It's all about flowers.

October is my birthday month. And I feel like the garden puts on a display just for me. Would you like a little tour of what's popping up this month? Have you got a cuppa? I do. Let's go...

Those red tulips are gorgeous. I know I planted them at some stage. I just can't remember when. And the flowering cherry gets better each year.

Bearded irises are just the tits, yeah? Get a load of this guy. A bloody show off and I'm here for it.

Little baby iceberg lettuces. It's so satisfying when they start to grow these little heads. 

I swear I absolutely did not plant sweet peas here. Right on the edge of the garden? Bonkers.

They popped up self sown from a batch that were on the back fence last year. They started rambling through the garden which is wonderful.... BUT

Sweet peas are like boobs. They're small and perky enough to ramble free when young, but as they get older they need a bit of support. So I had to stake them for their little flowers to sit up properly when they appear.

Some of my peony plants. It doesn't look like I'll get flowers this year. It was more wet than cold.

Clematis 'Edo murasaki' rambling up into the trees. Go hard or go home.

I can't remember off the top of my head what this Clematis is called. She sent lots of tendrils up high, but was stupid enough to only flower down where the slugs could eat them.

Mulberries in the making...

Teeny carrot seedlings.

And it isn't October without Crabapple Blossom!!!

I've been at a few craft projects lately.

Knitted socks. These guys have been the worst. I kept making ridiculous mistakes. I completely frogged and started again 3 times. They're full of holes and bad tension. Hated them. HATE. 

But when I roll them up with my other hand knitted socks so I can't see the mistakes, they're ok! I'm actually wearing them now. 

I'm a glutton for punishment. I have started a new pair using a pattern called Little Boxes by Summer Lee Knits (@summer.lee.knits on Instagram). This is the first sock pattern I've bought with colour changes! Ugh, sounds scary but I'll give it a go!

I don't know about you but I'm rubbish at casting on and doing the cuff. I cannot pay attention enough to K1 P1 for 6-7 rows. It's like having to stay awake in algebra.

We have also been helping my sister move house. She was going to throw this mirror out for hard rubbish pick up.

I took it home and started doodling on it.

With my paint pens. Paint pens are so amazing! It's like painting... with a pen. 😍

Ignore the loungeroom mess. So I'd work on a segment while watching TV in the evenings, then pop it up here until the next time I could work on it.

I would search for photostock images from websites such as istockphoto of drawn, embroidery look flowers and sort of dodgily copy them freehand. I'm definitely not a good artist to make up my own but I'd pack in lots of bright colours with a black background to make them pop.

And now it's on the wall next to the front door. This hall table also belonged to Sister Amazona and was going to be donated. I'm undecided about the scarf on top. 

It's really hard taking a photo of a mirror without seeing all the mess that would be reflected in it!

OK, so totally unglamorous but at least you can see the whole mirror! 

Drawing and painting in these patterns was really relaxing. I'm now also eyeing off an old clock and a key holder that could do with some paint pen vajazzling!

Thanks for popping by. What projects have you got on the go?

Louise

🌷 Red Haired Amazona 🍄