Tired Of Looking At A Boring Garden? You're The One Who Can Change That

 

Image Credit: Pexels

{This is a collaborative post}

Are you tired of looking at a boring garden? If you are, then you need to understand that the only person who can actually change this is you. As long as you are consciously not doing anything about the state of your garden, you are the problem, and that’s not something that most people want to admit. However, it’s the truth, and you need to understand that so that you can finally motivate yourself to get out there and sort it out. 

In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the different things that you can do in order to take your garden from boring to brilliant. If you would like to find out more, feel free to read on.

Work On Making It Tidier 

First, have you thought about working to make the entire space tidier? If you’ve got tools, pieces of equipment, outdoor toys and things all over the place, it likely looks like a bomb site. Not only that, but all of your items are not exposed to the elements, and you could be struggling to keep things from getting damaged. The best solution that we’ve got for you is to look into getting a shed. You’re going to need to look into various types of sheds, and find a shed base that you think will be able to stand the test of time in the climate you live in.

Having one of these just makes everything look so much better, and thanks to the fact that you can get sheds in a range of materials and colours, it doesn’t have to be an eyesore.

Tame The Wild Lawn

Another thing that you should be doing is taming that wild lawn that you’ve been leaving alone. We know it’s a pain in the behind to do, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be doing it anyway. It’s not hard if you know what you’re doing and if you remain consistent. It’s not hard if you get out there and cut your grass and pull the weeds once per week. Does it take more effort and commitment from you? Of course it does, but you put this level of effort into your interior, so why not your exterior?

Plant Some Beautiful Flowers

Last but not least, have you thought about planting some beautiful flowers? Some people don’t like to do this because it’s another thing to maintain, but they really bring something special to your garden. They add some colour, they add some joy, and it generally feels like a nicer place to be when there are flowers in some sort of arrangement.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article somewhat informative, and now have a more solid understanding of what you need to do to stop your garden looking so boring. You don’t have to follow this advice to a T, and there are going to be times when you think that another option would be better, so go for that. It’s your garden, we’re just here to offer advice.

6 Ways to Get Your Garden Winter Ready

 

{This is a collaborative post}

The weather is starting to get colder, and winter is on the way, meaning now is the perfect time to preen your plant life and get your garden ready for the frosty season. Not making time to prepare your garden for the wet and windy weather can end up causing you some costly damage in the long run.

If you want to make sure that your outdoor space is taken care of this winter, then simply follow these six steps for a winter-proof garden.

 

1)     Evergreen

Unfortunately, many of our foliage friends don’t survive the winter. However, you can keep your garden looking green and healthy by opting for evergreens instead. Either pop down to your local garden centre, or shop around an online stockists that will deliver your plant life right to your door. Suppliers such as Scot Plants Direct are a great place to search for shrubbery that will stay splendid all year.

 

2)     Grit the Paths

When the weather starts to freeze up, our paths and driveways can become dangerously icy. So, get your garden ready for the winter by stocking up on a bag of rock salt; that way you’ll be able to spread it when the weather forecast predicts freezing temperatures. You'll be pleased to navigate your property without suffering from any slips and falls.

 

3)     Weatherproof your walls

The winter weather can prove detrimental to our exterior walls, leaving them looking shabby and dilapidated. However, rendering solutions from the likes of Direct Building Products can protect your walls for longer, and even improve insulation in your home. Aside from its protective properties, rendering is an excellent way to improve the look of any building.

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey, Hampshire - Fun for all the Family!

{Dislcosure: We received free entry and a drink in exchange for an honest review}

A couple of weeks ago we stayed in the Test Valley, Hampshire for a few nights and we had the most wonderful stay. The glorious weather, of course, helped but more than anything, it is just a fabulous area to explore. It is easy to access, close to both towns and countryside and there is an abundance of things to do on your doorstep.

One morning we visited the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, which were just a 10-minute drive from where we were staying at Michelmersh Manor Farm near Romsey. You might not think that some gardens are the perfect place to take teens but we had some really lovely family time there. As we wondered and enjoyed all the different vistas, plants and the sunshine too we just chatted and mused about our lives.

Any parent of teens will know how important it is to be able to easily chat and sit alongside their teenager. So much of the time they are super busy and out with their friends or chatting to them online, so this kind of relaxed downtime together is perfect.

The True Importance of Our Gardens

{This is a collaborative post}

After the past year our gardens now feel more important than ever before, what is it that makes them so beneficial to our everyday health? Keep reading to find out some of the ways that outdoor spaces can positively impact your life, family and the local environment.

 

They Are Great Places for Exercise

It may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about where to complete your workout but our gardens provide a great spot for exercising. Outdoor gym equipment can be easily installed to allow you to work out in the fresh air. This will also save you money in the long term as you can cancel your expensive gym membership. Many sports can also be played outside such as football and padel – a popular alternative to tennis. Doing all of this outside in the sun will also allow you to soak up some much-needed Vitamin D which supports healthy teeth and bones.

