Progress

I'm working my way through a "to do" list...slowly. The weeding is all taking much longer than I thought it would - surprise, surprise. Am almost finished thank goodness as my muscles can't take much more!

A seed update - the ageratum & amaranthus have germinated already (4 days)! I love quick seeds - I have no patience. 

Elsewhere, planted clematis Markham's Pink - a lovely macropetala, dainty and early flowering. Planted out some bulbs "in the green" iris, muscari & narcissus. Planted more thuja (taken from cuttings last year - rooted out really well) as it makes a fast growing windbreak. 

Things are really starting to grow, narcissus blooming everywhere, ranunculus in the tunnel beautiful even if I do say so myself - I can't believe how happy it makes me feel....the simple pleasures.

Spring!

What a beautiful day! Sunshine, no rain and very little wind. It's amazing how quickly we forget the  bad weather.

I spent most of the morning in the tunnel, sowed cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, turnip (all in modules) and, in the flower department, cosmos Daydream, gypsophila pacifica, achillea siberica Love Parade (I'm excited about this one - will keep you posted) ageratum Dondo White, amaranthus, asparagus pseudoscaber spitzenschleiers (try saying that after a glass of wine), sunflower Velvet Queen & Moonshine. 

The lovely hubbie was helping today - a proper (albeit narrow) border was dug along the pink wall (cranberry portage according to the tin), at the feet of the  pear and cherry trees. I want to try nerines and agapanthus here - it is so warm and sheltered.

I planted up a large gap in the south facing border in the orchard beneath the rambling roses - we had split a large clump of lythrum in January. Home grown achillea, lupins, verbascum, sidalcea and lavender, and bare root bought (from the wonderful Peter Nyssen) nepeta Walkers Low, salvia nemorosa Caradonna and verbascum Pink Domino - hopefully will flourish - it's pretty dry there.

Finally I started to move my herbal foliage (for bouquets) to the long bed - applemint, lemon balm, curly tansy - still have to move russian tarragon, artemisia and more mint - does anyone ever win a fight with a thug - I am bravely reassuring myself that I will keep the mint in check - is this possible?....Still, I do like a challenge.

Flowers, finally flowers! 

Have a good weekend! x

Getting On

The cold spell has ended at last, we have had heavy rain (welcome) and severe gales (not so welcome). It's great to see everything finally starting to grow. Have been able to move lots of plants  and potted on perennials for selling, such as sidalcea, astrantia and campanula. 

I also potted on some early sown clary sage and finally got around to sowing my peas & beans (broad, french & runner). 

The ranunculus in the polytunnel are starting to flower at last and things are looking up in the garden. Finished weeding the autumn bed (thought it was finished last week but I missed a whole bit - I hate that!) and the herb garden - the curly tansy has spread well - makes a lovely foliage filler for bouquets. I have never seen so many ladybirds  - they're all over the garden, in all areas - what does this mean? Surely, it's a good sign.

Have been struggling to plant the north facing bank along the lane - it's a lot longer than I thought. I managed to steal bits and pieces from elsewhere and have planted lots of sweet woodruff, aquilegia,     feverfew (may not flower but nice foliage), lady's mantle, primrose and muscari. Also want to move some lily of the valley, it has thrived in its original position but is now completely hidden by large shrubs.

More seeds to sow now that it's warmed up a bit - I can't wait! 

Sow On & Sow Forth

I'm ignoring the fact that spring is to be suspended for yet another week and there is to be no rain for the forecastable future. I will have to start moving plants tomorrow otherwise I'll never catch up.

A brief recap of the last few days - Thursday - we had a great day..thanks to the use of a tractor, we had two large areas of rough meadow finally cut, two large bonfires burnt (nothing but twiggy growth removed from the hedge we laid in January) and finally a large trailer load of steaming horse manure from the local riding school - too fresh for this year but will make a great (free) mulch for next.

We also started planting our hydrangea walk - only 11 planted so far - we now have 52 throughout the garden - once planted, they're pretty low maintenance and make great cut flowers for weddings. I have a beautiful pink lacecap (no name) in my home garden and some of the lower branches have sort of layered themselves (they have grown along the ground, in contact with the soil and have formed roots) so I must cut them and pot them on. I am so into hydrangeas en ce moment.

Re seed planting - I started more in the tunnel on Friday - sanguisorba menziesii (Alaskan burnet) cephalaria leucantha, calendula Indian Prince, more cornflowers, gypsophila elegans deep rose, but still more to do. I'm waiting for it to warm up a bit.

On Saturday, I had to start watering all newly planted areas as it's been so dry with no rain and the east wind. I also potted on some lupins and sowed yet more seed (forgot to write down what so will have to check the tunnel tomorrow).

Kids back to school tomorrow - strange Easter holiday, what with the cold weather...too much wine and chocolate, not enough gardening - looking forward to getting back into a routine...time for blanket bay....slaap lekker.

Onwards and Upwards

Another lovely day, at last, the sun shone although the air is still cool with the north easterly breeze.   Planted eucalyptus plugs that should have gone in ages ago (too wet or cold before now) and cleared the narrow border along the picket fence.

The new long bed (such a poetic description) in the cutting garden is being revamped already - the chrysanths were a disaster...too windy so I'm lifting them and heeling in for a rethink. I'm going to use this bed for all of my herbal foliage as I need lots more for summer hand ties - applemint, lemonbalm, artemisia, russian tarragon, curly tansy, cuddly toy .....can you think of anything else? Always looking for new foliage plants. I'm going to try and sink dividers between each section of foliage as they are all thugs but I'm not sure which thug is the thuggiest and may take over.

Quite a few bees buzzing about but think they were all queens busy getting their nests ready - they love the muscari, hellebores and viburnum tinus.

A few good days certainly lifts the spirits...onwards and upwards!

Springing Ahead

Decided to start sowing more seeds today, fed up waiting for better weather. When the sun is out, the tunnel warms up nicely.

I sowed:

White & Blue Larkspur
Alchemilla Robustica
Sidalcea Party Girl
Eupatorium Purpureum

(All had been in the freezer for 2 weeks - next year, I will autumn sow).

Also sowed lupins Pink Fairy & Sunrise, pink gypsophila & yellow toadflax.

Lupin Pink Fairy - the bees love it and it flowered until Christmas last year.

This is only a small start but hopefully, the weather will improve day by day.

I had a walk around the garden, not very uplifting but plants are doing their best, I think in nature, things always catch up....fingers crossed. I want to move quite a few self sown seedlings but it's so dry with the relentless easterly wind, I would have to water and then as it's so cold overnight....mmm decisions. 

Oh how we take for granted our mild damp climate!