The best colour for spring

 

Little gleams of gold all over my garden.

I must be Rich!

(I do like the blues and purples too, but gold holds the promise of some much needed sunshine.)

A frugal start

How much did I have to spend to ensure my New Year was happy?

Well, I didn’t need a spectacular firework display, crates of champagne or a lavish party.

But I did treat myself to a lovely new diary (£2.50) and a pack of coloured pens (£1.00).

I’m going to be so organized this year.

I might even get Rich ...

A belated Happy New Year to you all!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a Happy Christmas,

 Jolly Holidays 

 and a Wonderful New Year!

 My next post will be in 2016.

 (Is it just me, or does that sound impossibly far in the future?)

Who needs inflatable reindeer?

Now that the Halloween decorations have disappeared (thank you to the person who finally took in the coffin that was propped up next to their front door for over a week!), and I’m hoping we might have heard the last of the fireworks until the New Year, I suppose it won’t be long now before the first flashing lights, plastic snowmen, rooftop sleighs and other symbols of Christmas appear on the houses around us. After all, they’ve been in the shops for weeks.

I’m not a Scrooge, I do enjoy Christmas, but I think my Grandad had the right idea when he’d say sternly, ‘There are only twelve days of Christmas,’ if anyone in the family started the celebrations too soon.

But, with the days becoming shorter and drearier in these few weeks before Christmas, I would like to brighten up my outside space without spending a fortune on tacky decorations. Will this do?

Our special car needs special cleaning cloths (or so I’m told), but they also make colourful flags for the back garden.

And I’m glad I had the foresight to plant these sunny chrysanths in the front garden. They’ve survived our first frost, torrential rain and gale force winds.

Do you decorate the outside of your home at this time of year? A simple holly wreath? Or an all singing, all dancing winter wonderland? 

Cheap, cheerful and eco-friendly

One of the joys of visiting new places is that you get the chance to see other people’s gardens.

Yes, I’m that nosy woman who looks over hedges and through gateways exclaiming, ‘Oh, look at that!’

I want a veg patch like this ...

... and I must have a purple and silver flower bed

 

Perhaps, when I am Rich, passers-by will want to peep into my lovely garden. If so, they’ll be very welcome.

But I wouldn’t need much money to copy this idea that I found during our holiday in Scotland. A greenhouse made from plastic bottles. Simply brilliant!

It was in a garden attached to a primary school. I do hope it inspires all the children there to become passionate and knowledgeable gardeners.

Have you seen any good gardening ideas lately? 
 

Disorganized

When I am Rich I’ll be able to employ someone to organize my holidays for me. I’ll tell them where I want to go and leave it up to them to book the accommodation, make the travel arrangements, research the area and draw up a detailed plan of where to go and what to do each day.

 

On second thoughts … I’d rather make my own adventure.

 See you when I get back!

Mystery solved

I couldn’t understand why the path outside my front door was littered with cherry stones. How had they got there? The nearest cherry trees are two streets away.

Then I noticed this young starling on the roof.

When I am Rich I’ll have lots of cherry trees in my garden – some for me, some for the birds – but I’ll have to find a way of teaching them to eat their food where they find it.

Do messy eaters annoy you?