Sunday, April 14, 2024

Projects!

Hello everyone. 

We have had several dry and sunny days this week, which have been very welcome. 

Out in the greenhouse, I have sown more seeds. D has been helping me with the peas, runner beans, and French beans, which are much easier to handle for a novice gardener. Everything else is growing well.

I usually grow my tomato and courgette plants from seeds. However, I cheated a little this year, and I bought a few young plants, which will be perfect for what I need.

The loofahs look good, and I also have started growing some watermelons. Eventually, they will become too big, so I will only use the two strongest plants to grow on in the greenhouse.



This small cherry tree has a temporary home in the greenhouse because I didn't want the flowers to get blown off in the strong winds we have had recently. It seems pretty happy there, with the doors open during the day.

As you can see, we have a much bigger project out in the garden.



This area forms an L-shape around the conservatory and back door area and we constantly use the space. It is the main area for sitting, eating and hanging out the washing.

With all the rain over the last few months, the ground has become a boggy mess, and we often have to wear boots to do anything outside. Our new plan will mean we won’t have to do this!

There is still a lot to be done, but I am looking forward to the planting stage. 

This week, I have also made some progress with the doll house: adding items to some furniture to make them more realistic.

The shelf unit will go in the butler’s office and it contains a few books he enjoys reading, a biscuit barrel and the very important teapot. There are also a couple of small jugs and a picture of the butler’s close relative. 


The other item I have been working on is the coat stand in the lower hall. Here you can see a hat, a scarf, a pair of boots, a walking stick and a black umbrella.


On the table is a book for tradespeople to sign in and out when they bring their goods for the kitchen or other required services.

I hope the sun continues to shine wherever you are.

Have a good week!

B and D

34 comments:

  1. It looks like there will be some exciting changes in the garden. I would prefer to have a more useful area at the back, but a certain someone still needs somewhere to play swingball, and to put up a paddling pool :)
    The dolls house items are amazing. You have some very creative ideas. Xx

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    1. Thank you Jules. I will report progress on all current projects as soon as I can. I'm glad Lily is still able to have fun in her own way in the garden with swing ball and paddling pool. A nice area for yourself would be lovely too. I'm actually going to finish one of the house rooms this week unless of course other things get in the way. D says thank you for your last comment about her marbling. Have a good week,
      Band D x

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  2. It's good to get jobs done early in the season, hopefully you will have time to sit and enjoy your renewed area.

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    1. Hello Marlene. I am feeling the creative and gardening juices beginning to flow this week. The sunshine is a real bonus. Thank you for visiting. Have a good week.

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  3. You are being very productive and creative. I just love the dolls' house - all those miniatures are so sweet.

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    1. D and I want to show the whole house and the stories we are making up about them but it may be a long process. We will try and start the imaginary tour soon.

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  4. It is going to be a busy gardening year for you :-)

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    1. I am so looking forward to having a dry path to tread when putting the washing out. A simple pleasure :-) There are always so many things I want to do in the garden so I think every year is busy here. I do want to have some time to enjoy it as well this year.

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  5. The garden looks great and as for the dolls' house - wow! xx

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    1. Thank you Joy. D and I will be showing more of the dolls house in the future as we complete rooms. I love the house. Thank you too for your kind comment about the garden. It is still at the messy stage but in my mind ...it is finished.

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  6. I think the plans for your garden sound and look good, and your plants/seedlings are doing so well.

    I do like what you have been working on in the dolls house, the miniatures are wonderful.

    Wishing you a good week ahead, hopefully with plenty of sunshine.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you, Jan. D and I are feeling so inspired with the house at the moment and have lots of new ideas for the rooms that we will share as they develop. We really want to make as much use of this part of garden as possible. The greenhouse has been great to start off my seeds this year and the cherry is still happy out of the strong winds we are still having. Have a great week and I hope the sun continues to shine at least for a while x

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  7. You are well organised, it's always great to get an early start, the new area is going to be lovely. I love the dolls house additions it's like going into another world.

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    1. Thank you, Linda. I have already been able to walk on part of the path to put the washing out so I am very happy with things so far. At some point D and I will do a virtual tour of the house and you can join us to have a look around. Have a lovely week x

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  8. Your garden looks good with so much to look forward to, all those lovely plants and new places to plant them. Your two items for the dolls house look wonderful with such detail in them:)

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    1. Thank you, Rosie. Adding the bits and pieces to the two pieces of furniture will hopefully make the rooms more realistic and lived in which is the look D and I wanted.
      I'm already planning new plants for the area we are working on :-)

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  9. Your seedlings are all looking very healthy, the sunshine we've had this past week will be bringing them on nicely. It looks like there are changes happening in your garden, it will be good to make the area more useable, and if there's more room for plants, all the better. The attention to detail in dolls houses amaze me, I can't wait to see more things added.

