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This is intended to be mainly about my crafting stories, as a personal record of what I do. However, I interpret crafting quite widely, not just paper crafting but other things too. I have a butterfly mind and like to change from one thing to another depending on what I feel like on a given day - knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, cards, baking and several others, including my favourite right now, parchment, both traditional skills and Groovi, very relaxing and calming to do.

I have decided to put some structure into my blog so that each day will have something of a theme.
Monday- for Mindfulness; Tuesday - Tidy Up Day; Wednesday - What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday; Thursday - Technique and Tips; Friday - Finish Off Day; Saturday - Start Something New; Sunday - Anything Goes
These themes are not hard and fast and will be changed if I feel the need.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

WOYWW 249 - My outdoor desk

Well, it is Wednesday again, the day when we are supposed to show the world our desks, and all that we have been doing over the past week.  We display them over at Julia's hub at Stamping Ground.

As you can see, the only desk getting any attention at the moment is my outdoor desk, i.e the garden.  After all, when you get beautiful sunshine after such a soggy period of time (can't really call it Winter, more like a monsoon), you just have to get out there and do as much as possible.

 I had been out and about and round some of the local garden centres at the end of last week, and these beauties were the result of that shopping trip.  Most of them hold happy memories for me for differing reasons.  The lovely blue scabious was chosen because it attracts insects various, but also because it reminds me of so many holidays in the sunshine down in Cornwall, where they grow wild everywhere.
I love daffodils, but I cannot have the tall elegant ones in this area as the wind swirls madly round my patio area, so I have to be satisfied with the miniature version, but they are still so pretty.
 Pansies have always been a favourite flower.  When I was young, I managed to plant the whole or our front garden with pansies of all colours.  I would collect the seed and sow that in any gaps, so they interbred and produced a fantastic variety.  Their faces are so lovely and take me back to a book I had when I was quite small.  It was a story made up about pansies as characters.  I do wish I could find that again, but no-one else seems to have heard of that book.

Just looking at the vivid blue of this one makes me happy.  I have also found a strain of pansies which are perfumed, so I am waiting for those to arrive and add to my collection.

Proper wild flowers are special too.  Real native cowslips and primroses are so evocative of my childhood.  I know there are loads of lovely colours of polyanthus, but I don't like them in my garden.  I prefer the true soft colour of the primrose, the flower that should be given on Mothering Sunday.  If you want to know about how Mothering Sunday came about, go to my post from last year on its origins - Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day


 I have been out again today to a different garden centre and found a load of cowslips and primroses - tiny plants that can be slotted into a small space to settle in ready for next year.


Another old favourite of mine are the old fashioned anemones, the ones that look like a bundle of rags until they open in the sunshine, and turn into the most beautifully coloured open flowers.  I bought those as a trial to see if they would grow and settle into the raised beds.

I have loads more plants on order to fill these beds and the ones you cannot see, and the extra ones I am having built.  My intention is to fill the beds totally and plant so tightly that there is no room for weeds to come through.  That might eventually give me extra crafting time, always a bonus in my book.  All I need now is another couple of dry days and I might get the lawn cut.

While I am doing that, you might like to pop over to Julia's and see who else has lovely things to show this week.  Have a good week, wherever you are.

18 comments:

House of Bears said...

Beautiful flowers. Stay in the sunshine while it's there, the desk can wait. :)

The bears @74

shazsilverwolf said...

Hi Marg, Beck told me about the planting frenzy, lol. The beds look ace, Doug is going to build some at the bottom of the garden for salads and herbs. Speak soon, Love Shaz xxx

Annmakes said...

Happy WOYWW! I am quite envious of seeing your green lawn and beautiful gardens, as mine are still burried under a meter or more of snow, with more snow falling as I type! What an incredible looking red pansy, it looks like a poppy, beautiful. Thanks for the cheerful pics.
Ann #81

Linda Simpson said...

I do so love spring when all the flowers start to show their heads. Your garden looks fabulous. Thank you for sharing.
Hugs
Linda xxx

Lunch Lady Jan said...

Ooh, your garden is looking so pretty! I've spent a lot of time in mine the past few days but it's been most;y spent spraying the fences and digging over the raised veg beds!!
Hugs, LLJ 41 xx

Elizabeth said...

Lovely post Maggie, I love your raised beds and your plan to fill them with so many plants weeds there will be no room for weeds is one I share. The less weeding that has to be done the better! My DH has planted pansies this week too. Look forward to seeing how all your planting develops throughout this year. Elizabeth x #75

Anonymous said...

Beautiful flowers. Putting my garden (or the poor excuse for a garden outside) to shame! Really need to find some time to do something about it ... But my desk inside is far more comforting!
Thanks for sharing
Catiecuddles#55

fairy thoughts said...

Hi maggie I think even I would swap some crafting time ( not that I've had any lately either) to get out in the sunshine with those gorgeous flowers daffs are one of my favourites too and I'm sat looking at a lovely big bunch my girls brought me at I type :-) we use to give them for Mothering Sunday as we weren't allowed to pick the wild primroses.
Anyway I'm waffling have a good week
Janet @52

sandra de said...

Your flower beds look beautiful in all their colour.
Sandra @8

Helen said...

what beautiful plants you chose and for lovely reasons. . I don't remember a story about pansies as characters, can only remember the flower fairies,but that's not it, is it? Anyhow, have a great week, hope you enjoy some time in the garden but don't work too hard!

Helen said...

sorry, Helen 16!!

505whimsygirl said...

Hi Maggie,

What beautiful raised beds! I absolutely love pansies; another one of my favorite flowers.

I'd say your outdoor desk is bursting with color.

I honestly thought I'd be by sooner but better late than never!

Happy belated WOYWW
Peace,
Kay (23)

okienurse said...

Beautiful flowers Maggie! I love all of them. I wish I could get flowers to grow that that here in Oklahoma but it is just too hot in the summer. Marigolds, zinnas, and daisy/mums do well but few others. I have about another couple weeks before I can start planting outside without fear of freezing so just cleaning up for now! Thanks for sharing your beautiful garden. Vickie #72

Julia Dunnit said...

I'm late. Sorry!
loving your garden desk..the scabious particularly, and my memories are similar! Your raised beds are going to look glorious.

shazsilverwolf said...

Hi Marg, been brayering again, and the funny thing is, I only get lines when working off a mat- I never get them when I work off paper. Guess thats just how I perfected my technique, And I get the bonus of inked sheets I can use for backgrounds, especially as I use them to stamp off onto, so I get brilliantly random sheets. How was the NEC? Lots of new goodies, I guess?
Love Shaz xx

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Sorry I'm late visiting. It's been a busy life-gets-in-the-way type of week. I think I'm in LOVE with your outdoor desk. I want some of those raised beds. They are fantastic, but probably cost more than I could ever afford to spend. Happy very belated WOYWW from #7.

BTW, is that YOUR house or your neighbor's house in the background? I love those white windows and doors. Lots of light for when spring actually arrives.

Robyn Oliver said...

Hi Maggie I decided to have a late week snoop around some WOYWW blogs because I missed heaps this last week and have some time now. Oh my I love your flower garden - all those flowers lucky you, they so make you smile and feel good. Cheers Robyno#24

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

Hi Maggie doing some back snooping with WOYWW.. wodnerful garden beds that is for sure - great work!
I agree with you on pansies have always loved them and love the Scabious too though had no idea of them til saw them here.. :D remind me of cornflowers.. so perhaps they are related? which we do grow here...
oh re your book did a quick search and came up with this site which may or may not help you:
http://www.oldchildrensbooks.com/looking-for-a-book?page=6

every blessing, Shaz in oz.x