By the third week of April it was
really beginning to feel like spring had finally arrived.
The primroses and
daffodils put on a great display and the colour of the flowering currant was
electric. Even the snowdrops that had looked a little sorry for themselves
after the snow had melted put on one last show before going to seed.
The cold spell has probably
delayed the seasonal growth in the garden by about 3 weeks, and although no major
damage has been done to the shrubs and plants by the weather, the same cannot
be said for the blue tits that had been visiting the garden every day. Since
the snow fell we have had no sight of them and it is possible that they did not
survive.
Things on the gardening front
have been busy with plenty to catch up on as the soil starts to warm. The onion
sets have finally been planted out, the leeks, spring onions and parsnip seeds
have all been directly sown in the vegetable beds. Meanwhile, in the greenhouse
, the peas and mangetout have been growing well and it has only been this last week that they have been planted out into their final positions, albeit with
some protection from the weather and the birds. Climbing beans have also been
sown into module cell trays in the green house and annual flower seeds of
cosmos, rudbeckia and verbena bonariensis, as well as some celeriac have been
sown in seed trays indoors. These are all now growing away quite well.
Over the May day bank holiday we
had a few days away and on our return we found that the shrubs and plants had
really come on leaps and bounds. The garden was starting to fill out as the
warm weather encouraged the plants to put on some growth, the garden was
looking green and fresh. In our absence the cherry tree had started to blossom
and the erythroniums, brunnera and clematis were all in full flower.
The tomatoes, peppers and
courgettes are growing well and these are now gradually being acclimatised to
the greenhouse conditions during the day. A dip in the temperatures over the
next few days has been forecast so it may be another few days or so before they
can remain in the greenhouse on a more permanent basis, and slightly longer
still before the courgettes are planted into their final positions outdoors. Thats
British weather for you, it can change at the drop of a hat, and as a gardener
it keeps you on your toes.
