Thank goodness for my garden and a bit of sunshine! I realise that I am very lucky because: (a) we have our own garden; and (b) I get such pleasure from it. During the past week, I have realised the importance of this more so than ever as the garden has become my sole source of fresh air and exercise and an area of constancy amidst a world of turmoil. Gardening really is a great leveller, a place to find focus and perspective and (sometimes) little nuggets of pure joy!
The bees in our garden have been very busy this week, enlivened by the sudden sunshine and the increase in flowers. I watched this morning as a fat bumble bee flew between some primroses and marvelled at how something that seems so un-aerodynamic manages to fly! A pair of ducks have built a nest on the far bank and buds have appeared on the apple tree and fruit bushes.
Whilst the daffodils are starting to die off, the few hellebores I have in the garden seem to be displaying a second flourish and have been joined by hyacinths and primroses. The little snakeshead fritillary included in the following images was a surprise addition to the flowers in our garden as I did not plant it! These pretty little flowers, with their chequerboard petals were voted the county flower of Oxfordshire in 2002.
Elsewhere in the garden, there have been changes. On arriving home from work one day last week, Andy presented me with a bag of seed potatoes and a rhubarb crown (romance is not dead!) and so I spent a couple of afternoons removing some of the turf from the far end of the garden and digging an extension to our meagre vegetable plot so that they could be planted. I also added a row each of carrot and beetroot seeds.
I am also still continuing with my efforts to clear the front border and Andy transplanted the pile of crocosmia bulbs that I removed to other areas of the garden. As he was digging, he found the following curiosity. A local chef believes it could be a truffle but I have no desire to try it!
Despite the good weather, it has been a struggle to get the children out into the garden this past week, possibly due to the huge change to their normal routine. I have shared a few of the activities we have tried below and will aim to keep adding to this list every few days!
1. Paint a rainbow. Many children all over the country are displaying beautiful rainbow pictures in their windows to show solidarity and spread a little joy. The children and I painted our rainbows on the side of the house!
2. Provide nesting material for birds. The garden birds are currently very busy building cosy nests in which to rear their young and they can be given a helping hand by being provided with a source of nesting material. Natural materials are best and it is important that these are untreated with chemicals. A few examples are provided below:
Dried leaves
Small twigs
Moss
Dried grass
Animal fur or small sections of (untreated) human hair
Feathers
Small pieces (about 3 cm) of string or wool
Coco fibre linings from hanging baskets
Push a selection of the above items into an old whisk, bird feeder or empty orange bag and hang in a bush or tree, preferably somewhere it can be seen through a window!
3. Do a garden treasure hunt. Provide a list of things to find in the garden, which can be varied according to the age of the children. For example, younger children can look for something rough, something smooth, something that comes from a plant, something yellow, etc, whilst older children can follow clues/a map, solve riddles or be encouraged to find things which begin with each letter of the alphabet.
4. Make a garden obstacle course or a den.
5. Plant something and watch it grow. If you don't have any seeds or bulbs available, try planting an apple pip or an old potato. Sprigs of shop-bought cut herbs such as rosemary, thyme and lemongrass will also sometimes root if placed in water. Lettuce bases and the ends of celery stalks can also be encouraged to "re-grow" in this way.
With older children, this can be turned into a science experiement, if the conditions are varied. For example, a bean seed can be placed in variable light and dark conditions, with or without water. The children can hypothesise what conditions they think will be the most favourable for the plant.
6. Be explorers and go on a hunt for sleeping tigers (or other wildlife!).
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