Wednesday 11 April 2012

Morning garden walk

Am taking a wee break from sowing far too many seeds and pricking out far too many seedlings in the second greenhouse lol  Prior to this, I got back into my habit or a round-the-garden-first-thing-in-the -morning walk, which is lovely; a chance to have a close up and hands on inspection to see how things are. Needless to say with the milder weather and the last few bits ofr ain, everything is popping up all over the place!  Was thrilled to see quite a few flowers on the blueberry, and the mulberry tree leaft buds are on their way, as are the medlar flowers. The quince is looking healthy too it's young lime green leaves just unfurling now, and all the plum family - several plums, greengage, sloes, damson  - are dripping with pretty white blossom still. Imperial fritillaries are nearly over now, and the snakesheads are doing well too; oxlips are over, but the woodruff is just starting to form wee flower buds on its green leaf whorls. The garden is full of birds and birdsong, and the buzzing of bees (mine and wild honey/bumbles and others) and insects; the wee paddock next door is alive with bouncy little calves and their more sedate mothers, not forgetting the big black bull................
All this under a steely grey sky, and still a nip in the air apart from in the direct sun - so I'm glad to be working in the greenhouses today :)

There is lots to harvest too - nettles, dead nettles, Jack-by-the-hedge, the first pickings of ramsons, rhubarb, chives. My garden neer really sleeps, and I am able to pick something green every day of the year.
I'm hoing to turn the third greenhouse - a small octagonal one - into a fruit house - I have my eye on a lemon tree and an orange tree, and have bought a grape vine; I'd like to grow early strawberries in there too,and possibly an paricot, we'll see how the money goes I may move my kiwi in there, but it's looking very happy where it is, so may just leave it. It flowered the last two years, but no fruit, fingers crossed for this year. Outdoor fruit is looking good too, as well as all the trees, a good crop of redcurrants, blackcurrants and gooseberries are all promised, and the raspberries too ofcourse, they seem to be trying to take over Dorset at the moment, but can neer have too many of them.
In the greenhouse, I'm off to sow beans and pot up the last of the globe artichokes, and sort out the pots for the tomatoes. Happy days.




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