The warm weather at the weekend meant POD was able to take advantage of the the outdoors and spend a lot of time in her paddling pool. Or pouring water on me while I tried to take photos of her!
We had a great day and it was fantastic to have an alfresco lunch. We *might have* had an ice-cream too.
We realised sitting in the sunshine we have double the number of Red Hot Pokers than we did a year ago. Last week I had one yellow one and in a matter of days we’ve gained a further ten. They appear and die off so quickly but growing at different speeds has meant there are always several in full bloom. The bees love them as do Blue Tits it seems. On the subject of birds, the Robin is in the garden so often now I almost feel the need to 
name him.
Elsewhere our rose bushes are doing brilliantly and are awash with pale pink flowers. The borders, which house established shrubs, are thriving and we’re starting to see cherries grow on the tree.
The flowers are not fairing so well. They’ve been unintentionally starved of water recently and a few have been nibbled at.
You’ll see there are some photographs of the garden at the beginning of the slideshow. My desire to take close-
ups of flowers has led me elsewhere this week though so overall there’s an abundance of photographs overall.
A few days ago POD and I took an impromptu visit to Stoke Park. Aside from it’s mass of green space, I’d heard it had a small garden but I wasn’t expecting much.
I found the sensory garden we discovered incredible. It was a special place. Perhaps because my expectations were so low. Or it was just a surprising sight.
It was walled, I always find these types of gardens intriguing, full of giant roses and interesting flowers. I’m not 
sure I’ve seen roses that large before. Some almost resembled Vanilla ice-cream.
For the most part it was completely silent, a peaceful place to just sit. Something I’m not particularly good at. POD was asleep in her buggy but soon woke up. We had a brief picnic before she was let loose to explore.
I love the big gardens but there was something rather wonderful about this garden. And it’s only 20 minutes walk away.
We’re linking this post up with How does your garden grow? over at Mammasaurus. If you’d like to join in too, click on the badge below.
Typically the bedtime rituals of our toddler include the usual things; bath, milk, teeth cleaning and stories. However a period of playing is often followed by a request to go downstairs because of monsters/dragons/crocodiles. Mass hysteria ultimately results in POD coming downstairs to calm down. Which she does very swiftly. Funny that.
Tonight was different. She was so exhausted from playing in the garden all day, she went straight to sleep. We didn’t hear a peep out of her until she had a coughing fit at 11.30pm which woke her up. Clearly disorientated I took her downstairs to calm her as I was up and The POD Father was asleep.
After screams of “my eyes Mummy, my eyes. I can’t see”, I turned the lights off and we used my laptop as a beacon until she became accustomed to light. I said we’d have 5 minutes then we’d go back to bed.
“I do bus jigsaw” Alright then we’re going to bed
“Mummy Mummy I’ve finished” [jumps up and down, claps hands] Well done
“Mummy there’s Daddy. He’s on the bus” [kneels down, points at jigsaw]
“There’s a baby. Goo, goo, goo, goo”
“Mummy I do anoder jigsaw. I do bears” Quickly then we’ll go to bed
“Mummy look I do bears, they have eyes” They do, well done
“Mummy do you want a cup of tea and a biscuit?” Erm, yes please [pours pretend tea into plastic cup then puts set away]
“I do an-am-an-als jigsaw” No come on it’s bedtime now
“Nooo just quickly purr-lease Mummy, purr-lease” If you’re very quick
“Mummy there’s a snake by the door” Erm what?
“Funny” Hilarious
“Look Mummy I’m a bird” [flaps arms at speed]
“Cocka-dooda-doo, I’m a chicken. Be quiet, you’ll wake up Daddy” [talks to self in third person]
“D-a-d-d-y, D-a-d-d-y” Shh no shouting, you’ll wake him up
“Look Mummy a pot-tay-to. The chicken has a pot-tay-to” No there’s an egg on the jigsaw, it does look like a potato
“Pot-tay-to, pot-tay-to, pot-tay-to” Come on, bedtime
“I just finish jigsaw” Ok do the chickens then bed
“Where’s that piece Mummy?” I don’t know, is it under the chair?
