Sunday 26 February 2023

Spring is sprung.....?

OK.... I do realise that it's still February and spring proper is still a ways off, but I've officially had enough of winter.   

Signs this morning were encouraging... a bright blue, cloudless sky, albeit bone chillingly cold.  However by lunchtime the clouds had gathered and we were treated to an impressive hailstorm.  It's now defaulted to grey and gloomy again, dashing my hopes that winter might possibly be on its way out. 

Daylight savings is still exactly a month away, when the clocks will 'spring' forward one hour and it will be light till almost 7.30pm.  From there it's a mere skip and a jump to warmer days. 

So this afternoon, sitting by a roaring fire while hailstones bounced off the windows, I indulged in a little project planning and listmaking. 

Over the winter months our northeast facing patio never gets direct sun and as a result a film of green algae gradually spreads across the paving stones.   That, allied with dirt deposited by weeks of rain renders the entire space grimy and uninviting.  Currently, all of the patio furniture is swathed in waterproof covers and stored under the gazebo, to keep off the worst of the weather.  The cover of the pergola over the dining table was removed in the autumn and safely stored indoors and the chairs neatly stacked to the side.  The entire area is in hibernation, awaiting a spring awakening. 

By the end of March, I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to make a start on a thorough cleanup, restoring it  to pristine loveliness, in readiness for the forthcoming spring and summer.  

This time last year, as we anxiously awaited a date for PP's surgery, I was planning a major makeover on the seating area so that she would have a comfortable outdoor but undercover, convalescent retreat.  This year I only need to make minor adjustments.  I'm planning to add some waterproof curtains to the sides of the wooden pergola, and some new cosy throws to ward off the chill of summer evenings.  I also want to refresh some of the flower garlands which are looking rather the worse for wear.

I also need some solar lighting to dot around the walls, and a new trompe l'oeil scene for the fence at the side of the seating area... this year I'm going for a Mediterranean theme.   So lots of browsing around Pinterest and garden ideas websites.... the perfect way to spend a chilly winter Sunday afternoon.





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