Boing! Spring Forward.

Over the weekend Jon and I have been battling with the weeds and brambles that cover the land behind our house. I can't call it a garden yet because it is now an almost blank muddy canvas. We still need to dig most of it over before we start to lay out the new garden design. After a trip to the local garden centre I've got a head full of ideas and images of herb gardens, vegetable plots and maybe a border of pretty flowers. So today I'm going to share with you some great handmade garden goodies.

Gardening shouldn't only be about the plants, it should also be about the wildlife you can encourage into your green haven. Red Yellow & Blue ink's recycled Traffic lamp bird table is perfect. Not only can you use it to feed the birds but the colours, transparency and texture will make it cast interesting shadows in the sunlight.

Garden art is one of my loves. I see no reason Art can't live in the great outdoors. Steal My Art Away has created this really lovely steal dragonfly to stand in a boarder as a focal point. The patination on the metal will change over the years which all adds to it's beauty.

Gardens should be happy, fun places to be. A place to breath in the fresh air and a place to relax. Modern June's bunting is so pretty and bright that even on a cold grey winters day it will give a splash of colour to lighten and brighten your heart and because it is made from oilcloth it will be perfectly happy in a bit of rain.

Over on MISI I found this wonderfully useful and tactile oak wood dibber and garden labels from Works in Wood. No good gardener should be without a dibber to plant out seedlings with. It's also very useful to have labels on the vegetable patch to mark out the different varieties of the plants you have put in, so you can see which thrive best in your soil.

Lastly for today we have this gorgeous recycled wind chime from Rubes Designs. Gardens need a little bit of sound in them as well as the gorgeous colours and aromas and if you are in a situation where the sound of running water isn't a possibility a wind chime is a prefect alternative. The gentle tinkling sound can be so relaxing.

So now spring is here get out there in the garden and give it a bit of tender loving care. If you don't have your own garden, all is not lost. Even the smallest window box can grow you herbs or flowers. The smallest balcony can become a vegetable plot. You can also contact your local authority and ask them about local group gardening schemes, allotments or if you know of a piece of waste land that you think could be turned into a community garden, be the person to set the ball rolling and ask the authority about it and plant the seed of change in their minds. Green spaces are so important. If you think you have absolutely nowhere to grow anything take a look at Patrick Blanc's website and think again. Grow yourself something green and beautiful.