Watch this space...

Because it may not look much at the moment but I have very high hopes for it in the not so distant future.

I have spent the long months of winter planning my cut flower garden since my fantastic course day at Green and Gorgeous last September (was it really that long ago?)

The raised beds that were originally used for my disastrous attempt at growing my own, then became redundant and then were pecked free of weeds by the hens as part of Plan B to keep them off the rest of the garden.

To have blank canvases to play with was a dream. The seedlings were all sown in the greenhouse or on my conservatory windowsill in April.

I had lots of packets of seeds that I ordered from the notes I made on the course and then I topped them up with a fabulous selection from Higgledy Garden. Mr Higgledy does all the hard work in putting together collections and his blog is jam-packed with tips and ideas.

I love it when the first true leaves appear and the plant becomes recognisable, like these cosmos seedlings. I had so many leftover seedlings, I have planted up loads of pots around the deck with them which will save me lots of money on buying trays of summer bedding plants at the nursery. It's a win-win situation!

I'm hoping it won't be long before this big wooden tub is bursting its seams with flowers. There are cosmos and this amazing zinnia in there.

The cornflowers I sowed at Green and Gorgeous are just about to flower - I have been watching them like a hawk!

At last! My very first one! Hastily picked, along with some alkanet that has happily self-seeded in the garden ...

... and I have another jug full of flowers, freshly picked from my garden. The happiest of days.

I am hoping for a summer filled with blog posts like this one, filled with my own flowers.

Oh! And guess what? I got some more hens. My garden feels whole again.