5 Tips for a Cozier Garden

5 Tips For A Cozier Garden

Now that spring is here everyone’s focus is on getting outside and getting the garden in order. Okay, maybe not everyone, but anyone who typically enjoys a spring and summer garden ought to be in that mindset by now. You know the drill: heading to the closest gardening center for a few new seeds for a few of the best spring and summer flowers, planting and taking care of those seeds, and otherwise grooming and re-organizing the garden. It’s a task and a hobby all at once.

There are always fun ways to upgrade the gardening experience though, so that it’s not the same old thing every year. For example, this year one fun project can be to make your garden a bit more accessible. You don’t exactly have to pave a sidewalk from the driveway into the heart of the garden – but here are a few things you can do to make your garden a more appealing place not just to plant and look at, but to spend some time.

Tip 1: Arrange a path or two. I already said you shouldn’t pave a sidewalk in your garden, and truth be told nothing could make it less attractive. But a more tasteful path simply gives you a way to walk in and among your plants more easily. This might mean laying down stones, or even using some new MySmartBuy hedge clippers to make a maze-like path through shrubs and bushes. Really, it all depends on the size and arrangement of your garden.

Tip 2: Invite the birds. Some people prefer that birds stay out of their gardens, because they think birds are messy or loud. Really, this is a silly perspective. The truth is, birds eliminate pests in gardens, keeping your plants neat and healthy, and they also provide a fun natural vibe that nothing else quite can. A trickling birdbath or hanging bird feeder should do the trick, and bring you a few atmospherically friendly chirping friends.

Tip 3: Make it smell nice. Your first thought might be: duh, plant a few roses and the problem is solved! And this is certainly one solution. But think about getting creative with garden smells – even something simple and green, like mint leaves or cilantro plants can give the place a pleasant scent.

Tip 4: Think about props. Too many garden props can be a bit gimmicky, but a waist-high statue here or there can work wonders for atmosphere.The same way art in the house makes a room feel more comfortable, garden props can make your garden a bit more accessible.

Tip 5: Think about furniture. Going beyond props, nothing invites a human presence quite like a nice garden bench – or, if you really want to branch out, a gazebo (maybe with ivy crawling up its pillars). These features give you and your family or guests places to lounge in your garden, so you can actually enjoy it instead of just planting it!

Silent Sunday

Sealed with a Kiss is FREE today

One book.
Two formats.
Three months on.

Approaching 70,000 downloads, and 199 (almost all lovely) Amazon reviews.

To celebrate three months of Sealed with a Kiss being out there in the wild (and it’s been a pretty amazing, whirlwindy sort of three months) you can download the Kindle version absolutely free today. Tell your friends!

For Amazon.com users, pop over here.

And thank you all, so much. I’m in the process of moving all my writing stuff over to the Rachael Lucas author blog so this is probably the last one of these sort of posts you’ll see here. Coming up later this week: cake, cats, and a review of an amazing book I’ve been reading.

self portrait

Over on Tara’s blog it’s week 140 of The Gallery and the theme is ‘Self Portrait’.

I’m mostly behind the camera, partly because I like taking photographs and also because as soon as anyone points a camera at me I tend to pull a ridiculous face, like a five year old.

I took this one myself. I turned 40 this January and decided this was the year I was going to do things – to publish the book, to take up roller derby. It’s the first of May today, five months into my year of being brave. I suppose some people would consider putting an untouched photograph of myself with no make up to be brave, but I happen to like being 40. My mum went on a gap year at 46 and maintains her 40s were her favourite decade. I’m inclined to agree with her. This article about turning 60 says it all for me. I like getting older. I actually like myself more now than I ever have. I don’t take any crap, I’m brave enough to do things that scare me, and I know when to walk away (even if that does mean disappearing to bed halfway through a night out because I’m exhausted by midnight).

This week I’m madly decluttering the house. This is an annual thing for me and always seems to be quite therapeutic, because it reminds me that we don’t need all the mountains of stuff we carry around. With four children living here, and another two some of the time, there’s a lot of stuff which accumulates in corners. I’m recycling, giving things to charity, and clearing my head at the same time.

My tips for getting organised: read these. My friend Alison’s gorgeous blog Brocante Home, and Flylady and Space Clearing. And try and avoid shaving the yak!

My London Marathon Story

I’m sitting here with coffee, watching the London Marathon. Three years ago I ran with my sister in memory of our dad. Blogging about our training is what got me back into writing, and running the marathon changed my life, so here’s a post from my training blog:

To set the scene, my sister Zoe and I were staying in a hotel overnight in London and trying to have an early night…

Unfortunately I then got out of bed around 11.45. And 12.30. And 1.30. And 2.30, 3, and 3.30. For a couple of days before I’d had a bit of a headache and felt a bit wobbly, but I’d put it down to nerves and excitement. Suffice to say I spent the whole night on the loo, which wasn’t exactly the best way to prepare for 26.2 miles of running.

 

Read More»