Looking Out My Lounge Window

I have something pretty to look at now, as I sit on my couch in the lounge. Some we made as a couple, DH and me. Something that will last longer then a bunch of flowers. It also gives me HOPE and JOY that we can change this garden bit by bit together.

All planted and ready to grow.

Next I have more of the fence to paint, before adding some hanging planters for strawberry plants. And a plant to re-pot beside this planter. Busy, busy but very happy to be outside.

Painted the Planter

Planter before

Planter now, can wait to fill and plant with pretty flowers.

I had to add a photo of our veggie garden. Awesome progress. Have started to have mini salads for lunch.

Too Many Clothes

Thought it was about time to got through DD11 clothes. She has just turned 11 year old, and it's  good time to declutter. Boy was I in for a shock.

This is just a small pile of my daughters clothes.

Her drawers were packed with clothes, as well as her washing bag. And I also found more in her wardrobe. Since last years declutter my daughter clothes have multiplied. Maybe they have bred in those drawers. So the decluttering begins. With empty drawers, and a black bag for the clothing bin, the sorting began. Some were easy to sort, some needed to be washed first, and some needed my daughters opinion. But by the afternoon I have almost filled a bag ready for the clothing bin.
How freeing it is.
Now DD11 has more space in her room again.
Another thing that I'm happy about, we don't need to buy her any clothes.

Our Free Planter

I think my DH did a pretty good job on making this planter.

 We had left over wood and nails from making our raised vegetable garden. And leftover trellis from rebuilding the deck. Also a space that needed a better view then our garden shed. So DH built me this planter in one morning. So I'm slowly filling it with soil. Will also paint it, and plant some pretty flower plants. Will give us a far better view.

A little trial project, homemade SEED SHAKER.

 One of the ideas I wanted to try this year was planting helpful flowers in our veggie garden. Ones that we can eat and help other plants. As well as more radishes and lettuce planted at different times. And the idea of the seed shaker came to mind. This one is made out of an old herb container for cooking. It has a lid with holes for shaking. Painted it black to keep the seeds in the dark. And have added lettuce, marigold, radish seeds and others. Then I sprinkle on bare patches in the garden. Hope this idea works.

Organising Craft Items

Another project has been to organise my craft items, so they can be stored out of the way. But also easy for me to see if I already have what I need before buying. Looking at the glue box, I have done that abit. Also hopefully will help to have these in one place, not all over the house.
But I better get back to work making Poorman's Meal for our youth group dinner.

Office and Garden

More like an office now.

The office is becoming a more useful space, and more peaceful. Have a light coming to make the place brighter. Also need to work on the door so have a handle on the other side and even better would be to put a lock on. The seat is very comfortable, but I can't spend all day in  there. We had a moment of fine weather and moved the chicken coop along to the 3 stage of the vegetable garden.

1st stage garden growing well, 2nd stage has soil ready for planting seedlings

Chickens are enjoying some free range time in our garden as we prepare their coop for them. We are pretty happy with how the plants are growing in our veggie garden. Will be having radish's soon and lettuce. Yay salad time :) bring on some more good weather.

Mum's Office

With the wild Spring weather we have been having, gardening was not an option. So our home became my focus and getting that cleaned up and organised. So got to work on my office space.
I need an area for me, and the dinning table is not ideal.
So.....

Here was our junk closet, a large space under our stairway.

Took everything out, and gave the place a quick clean.

Moved a writing desk in. This desk has been in my bedroom, taking space. It wasn't in a good spot and didn't know where else to put it.

This desk was my dear Nan Nan's desk. She left to me after she died, because of the memories we had together with it. Visits to Nan Nan's house and the treasures in this desk she would share with me.

That's all I have done so far, since I want to give careful thought as to what else will go in. I would like to get a small office chair on wheels. I have a pin board, but need a few more pins. I will have my cards kept in here, and stationary. I have a little basket for my bin. I don't want to be buying things for this little office, but reusing what we have.
I will share more photos after I get some more done.

I have been thinking

I'm just recovering from a very bad chest infection. I have not felt so sick in a long time. But it sure does get you thinking when you can't do anything but sit or lie still.

Firstly I'm thankful for my husband who was so helpful with the kids and housework. Even used his day off work to look after me. Then I'm thankful for our kids. DS13 cooked us dinner on Sunday (bean and sausage casserole with mash potato), also made a dessert to have afterwards (self saucing chocolate pudding). And he baked a batch of biscuits for school lunches. DS12 helped with clothes washing, DD10 did clean up jobs all over the house. DS7 did bits here and there.
Now if that would continue more while I'm getting better would be wonderful.

