This week I've been struggling with the cold weather. I want to spend my days outside, but it's just too cold. I've got a jungle of tomato plants that are crowding my conservatory, and I'm so proud of my baby pelargoniums. Back in February I pruned back the leggy plants that had over-wintered, planted up the cuttings and - hey presto - I've got loads of baby plants.
A very big shout-out to all our mums! Happy Mother's Day!
I've just made this lace scarf in a sumptuous fingering weight cashmere/ silk yarn that a supplier sent me as a sample. It was a delight to work with: lovely sheen and all the gossamer lightness of a spider's web. I cast it off on Thursday, blocked it overnight and posted it to my mum on Friday morning. And, thankfully, it arrived just in time - phew!
It's that time of the year with summer turning to autumn, when I feel nostalgic for the season that's passed. It's hard to believe that summer's been and gone. And what a strange summer it's been: I've stayed put all summer. With all the crazy uncertainty I simply didn't want to go anywhere. I've been happy to just be at home in my garden. And we've been fine: my garden and I. I've taken care of it, and it's taken care of me, nurtured me and kept me sane.
So here's a list of the very best bits of my garden in the summer that's been and gone: my horticultural hit parade.
Do you feel bad about throwing things in the bin - things that you might just conceivably find a second life for?
I hate to waste things. Any things. It's my pet peeve. And one thing that always causes me particular angst is the vast expanse of a dead duvet - a duvet that, for whatever reason, you no longer want to use for its primary purpose. I am ideologically opposed to sending so much fabric off to landfill . So here's a list of what I've found to do in order to spare my conscience the wrench of binning the cast-off.
