discovering Spring...

This week we have seen a little bit of sunshine. Its amazing how a little bit if warmth and brightness lifts the spirits and, in my case at any rate, prompts activity.

I spent a couple of hours 'pottering' in my little garden, a bit of pruning and tidying and general fiddling about very pleasurably. And I discovered a few things that made me think the winter is soon going to start fading - shining buds beginning to burst into leaf, fattening shoots on the daffodils and these crocuses in the grass...

I don't know which I like best, the almost pure white ones, that, when you look closely, have very fine lilac veins on the petals or the more open petalled purple ones. Both are very welcome little splashes of colour.

I also discovered that my tiny patch of 'outdoors' doesn't get much sun at all! I think it does face south-east but one of the disadvantages of living in the city centre is that there is a fair amount of shade from surrounding houses. There is one small corner that had sunshine for a few hours and the back of next doors shed was lit up for a bit...I'm hoping as the year goes on and the sun gets higher in the sky I might eke a bit more sunshine.

Undeterred, and spurred on by the blue skies, I did buy a packet of 'Seeds for Kids' (I am counting myself as a kid here...!) - I'm going to try to grow my own bright places - sunflowers, nasturtiums, marigolds and viola. Fingers crossed (and the neighbourhood moggie permitting!) I might have lovely things to look at later in the year.

I am missing my old garden - I know there there will be hyacinths and bluebells appearing and a big patch of daffodils under the fruit trees, plus more Spring shoots than you can count...

But Spring is happening in the city too, and there are lovely, different things to find here - just have to remember to keep looking for them.

Next time, I hope to have finished my little stools' makeover... thanks for the suggestions about paint colours. I went for white in the end, partly because it seemed right and partly, if I'm truthful, because I got such a shock at the price of paint that I decided to go with the time of white gloss I had in the cupboard already! Going to go and stitch the first cover in place now!!

Sx