Hello July

Well hello

I hope you are all well and enjoying summer. We've had rain for days now with a few intermittent bouts of sunshine but it's not what you would call summer weather or temperatures in my neck of the woods and yet I know a lot of you are over heating... Crazy!

 

I've still nothing crafty to share but I have a some garden photos (still a work in progress). Unfortunately DH can't tell a flower from a weed so I've lost quite a few of my perennials and his eyesight is now really poor but I've found him lots to do.

You may remember that I bought a new garden swing awhile ago but I decided to see f I could repair the old one

 

Well, Ginger just loves it and sits out there even in the pouring rain, so I got new parts, fitted them with Ian's help and then re-covered the seat in a thick waterproof fabric. That was hard work! The fabric is so tough but it's definitely waterproof and Gingerboy is happy.

Then there was an area where we (weather permitting) like to dine outdoors but it was quite dull - You can see it on this photo I took in May, just on the left

Before

... And now it looks like this

With a little water feature, made from a planter that I painted and it has a few succulents in there. Solar lights, a string of heart lights and pretty plants. To the side on the wall...

The photos are a little dull because the weather is wet and dull but you get the idea.

My goal was to try and use up as much stuff as I already had so the only new thing here was the mirror and the seat fabric. I had those shutters stored away from years ago and like the fencing they just needed a coat of paint, courtesy of DH. The seat cover (for 2 chairs I joined together) was made by me with some foam I had and a metre of water resist fabric

I've spent a lot of time cutting back trees and one had to go altogether which left an ugly space that I look out onto from my craft room so I transformed that with plants and flowers and bits I already had

The little bird cage held a candle but now it has greenery and solar lights that shower down when it gets dark. The mirrors were 2 old frames and I bought 2 pieces of acrylic mirror to fit them. DH helped me to hang them and if you look closely you can see the nod of approval from a little robin.

 

DH gave my little shed a coat of paint...

 

 All the added extras I had, the owl hanging to the left to which I added chimes, the the cat hook on the door and a plaque that I recovered and varnished.  The metal jug I painted and added lights that stream down at night. Ignore the chair, it's where the morning sun hits and Ginger heads off there every morning.

I said it was a work in progress and in the next month or so we are having all this gravel replaced with artificial grass and I'm really excited about that

The fountain in the middle will stay, it was leaking badly but now with some waterproof cement and new bags of pebbles it works a treat.

You could say I have been crafty but in the garden rather than with paper... 

I will catch up with you all soon and I hope you enjoyed seeing what I've been up to along with all the other things life throws up. There have been a few hospital visits for DH and he is now having to have eye surgery, though we don't have a date yet. 

Stay well and thanks so much for your visit

Till next time

~ Ros ~