NOT the greatest start to the year but.......!

~sorry to hear about your troubles but nice to see you back on GOY!
lovely spring flowers always lift the spirits along with a bit of sunshine!

Nice to see you back Ob, good blog too :-)

Yes it's lovely to see you back ... even if it's just for a while. Lovely flowers ... just love your collection of pots full of crocus and those irises are beautiful! Here's hoping those seeds take off for you.

You have had a rough time ob and its nice that you felt like coming back to share your heralds of Spring. Lovely colours, both crocus and iris.
Hope you are feeling ok now, and good luck with your job.

Nice to have you back we missed you. BergaNOT's lookin gooood!!! so do the pots.

very nice pics nice to have you back lovely photos of the birds.

Welcome Back OB, was wondering where you were although I've been a bit AWOL myself. Lovely spring pics, isn't it wonderful to see the SUN! Hope you find time to do some more blogs now things have settled down.

Great to see you back Oddbillie...sorry for all your troubles too.
Your bulbs are looking fantastic...unusual containers...very effective !

Great to have you here again, sorry about your sad loss and stressful times. Your bulbs are fantastic in their containers. :-))

hopefully your garden will help aleviate some of the stresses that have come your way. Take care.

love the crocuses too.

Good to see you back. I've been waiting for seeds to grow too. I'm trying Gazanias. love your chimney pot.

great to have you back with us Dan and hope this is a better year for you all, a good start with all your lovely spring flowers and birds to, i find being in my garden helps alot when things go wrong, gives us space to think,take care :o)

Nice to have you back, OB, and I hope from now on everything goes well for you. Your plants are certainly doing well. Great blog.

Thanks one and all for your kind comments and sort of 'Welcome Back'. Tis always nice to sit amongst friends and share thoughts, pics and advice and it feels really great to be back at last!

Arlene: You're quite right and despite the slight chill still about, the sunshine and sight of flowers I never noticed before, certainly make my first Spring as a novice gardener, one with a good feeling!

Louise1: Thanks, good to be back.

Bernieh: Not just for a while, back for good although we are trying to decorate the living room and sell on ebay to pay for everything! Still, any time spent on here going forward will be a good one. Glad you like the pots:0) Hope you're well over there! Will do some catching up soon.

Mad: Thanks and feeling much better now. Lots to share this year, hopefully and much to get done out in garden but rest assured, I intend to share it with you all:0))

SueB/Sewingkilla: thanks for the kind comments.

Lily: How are you girl? Thanks for the welcome back and hope your absence wasn't due to anything too serious. Looking forward to catching up with everyone so will check out your stuff soon:0))

BB: How are you too? Great to see so many familiar and friendly faces....or should that be avatars!!

David: AAAAAAARRRRRRR, mehearties......Thanks my friend and really looking forward to the pirate garden!

SBG:Stresses starting to subside although still worry about job. Losing mum has given me a different outlook on life though. Live for the moment I fancy!!

GG1: Interested to see how your Gazanias turn out. Chimney pot £20 from reclamation yard last year!

Sanbaz: Great to be back. Looking forward and hoping to get lots done in the garden again. Slowly taking some time back out there. Hoovered all the autumn leaves up tonight....well, most of them! I find being in the garden like being in a land that time doesn't exist....it just flies by when you get into it and worries and strains just disappear. Hope you're well and waiting to see your project this year!

Gee19: Thanks Gee and it's lovely to be back. Trying to think about good things this year and I have some news for everyone soon!! WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

Thanks again to all of you for your reassuring and positive comments. Who said gardening was hard?!!! :0))))))

Welcome back - its always hard - I lost my Mum in 2007 and then had to get a job, retrained and keep my family from just falling apart!! but once you start to plant seeds/plants for some reason it just feels like the beginning of something new - so be kind to yourself and just take each day as it comes!! Lovely pics of the crocuses :-))

Hiya Dan, ...lovely to see you back and getting into the garden with all your friends around you.....Its been a long hard winter I know but seeing your garden coming into flower again and continuing on with all your plans for this year is good. If you`re like me you`ll have moments but share them with nature Dan, she`s a Mother after all......
As always a good blog with your usual lovely photo`s......Sue

Thanks GS. Nice to be missed! Know what you mean about the 'feels like the beginning of something new'. Very much looking forward to what Spring & Summer has in store for me!

Lincs: You charmer you....flattery gets you everywhere! It has felt like a long hard winter indeed and one I've been glad to see the back of. Losing mum has given me a slightly different outlook on things but the garden remains a focal point this year. Along with the living room.....kitchen.....new mattress.....and so on!! Do it while we can methinks. Yes, mother nature is indeed a mother to behold:0) Hope you're keeping well Sue and thanks again for your kind comments. Dan

You remind me of myself I lost Dad in 2008 a few weeks after I'd gone off sick with my knee He was 93 and lived on his own but needed a fair bit of help. He knew I wanted to travel but wouldn't go too far or too long with him to worry about. Anyway when he died suddenly I felt he'd given me my licence to up and go and we did go to USA and Canada but my health has been a prob. I should of been having a knee op today but now it's April 9th and until I'm no longer on an Inpatient waiting list I can't get travel ins. So 2009 I took up gardening. Had a complete makeover on my lounge first complete one in 20 yrs and started 2010 with a complete makeover of the Hall Stairs and Landing. Next is the kitchen hope the pennies last out. Hope your plans go well and work too.