Spring greens

July 20, 2008

At last the clocks have gone forward. I’ve got a spring in my step like the milky lambs, part of the four legged contingent, at Alice Douglas’ gorgeous b and b where we spent a few days at Easter. It was worth the slog driving to Snowdonia in North Wales and her cleverly converted chapel. Even the urban teenagers coped with long walks in blustery wilderness when compensated by Alice’s snug beds, underfloor heating, hairdryers and, outside, steaming hob tub with a vast mountain panorama.

Now that the evenings are light there’s time to spring clean in the garden: clearing dead leaves, weeding, and setting up my wigwams of peasticks. The latter are for French beans (soaked in water to help germination) which I’ve just planted in trays of rich compost, along with rocket, basil, leeks, and sweet pea seeds. I’m not a particularly organised gardener but my pick from the seed packet displays usually include the above because they’re usually successful . That is, of course, the dreaded slugs do not get their way. This year I’m going to use the beer trap method: digging in shallow plastic containers and filling them with beer into which the slugs will fall on their way to my precious young seedlings. The only other alternative is organic slug pellets but the slugs here in south west London seem to have quite a thirst for a traditional pint, judging by the daily catch last summer.

For conquering Welsh mountains we set out each morning with a picnic stuffed in a rucksack; smoked salmon sandwiches with a thick slab of oat flapjack and a clutch of sweet clementines. These were picnics eaten on the move. It was too cold to sit still and admire the view. I will picnic anywhere but it is releasing to lie under blossom soaking up some early spring rays. If the weather is fine at the weekend we’ll picnic in the local park which is blooming and budding and all over. I’ll load up a basket with the papers, flask of coffee, plates(only if I can be bothered) bread filled with feta, cucumber and basil and whatever is left of the chocolate cake made for my son before he leaves on his gap year travels.

It’s one thing to perk up an outfit with a little cardigan or scarf say, in this spring’s fresh lime green or powder blue. (The local charity shop has been looking quite stylish lately with a window done out in a great green theme, so I might head off there for a snoop).
Doing something about your interior is another matter. I don’t have the cash for a whole new spring look, and neither would it feel right changing my home with the seasons. I like the familarity of all year round colours and textures. However, spring time is appropriate for a general refreshing such as cleaning the windows, washing loose covers, dusting off blinds, filling jugs with hyacinths or daffs. And if you want to inject some fresh colour without spending a fortune, why not run up a simple chair cover in lightweight cotton like the floaty little number show below from my book Sew Easy. I recommend John Lewis for a good choice in fabrics.