Spring is springing!

Don’t we all need some positive reinforcement when we’re exploring uncharted territory. Remember the days when you were first learning a skill and how you thought you were never going to “get it”, well hubby has… ;o)). He built some new planter boxes for me. I told you before about the bird houses, well he now feels even more confidant and put together these new boxes. These ones are going to last very well. He painted them with a coat of primer first, then the colours.

Step 1….. get the cedar cut, put it together and it’s ready for primer.

Step 2…… box is now primed and waiting for paint.

Step 3…… first box is done and painted with a soft blue. The other three boxes are done and one more is blue, the other two are dove grey.

There was one box that was still alright that someone made for me years ago. All it needed was a cleaning up. So a coat of primer later and I got hubby to cut the feet off and make the bottom flat like the others so it would sit better on the ledge of the gazebo and painted blue and it’s done.

This morning I got the first wave of  flowers planted. Later in the season, the pansies will come out and be replaced with petunias. They can take the heat that will come later, pansies seem much happier when it’s a bit cooler.

Since I last showed you the birdhouses, we went to the waterfront and gathered up some small pieces of driftwood to decorate them more. Now, at last count, 4 out of 6 of them have tenants, so that’s so much fun. I’ve been putting out bits of wool roving and string. I lay it across the bushes and watch the birds go around scooping up all the goodies.

When fall comes, I am always impressed with how they have utilized all those things into the building of their nests. The funniest though is when they bring the twigs that they found, to wide to go in the house and bounce off the doorway trying, but eventually those smart little birds figure out that if they ever so carefully turn the twigs sideways, they’ll fit….

The last piece of this isn’t done yet. I mentioned a few posts ago, that my neighbour had passed away on New Years Eve. Along with the buttons her daughter brought me, was a bag of fabric. In that bag of fabric was this really bold print. I was designed in Finland according to the writing on the border. 

I didn’t notice right away was the print was, but then the penny dropped. The boxes are painted to match the fabric. Shirley loved her blue and white garden every year and I’m sure she had a tablecloth in mind for this, so that’s what it will be. Isn’t it just perfect for our little table in the gazebo. Can’t put it out until the day before Colleen arrives, but I think Shirley would approve..