The Seasonal Weekender - A Sunny Bank Holiday Weekend in the Garden

Hello my lovely friends. Here in the UK we are looking forward to a Bank Holiday weekend and gloriously...apparently we are expecting a heatwave over the next week and clear skies!

I hope that you have all had a lovely week. Mine turned out to be slower than anticipated as I came down with a throat infection but sometimes taking a bit of time to slow down can be a good thing. I pottered about the house and just indulged in some lovely homely things like picking flowers from the garden and opening up an embroidery project that has been sitting on my To-Do list for over two years! I'm looking forward to more of the same all weekend long!

This morning I woke up feeling like I am on the mend thanks to a couple of doses of antibiotics, which is just as well given the anticipated weather this weekend. I don't want to be cooped indoors feeling poorly when the sun is shining!

From the moment I opened the conservatory doors this morning I could feel the warmth - so lovely after a cold spell. I immediately opened all the doors leading into the garden to let in the fresh air.

Of course, I took advantage of today's warm weather and got all the washing done, it is currently drying in the sunshine and warm breeze. I have to say that it is so nice to have the washing drying outside rather than in my kitchen. After a long winter of my kitchen doubling as a laundromat, it is nice to return it to it's summer state!

In Season

May is the month of large swathes of frothy Cow Parsley in bloom. Living in the country we get to enjoy this seasonal treasure every time we go anywhere as the lanes are flanked with billowing clouds of this gorgeous wildflower.

I picked a huge bunch for the house. I have found a way to maximise this delicate flowers longevity once picked. First you punch the stems into boiling water for 30 seconds, then straight into a vase of ice-cold water. The blooms have looked fresh for well over a week. 

Today I noticed the kitchen table littered with tiny white petals. The flowers still look fantastic but it is an indication that they won't last for much longer. We also eat breakfast at this table each morning and I really didn't fancy the idea of the falling petals landing in our food. 

Still wanting to enjoy them for a little while longer, I moved the vase to the outside picnic table where I think they look too beautiful.

In The Garden

I love walking through the garden first thing in the morning. I take my cup of tea and slowly stroll along the path to see what changes there have been from the day before. At this time of the year there is always a lot going on.

The Iris's have been teetering on blooming for days and happily,  the first three blooms chose to greet me on my morning inspection walk.

I planted a couple of Geum's next to them and the contrast is just lovely. Geums are a MUST in my garden, they are prolific bloomers and will flower all summer long. I couldn't resist capturing the early morning light shining through the delicate orange petals this morning!

I headed up to the greenhouse to check on my plants and open the vents and door ahead of the days heat. I was delighted to see that the first few tomatoes are starting to form! This is the first year I am growing tomatoes in a greenhouse so I am expecting a satisfactory harvest this year!

The pond continues to thrive, I spent a good 40 minutes this  morning sitting by the pond and watching the busyness of life lived out beneath the surface and on top.

The Tadpoles get bigger every day and some have already got their little hind legs growing.

The Newts are less bothered about our presence these days and happily bob about the surface of the water snapping up the fish food and soaking up the sun's warmth.

Frog life is still going strong, in fact they have been rather vocal over the last three days. I was able to sneak up on them and see what all the noise was about. They were sitting along the edges having a good sing-a-long although in reality i suspect it was more to do with notifying neighbouring frogs not to encroach into their individual territories. It's a busy pond!

While I was sitting by the pond-side, I noticed a good many damselfly's laying their eggs in the pond moss. 

We should have some damselfly nymphs hatching in about 2-5 weeks. Now, they are hugely predatory and will prey on tadpoles, so I am hoping that by the time it gets to that time, our tadpoles are nearer to frog stage and that a good many will survive. 

Well, I'm of to pick up my needles, I plan to sit outside as long as possible under the shade of the gazebo this afternoon knitting and stitching - perfect convalescing activities - and I hope to feel a bit more 'human' by tomorrow! Whatever you are doing this weekend, I hope that involves a bit of time outdoors and doing something that brings you joy.