“I sit on it, I sit on it! I’m sitting on a chicken. Cocka-dooda-doo”
“There we go. All done. Look Mummy look” That’s brilliant, now let’s go to bed
“We go to the Elf Farm, the Elf Farm, the Elf Farm”
I’m not quite sure what happened in his half hour of utter mayhem but it was incredibly funny. We’re linking this post up with Wot So Funee? over at Actually Mummy. If you’d like to join in, click on the badge below.
When I was on maternity leave, I visited nearby Stoke Park. It was a gorgeous day so we’d had a picnic while our babies shuffled about on blankets. POD had mastered the art of being on all fours and sticking her bottom high in the air. An unusual talent which led to a nearby mother commenting “Oh my goodness, look what that baby’s doing”. I can only presume she was impressed with POD’s new found skills.
Since then we’ve only been to Stoke Park for the annual Surrey County Show. It holds other events throughout the year though including Race for Life, the Surrey County Agricultural Show, GuilFest (now Magic Summer Live) and the Guildford Lions Firework Fiesta. The latter encompassing fairground attractions, food stands, a torch lit procession and a firework display.
With Daddy out for the day, POD and I headed to Stoke Park on foot. When I say on foot, she enjoyed a nice relaxing doze in her buggy while I attempted to push it over uneven pavement with one arm.
Amazingly Stoke Park and its woodland have remained relatively intact since the 18th Century. And when you arrive you’re greeted with the most fantastic green space.
Further on people played rounders, cricket and one family had even brought their own Swingball. Others just lay peacefully soaking up the sun.
When we reached Stoke Park Gardens, the first thing we saw was an empty model boating pond with a 
wooden bridge across it. Incredibly peaceful and home to a variety of ducks. They hardly moved when you past them they were so comfortable with their surroundings. Stepping stones led to a pathway below where a large paddling pool was full of excitable children.
We then stumbled upon a sensory garden full of the most wonderful flowers. And perfect grass. There was no path so I had to wheel the buggy across it to a bench. As many had done before me it appeared.
POD and I sat having our own little picnic and admiring the scenery. The tranquility of this walled garden was such a stark contrast to the noisy paddling pool less than five minutes walk away.
POD was so excited about being outside having had a few days indoors. She ran around giggling and pointing before attempting to make a bid for freedom over a wall. She smelt flowers, looked at birds and came across a bee on a Clover. Unsurprisingly she’s wasn’t a fan.
After she looked like she was going to scale a trellis, we cut our losses and enjoyed a lolly in the sunshine. The children’s play area was our final stop before embarking on our walk home via the adjoining woods. How great we have all of this just a walk away from our house.
We’re linking this post up with Country Kids over at Coombe Mill. If you have an outdoor post to share, click on the badge below.
This week has seen the garden taken over by birds and insects. We bought a bird feeder and food balls a month ago in the hope of gawping at pretty birds through our window. Nothing happened and birds continued to peck for worms in the garden. Even Bob our friendly squirrel left it alone.
That said in the last week or so we’ve had repeat visits from a Robin, Blackbirds and two rather healthy looking Pigeons. They all peck at the food that’s fallen onto our decking from the feeder overhead. I’ve come *so close* to photographing the Robin, I’m convinced he plays with me.
I did capture a Bumble Bee on a Red Hot Poker. A rogue yellow Poker. It was too good an opportunity to miss 
given half are green and half are orange. A strange mix but stunning aside from the stalks that have been eaten. I love looking at them out of the window.
A few of my flowers have taken a battering since last week. Not by POD either. My Fuchsia is a third of the size after one of its branches was snapped off and an unnamed fuzzy purple flower has had its stem broken. Insects are on the attack.
Overall the flowers in my pots are doing brilliantly, my Dahlia’s are going berserk. The leaves on my Iris are standing tall – I’m hopeful they might flower this year.
It’s great to see a few of the shrubs around the borders of the garden blooming. A mix of pale pinks, quite a contrast to the flowers in my pot plants which are all brights.
The seeds I planted with POD are starting to make an appearance. We’ll have to wait and see whether they’re Sunflowers or Pansies. No sign of any in the lawn yet!
We’re linking this post up with How does your garden grow? over at Mammasaurus. To join in click on the badge below
It was inevitable one day I’d up sticks from London, my home for twenty years, and return to the country. Having grown up in Hertfordshire, I think you reach that point when you crave green spaces and fresh air.
In January 2010 we woke up one morning and decided we had to move to the country. A big decision after two decades in a city. There must have been something in the air too as three months later I fell pregnant.
