Sewing the seeds of hope, Mindful Moments 7

Hello again I am back with my 7th Mindful Moments post. I am a day early this week as tomorrow is May 1st and I will have 2 design team posts going up so I thought I would post today. 

If you did not see my first post and wonder what these are do check it out here. Thank you to everyone who has been reading them. I can see from my stats that these are getting at least twice the usual traffic of my other posts, which has really inspired me to keep trying to get them written weekly if I can. I really hope you are finding them a moment to make you smile and stay mindful during these very turbulent times.

The rain finally arrived on Monday and I must admit here in the south east of England it is much needed. The whole of April has been virtually dry and my garden had a good drink.

Today I thought I would share my seeds project which I have been growing since Lockdown.

When I was tidying up at the beginning of Lockdown, I found a whole bunch of seed packets which were free last year with Gardener's World Magazine and with the usual busyness of life I never got round to planting them. I was even (whispers) going to throw them out as I could never see myself getting the time to do this as I tend to buy my few annual plants from our local nursery. Although I am hoping to still get my plants from them this year (they are trying to set up a delivery service while they are shut) I thought that watching some annuals grow from seed would they make for an interesting process. I could add them to my rather empty raised beds this year that by the time they flowered life might have moved on from where we were. I decided to try planting the cosmos and rudbeckia seeds.

The instructions said to use seed compost but all I have is multi purpose left over from my spring bulb planting. I decided that Mother Nature does not have seed compost and still manages just fine so I would make do with what I had. I found in the garage a tiny seed propagator, I must have used this years ago, perfect for covering them until they germinated.

 In my crafting stash I have coloured lolly sticks so they served as my markers

The lid went on and I put them on the kitchen side

 Unbelievably after just 5 days as it was so warm and sunny they started to sprout, first the cosmos

and then the rudbeckia

 After 2 weeks the cosmos were big enough to prick out

So I put 7 of them into pots again found in my garage

and here they are today.
My cosmos

 and rudbekkia

I don't have a green house so this is very much a make do and mend project but I am hoping that in a few more weeks I can harden them off and put them outside.

I also hope to get some plants delivered in mid May from my local nursery and it would be great fun if I can add my own grown to my pots too!

Something else to make you smile today is a bag I was sent by my son in law's parents. They saw this and thought of me when they were on a cruise last year and sent it as a belated birthday present.

 Isn't it hilarious...it's A4 size so I keep my current crafting project in it. I smile every time I look at it.

 Out on my walks I have seen lovely bluebells growing. I will miss not seeing the spectacle in Banstead woods this year but never mind, there is always next year.

and there is wisteria in plenty on local houses.  

The dinos are doing well with their babies

and we spotted these fluffy Canada geese babies yesterday

plus lots of sweet ducklings

 who are already growing quickly.

My Mindful Moment project today uses a really fun ancient set of pig stamps I found in my stash when I was spring cleaning last month. As many of you know I have a "thing" for pigs and they feature in my house a lot. The company , Little Claire's, are sadly no longer trading.

I used an old Wendy Vecchi stamp for the very apt sentiment. The background I made using distress inks.

with a close up

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Addicted to stamps and More 1/3 make your mark

The house that stamps built 3/3 anything goes

Simon says stamp Wednesday  Anything goes

Crafty Creations 1/3 anything goes
Through the craft room door 1/3 anything goes

I would like to end with a little quote which I think is so very true, particularly in these very troubled times when it is so hard not living our normal lives;

The most important seed you can plant is kindness; the most important crop it yields is joy.”

― Matshona Dhliwayo

Let's keep planting those seeds of kindness and we can look forward to the joy it will eventually bring us. 

Please keep safe, keep mindful, keep washing those hands and looking around at the beauty and inspiration from Mother Nature.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for the kind comments you have taken the time to leave me, they are so appreciated.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

With love, Jane x