After the long spring-summer that we as a family (as has the rest of the world) had during the Covid-19 lockdown, we have enjoyed many days in the garden taking full advantage of the good weather. I’ve spent hours tending the garden, I bought so many new plants to add colour and interest. We also set about adding three small vegetable beds and a gravelled area to add arbour seating too. We were very lucky to have a local garden centre that set up plant deliveries and once it started to ease (when I was in one those infamous supermarket queues each week) I would be adding a couple of plants each time I went. One other thing was I Invested in one of those small plastic greenhouses and started my adventure into growing things from seed, with some surprising success.
So I’m already making plans for next year. Some I think are achievable, others that I am aspiring to. Very much a ‘one day I would love this…’ kind of scenario. Of the things that I would aspire to do, one thing springs to mind as something I never really realised we needed until we spent so much time at home altogether and especially in our garden and that’s bifold doors. At the moment our kitchen is connected to the outside by one back door and a window, it just feels hemmed in somehow? We longed to be able to throw open a larger area to let the breeze in. I love the idea of adding bifold doors to the back of our house to join the kitchen diner to the patio and garden. I have done some research (as that’s the kinda gal I am) and the type I would go for is Schuco bifold doors. Why would I go for Schuco? Well, they are known for their slim profiles which would be important for the look of the project but also that they are often found in commercial settings so are robust too. With just a frame width between two panes of glass, they are seriously slim and so giving the best possible view of your outside area. It would mean I’d have to rejig the kitchen, but this is very much something that I would love to do in the future.
Instead of this fairly small window, I would open up the area with the Schuco bifold doors, so allowing us to have a better flow from the kitchen diner to the patio area.
My other plan is to grow more things from seed. As I mentioned I have a small plastic greenhouse, but it was quite restrictive in terms of space. I plan on expanding that to the summer house to germinate more seeds and the conservatory too next year. That way I should be able to grow more annuals and vegetables. I also want to start sooner in the year, in fact I’ve already this year been collecting seed packets and seed from plants I already have in the garden. I’m hoping that the garden will be a real explosion of colour. My experience this year has made me realise what worked and what didn’t, so I plan to grow for example around five different varieties of tomato, that way we have some variety. I don’t think I’ll bother with salad next year but instead keep with salad items like different coloured beetroot and radishes and unusual cucumbers or gherkins. One of the raised beds I plan also to dedicate to cut flowers, as well as some pots and parts of beds. Though one of my problems is I love the colour so much in the garden, I don’t feel I can cut them for the house.
The BBQ is another thing I am going to get rid of, as its not something I love to do. I have been toying with the idea of having a pizza oven, but I’m not really sure how much we would use it? Do any of you have a pizza oven, what kind do you have and would you recommend it?
I think I have a newfound appreciation for my home, but it’s also made more acute what doesn’t work especially the layout and outside. I’d love to hear what your plans are?
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