 

You Can Spend More Time with Loved Ones

Our gardens are also great places to hang out with your friends and family. From starting a garden project, hosting a BBQ, to practising yoga or painting the options are almost endless. Gardens are also ideal for encouraging your children to spend time with nature and learn about the world around them. Just make sure that you’re keeping your littles safe from the sun with a canopy or adequate shade.

Loving our Trespass Event Shelter (Review)

{As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, any affiliate links will be marked with #ad)

For the last six years, we've lived in the most amazing place. We have 220 acres available to us, much of which was designed by Capability Brown. People come here to take walks and admire the beauty; we have three lakes, a couple of forests, a prayer garden, formal lawns, an Orangery and a walled kitchen garden.

Life really is rich here, beyond any dream we ever had of anywhere we expected to live. But there is one downside - we don't have any private outside space. We can't hang our washing out, nor hideaway when the day gets too much. The girls play out in the courtyard and in the main that is fine but there are guests coming through, volunteers heading to their houses and the neighbour's kids playing as well.

For a long time we've just wanted the option to sit out as a family and enjoy time, just as us. Or for the girls to be able to play a game together without always having to have younger children involved. Well the answer has arrived and I am so pleased to have purchased a Trespass event shelter from Argos, for the price of £129.99 (and £3.95 if you wish for it to be delivered to your home).

How does your garden grow - April 2014

Last week I had the most joyous walk around the grounds here. JJ and dh had gone to the beach for a bike ride and the girls were away at their grandparents and I had time to myself, lots of time. It was bliss and I took full advantage of it by watching the sun go down over one of our lakes and taking a prayerful walk through the gardens.

I thought I'd share what I saw -

I sneaked into the gardener's greenhouse, I love to see all the work that has gone on in here. The tiny seedlings are now becoming proper plants and they are getting ready for planting and sale.

Azaleas have to be my flower of the moment, we have them in all shades of pink and they are divine. I love all those little coloured spots inside making them so much more interesting than you first think.

I can't help but love fungi as well, there is not so much of it about at the moment, it was rife last summer and early autumn but this is the first good picture I have got of it this year, growing on a stack of firewood

I'd not been in the walled garden for a couple of weeks and all this wonderful blossom on the pear trees shows just how quickly things change. The apple orchard is just starting to blossom too, I'll capture that next.

I know it is not the garden but I love the lakes and isn't that green reflection of the meadow just wonderful?

And yes another good reflection that tickled my fancy.

Yet again I reflect on just what a privilege it is to live here and be amongst all this beauty.

Wishing you a fabulous week, Mich x

How does your garden grow? March 2014

I'm going to try and join  in with linky at least once a month so I can see how the gardens here develop and change over the course of a year. February was all about the pinks and greens in the garden, loads of fabulous camellias and azaleas and slowly these are dying off but the colour is replaced with blossom, daffodils and much more.

All the photos are taken this week in the area of the West Lawn. I was walking through it today to get to our shed and get the girls bikes out and instead of moaning how far we have to go for the bikes I choose to remember how blessed I am to live here and grabbed my camera.

View up the west lawn towards the main house and Orangery

Come Sow with Me....

Have you seen the new meme that the lovely Melitsa over at Play Activities launched last week?  It would be super if you fancy joining in, it is very simple and fun but could have a massive impact.

A couple of weeks back my girls got out in the garden with dh and they planted seeds, an abundance of seeds that are now growing tiny shoots and becoming strong enough to plant out in our raised veggie patch and old recycling containers that we re-use. This year we are having lettuce, cucumber, peas, carrots, broccoli and we will also plant some potatoes that we have left to seed over the winter months.

Last year was our first year venturing into home grown produce and we loved it. The thrill of picking our green beans off the plant and then eating them fresh was great. We are all looking forward to having a good harvest again this year. Already within a week all the shoots have sprouted and we have small plants ready to go outside.

Label up all the sticks to identify what is planted where

and the exciting bit....  open up the seeds

Let the planting commence...

If only it was this easy the world over....  sadly not! 

You will have seen me blog before about @ONECampaignUK and their new #LetsThrive campaign which launched a couple of weeks back. This Come Sow with Me meme is in support of their fabulous drive to get the average person to sign up to their petition and offer their voice.  No money involved, just sign up to confirm your agreement that donor governments and African leaders and the private sector need to team up to make smart investments in farms, food and the future.

The G8 summit will be held on 18 - 19 May 2012 and the #ONEMums are asking you to sow one and send one before then...

1. Sow one- Show your commitment to agriculture in the developing world by planting a seed at home.
2. Send one- By signing the petition, you will add your name to thousands of others (155,998 as I look at it now) who stand together to help reach the goals of Thrive.

You can also go a step further and send a message too. Here are a few practical ideas of what you can do now -

• Send a letter to your elected officials asking your country’s leader to support effective, sustainable programs that save lives.
• Send people to ONE to sign the petition
• Keep up to date with the campaign by following ONE on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, youtube
• Share a living proof video (these are really inspirational and share all the good news stories)
• Share updates on your seed growing on your blog and link them up at Play Activities.

