Working Weather

We've been blessed these last few days with glorious weather; so glorious I've been able to sit in the garden with a cup of coffee in .... a t-shirt!

So of course I've been gardening, while Jean-Luc has been wood working.

 

He has built and put up the trellis on the back of the fruit bed. 

This is essential as the loganberry (like so many other plants in this garden) likes to roam; last year it roamed all over the fruit bed and totally obscured the gooseberries and went on to explore next doors garden.  Why do I favour plants with a wanderlust, plants whose main aim in life is to emulate the Roman army or British empire; colonising and conquering the garden, subjugating lesser plants as they go.  I shall have to retire to my secret volcano base to think this through.

 

  We did look at pre-made trellis but they came in at 4 times the price of this made to measure one that Jean-Luc built.

 

 I was thrilled to spot one of my favourite plants had bloomed.

I love Snakeheads Fritillary.  Subtle, elegant with a touch of the assassin about them.

 So while the trellis was being built, I was weeding, digging and composting the herb bed and manuring the greenhouse.  In about three weeks it'll be full of tomatoes and peppers.  We're still eating tomatoes, chutney and passata from last summer.  At least the smell will mean the cat no longer takes naps in there so I might get some planting done.

 

 I planted up a whole load of seeds including red and green broad beans, courgettes, rainbow chard and cucumbers.  I'm also experimenting with growing Physalis, or Cape Gooseberries, I hope they grow as they are delicious but I know that Lancashire will be a challenge for them, even in the greenhouse.  Green fingers crossed.

The next task is to order in some 'exotic slips' such as sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes and possibly some Oca.
This year I am mainly experimenting.

 

 I couldn't resist taking some pictures of these lovely plants.

The charismatic yellow chard...

...and the sublime freshness of the new hawthorn leaves.  For me this is the very essence of spring colour.