoy it.


We did manage to get out on Saturday and enjoyed a lovely lunch at one of our favourite pubs - The Vine at Hannington and then enjoyed a walk over the delightful village green and out into the downland countryside. It was a real treat to see and hear skylarks, a bird that seems to have declined rapidly in recent years.









As you might remember we had the garden refurbished late last year and finally I had the chance to get to the Garden Centre to begin buying some planting and containers to turn it from a blank canvas into what I hope will be an enjoyable space to sit out and enjoy when the warmer weather comes. It is early days yet and there is still a lot more I want to achieve but at least it is a start - the little collection in the photo below cost me an arm and a leg so cannot buy too much at a time.






I am trying to choose mostly plants that attract bees and butterflies and I was lucky enough to be given the planting container below with butterfly friendly seedlings. I planted it up last weekend and already the growing rate has been amazing. It is indoors on a windowsill at the moment but will go outside to join the other pots when danger of frost has passed. If any of you know any plants that can be container grown that are good for attracting birds, butterflies and bees please let me know, I am very much a novice at this so any tips will be useful.






I have been mainly been entertaining myself by reading and crocheting this week, this is my latest charity blanket underway.






There are a lot of colour changes in this one so it might take me awhile, lots of those dratted ends to sew in!


Well that is my five pics for this week. Please pay a visit to Amy's blog where there are links to lots more Five On Friday posts.


21 comments:

  1. So glad you're looking after the bees, not many people do these days! the hard part is planning your plantings strategically so that there is always SOMETHING flowing for them to get nectar from so they don't go hungry

    ReplyDelete
  2. The seaside view of your header is fantastic! Enjoy your weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love the little corner of your garden with the containers. Good luck with the planting.
    Liz

    ReplyDelete
  4. Always good to buy plants that the bees and butterflies will love and you look to have a good selection there and such pretty colours in both pots and flowers. Your Saturday walk looks lovely. Have a great weekend:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. A lovely collection of pots and plants, Jan. I like the blue pots very much, and the bees will love the French lavender. I grow calendulas, sweet peas and nasturtiums from seed every year and keep most in containers - the bees and butterflies seem to love them. Happy gardening!
    Cathy x
    PS I buy quite a few of my plants from supermarkets like Morrisons and Asda. They are usually good quality and inexpensive.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your containers look lovely - but I know what you mean about costing an arm and a leg. Fortunately I have some winter pansies that are still going strong after two years (self set I assume) I think nasturtiums are good for insects and easy to grow.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your pots look very smart, how exciting to be able to get started on your new garden design, a bit like starting a blanket. Come on sun we need you. x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hannington looks like a lovely place to visit, your pots are looking very nice but yes you are right garden centres are very expensive places. Your blanket it going to be very pretty I always try to sew the ends in as I go so there's not so many at the end. Have a lovely weekend. :) x

    ReplyDelete
  9. I enjoyed your Friday pics, Jan, especially the pretty posies! We woke to snow this morning, so there is no evidence of any flowers out in our area...

    ReplyDelete
  10. How great that you are being able to get out and about in the garden and get it all how you want it to, although you are right the weather has been very up and down hasn't it. Your newest blanket squares are lovely, but gosh, yes, lots of ends! Thank you for taking part in Five On Friday, hope you have a great weekend! xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the colours of your latest blanket and your first few pots are looking good. The butterfly flower planter is a great idea, I think I'd like to do something like that next year!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lovely flowers, I'm sure you'll be attracting loads of bees and butterflies. I need to make a plant run too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. That's a great idea to have plants that attract bees and butterflies. Those are lovely pots and I know how pricey they can get. Our local garden shop said that Deer proof Candy Stripe phlox is loved by hummingbirds and butterflies!
    I don't know if it's available in your area. Have a good weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Visiting from Amy's Five on Friday. Like you, I am planting a new garden and the expense is frightening. I hope that at the end of the seasons I will have divisions from friends' gardens - that will help.

    ReplyDelete
  15. There's a list of pollinator friendly plants on my blog, penultimate post if memory serves. Red valerian is great for insects, lithodora and bee lavender are also v popular here at the mo with hairy-footed flower bees especially. X

    ReplyDelete
  16. I look forward to seeing how your butterfly friendly seeds get on. They have made amazing progress already. B x

    ReplyDelete
  17. Car boot sales are good for buying cheap plants if there are any near you. Love the pots you have planted up already.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your first group of pots look very pretty and I like the way you have picked pot colours to match with the colours of your plants. They do look like they must have cost you a lot of money!
    I'm wanting to plant to assist bees and other insects too, but the problem is I have developed a severe allergy to bee stings. Let's hope the bees appreciate what I'm doIng for them and don't sting me! Xx

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love those pots and your choice of flowers.. quick growing flowers from seed are a good idea and yours look great. If you were to buy something to attract butterflies the tall purple verbena are good. I can't remember their full name at the moment.
    Love all your blankets, they are spectacular.. and I am reading 'In Falling Snow' which you wrote about an age ago. With my broken arm operations I haven't been able to settle to read, pain doesn't help with focus and I just couldn't keep to any books till I started this one, which I bought ages ago! So thank you for that..
    Bests Chrisx

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your new containers are fantastic - you're right, it can be really expensive can't it. Loving your new blanket colours. Happy gardening. xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. One plant I can definitely recommend for attracting bees and butterflies is sedum. I had it in my garden for the first time last year and I couldn't believe the different types of butterfly it attracted, certainly more than I've ever seen in my garden before. I don't think there was a time I looked at the plant without it being covered in bees and butterflies. Your crochet is lovely, I like the colours you're using.

    ReplyDelete