Therapy...

So here's the thing, sometimes, for no particular reason at all, I get very 'low'. It' not something I have ever spoken openly about, not even with people very close to me and I struggle to marry up the confident, outgoing and passionate person I am most of the time with the lump of negativity I can become when I go through a spell of this... whatever it is. I get frustrated with myself because I stop putting in the effort I expect of myself which only leads to me spiralling even further down... and that's where I've been at for the last few weeks.

However, there is one remedy, once I've got my head around the fact that it's happening again, that I guarantee works like a dose of something vile tasting that your granny shoved down your throat with a promise of it being the cure. And that thing is growing things! Piece by piece, seed by seed I put myself back together and find my inner sunshine again. That, I promise you, only comes from the absolute simplicity and wonder that comes from the purest action of planting something and watching it become something amazing.

Seedlings are popping up at every turn - just 10 days after sowing some cabbage and cauliflower seeds I had shoots coming through.

And once I got myself back involved and motivated by just this tiny bit of progress, the ball was really rolling!

The herb bed is really starting to take shape. It's been edged properly, dug over and is already home to rosemary and thyme plants.

Something I thought was going to be much further doow the line - my first raised bed box is done! It's also now been painted and filled with manure and compost ready for it's first occupiers - I'm thinking beets and asparagus.

The lovely Veg Trugs that were gifted to me have found their rightful place near the green house, I experimented with what grew well in these last year and have decided that this time round they are going to be filled with perpetual salad leaves. We eat loads of salad and these provide the perfect height to just nip and pick some quickly for lunch.

Frankly, if it hadn't been for the torrential rain we have seen these last couple of weeks, I would have spent every spare minute cracking on. I've loved it - It's made me remember that it only takes a couple of hours here and there to see huge differences in the garden.

While floating on my renewed sense of self I finally got over to my local Animal rescue centre and filled in the appropriate forms to officially become a volunteer. This, as I have said before, has been something I have wanted to do for a long time. I know that with our wedding getting ever closer and me still having to work full time for the minute, my spare hours to do much of anything for them will be limited, but at least I've dipped my toe. I've offered to do anything from cleaning out kennels to organising fundraising events, so stay tuned for dates for your diary!

And I didn't stop there!! Spring is in the air, Easter is on it's way and for people like me that means one thing... CHICKS!!!

I've set the first lot of eggs in the incubator - Hoo - Rah!

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There it is - if a little blurry  - the first picture of the first set of eggs that The Keep will try and hatch... A real moment for us. They aren't all our own eggs - I'm giving Mr Tanglefoot, our new cockerel, the benefit of the doubt and putting some of our bantam girl eggs in there. I haven't actually witnessed him 'getting the job done' so I'm a little sceptical. We shall see. The rest of the multicolour beauties are from our friends at Paige's Poultry in Barton under Needwood - Again I can't go on about the lovely people there enough. Please check them out if you are over this way or trawling the internet for poultry suppliers - there's nothing they don't have!

I've decided I'm going to erect a great big sign at the entrance to the veggie patch the simply declares 'Therapy'. Because for me that's exactly what it is - the whole thing really. My Backyard Farm. The growing, thriving, living thing that I get to create anytime I feel like it. And in return I get something that words just don't do justice.

With a decidedly brighter outlook, and plenty still to do I find myself looking forward to what the next few weeks and months brings. Hopefully a bit of real sunshine!

Come rain or shine, it'll still be mine.

G