Blessings in Christ

Shirley

The Seasonal Weekender: Lemon-Blueberry Muffin Recipe

 Hello lovelies! I hope that you are all well and enjoying the weekend.

Here in the Welsh hills, it is blustery and rainy with the occasional hail shower. We had wanted to visit Bodant Garden in Conwy today but I think that given the conditions, we may wait to visit in May.

Instead, I have spend the morning baking some lovely Blueberry-Lemon Buttermilk Muffins. The mixture yielded 12 muffins plus enough for a loaf, or you could do 24 muffins.

Make my Blueberry-Lemon Buttermilk Muffins

Here is my recipe if you would like to give them a try - they certainly are delicious!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Bake Time: 20-24 Minutes

Makes: 24

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

GLAZE

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease two muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla and combine until smooth. Beat in the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating the two, using about one-third of each for each addition. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Fold in the blueberries, and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Pour the batter into the muffin tins, filling each up about half-way.
4. Bake until the muffin tops are golden, 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Make the Glaze: Stir the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Brush the glaze over the muffin tops while the muffins are still warm.

Down the Spring Garden Path...

This is our first spring in our new home and it is a joy to watch the garden awakening this spring.

The garden is surrounded by a variety of trees, shrubs and hedges and most of them are in various stages of blossoming. It is so lovely to see colour creeping in to the far reaches of the garden.

While we have had clear blue skies on occasion, April is renowned for its turbulent nature, so to see these pops of colour helps us to remember that better days on most certainly on the way!

In the greenhouse, I have had mixed luck with my seeds. The problem is that I planted a lot of seeds who's sell by date had come and gone. I couldn't bring myself to throw them away, they had to be given the chance.

I have cosmos, lupins, poppies, rudbeckia, sweetpeas and sunflowers coming up. I bought some fresh seeds just this week so I will get those sown this weekend.

My YouTube Channel

I wanted to let you know about the trials and developments with my YouTube channel.

I spent hours and hours recording and editing my launch episode only to find that the program I used draws the various clips from a URL and does not store the content on its platform.

This is completely useless because it means that I need to keep the files on my own hard drive on cloud storage which takes up an immense amount of room. If the URL's are deleted, your uploaded video is destroyed.

So, back to the drawing board. I think I am just going to record again, not worry too much about making it a professionally edited production, and hope that people are happy to connect with me in a simple, unedited manner. Something is better than nothing right?

Midway through the cut - look at the difference!

You will note that I managed to figure out how to get the comments form visible on this new blog home - it's only taken me about 7 months! So if anyone has recommendations on editing software, I would love to hear from you!

Saturday Afternoon Reading

I picked up The Simple Things magazine yesterday so I am enjoying paging through April's copy this rainy afternoon.

I am also enjoying this little spring display that I put together for the coffee table in the conservatory. We got this gorgeous Easter card from a dear friend and I love it so much that I'm going to keep it for future spring displays. The little house was a gift from my daughter's recent visit to Copenhagen and I picked a few of the blooming dandelion flowers from my garden.

I've shared before how my husband can't stand them and how much I love them - they are a hallmark of spring! Fortunately, all the dandelions in our garden appear to be containing themselves to the far reaches of the garden and in the wild boarders, so in my view, they have every right to be there.

Anhyoo lovelies, that's about it from me this weekend. I hope that whatever you are doing you are enjoying a slower pace and will find some time this weekend to nurture your creativity and home.

The Seasonal Weekender: Early May

Hello lovelies!

I hope that you are all enjoying May so far. I am continually and pleasantly overwhelmed by the beauty of this month. Living out in the country I am so much more in tune with the subtle changes in the seasons.

Along the country lanes Cow Parsley towers above carpets of purple bluebells. Horse Chestnut trees are laden with soft creamy/pink candle flowers and the fields are awash with yellow dandelions that slowly give way to waves of white as they turn from flower to dandelion clock seed heads.

