A new garden, Mindful Moments 2

Hello again dear blogging friends. I am back with my second Mindful Moments post. If you did not see my first and wonder what these are do check out my first post here. I know a lot of people read it and I really hope you found it a moment to make you smile in these turbulent times.

This is a pretty long post, do make yourself a cuppa and pull up a seat. 

 So a week on and here in the UK we are now in lock down for at least the next 3 weeks while the cases of covid 19 escalate.  I must admit on Monday evening when the PM announced the lock down  I think everyone went into shock. Even though I think we all realized that it was coming when the realization came true it did hit hard. This is perfectly normal and a very human response.  However once everything had sunk in we started to see the very best in human nature. Kind souls rallying around for their elderly neighbours and this includes my parents caring neighbours who are picking up their milk etc for them. Our neighbour next door is 69 and fiercely independent but I am keeping an eye out and I have told him to ask if he needs anything at all, we are here.

Last night was extraordinary as at 8pm we experienced the first Clap for our NHS/Carers. Everyone and I mean everyone in our road opened their widows or doors and clapped. We will be doing this every night to give thanks to our amazing NHS and those who are caring for the vulnerable and also to remind everyone to stay at home to do our bit to help. I will confess I had a slightly moist eye as I found this so very touching. 

Bear is making slow but sure progress and the most wonderful thing about the weather since Monday is that we have been blessed with the most amazing sunshine. The skies have been clear blue from dawn to dusk and he has been able to rest on the new lawn, it is like a green duvet for him.

 I have shown a few sneaks peeks of my new garden so I thought for today's post I would share my new garden story with some photos.

We were not due to have our landscaping work started until now but we had a call back in late January that due to a cancellation our Landscapers could start on the Monday. Well of course we jumped at the chance and it is very spooky that we never knew what lay ahead. If we had to wait until now our garden work would not have gone ahead this year.

This was the work in progress in January, they are such a fab crew and worked so hard. 

The whole and I mean whole garden was dug up. Luckily the weather was dry at the time but boy it was a mud bath.

New raised beds were built,

 new paths laid

and a new lawn laid. 

 Everything was left for a month to settle down and then the weekend before lock down my darling son came over and top dressed my raised beds for me and put in my very first plants. 

A winter jasmine,

a hydrangea

 and a rosemary which has the most gorgeous blue flowers and scent which attracts the bees. 

That day we enjoyed with our son is a very treasured memory for now. I know I won't be able to buy more plants for a while but I have found some seeds which came free with Gardener's World magazine last year, which I will try planting in April. 

So now as I sit out in the sunshine, sipping my cappuccino next to the rosemary I can hear the bees buzzing

and I feel so very grateful for my tiny piece of paradise. 

I know how lucky I am to have this wonderful space to sit in 

 and a safe haven for Bear to fully recover. 

My project today is a little bookmark I was inspired to make after sitting outside in the spring sunshine for Jack, my nearly 3 year old grandson.

I caught a wish for him and put it in his little jar. These delightful stamps are by Tracey Easson. I used green distress inks for the background and coloured Morty the mouse with Zig markers. 

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

Moving along with the times 1/3 anything but a card

Creative fingers 2/3 anything goes

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes

Addicted to stamps and more 1/3 make your mark

Through the dark room door 1/3 anything goes

Crafty sentiments 2/3 anything goes
C.R.A.F.T 1/3 spring/Easter


So I have lots of reason to smile today; my gorgeous new garden is finished, Bear is recovering (very slowly but surely), I have been able to dry my washing outside, the bees are buzzing and the sun is shining.

Here is my little quote for today.

Kind hearts are the garden, kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the flowers, kind deeds the fruits.
Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds,
Fill it with sunshine, kind words and kind deeds.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 

Keep safe, keep mindful, keep clapping and keep washing those hands. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

With love, Jane x