In a week my small people made this happen -

and it has been another 4 or 5 days too and if it wasn't raining down outside I'd get another picture. How blessed we are to have land to plant on, fertile soil, seeds available to us, tools to use and the rain to nurture our plants.  If only that could be said the world over.

I am tagging the following bloggers to join in  (pretty please)-

Kate Takes 5 who is a newbie to all things growing
Chris at Thinly Spread because Chris is helping Kate's kids growing at the moment
Jen at Mum in the Madhouse as I know she likes to garden with her boys
Laura at Yummy Mummy Flabby Tummy because I think she might enjoy it
Mummy at The Boy and Me as I keep spotting her commenting on Chris posts!

If you can join in ladies, thanks.  It is for a wonderful cause and you'll have a fab time too.  Please link your posts up at Play Activities so ONE can use the posts as more evidence of interest in beating world poverty.

#R2BC - Bargain Shoes, Neat Gardens and Soft Skin! Wk 30

<center> <a href="http://mdplife.blogspot.com/search/label/reasons%20to%20be%20cheerful"><img width="150" alt="Reasons to be Cheerful at Mummy from the Heart" src="http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac230/RebaMc/reasonstobecheerfulv2-1.jpg" height="150" /></a></center>

Evening all,

How are you on this fine evening?  It has been a lovely week here in the Home Counties, what about for you?  My boys have been away camping with the Cubs and Scouts so I am so pleased it has been good for them, how miserable to get rained on for a week when camping with 30 odd kids, it has happened to dh on many summer camps in years gone!

I am super cheerful tonight, my week has been good and I think much of that is down to my choice to be in a good mood and my handing over the crap to God. For example I found a leak earlier this week and my new insurers impressed me by getting someone out 4 hours after I called them, yes they stopped the leak but they also broke my toilet and now I am still without an upstairs loo!  I pray they will call and book me in soon.  Add that to the broken front door and all the ripped out carpets upstairs and things are mounting up but lets be honest I am sat here watching 'Help my house is falling down' as I type and this poor woman's water logged house is making me feel immensely grateful for the small problems I have.

See how tidy my garden is looking, there is another reason I feel good tonight.  The girls and I spend quiet a bit of time outside today getting both the front and back gardens in a good state - roll on twinnie play date tomorrow.

We also popped into town today to buy a pressie for one of their friends and we popped in M&S to use the loo and Miss M really made me laugh, she started to properly browse and show me dresses she liked.  Ohh a lovely glimpse of the future as we have a girls day out shopping, nothing Mummy (and Nanny too) love better than a good shop, especially when there is a bargain to be had.  And oh yes, big bargains to be had in M&S today. I spent £8.00 and got 3 pairs of shoes for the kids, all 1 size bigger, so they can grow into them.  JJ's are £28 leather school shoes!  Whoop, whoop - mega pleased with £8 for them all.

Lastly I have only just logged on here tonight as I took a lovely long shower and then pampered myself for an hour whilst watching TV.  My skin now smells gorgeous of Paris and is completely soft too.  Rachel reminded me the other day that when we take the time to pamper ourselves we then feel so good we do not want to spoil that feeling by eating and I sure hope to prove her right tonight. So I am doing this post and heading off to watch a chick flick, 'Love and other Drugs' and enjoy and evening alone.

So there is me, happy Mich!  (Trying not to think about next Monday and Tuesday and the busy time I have ahead at work, I can get through it, it is just 2 days and then I am off for 2.5 weeks).

Over to you, what is making you cheery this week? If you are new to Reasons to be Cheerful, then check out HERE and then link up a cheery/ gratitude post from the last week.

Thanks for joining in, leave me some comment love. Visit others and leave them some comment love and don't forget to tweet with #R2BC. I hope to be able to visit everyone this week and offer some comment love, I have managed it the last 2 weeks now!

As far as guest hosts go, I think the people who have offered are Bod for Tea, Seasider in the City, Celebrating Mums,  Glass Half Full, Mum of all Trades and A Matter of Choice. I think everyone except Mum of all Trades has let me know when they can't host, so if you read this please email me on mummyfromtheheart @ virginmedia .com  so I have a contact for you and know which weeks suit you.  I will then send out an email in early August with dates/ instructions/ badge code/ linky code etc. 

Cheers Mich x

#TheGallery: My Backyard

I have been musing about whether I would join in with this Gallery or not.  What is a backyard for goodness sake?  It that a northern thing to say yard?  I don't have a yard, a garden yes but not a yard!  It sounds like a small patch of concrete that you might see on Coronation Street behind one of those terraced houses.  Am I showing myself up to be a southern snob now? Sorry about that...

Right now in our back garden we have started to grow some veggies and I am super proud of my hubbie and the kids as this is our first attempt and things seem to be going well. We have put in one raised bed to try out and if that goes OK we will get another couple.  I intended to buy some small veggie plants from the garden centre and plant those but hubbie had other ideas and bought some seed packets.  'Oh dear' thought I, this may not work but boy is he proving me wrong. He has been reading his allotment book and taking note!