My own garden is bringing such delights, the Clematis is romping away, clearly forgetting it's manners as it clambers over its neighbouring plants bringing swathes of delicate pink and yellow where it's dainty feet choose to tread.

The greenhouse has brought me such joy. I love spending time in there planting seeds, potting on seedlings as they grow, dreaming of an abundance of flowers to be enjoyed, picked and displayed over the coming months.

My vegetables are growing beautifully, especially the lettuce. We have already enjoyed quite a few salads in recent weeks. The more we harvest, the more it seems to grow. I love walking up the path with my scissors and a pretty bowl to harvest leaves for a meal.

The Chives and Parsley are thriving at the moment and have been enjoyed in homemade potato salads.

With all this lovely spring weather, we have been spending quite a bit of time outdoors. Lots of gardening of course but a lot of relaxing too. I pulled out some of my favourite books this afternoon and did a bit of reading and journaling.

I will be sharing a bit more about this in my next YouTube video - which was supposed to be out last week but... we have a lot going on at the moment and time seems to run away with me quite frequently. I'll share a bit about that too. Thankfully I have a more relaxed week this week and I am fiercely guarding my time so I plan to record tomorrow.

We had two birthdays in our family in April and gorgeous weather so we took advantage of it and enjoyed a birthday breakfast outside. Lilacs are in bloom and they made a lovely arrangement for the breakfast table.

As you can see, the bunting is up too - it will stay there for the summer coming down only to be washed and then straight back up. There is something so cheery about bunting don't you think?

Finally, who else absolutely loves hanging their washing outdoors to dry? This is one of those very simple, everyday ordinary things that brings a small sense of satisfaction to my homemakers soul.

I am reorganising my studio (post to come) and 

I found this quilt and a few of my favourite embroidered items that I hadn't unpacked since our move last year. I really want to get joy from the items I have crafted and I want them on display in my studio, so I gave them a wash and hung them outside to dry in the spring sunshine. Soon they will be back in the studio to enjoy.

Well my lovely friends, I am off to go and enjoy an episode of Miss Marple - perfect Sunday afternoon viewing! Enjoy what remains of your weekend and I shall see you back here very soon.

April Seasonal Living: Signs of Spring in the Garden, Pond and Home

 Hello lovelies,

Can you quite believe that we have arrived at April already? There is something about the turning of the month that feels like a threshold...March quietly slips behind us, and suddenly we find ourselves stepping more fully into spring.

And what a lovely March it has been.

Stepping into April

The bumblebees have returned, moving slowly and purposefully from flower to flower, gathering what they need after the long winter months. There is something so reassuring about that familiar hum. It feels like a promise that the season is truly changing.

The daffodils have come into their own too, and are still blooming beautifully, their bright yellow heads catching the light and lifting even the greyest of days. They never fail to bring a sense of cheer to the garden, quietly announcing that spring is here.

The Pond Awakens

And then there is the pond.

It is beginning to stir again, almost imperceptibly at first, and then all at once. The frogs have returned from their winter rest and have filled the water with spawn. So much so that it has become a little nursery of its own. I find myself drawn to it each day, pausing to observe, to notice, to wonder at the steady, hidden work of growth taking place beneath the surface.

The spawn is looking healthy, and thankfully untouched! I am watching closely as it begins its gradual transformation. There is a quiet anticipation in this stage, knowing what is to come, yet allowing it to unfold in its own time.

Seeing it all has taken me back to our homeschooling days, when we gathered frogspawn and carefully nurtured it at home, watching it develop from tiny dark specks into tadpoles, and eventually into the smallest of frogs. It was one of the simplest studies we ever did, and yet one of the most memorable. I will share that post again later this week, in case it might inspire you in your own homes this season.

We also discovered, quite unexpectedly, that we have newts in the pond, a small but delightful surprise. It seems our garden is becoming something of a haven for wildlife, which brings me a quiet kind of joy I find difficult to put into words.

