Prosperous soul, mortgage neutrality & creativity Year 2

FlacosFloozie

Lovely photos SH. I acquired 2 blueberry bushes last year. The best I can say is that they survived the winter.

SandyShores

You have some lovely plants savingholmes and you are doing a great job of growing stuff.  I know you've also made great strides with decluttering.  I found that I'd do quite well at it, then have a break and start again - as long as its heading in the right direction you'll get there.  I watched a video with an analogy about dieting and a roll of loo paper - when the roll is big and you first unwind the paper it doesn't make much difference, but as you keep going the difference is much more obvious because the roll is smaller.  I think decluttering is a bit like that - at first you don't see much difference but keep going and eventually you'll get to the inner roll!  

jwil

Lovely photos!  Your garden looks lovely 

savingholmes

Thanks Jwil, Sandy and Flaco

Sandy - I like the loo roll analogy. I'm planning to take photos so I can see progress. That's what I'm doing with the garden too. Last autumn I planed a load of tulip bulbs - my favourite flower - they've come up beautifully - where I lacked faith they would.
 
Flaco - I bought mine for £1.99 each from HB - I think one blueberry bush looks like it may live, one already looks dead.

I ordered a load of compost to be delivered today to make life a little easier. I'm hoping the delivery guy will put it where I want - or at least close to the garage. I also ordered more grey fence paint. It should come today. I ordered some purple paint too for my bench/arbour. Just ordered a tool organiser for the shed. Will see if that helps in there. The handyman is coming on Wednesday afternoon to help in the garden. I'm due to be at work - but if I can leave early I will just to make sure I get what I want done. A tree he chopped down last year is trying to grow back despite copper nails so just ordered some more. They should arrive tomorrow. He reckons my shed is starting to rot at the bottom but he says he can fix it for me at some point.  I still need him to put washing lines up for me.

Jwil - Because I prefer a more naturalistic garden - and want to grow veg - it doesn't compare to my parents striped, manicured lawns. They have beautiful borders full of colour all year round and no weed. However, they're retired and that's their passion project. I find what they do beautiful in its own way but because I can't or don't want to emulate it - sometimes feel like I've fallen short which is ridiculous. I spent a lot of time on RM this weekend and came to the conclusion that most people don't garden. They just have flagged areas, concrete imprinting or lawns. I found it depressing and could see why pollinators were struggling. Some of what people had done was so permanent it would cost a lot to undo.

I created a focal point in my front lawn years ago with an espalier apple tree and some trellis and planting around it to make it nice for me looking out but also offer some natural screening. Even from inside I can see bees at work. I have pink geraniums in flower, purple-blue grape hyacinth, blue forget me nots, sedum Autumn glory and the odd bulb and wildflower. I sometimes top that up with annuals in the summer or cyclamen in the winter. But it's a cottage garden style riot of planting where everything is pressed up against each other - naturally reducing any weeding requirements. There's some box in there for evergreen colour but I either need to prune or remove that.

It's raining outside - free water for the front lawn and my plants but limiting what I can get done outside until it stops. My book progress has slowed right down - I've lost momentum. RL at home is just too distracting compared with being away. I will aim to do some more decluttering. I think half the problem in my house is that not enough things have a home... I'm also keeping too much in the way of photos and memorabilia and struggle to let it go as it just feels too big a task. I've agreed with A that I will create her and her brother a photo memory book of them growing up. She turns 21 next year - perhaps I can aim for then. 

I may try and book a half day off next Friday. I have a meeting in the morning I can't get out of - but would love to finish early.

savingholmes

On free money. I've done well with Mr A rewards this month. I've had about £15 I think which feels amazing. Part of that is because I bought clothes and went/had deliveries 5 times in a month. I've also had £4.52 from Sdr bank. £19.30 in interest from B's Rainy Saver. It all helps.

Total savings now at £5,847. Next month I should top £6K which means I should hit my 3 months basic EF which feels fab. I reckon at a push could manage now. I'm hoping to get to at least £10K by the end of the year which would represent 5 months basic EF.

I'm going to start a new pot for holidays though - which I hope to put into in May as 2 P1p payments fall in one month. I could put that towards going to Scotland or another holiday. 

It's stopped raining and is bright sunshine again now... 

WelshmansDaughter

It's lovely when everything is blossoming. Your garden is coming on leaps and bounds

Swayingseaweed

Our garden is full of self set flowers( in between stuff we have bought) otherwise known as weeds to others, but we like it and so do the bees. Your garden sounds lovely.
Seaweed x 

jwil

Your garden sounds lovely.  I agree about the manicured gardens, sometimes they look lovely, but sometimes they just look like there's no sign of life there.

Mine is wild but verging on out of control, and I do need to sort it more.  However, I was sat in the sun today surrounded by a large swathe of bluebells mixed in with a load of dandelions and I was thinking how much joy it brought me just looking at it.  I know others would consider it a mess though.

beanielou

Have to admit I have no grass anymore.
It is all slabbed or chipped.
I do however have lots of weeds!!

savingholmes

Thanks WD. Beanie. Swaying, Jwil

Weeds can be pretty. There are also a lot of medicinal benefits to a whole variety of plants and we are in danger of losing them. I think listening to Raynor W has made me even more aware of it. Looking on RM so many people have become so obsessed with having usable outdoor space they've eradicated nature. I find that sad. Fair enough if you have disabilities that stop you doing your garden but a guy came round today touting for business for laying artificial grass. Erm.... no! All these seemingly micro decision people make on their patch of earth - add up to the climate disaster unfolding around us. I'm no angel. I drive a diesel car. I use a tumble drier much of the year etc. I eat too much meat... I do however hunger for greenery around me - and flowers and blossom. I have some hard landscaping - just not as much as some. I try to plant things that help beneficial insects. I'm with you Jwil on the joy of any flower - and blue and yellow is a lovely combination.

In my first ever rented house - I had a tiny concrete yard about the size of my bathroom. I bought a massive pot (that I still have today) that I planted with a fatsia japonica (it's still alive decades later) and some bedding plants to bring some colour and life to it. Whether it's a few pots of lavender on a balcony or something bigger - we can all do a bit to help nature along.

I 3/4 filled my garden bin today doing some pruning. I nipped to the garden centre and got them to load up a couple of bags of bark into my car for me. They're still there for now. I have a 'trundle truck' that may help me with getting them out at some point. I also bought a red flowering water lily for my pond. It's a start. I also bought and planted up three strawberry plants. Another £43 spent... But hopefully they will bring me joy. My nasturtium and marigold seeds arrived today. Looking forwards to planting those up.