Secondly I'm thankful for our garden. I have really missed not being able to get outside. I'm itching to get more plants planted. But I have also spent time thinking (and researching) things to improve our garden. And now want to get these ideas done. But have been warned to take it easy as I might have a relapse. Ideas like making a planter box with trellis for one side of our garden shed. So when we look out our lounge window, instead of metal garden shed, we can see plants growing. We have all the wood and pieces for it (so it's a free project). I also want to make our own concrete pavers for our garden. Found great plans for low cost ones we can make as a family (cheaper then buying pavers). So we can make a path to the raised garden bed. I also have plans for painting the fence and raised garden bed, have strawberry plants hanging off our fence to make more space for herbs. And many more ideas.

Thirdly I had been doing a part time job to bring in extra cash. But with the tax and time it's not worth the stress. So I'm quiting it to have my time again for my family and home. And I'm excited because it took to much from me, and I'm looking forward it getting it back. It means I can do a real spring clean of this home. And a real organise of our small space. I have an office space I need to create (I have the space but it a mess at the moment). I have to make an area for kids and DH bags to hang. And I need to get my bedroom back to a bedroom not my office at the moment.

And to make it clear why I need an office space. It's a space for home management. Where bills can be sorted, menus planned, school items that are needed where I can see. A place for my to do list, to buy list, to call. But most importantly a place where I can have time out in the house. I need a space that is mine and our dinning table to be a dinning table again.

But now I better head off to bed and try and get some sleep.

Helpful Free Plants

One of the things I love about gardening is how it doesn't have to cost alot. Sometimes it's even free :) I have been waiting for Thornless blackberry plants, to fill a spot. And my dad was able to pass on some plants that have started to sprout. They had to be removed from an old garden, and instead of them going into green waste they are blessing our garden.

A little garden that was once a bare fence. Will hopefully be a fruit harvest,

Cute little blackberry sprout.

 Now I'm keeping my eyes open for a Tansy Plant. Reading up on Blackberry plants they are suppose to be great companion plants.
Dad also passed on another free plant. He had brought a Scallopini in a pot, and there was 2 plants. So another plant in our veggie garden.

Scallopini in our veggie garden. Will have to move the chickens soon to start on the next stage of the garden.

New Chickens and The Trouble with Momma Hen

Our new chickens Caramel, Milkshake and Babe

 When we have had extra eggs, with have shared them with others. And they have been very popular. So we were asked if we could have more hens. We are aloud a total of 6 hens before we have to get a permit for more. So only 2 more hens we were aloud. But then we have had some trouble with Momma hen (will tell more soon). And the opportunity came up for 3 Brown Shaver Chicks, with their food provided we just had to provide a home. We jumped at the chance :) It will be awhile before they lay any eggs, but they have settled in well. And they are not that small, but they do love to be held by the children.

Shadow is hanging out with the chicks. They are getting on well.

Momma Hen is in Shadows cage, and here is her story.

Momma has been a good hen for us for awhile. But lately her mood has changed. She has become more grumpy with the other chickens. Not letting any come near her. She is not laying any eggs, but will spend long periods on the nest. And we have had her escape twice into other people's properties.Not good when some of our neighbours have dogs. The cage is near the others, but not close enough to have her peck the others. And what a change with the others. They are looking better and easier to look after. They happily let the children and me pick them up. They are eating and laying well. So we are thinking what to do with Momma Hen?
Right now we are happy to have 2 small flocks :)

Trouble With Cats

Our new veggie garden is growing well, but for one problem CATS
I do love cats and appreciate their help with keeping rats and mice away.
But after planting some carrot and spring onion seeds, and having a cat dig up the soil (through the night). My poor seeds and soil is in a mess.

I had planted the carrots and spring onions in front of the chicken tractor.

So how to keep cats off our veggie garden?

We have another raised garden bed, with our colourful chard is planted. Have had no problems with cats with that bed. Wonder if it is the mulch we used? If it is the mulch, then after we add it to this garden we should have no more problems with cats.
But will have to investigate other ways to ensure cats don't go on our veggie garden.

Spring Planting

Our first Crab Apple blossom, so excited

Our peach tree is in full bloom :)

Have begun planting our seedlings and a few head start plants.  Also added some $8 veggie soil. Now just need to get some mulch :)

Still have some more garden to prepare, for more planting.

Chickens checking out my work, and enjoying some sunshine.

They have already started on the soil, and still laying us eggs. I do have another roost to make.

I'm loving getting out into the garden, and digging into the soil. Watching things grow, snacking on what has grown :)

Our New Chicken Tractor

It's almost finish :)
I'm so pleased we were able to use the PVC pipe we had under our old deck. Here are some photos of us making the chicken tractor.

PVC pipe all measured and cut. We had to buy some more pipe, and the cheapest was orange. Colourful

Adding the wire netting after DH glued the pipe together.

It stands, we decided on the door being on the side. So we can reach in while it on the raised garden.

Almost finished, on the raised garden, where we want it.

We are working on the roost now for the chickens. Have the nesting boxes and food and water containers.

After we have the chickens in there, I can get ready to plant our seedlings :)