Blossom and Light in the Garden

One of the quiet joys of living in our new home is watching the garden reveal itself, little by little, as each season unfolds. It still feels, in many ways, like an introduction...each week bringing something new into view, something we had not yet noticed or fully appreciated.

At the moment, so many of the shrubs and smaller trees are dressed in white blossom. It has come upon us almost all at once, softening the edges of the garden and catching the light in the most delicate way. There is a freshness to it that feels unmistakably like spring, clean, hopeful, and full of promise.

I find myself lingering a little longer outdoors these days, noticing how the light falls through the branches, how the breeze carries the petals, how everything seems to be quietly coming back to life.

Back to the Kitchen

I have also found myself spending more time in the kitchen again, returning to the quiet rhythm of baking our own bread. There is something deeply satisfying about it. The steady process, the simplicity of the ingredients, and the sense of care it brings back into the home.

This week, I made a batch of lemon and blueberry muffins from one of my Amish baking books. They were quite delicious! Light, fresh, and full of flavour, and felt just right for this time of year. There is something about the combination of citrus and berries that seems to capture the essence of spring so perfectly.

It is these small, ordinary things—the tending of a garden, the watching of a pond, the baking of bread—that seem to mark the season most meaningfully. Not in grand gestures, but in the quiet, everyday moments that gently shape our days.

As I look forward to April unfolding, I am reminded how closely the rhythms of home and nature mirror the deeper truths of our faith. There is a quiet unfolding taking place all around us, in the garden, in the pond, in the small, faithful work of our hands within the home. Nothing hurried, nothing forced, and yet everything moving steadily towards new life. After the stillness of winter and the reflection of Easter, this season feels like an invitation: to notice, to tend, and to trust in the gentle work of renewal. And perhaps that is enough...to live attentively in these days, to care for what has been placed before us, and to rest in the assurance that growth, both seen and unseen, is always at work.

Getting Ready for Spring Gardening

March marks the beginning of meteorological spring, the day when winter loosens its grip and the promise of a new season begins to stir across the British countryside. The light lingers a little longer in the evenings, birds grow more vocal in the trees and hedgerows, and the first brave signs of life begin to push through the soil.

I know that many people only herald the start of spring at the Spring Equinox, but I am more than ready to embrace the small hallmarks of the new seasons arrival and so I am officially embracing that spring has arrived.

To mark the turning of the season, I'm sharing a short video filmed this weekend - a gentle celebration of this threshold moment between winter and spring. It also marks the beginning of something new for me, as I prepare to launch my YouTube channel, where I will be sharing reflections of seasonal living, the beauty of the countryside, the quiet rhythms of everyday life, along with the books I'm reading, thoughts from my nature walks, and glimpses of traditional homekeeping and creative pursuits that bring meaning and calm to the days.

If you enjoy this glimpse of early spring in my garden, I would be delighted if you would subscribe to my channel and join me as this new creative chapter unfolds.

So how did you spend your first day of spring?

Garden: A greenhouse in time for spring

My husband and I spent the day finishing off our greenhouse. We started building our greenhouse late December. Then the snow arrived and put a stop to our progress. The temperatures remained too cold to get any significant work done. February seemed to be a month of eternal rainfall and this is not a job that you want to do in the rain.

This weekend, we decided to get it finished.

It is time to sow my spring seeds, so when I suggested that my husband bring in a few of our fold away tables into the conservatory so that I could get on with my spring gardening tasks, it proved to be just the motivation to get the greenhouse finished.

It took us the better part of the weekend but by Sunday afternoon it was done, complete with staging. The pelargoniums were moved out of my office where they have been overwintering, and into the greenhouse.

I have wanted a greenhouse for as long as I can remember and finally, I have one of my very own and I am looking forward to spending a few days this week in the greenhouse, planting my spring seeds. 

I have dreamed of lavishing seasonal touches on my greenhouse so I will be hanging bunting and perhaps a seasonal wreath too. Adding small seasonal decor touches is a way to celebrate the season and I find such joy in this small practice.

