From The Pumpkin Patch

Lately, I’ve woken up before my alarm to sunlight pouring into the bedroom and the sound of birds outside my window.

It seems that winter is over, and new life is beginning to bloom.

To celebrate the new season, I’ve been indulging in some of my favourite whimsical springtime activities. From baking bread to starting a herb garden, join me in welcoming the warmer months in the most wholesome of ways.

Planting fresh flowers

One of the best things about springtime is the abundance of fresh flowers everywhere. Here on the very edge of London, the trees are budding and the blossoms are blooming.

It was time to freshen up the wooden planters at the front of our house, so we visited the local garden centre and loaded up on spring flowers. I also found a neglected pot at the back of the shed, so I planted daffodils inside and placed it in our back garden. They make me happy every time I see them!

Hosting a spring dinner party

I always host autumn and winter-themed dinners, so this Easter I decided to take the opportunity to try my hand at a springtime theme.

It was the perfect opportunity to try out a new napkin-folding technique, which was a great success. Everyone agreed they were too pretty to use! The little bud vases are from Søstrene Grene, along with the tapered candles.

And just look at my new plates. Aren’t they beautiful? My husband bought them for me, and I think he chose perfectly.

On the menu was Alright With Me’s lemon-parmesan pasta, with broccoli salad and rosemary new potatoes on the side. I love those fresh, citrusy flavours that just scream spring.

Baking homemade bread

When I visited my family in New Zealand back in February, my Mum gifted me a beautiful cookbook filled with traditional Kiwi recipes.

One of these was rēwena bread, a type of sourdough. It’s a big part of Māori food culture and is leavened with a fermented potato starter called a bug. I’ve been cultivating my bug for the past month, and this past weekend it was finally time to bake bread.

The process felt a little daunting, but it was easier than I thought. I mixed 3/4 cup of the bug with flour, sugar and salt, and left it to rise for a few hours before preparing it for a longer, overnight rise. In the morning I popped it into my Le Creuset pot and baked it in the oven.

I was so impressed by this bread. It was sweet, tangy and bouncy – quite possibly the best bread I’ve ever eaten! I can’t wait to make more and give it away as gifts, along with some homemade jam.

Starting a herb garden

I’ve been talking about starting a kitchen herb garden since we moved into our house three years ago, and I finally took the first steps this spring.

My little seeds have been sprouting on a sunny windowsill, and they’re really shooting up. I planted basil, coriander, rosemary, parsley, mint and chives, and after just three weeks I’ve already had to repot them. The weather should get warmer soon, so I plan to invest in a wooden planter and put them outside.

Curling up with a book

I recently finished The Lamb by Lucy Rose, an unsettling and atmospheric tale of a mother and daughter who, well, eat people. I love weird books written by women, and I absolutely devoured this one.

My current read is Sky Daddy by Kate Folk, a quirky and surprisingly well-written story about a woman who is romantically attracted to planes. It sounds weird, and it is, but it’s told so cleverly that I just can’t put it down.

Once the weather gets warmer, I plan to head out to the woods near my house in the early morning. I’ll bring a book and some breakfast, and walk to my favourite spot to read.

Crafting for the garden

I love crafting all year round, but somehow springtime feels extra-whimsical.

Recently I made a bee water cup from a couple of ladybird buttons, a stone and some shells I picked up on a beautiful island just off the coast of New Zealand. I glued everything to the stone and filled the shells with water, and placed it next to the daffodils in my garden.

When bees try to drink from a larger body of water, such as a puddle or a pond, they can easily fall in and drown. These little shell cups are a safe way for them to hydrate, and should hopefully attract many bees to our garden. Plus, they look really cute.

Baking carrot patch cupcakes

I needed a dessert for my spring dinner party, so it was the perfect opportunity to bake these carrot patch cupcakes. They’re designed to look like fresh carrots dug out of the ground. I used green cupcake liners to act as grass, and crumbled-up pieces of cupcake for dirt.

And what do you think of my carrots? Hint: they’re strawberries in disguise!

I usually wish away the warmer months by dreaming of autumn, but these whimsical activities are helping me to get in the mood for spring. I can’t wait for strawberry picking at Hewitt’s Farm, a seaside trip to Whitstable and everything else that lies ahead.