More layouts from moi. I've been such a busy bunny. This morning I managed to get outside and do some gardening - it's unbelievable how much everything has grown. I don't have a photo, although I might take some next time I'm out there, but I'm sure you can imagine the scene...
When I moved in here, twelve years ago now, the garden was knee-deep in grass, with a pond that we didn't realise was there until the children's dad stood in it whilst strimming. There were some plants such as tulips and roses growing in the jungle, but the previous tenant had been alone since her husband died seven years earlier. He was obviously a keen gardener but she couldn't manage much.
So we strimmed it and tidied it up, and over the years I've planted lots of stuff including various climbers to clothe the fences. There's a huge honeysuckle and several clematis, a lovely virginia creeper, something called a Lisii wotsit, and a lovely Zepherine Drouhin rambling rose which this year put on a fantastic display. I've planted hollyhocks and delphiniums and grown coral poppies from seed; there are peonies and roses, several varieties of heuchera and about a dozen different geraniums. Out the front I planted a big native hedge which has grown to huge proportions, and I erected a fence - properly, using cement for the posts, which is more than I can say for any of the fences others have put up around this property. There is a brick path leading to the front door and a little terrace at the end of the back garden. The pond has been redug about three times.
But. For two or three years now I haven't made time to to out in the garden except in dire emergencies such as when the grass/weeds were threatening to take over the house. Having planted a high-maintenance garden, my work and my studies have discouraged me from maintaining it! So I have a fantastic collection of native weeds. The soil is very good because I have always gardened organically and added lots of stuff to it, and the wide border in the front garden is rich with leaf mould from the trees all around here. Unfortunately this means that everything grows in abundance, and this year particularly, with all the rain and the early warmth, things are shooting skyward. The roses I pruned back this morning had stems like tree trunks; some of them, and the late-flowering clematis in the front garden, are blooming so high up that I couldn't see them until I cut back the monster buddleia.
So this is my project for the next couple of months. I'm going to keep at the weeds - which is mostly what needs doing - and pester the Housing Trust to fix the fences, and make quite a few trips to the dump to empty out my poor neglected greenhouse which has been used as a general dumping ground, until it is all lovely again.
Here are the layouts, by the way!
This is for the Scrap Whispers game that's just finishing, and I used my Handmade Hannah grab box for this one. The photos are of Daughter opening her birthday present. Check out the heart, I was quite pleased with that! I think something else is needed, and I might add to the page later. Or I might not, lol.
Another one made with the grab box:
The heart is cut from some Jenny Bowlin packaging - from the crepe paper ribbon I used the other day. Needed a couple of passes through the machine but it was a great way of using up scraps, for the wings and background heart as well.