What are you doing to celebrate the arrival of spring?

The Kitchen Sink and the Secret Garden

 A Window into the Wild

From the vantage point of my kitchen sink, I’ve been granted a quiet but intimate view into what I fondly call The Secret Garden — my modest back garden that comes alive with quiet magic. As I stand washing dishes in warm, sudsy water, my eyes drift beyond the glass to catch the antics of the creatures that share this space with me.

There’s the robin, ever bold, defending his winter territory with song and spirit. Blackbirds busy themselves among the leaf litter, tossing it aside with vigorous scratching in search of earthworms. One moment they’re still, head cocked to listen, and the next—beak to soil—they're pulling a worm from the earth.

And then, there’s the squirrel: a comical, daring acrobat, leaping from branch to feeder with impressive agility. I’ve even had the pleasure of watching a male pheasant strut across the frosty lawn, his entourage of females foraging dutifully at his heels.

Twilight Visitors

As night falls, the Secret Garden reveals more of its hidden guests. I’ve often found myself holding my breath at the sight of a fox, its russet fur glowing under moonlight, as it moves with silent precision across the garden. These are the moments that feel truly enchanted.

Hedgehogs, on the other hand, draw squeals of delight and cries of, “There’s a hedgehog in the garden—come quick!” The dishes are quickly forgotten as we dash outside to observe our prickly visitor snuffling in the shrubbery. We often offer a little dish of cat food, which is gobbled up with noisy gratitude.

The Unseen Secret Garden

I often wonder what goes on when I’m not looking—when I’m not at the window, or the garden is cloaked in the silence of night. It’s this quiet mystery that makes the idea of a Secret Garden feel so real.

No wonder so many amateur wildlife lovers set up garden cameras to catch glimpses of this unseen world. The thought of what remains hidden is almost as magical as what’s observed.

How to Create a Wildlife-Friendly Garden in Winter

If you want to transform your outdoor space into a haven for local wildlife, especially during the harsh UK winter months, here are a few simple, effective steps you can take:

1. Keep Bird Feeders Stocked

Birds expend more energy in winter, so keeping feeders full helps them survive. Use a mix of seeds, fat balls, and suet to attract different species.

2. Leave Leaf Litter Undisturbed

Resist the urge to tidy every corner—piles of leaves provide essential shelter for insects, frogs, and hedgehogs.

3. Scatter Hedgehog and Ground-Forager Food

Sprinkle food such as hedgehog biscuits or cat food under hedges and shrubs where ground dwellers feel safest.

4. Provide Fresh Water

Leave shallow dishes of clean water in sheltered spots. In winter, check daily to ensure they haven’t frozen over. My daughter made this beautiful mussle-shell flower which I fill with water. It is shallow enough for the instects to safely drink without the danger of drowning.

5. Build a Simple Insect Hotel

Create a cosy hideaway by piling twigs, bark, and leaves in a quiet corner of your garden. You can also make bug hotels from old plant pots and bamboo canes.

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Complementary Crafts and Learning Activities

Make the most of your own Secret Garden by pairing wildlife-watching with creative and educational projects, especially great for children or seasonal home educators.

✦ Garden Wildlife Journal

Start a nature diary to record daily or weekly wildlife sightings from the kitchen window. Encourage drawing pictures of birds, sketching leaf shapes, or noting animal behaviours.

✦ DIY Bird Feeders

Use pinecones, peanut butter, and seeds to create natural bird feeders. Or recycle yoghurt pots and string for simple hanging feeders.

✦ Make a Hedgehog House

Use old wooden crates or boxes to build a hedgehog shelter. Tuck it into a quiet corner of the garden and line it with straw or dry leaves.

✦ Create Wildlife ID Cards

Print or draw simple identification cards for local garden birds, mammals, and insects. Keep them near the window for easy reference.

