Garden at the beginning of March 2016

A bit of a different view for garden at the beginning of the month this time. We're having building work done, so the things that normally live on the patio are currently on the lawn!

This is what the patio and garage look like at the moment. The garage roof is being replaced (it's very leaky and made of asbestos), the garage widened so that we can get LO into the car whilst it's in the garage, and unload shopping etc in there, as the garage was built for a 1950s car and they tend to be wider these days! The patio is being replaced with something that isn't pink concrete.

Amidst all this chaos, things are growing. The rhubarb is sprouting!

Daffodils are appearing in the containers - I'm pleased about this as I planted them 18 months ago and didn't replace them last Autumn as I didn't feel like lugging compost around whilst pregnant.

Hyacinths (also planted last year) are appearing in the other containers.

The Camellia is beginning to flower

And loads more flowers have appeared on the Hellebores! I thought the Daphne was going to flower too, but nothing's happened yet, and it's getting a bit late now?

That's it for this month. The building work is supposed to take 4-5 weeks, so maybe I'll have a nearly completed garage and patio to show off at the beginning of April.

Honey, I shrunk the kid's knitting

Remember that tank top I knitted for the baby last year? Well, she's worn it a few times, but then I put it in the washing machine on the wrong cycle and look what happened! It's now rather small and felted. I initially felt quite sad as it still had plenty of growing room for her left in it, plus it was the first thing I knitted for her when I was pregnant (I actually ordered the yarn in the first trimester but didn't dare start knitting until after that)

It turned out to be just the right size for her bear though, so now he's wearing it. Actually, this probably means it's achieved more longevity than would otherwise have been the case, as I'm not sure what I'd have done with it once she grew out of it?

My knitting productivity has increased recently as LO now goes to sleep earlier in the evening in her Moses basket, instead of on me in front of the TV. I finished the second one of this pair of socks. I cast on for the second one when I went into hospital to have her, and knitted about a third of the leg during labour and our subsequent few days in hospital. The rest followed more slowly as the only knitting I got done for a while was at knitting group whilst other people held LO! The pattern is Samwise Gamgee, knitted on 2.25mm needles using Katia Olé Socks Comfort yarn, which initially seemed a bit splitty until I got used to knitting with it. I used almost entirely two balls of the yarn as I made the legs quite long.

I've cast on another pair of socks. This time another pair of garter rib socks from Sensational Knitted Socks, as I wanted an interesting but basic pattern to keep me going for a while. The yarn is from stash and is Baby og Hosegarn by Løve Garn, a Danish brand I received in a swop. It's nice to knit with and I like the stripes, as I don't have the brain power to knit a complicated pattern at the moment.

So, how do you get on with crafting with a small person around? And how has that changed as your small person/people have grown up?

Garden at the beginning of February 2016

Haven't really had much cold weather, although it has been quite wet, so the lawn is looking very green!

The mild weather has meant the bulbs are putting in an early appearance, and everything is sprouting leaves really early.

Even the strawberry plants are flowering (they might get a shock when it turns cold!)

Crocuses peeping through the strawberries

And more crocuses growing amongst the heucheras

I'm really pleased with this hellebore. The flowers are beautiful. It's one of the ones I grew from seed collected from a plant given to us by a neighbour.

A new arrival and garden at the beginning of January 2016

Not much gardening happened in December as a certain baby put in an appearance early on in the month. Little One (LO) has been out in the pram a few times sporting the latest in knitted fashion, and has also been to knitting group twice already. Contrary to my expectations of early parenthood, I have managed to knit about two thirds of one sock since I went into hospital to have her (I was induced; it took a while). Don't think I feel up to tackling anything more complicated at the moment though.

December was mild but rainy, although fortunately we were spared the flooding that other parts of the country have experienced. Everything is still growing, and the OH had to cut the lawn again just before Christmas. I am itching to get out there and get on with some gardening after being too huge to do much for quite a few months. But I think that will have to wait until I've had more sleep.

The mild weather has made the fuchsias start to re-sprout leaves. You just know this is going to end badly when there's a frost.

Our houseplants got Sciarid fly, so we had to put them outside in the hope some colder weather (joke) would kill them off.

The camellia has begun flowering earlier this year with the warmer weather.

Lots of signs of bulb growth already.

And the first hellebore flower - this is one I grew from seed!

What are your gardening plans for 2016? Mine are just to do some gardening...