Scatter Seeds and Flying Fairies

Oh it has been so cold. We have a back-log of plants waiting to be planted but the nights are too cold. We are still lighting fires in the evening and we have yet to breakfast outside.

At the garden Anne was giving the tortoise garden a spring make-over and Hollie was busy mowing the lawns.

My jobs included a barrow load of chipped bark, 14 packets of scatter seeds to sow and five dahlia tubers to find homes for.

The flying fairies, now three years old, are guarding the scatter seed bed. I put in godetia, candytuft, poppies, larkspur, clary. I hope it does better than last year when it was a bit of a wash-out.

 

 

The poor cob-shed door is going to need a lot of rather difficult repairs this year and the insides could do with a jolly good clear-out.

 

The strong winds blew the door almost off its hinges during the winter.

 

We did manage to sit outside for our teabreak. This was the view.

 

The cherry blossom was lovely and there`s a great place to sit and admire it.
 

 

Steve got more potatoes in and erected the bean poles.

And between us we dug over a part of the raised bed.

We will give it a good raking down next time.

 

We were ready for our lunch by then and went home with rhubarb and broad beans.

 

 

First Broad Beans

The greenhouses are overflowing. The coldframes are full. And I still do not trust the weather. I had to make a new tunnel on the veggie beds at home in order to accomodate the ever-increasing trays of bedding. Luckily I am just beginning to plant hardier things out, such as calendula, cornflowers and statice. And they are desperate to be planted.

These are cornflowers "Blue Ball."

I am still sowing seed such as basil, hollyhocks and home-saved schizanthus but mostly it is potting on. I have not yet come to the end of my supply of square pots but it is looming.

Today it has been sunflowers and French marigolds. I have also started to plant my dahlia tubers. Seven at the garden ... "Rawhide" and "Boogie Woogie."

 It is a patch on the raised bed alongside alstromeria, and marked out by canes.

And I have also planted my double row at home. I made a pretty basic mistake, by planting three shorter varieties amongst taller ones, having not checked. Goodness knows what the colour scheme will be!!!

It is important to know the heights of your plants in full growth. I sometimes write heights on the back of the label.

Here are some of my seedlings, waiting for attention or, more growth before pricking out.

Pink Ipomea

The minute petunias

Rudbeckia Gloriosa

Nicotiania

And just in case I don`t have enough dahlias (!!!?) I have started taking cuttings from shoots. I found this very satisfying last year and the plants I gained this way, did very well. This year I have used paper pots which will mean no root disturbance. They are currently on the propagator.

 The tomatoes are coming along well. I have fed them today with a weak seaweed solution. I`ve potted on aubergines and peppers which improved overnight because of this.

And here is my bargain of the day. Ten beautiful petunia plants for £1.89 from Aldi. My brother managed to get me four packs. I`ve potted them all on. This lot was less that £8. 

What a bargain.

And finally our first broad beans from the polytunnel along with rhubarb for crumble. Yum yum.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pincushions and Green Tables

Just recently my 14 year old great-nephew pulled my pincushion apart (with my consent, I hasten to add.)

It has been my intention to do it for some time. 

In the end he pulled out 165 needles, some embedded inside and not found until it was actually dismantled.

It was great to see some of my favourite needles come to light once more.

Here is my new pincushion with some fairly appropriate fabric.I have not put all the needles back in!!

 

We are still decluttering, most of which involves making decisions. We had a lovely wooden tray but its too heavy for general use. We decided to turn it into a table. It will sit between our adirondak chairs as we watch the sun go down, probably holding our wine glasses.

I am currently coming to the end of an extensive project for a new baby in the family, due in May. It is a crochet blanket backed with fleece. I hope the baby will be able to kick around on it in the garden.

As I was finishing sewing strips together, we watched this bluetit pinching the string holding my clematis shoots up. I`m not sure how it could see to fly away.

 The local woods are lovely as always ..... bluebells, anemones, celandines and primroses in swathes, as well as foxgloves and campions to come. I have walked in these woods all my life and it is right next to our house. It is also very close to the garden at the farm.

 How lucky are we.