---

Letting nature back in

Most of us have gardens, balconies, paths and driveways; which can be filled too easily with concrete or paving slabs that are not natural and relaxing to the eye. Gathering a few flower pots and filling them with colourful flowers can brighten up seemingly drab and boring places in our homes. Which will give us focus nurturing them as well as the reward of seeing their bright blooms.

I should have posted this blog way back in the spring; when it is time to plant seeds for them to bloom throughout the summer. However, now is the time to collect seeds for next year; as most flowers loose their petals and get ready for the first autumn chills. So hopefully I can use this time to also plant the idea of growing flowers to relax in you too; all ready for a new years growth.

---

Choosing your flower seeds, pots and location

Deciding which flowers to grow was an easy decision for me; a variety of bright colours and plenty of pollen to help the poor bees. A quick google search soon led me to many: variety seed packs with a range of prices. After reading many well written reviews on Amazon; I settled on this pack from prontoseed.co.uk

With twenty four different varieties at a cost of just £10.99; I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the pictures of what would grow with my dedication. From the humble Poppy, the majestic Marigold and the cheerful Candytuft to the forever happy Sunflower; seeds of many bright flowers of varying shapes and sizes to plant and nurture.

I found a few old flower pots from years past in the shed and decided to buy a few more to have enough space to plant all these beautiful flowers. I bought big terracotta coloured plastic pots in DIY stores at a reasonable price and then bought a couple of more expensive pots from garden centres. The packet of wild seeds will normally tell you how much bare earth you need in square metres. So I placed all the pots together until I had approximately the right area.

For soil to fill the pots; I googled top soil and compost. On the Wickes website; I saw a deal for four 25 litre bags of soil for £10. Whilst I was there, I spotted a big 50 litre bag of compost with four months feed; for just £4.

After a long day at work, when the cold March rain had finally relented; I filled the pots with a mixture of the soil and compost. After re reading the planting instructions on the seed packets; I carefully sowed the seeds.

---

Growing pains

After sowing the seeds; I put growing flowers to the back of mind as I would not expect to see any shoots for at least a week. Everyday, I would come home from work and check to see the pots were well watered; yet the almost constant drizzle was doing this for me. However, glancing out the window one evening; I saw small lumps of soil and compost strewn on the ground around the pots. I realised that this was the work of small birds looking for worms in the bare earth. So finding an old piece of wire netting; I placed it over the pots to prevent them reaching the soil below.

Although I had sowed the seeds in late March; hard overnight frosts are normal in southern England. So every evening I would cover the wire net with old bedsheets and curtains to form a cosy cover for the fragile flower seeds. Then early every morning before work; I would walk out and take off the blankets so they could enjoy the precious hours of early spring daylight.

---

First growth

As the sun warmed the earth enough to stop the overnight frosts and the constant drizzle stopped like a ethereal fixed tap; the first signs of fragile new life pushed their way up through the soil. Just seeing these young shoots break the surface put a smile on my face and filled me with contentment. Yes I had done a little work to make this happen; yet the shear strength and determination of mother nature to make new life is always something that will amaze me.

---

Sit back and watch the flowers grow

So as the temperatures increased both day and night through April; I saw rapid growth in the once bare flower pots. I remembered to water the plants everyday before going to work and would come home to find almost miracle like daily growth. The first flowers to appear were the: Forget-me-nots. Yet they were soon followed by the Alyssum and Cornflower.

Through April and May it seemed everyday new flowers would bloom. Every imaginable colour and shade of petal were put on display by these proud plants. So everyday after coming home from work that could be stressful; I would instantly relax when I set eyes on this little oasis of floral delights.

… and when autumn comes

now as I write in late August; I look out on the same garden and see the next season starting to arrive. The apple tree in the corner cannot hold its fruit anymore, the blackberries are full and ripe and a cool wind has returned from the north. Most of the flower heads have now dropped their petals and turned into seed heads. Yet I am not sad as I collect seeds for next years blossoms. I have enjoyed this summer with the help of these floral friends and look forward to seeing them all again next year.

Check out my other pages on how to relax at home: Relaxing at home

Yet like our flowery friends; relax and smile in the winter winds and shine on

---