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    1. The greenhouse has been so useful to get seeds started especially with the weather we have had so far this year. The sun is out today but very windy so the cherry is much better in the greenhouse for now. It is not too big and the flowers are glorious. Looking forward to sharing more of the doll house with you . Have a good week x

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  10. I really need to get outside into the back yard! Maybe today...
    Love the patio photos! And all your seedlings. Can't wait to see them grow!
    hugs
    Donna

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    1. It's very blustery here today so I am staying inside. Progress will be slow with the garden plans but I know it will be worth all the effort and then I get to choose new plants. Have a great week x

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  11. Those dolls house pieces look brilliant. Are they made from kits.

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    1. Thank you, Cherie. Most of the furniture comes as some sort of kit but I like to add other pieces to them. Again sometimes these are bought while others like the scarf and the visitors book, I have made myself. I'm currently muddying up a pair of boots and sorting out the house staff bells :-)

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  12. Wow you have a lot of seedlings those will keep you busy. And I love the dolls house bits, so cute.

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  13. Yes, there are quite a few seedlings there and there will be even more soon. Plenty to keep me busy in the greenhouse whatever the British weather throws at us :-) Glad you liked the few doll hose bits and pieces.
    Enjoy the rest of your week x

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  14. I like the new areas in your garden. The plants are coming along nicely. The weather has been mixed up here in our region. It's good to have your doll house project as an alternative to gardening.

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    1. Thank you Linda. It's slow progress but it will make the space so much better to use. I have had the doll house for a very long time and while the enthusiasm has been renewed I am making the most of doing a few more rooms.

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  15. Hello Barbara, thank you for visiting my blog. I enjoyed visiting your blog today, your garden looks so inviting. The dolls house is fantastic, so much detail and great potential for decorating. I wanted a dolls house over 30 years ago, my husband bought doors, staircase, plans and a book for inspiration. But being so busy with the home & several house moves plus having the two boys, I'm no longer interested in having one. I'll enjoy watching yours come to life... fascinating! x

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    1. It was good to catch up with you again. There is always so much to do in the garden. I love seeing the seeds starting to pop up and it is so much cheaper for me to grow my own plants where I can. I really feel motivated about the doll house and people have been very encouraging so it will be fun to work on it this year,
      Have a good rest of the week.
      Beverley x

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  16. Hi Beverley, you have such a special garden and I do like those decorative touches in your doll's house. Absolutely lovely!

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    1. Hi Denise. Thank you for your kind comment about the garden and the doll house. Hubby and I have put another raised bed together for the area and I hope to have it filled with soil and compost very soon for some more vegetables. Just some basics in the doll house at the moment with some painting of walls, fixing skirting etc. but progress is being made. Hope the sun is shining for you and enjoy the rest of your week x

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  17. Looks like all your seeds are growing nicely, as a novice seed sower I have ended up with far too much of everything, I didn't think everything would germinate, but it did, lol. Suppose I could give some away as I won't have room for everything. I'd love a large greenhouse like you have but only have a mid-size plastic one. I love the little bits you've made for the dolls house, so cute!

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    1. Believe me Maggie, I still sow far too many seeds. in the past I have made simple paper pots from old newspaper and put them at the front of the house, labelled with what they are and a help youself and enjoy label for passers by. I don't think I will ever be sowing just enough, i'm more of a just in case kind of girl :-) I'm glad that your seeds are doing so well.
      Lots of work still to do on the doll house but it is progressing nicely.

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  18. Love (absolutely love) the dolls-house furniture accessories. That little grey scarf is draped so perfectly over that tiny hook!
    I have a slightly bigger cherry tree in a pot, which is also in full blossom at the moment. I'm having to just cross my fingers and toes every time the wind blows, as it is too big to shelter in a greenhouse, even if I had one - which I don't! I'm hoping this year will be the year I get a couple of handfuls of cherries - normally what happens is that they gradually fall off as they grow, leaving me with just one or two that actually turn red and ripen. Last year something ate half of my one remaining cherry before I even had chance to try it!

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind comments about the house. D and I are thoroughly enjoying thinking up ideas to make the scenes more realistic. We are hoping to start telling the story of the house and people who live there but it is at early stages at the moment.
      The cherry tree still has blossom so I am hopeful for good things although I do need to make sure insects can get in to polinate the flowers. Hope your tree is doing ok and you have more cherries ripening this year x

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