I thought I would pop in and have a quick chat, we have been busy these last couple of days preparing the kitchen for the units to arrive next Friday. All the major work has now been done from a new floor and ceiling to the back door being blocked up which gives me more work space.
We were able to put the cat flap back in the same space in the wall,
I have surprisingly got through these few weeks with the notion that we were camping, with only a 2 ring hob, teeny tiny oven and a microwave balanced on a collapsible table I managed to cook most things apart from a roast dinner.
This week the table will be removed and so my 2 ring hob, teeny tiny cooker, microwave will balance on my dining table along with a kettle and toaster, it will be worth it!!!! I am reassured.
We have not deviated from my original design and have painted the walls and paintwork in white this will complement the grey units and dark oak floor.
I know its only paint but I still invested my time researching, on top came Valspar.co.uk available at B&Q stores, with over 2000 colours to choose from and the promise to mix any colour of your choice this was a good option on top of this the paint goes on beautifully ( so Mr D kept saying) and is ultra durable and at a reasonable price is the winner, I will be buying again.
One thing that excites me is the fact that you can buy any colour in a good size tester pot for £1 and don't tell anyone... this is a secret I collected nearly all the colour chips (when I say I. I actually should say my family and I) all 2000 of them, I am going to put them in colour categories, they are so useful for designing colour schemes and colour collections. I also use pantone.co.uk they are from the same family.
I will post some pics tomorrow, once I have downloaded them from my I pad.
I do however have some pics of my plants. I have all my plants in pots over the last few years I have planted lots of bulbs both for Spring and Summer, I do try to keep a log of everything I have planted as to which work and which don't.
When selecting plant material for my early-spring containers, I am more discriminating than I am at other times of the year. Likely candidates include the obvious pansies and spring-flowering bulbs, but annuals, perennials, and even small shrubs and trees can be used effectively as well/
In the autumn when I’m planting spring-flowering bulbs in my containers, with my spring containers in mind. I sink the newly potted bulbs in a cold frame for the winter. Come spring, I pop them out and use them in my container combinations. Sometimes I pack a large low dish with bulbs for an overflowing splash of color. Not all spring-flowering bulbs lend themselves to pot culture though. When it comes to tulips, the single and double, early and midseason Triumph group of tulips works the best. Tall Darwin hybrids and late-flowering types are better off planted in the garden. I’ve had good luck with most types of daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, and dwarf irises. I recommend keeping the bulbs in their pots until the foliage dies back naturally, then planting the bulbs in an other pot at their proper depth, adding bulb fertilizer or bone meal to each hole.
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| Muscari
Grape hyacinths are hardy, easy to grow, and have long-lasting blooms--no garden should be without them. They are particularly spectacular when allowed to naturalize, whether under trees, along a pathway, tucked into ground covers, or in a bed. 'Blue Magic' has a true-blue hue and is great for forcing.
Fragrant. Good early colour. Can be forced. Adaptable to various growing conditions, but must have well-drained soil.
Care: Likes fertile, moist but well-drained alkaline soil in full sun. Will take part shade. Plant 3 to 4 inches deep in groups or drifts in fall. Lift and divide when dormant in late summer or early fall.
Propagation: Divide when dormant; remove offsets in summer; sow seed in containers in a cold frame in fall.
Problems: Generally problem free but prone to virus
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 Iris
Iris is a large genus of some 300 species from the Northern hemisphere. Irises are mostly rhizomatous or bulbous perennials grown for their flowers, which can be bearded, beardless, or crested. Some species also have variegated foliage. They are one of the best known and best loved garden plants.
Noteworthy characteristics: Beautiful blooms in many colour combinations and forms. Excellent in many situations, including borders, beds, wet areas, and rock gardens.
Care: Each iris group has specific cultural requirements. See individual species accounts for information.
Propagation: Sow seed in containers in a cold frame in autumn. Lift and divide clumps, or separate bulb offsets, and plant bearded irises within a few weeks in mid-summer. Plant beardless irises immediately after dividing in early autumn.
Problems: Iris borer, verbena bud moth, whiteflies, iris weevil, thrips, slugs, snails, aphids, and nematodes can cause problems. Bacterial leaf blight and soft rot, crown rot, rhizome rot, leaf spot, rust, viruses, and scorch can occur.
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| Daffodil
Generally speaking, daffodils perform best in full sun and well-drained soil, in areas where there is a fair amount of rainfall in the fall and spring and where the summer is relatively dry. However, cyclamineus-type daffodils seem to tolerate at least partial shade and more moisture than others do. Narcissus ‘Jack Snipe’ (pre-1951, Zones 3–8) is a charming example of this type of daffodil. Its white petals are swept back, as if it were standing in front of a fan, and its medium-length, buttercup-yellow trumpet (or nose) sticks straight out at a 90 degree angle from the stem. ‘Jack Snipe’ is an intermediate-size daffodil, standing only 8 to 10 inches tall, and is perfect for a rock garden or the front of a flower border. This whole division of daffodils is becoming more popular not only because it tolerates some shade but also because the shape of the flower is so handsome.
Care: Grow in average, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. In autumn, plant bulbs from 1.5 to 5 times the bulbs' height (3 inches or more in cold climates). Under glass, grow in 1 part grit and 2 parts soil mix. Deadhead seed heads (except those of species, for dispersal) and allow leaves to photosynthesize for 6 weeks before cutting back, including plantings in turf. Lift and divide clumps if they become overcrowded or perform poorly.
Propagation: Separate bulbs and replant in early summer or early fall.
Problems: Narcissus bulb fly, narcissus nematode, bulb scale mite, slugs, narcissus basal rot, other fungal infections, narcissus yellow stripe virus, and other viruses.
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| Ice cream Tulip
Hybrid tulips can be unspeakably beautiful, but they also come with a daunting array of caveats. For starters, most don’t reliably return for more than two or three years—and ideal conditions are necessary for even that much longevity. Then there are the issues of disguising their dying foliage and filling the bare spots they leave behind—assuming, of course, that voles, squirrels, and other garden predators don’t snatch the bulbs well before they bloom.
Growing tulips in containers, however, lets you skip most of these frustrations. In pots, tulips are eye-catching, portable, and protected. All gardeners—regardless of whether or not they’ve had success growing tulips in ground—should give this simple technique a try. The best time to pot up tulips is in early fall, the same as if you were planting them in the ground. Have ready several containers with outside diameters of at least 18 inches and outside heights of at least 15 inches. Using anything smaller reduces the impact of the planting and the viability of the bulbs. If you want a certain mix of colours to emerge at the same time, choose from the same class of tulips. Short groups, such as Single Early, Double Early, and Triumph, are obvious container choices as they mix well with spring annuals and will not tower over their pot. There’s no harm, however, in experimenting with taller or more exotic types, such as Parrot and Viridiflora. Tulips of every type and colour can work—just be sure to group together varieties with similar bloom times. You’ll only have room for 18 to 22 bulbs per container, so successive blooming (six tulips blooming one week and another six blooming two weeks later, for example) won’t look nearly as stunning as a design that flowers all at once.  Hyacinth
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