Thursday 21 March 2013

Bits and Bobs

Having been away last weekend, and out at work until today, I have not had much chance to see what's going on in my garden, but I had a good look round this afternoon. It currently appears to be in a state of "neither here nor there". Winter seems to have nearly finished (though I'm not sure) and Spring may possibly have begun. My plants seem equally undecided.

No sign of any Asparagus coming up yet, but the Rhubarb is gradually emerging - albeit very slowly. Every time it thinks Spring has arrived we get another cold spell.




The Broad Beans I sowed under cloches on 15th February have not shown through yet, but the Radishes I scattered around them have just germinated:



I promised myself that I would not sow my second row of Broad Beans until the first one had germinated, because I want to stagger the harvest, but I hope they get a move on!


The Crocuses and Daffodils are looking good. I have moved several pots so that they are in a group right outside the French windows, so that I can see them from where I sit in my favourite chair.


Last Autumn I planted out many of the Crocus bulbs that I had previously grown in pots, around the bases of my trees, so that they could "naturalize". They are settling-in nicely:


 My Snakeshead Fritillaries have got buds on them now, but there aren't as many of them as I had hoped. I think a few must have succumbed to the ravages of the Winter weather.


 The Raspberry plants that took a bit of a battering when the new fence was put up look as if they will be OK, and are beginning to put up green shoots. Unfortunately some of them are now very close to concrete posts and concrete gravel-boards, but there's not much I can do about that in the short term.


I would love to be able to sow some seeds, but the soil in the garden is still very cold and wet, and if I sow seeds indoors the light levels are so low that they will go leggy --- except that since my Birthday I am now the proud possessor of an indoor Growlight House, which I shall be assembling very soon!

12 comments:

  1. Hope you like your grow light and it works for you. We like ours. I would be surprised if the lack of fritillaries was down to wet conditions as ours seem to like it wet . I'll need to check but I haven't noticed them yet - could be because I haven't been out too much.

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  2. Glad to read you now have a growlight house!! Happy Birthday.

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  3. Hi Mark! Thanks for the snoop around your garden! I love the snakeshead fritillaries, I tried to grow those once and they never ever flowered for years, then the magically disappeared?! Just not the plant for me I guess. Aren't radish amazing, I swear they could grow anywhere at anytime! They're very robust! I was hoping to sprinkle some out this weekend but I think it'll be snowing again!?!?

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  4. I love your cluster of spring flowering plants. I'm really hoping to get some blooming crocus soon.

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  5. Happy Birthday! Lets hope spring gets properly sprung soon!

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  6. What a great birthday present!
    I love to see things just poking their heads up - my radishes are coming up, too!
    Lovely blooms!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  7. Wow that rhubarb looks... weird. Kinda like a pickled, dyed brain.
    Love your potted flowers.
    Happy Birthday.

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  8. I can't wait to see teh grow light set up. What an awesome gift!! Funny, I have rhubarb in today's post too. Great minds.

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  9. The crocus (croci?) are looking lovely. I always think rhubarb looks a bit alien when it first unfurls!

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  10. Not much change here either this weather is certainly holding things back.

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  11. Wonderful birthday present,bet it doesn't take too long to assemble it!!!!!,lovely photos,your garden seems to be at about the same stage as mine.

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  12. Nice to see some growth and colour showing through. Things are about the same here although I'm already picking Rhubarb (unforced). The optimists will say its just a later Spring, the pessimists its climate change. I'm with the latter.

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