Craving Green

Remember how I said last week how much I love repurposed stuff?  Well, we have had a huge old ikea bamboo blind sitting in the garden for ages.  On Monday, I woke up to find:

Kev made it for me on Sunday.  Its for growing my beans up.  You see, I love beans.  Who needs flowers when you have runners, french, peas, and broads inhabiting your garden.  I even grow borlotti's out front because they are so beautiful, I couldn't bear for them to be hidden away.  At the height of Ellis' fussiness and constant crying as a young baby and I could cope with nothing else, I could grow beans.

Year after year, we struggle with the bean teepees being knocked over by errant cats and soccer balls.  Not this year.  It is secured into the ground and across the top with an extra clothesline (plus it gives me another 5 feet of hanging space!) I just love it.  I am going to weave some coloured fibers through it to add some flair. I can not wait to grow some things up it!

It seems like everyone is longing for spring.  A number of the blogs I read are planning gardens, planting seeds and just generally thinking about green. Its hit here too (I know, I know, it doesn't really get cold here and the grass is green all year round, but I still LOVE spring!).  We have been attempting a number of spring-like activities.

Forcing crocuses (I wanted to write "grow" with letters, but I couldn't find the "R")

 

A glue and yarn bird's nest for one of my (20) Spool birds.  This activity didn't go very well.  I don't know if I didn't soak the yarn long enough in the glue, if the yarn was too heavy but E hated doing it and they didn't turn out... I am pretty picky about the crafts I do with the wee man and it has to be very participatory and this just was too complex for him at 22 months.

 
And drawing flowers on the glass with wet chalk...well, we tried drawing flowers, but then Ellis wanted choo choos.

However, my current favourite bit of spring is my new bird brooch that my lovely friend made for me at the crafternoon.

She has more in her etsy shop...I may need more than one!