January, according to the seedling world, signals the start of Spring. If the desire to frolic around your garden in the cold planting Geraniums has not yet taken hold, here's a short list of the best ways to make your outside look fab. (For those who are less inclined to act like Hyacinth Bucket of Keeping Up Appearances and more like a real human.)
Windowsills
Flower-wise, Daffodils are the laziest and loveliest ways to go into Spring. Whilst you can plant them the year before, you can also grab pots of half-grown bulbs from most places. Buy as many as you can carry and plonk them over every windowsill there is. They're gorgeous, hardy, and a windowsill filled with bright yellow flowers in guaranteed to make you smile. The major downside is picking the strain you want, which as an incredibly indecisive person kept me pottering around my garden centre for a good ten minutes.
Boring Patches of Grass
If like me you're blessed with an insanely dull patch of grass outside of your house, go seed hunting. My favourites for grassy areas are Poppies, which work well if you like to pretend your 4x4 plot is an expansive frolic-worthy field. B&Q also does a quaint 'the Country Garden' mixed set filled with romantic field-style flowers.
It won't mean cultivating the soil with an irritating knee-destroying hand-cultivator - grab a Dibber (the most fun tool in existence; a childhood favourite), poke some holes and drop seeds to wild abandon. This'll give you June-September flowers without much hassle. Grass patches don't have to be dull as heck.
If you're more flower-inclined, B&Q (you can see where I went flower-shopping) currently has a 'Retro Collection' of flowers, designed to turn your garden into some period of history. Which era exactly, they do not specify, but the set's filled with big Calendula-shaped things which can never be bad.
Posh Sheds
If you're on a hunt to trump neighbours and conveniently hide your junk, Posh Sheds may be for you. Rather nicely cut, they come in three unique designs; The Gothic, The Potting Shed, and The Contemporary. Alternatively, they can also be used to elegantly disguise husbands with untrendy hobbies.
Bin Feuds
Where I come from animals like to eat my rubbish and leave trails of food down the road. Whilst I appreciate foxes' interpretative art, products exist to stop your bin getting massively bacteria-filled and stenchy, and BiniFresh is currently running an offer where you can get a free spray in exchange for telling them what you think about the product, which is normally about £15 using the special code BB058.. Alternatively, rub bacon over your neighbours' bins and watch smugly from your net curtains. For legal purposes, we don't recommend this, ahem.
Bird Feeders
Small birds are very cute and personally let me pretend I'm the singing-with-wildlife lady in the butter advert. Bestnet does some gorgeous little retro chic bird feeders. Particular favourites are the yellow musical notes and the blue fall blossoms, and no one will judge you if you buy these more for the cute design, than for your bird-loving altruism.
Image via photogirl7's Flickr