Sunday 7th April

 The experts are right; being in the garden for a short time is a wonderful way to recharge, reset, refresh.

I checked the cold frame; another couple of broad beans have joined the party, and possibly another lettuce. I'm not the only one who was waiting for warmer weather to flourish. I can't wait until they are transferred to tubs 6, 8 and 9, and I can take my morning coffee out and sit and watch them grow.

I sat on my little trolley stool by tubs 1, 2 and 3 and planted my potatoes.  These are Jersey Royals from the supermarket so I'm not sure how they will get on. Sometimes supermarket potatoes work, and sometimes they don't. There was a blackbird singing the whole time from a nearby tree.

I've updated the veg plan1

It's very rough; I've never been able to stick to a garden plan properly so there didn't seem any point in getting out the compass and rulers. I appear to have 5 vegetables left to grow, and only 1 destination tub... not counting tomatoes...

The other thing the experts suggest is trying to reach a state of 'flow', where you are completely engrossed in an activity.

I suspected that backstitching around the pictures in our cross stitch collaboration might be such an activity, and so it was.

I cut a length of the green thread we agreed on, and used it to thread three needles with two strands each in readiness. This is today's stitching. I've been backstitching apart from the top of the tartan where the thread was running out. I'll start at the left hand edge tomorrow, fill in the gaps and then carry on above the 'Hearts and Home' sampler.