Planting the fruit cage

So we went to a plant auction at the weekend - expensive move!

However we are now the proud owners of 12 raspberry canes, 3 redcurrant bushes, 1 gooseberry bush, 2 tayberry plants, 2 blueberry plants, an apricot tree and a cherry tree - phew!

Bidding on them was fun, planting them all was hard work! However, the lovely boy and I managed to do the lot and put up the new polytunnel too!

(The fruit cage is yet to be purchased, I have seen a nice big one online, and so made the fruit bed the same size as the fruit cage just in anticipation that the bushes will grow big and be fruitful and need to be protected! ;)

Here is the rather lovely new polytunnel (which was a massive bargain!)

and here is the fruit bed/cage (when it arrives!) planted with all the lovely fruit bushes.

Fingers crossed for some lovely fruity treats this summer!

My little secrets:
Polytunnel: only £35 from eBay!
Fruit area, planted with weed barrier membrane covering the area - hoping this will make it much easier to maintain!

Bedroom Blitz - (before and during) tbc...

So the Easter holidays were a-maz-ing, because we spent all four days together, covered in dust and paint and more dust, and at the end of it we have a pretty gorgeous bedroom (if I do say so myself!).

Firstly you need to see the before shot, and remember that the floor was all scuffed up and stained, and the yucky wallpaper was a flowery beige crime, and the walls an icky magnolia with loads of pit holes. Other that that it was in pretty good nick, and definitely the best room in the house when we moved in.

Above: icky wallpaper and scuffed up floor :(

Day 1: Firstly, we filled, sanded and prepared the 3 painted walls (there were a lot of cracks to fill), and painted over the manky wallpaper with F&B Downpipe No 26, then we painted over the 3 remaining, tear inducing, magnolia walls with a crisp brilliant white - what a breath of fresh air!

Day 2: We sanded the oak floors - they only needed a fine 120 grade sanding (as they weren't that bad really), we coated them with Danish oil, and left them to dry.

Above: During - bedroom floor - part way through - sanded but not oiled but  already looking great!

Above: After - the lovely oak flooring oiled with natural Danish oil :)

(It is worth pointing out that at this stage, all our bedroom belongings were outside in the courtyard exposed to the elements - fine when the sun was shining, not so great when the heavens decided to open - cue me running around with plastic decorators sheeting and masking tape desperately trying to protect the sofa, bed and wardrobes from the worst of it - not hilarious)

Day 3: (Easter Sunday): Spend the day painting the window frames (F&B Lamp Room Grey), and then moved on to the wooden furniture - (see my updating pine furniture post here).

You need to know at this stage that the bedroom furniture was a mixmatch of all colours of pine, from the untreated bare kind to the orangey shiny kind - not a great look for a restful, coordinated and fabulous bedroom see below:

Above: Before -yucky shiny orangey pine drawers - blurgh.

Now I know you probably want to see the 'after', the 'before' and 'during' is a bit of an anti-climax, but I am not quite ready yet, just a few more finishing touches and then I'll post them - promise! :)

Moving to the country, gonna eat me a lot of peaches...

Some time in September 2011 we met an estate agent some where in the middle of nowhere, and viewed our new house - a beautiful old farmhouse ripe for renovation and set in a courtyard of gorgeous falling-down barns, surrounded by 9 acres of paddocks, woodland, overgrown gardens and orchards - our dream!

Four months later and we were in, stupidly happy and just as excited! In the first 6 weeks we have already achieved a hell of a lot and the alterations and improvements are coming thick and fast, and that is the reason for this blog really, to track all of what we are doing and have done to the farmhouse and land, and to share our experience in words and images with anyone who happens to be interested!