We chose Guildford with its cobbled High Street as our town of choice. Still within a commutable distance to London, we’re just a short drive away from the beautiful North Downs.
We can now take full advantage of what the Surrey countryside has to offer. Whether it’s taking in the views at Newlands Corner and discovering a secret pool or looking for fairies in a bluebell wood. We’re truly spoilt for choice when it comes to satisfying our desire for green space and fresh air.
We’re linking this post up with The Gallery at Sticky Fingers. This week’s theme is green. If you have a post you’d like to share, click on the badge below.
When POD was 6 months old I started reading to her every night. Some might say it was a little too early but it’s paid off. POD adores books. She often demands 2 or 3 stories in one sitting. Her favourites include the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler classics The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and A Squash and a Squeeze. As well as books from the TV inspired characters Ben and Holly and Peppa Pig.
Occasionally POD watches a video on my iPad. She’s closely monitored since she *accidentally* accessed one of my Twitter accounts. It’s never been used as a book, so the new Winnie-the-Pooh app which offers instant access to the A.A. Milne classics appealed immediately. The app provides the option to read a story yourself or be read to. Although POD’s immediate response was “I want Peppa”, she quickly became accustomed to a 
book in a new format accompanied by the voice of actor Rufus Jones. A welcome relief I’d imagine from my dulcet tones.
You turn each page yourself so you can go at your own pace. On each, beautiful hand drawn pictures of Pooh and his friends by E.H. Shepard are brought to life with animation and colour for the very first time. As a Pooh fan, the app stays true to the books albeit in a contemporary storytelling experience. POD loves it.
There are touchscreen features which bring interaction to bedtime reading. Parents can re-live their childhood with additional extras. It won’t replace the books that we know and love but it’s a great new way to 
introduce your children to the much loved characters.
The Classic Pooh app is free to download. It includes one story and there’s the option to purchase another one for £1.99. More stories will follow later in the year.
Disclosure: The Doves received the Classic Pooh app, a book, illustrations and crayons as part of this review
We’ve worked really hard on the main part of our garden over the past few weeks. It’s finally feeling like a great family space again after the demise of our wonderful willow.
With help we’ve refreshed the pots on our patio so they contain an array of flowers such as Dahlia, Iris and Fuchsia. We’ve seen our Rhododendrons thrive with bright pink flowers and our shrubs are really beginning to flourish. A newly planted Clematis already looks amazing with the Marigolds, Gerbera and Carnations we planted in an old tub doing really well.
Initially POD’s way of helping in the garden was to pull the heads off flowers. She’s since learnt they need to be looked after. 
Having her own bed is a great way to demonstrate the difference between flowers, plants and weeds.
We received a free gardening starter kit from Moneysupermarket.com (thank you) that included seeds, a trowel, a fork and gardening gloves. POD loved it so much she put the gloves on immediately and used the trowel to dig up our the floor in the house. We didn’t have great gardening weather at that time but once we were rain free we were straight outside.
A maxi dress wasn’t really appropriate attire for educating a toddler on how to plant seeds. POD took great delight in scooping up soil and catapulting it into my bra – albeit unintentionally. That said, once she’d got 
over the excitement of having her own tools, she took to the task in hand.
We planted Polly Pansy seeds in an unused window box which now sits outside our kitchen. POD did brilliantly although she *may have* accidentally planted a couple of seeds in the lawn. We then focused our efforts on a bed around our decked seating area. Part of this is occupied with our fabulous Red Hot Pokers, which have grown even more since last week, an Acer and a Magnolia tree. The other bed is empty with the exception of some unwanted grass we’re continually weeding.
We dug a hole for our Sunny Sunflowers and POD carefully planted the seeds before we covered them in fresh 
compost. We then repeated the process for our assortment of Pretty Flowers. After planting POD had a rest at the bottom of her slide. As you do. We didn’t get the opportunity to water our seeds as that afternoon the heavens opened and did it for us.
As well as the seeds we were kindly provided with, we also purchased some Red Hot Poker bulbs which will join that same bed. Considering POD’s love of magic, largely down to “bellyolly”, I can’t wait to see her face when her seedlings turn into flowers.
This post is an entry for BritMums’ #KidsGrowWild Challenge. We’re also linking up with How does your garden grow? over at Mammasaurus.
