Such a wonderful sunshine day of clearing and arranging the garden and welcoming friends into the space again for the first time since October.
Having worked at the weekend I’d bought myself some time to really make the garden sing again – create spaces for sitting, drinking and eating and areas for seedlings and plants in place of what has come to resemble a carpentry workshop from works to the kitchen.
First up the sweeping, one of my favourite tasks (although weirdly I never like the sound of anyone else sweeping!). Next, cleaning my old studio table that was left outside all winter long but not been covered enough to stop bits of mould creeping in. Parts of it will have to be rebuilt but in a way, the disrepair means I’ll be less precious about using it as a potting table / serving area. Then onto a big clean of the outdoor dresser in which I fear some rats or mice have been making their home thanks to my stash of coconut coir, rose pellets and bird seed. I mean if I was a rat, I’d probably move in too. Not a pleasant job but pleased to have got it done and as some of the kids’ toys are in there it really needed attending to on a health and safety front.
On top of the dresser are some old terracotta pots that are currently stashed in rows crying out for me to make a plant theatre with them. This may well be the year for that! I also have a small collection of pelargoniums, Boston ferns, pileas and succulents that I probably shouldn’t have left out all winter. Thankfully they have survived but were all in need of a big drink and really should be repotted and pruned back.
I also pulled out all my forced narcissi bulbs from indoor plants that had bloomed and been left to die back to store all that amazing energy. Couldn’t resist arranging them all on a brass bowl to dry in the sun like a collection of proud onions! Hopefully the squirrels won’t run off with them before I have time to bag them up in a brown paper bag.
Finally, it was on with arranging the new Indian cinema chairs – four round the table and two on the deck – with a couple of high stools at my potting / herb table for the kids to draw at and benches and a picnic blanket pulled into formation in the Peace Corner to make a Lego play area. A bit of bunting and despite still not having a kitchen and living in chaos indoors elsewhere, we are now officially ready for hosting in the great outdoors.
And host we did. A little tea for the boys besties and my lovely friend Lou. Ice lollies and ice cream in the sun. Much trampolining and playing with toys together while we drunk Prosecco and felt ‘normal’ for the first time in so long. Socks off and smiles all round. Hope everyone takes advantage of meeting outdoors for as long as we can so we don’t have to lock down again. When our great solar orb does its thing as it did today, garden and park action with friends is all I really need.