✦ Storytelling Prompt: The Secret Garden Watchers

Encourage children (or adults!) to write short stories or poems inspired by the animals they see—or imagine what goes on in the garden at night when no one is watching.

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Closing Thoughts

Whether it’s the bold chirp of a robin or the quiet rustle of a hedgehog in the dark, the Secret Garden is always teeming with life—even when we can’t see it. The view from the kitchen sink has taught me that sometimes, the simplest moments are the most magical.

This season, I hope you’ll take a moment to look out of your own window and discover the secret world that might be hiding just beyond the glass.

Ordinary Days

It's been longer than I had intended since being here. I've thought about it a thousand times but March turned out to be a very busy and disruptive month. 

You see, our house sale fell through yet again! Second time! This time, the person who was buying our buyers house pulled out, as a result, we lost our onward purchase.

Initially we were a bit sad but we know that everything happens for a reason and that God has always been and remains good! We relisted our property and sold it within days for significantly more than we had hoped for. This has opened up an opportunity for my husband embark on a new business venture so we look forward to seeing how that will come about.

In the meantime, we have decided to rent while we look for another property. It will also mean that we will be able to do away with any lengthy chains which has proved so problematic for us so far. By renting, we will be ready to move quickly once we find our new home. 

So for the next few months, we are still in our lovely home which means there is no need to put off planting my vegetable seeds. Once they are big enough, they will go into pots so that when we do move, they can come with us.

Growing

 I've got tomatoes, beetroot, peas, beans and courgettes growing on the windowsill. You can see how much they have grown in just a few short weeks since planting them.

I have also been growing new spring onions from a bunch of spring onions I bought at the grocery store. You simply trim the roots halfway and pop them into some potting soil. It is amazing at how well it works!

Reading

I mentioned in a previous post that I had resolved to only read 'real' books in 2025 so to that end, I applied for another library card and paid a visit to my local library.

It was lovely to be back in a place surrounded by books. I spent a lovely hour choosing my reads for the next 4 weeks. I am looking forward to diving into this pile of books! The only author I am familiar with in this collection is Alexander McCall Smith. The Agatha Christie book is about her life and characters, written by Cathy Cook. Agatha Christie is my favourtie author so I'm looking foward to seeing what the author has to say.

In the Kitchen

It seems like we are just not getting though our bananas very quickly these days so I have made a couple of dozen banana bread muffins. I have frozen them in batches and take out 6 at a time for us to enjoy with our tea and coffee mid morning or mid afternoon.

Around the Home

As we are staying in our home for a few more months, I unpacked the boxes that we had packed before Christmas. I now have all my receipe books back in use!

We are still enjoying our the new layout of our spring reshuffle. This space is working well as a dining room so I'm glad that we will get to enjoy it for a couple more months.

I have also reinstated our milk delivery. I had stopped this a week before we were supposed to complete on our sale way back in October. Given our luck with the sale I decided that I was no longer going to live in a state of flux - it's just too stressful. I'll stop the delivery when those papers have been signed and there is no turning back! 

In the Garden

One of the good things about being in our house for another few months is that we get to watch the garden come back to life.

We build this garden from nothing and we love it so. It is a blessing to see it slowly come into it's own. At the moment, it is an explosion of yellow punctuated with the bright pinks from the tulips.

The Marsh Marigold seems to have come out of nowhere. One moment is was a compact mass of leaves hunkering down, and the next this...

The garden has responded well to the burst of warm weather we have been having. I've enjoyed hanging the washing outdoors to dry in the breeze and we have spent quite a bit of time pottering about the garden. 

It is looking Easter Egg Hunt ready! Yes, even though our children are adults, they still enjoy a good old hunt. I think it's the free chocolate! Plans for Easter will be underway next week and I'm looking foward to turning my thoughts and heart back to the simple joys of observing the liturgical year and nuturing those who cross my threshold.

Anyhoo lovelies, I've prattled on for long enough today. Have a lovely weekend and I'll see you back here next week.