A bit of sunshine makes all the difference.

Tags

#gdnbloggers, gardening, Spring

I’ve been enjoying the sunshine today, with temperatures up to 19°C it seems to have gone from winter to summer over the weekend.

Peas

I’ve been looking for wow moments, well I did used to work in early years. These are the moments of the year that I really get excited about, peas ready to go outside is one of them.

Sunflowers, cut flower mixed.

The first destruction of seedlings by slugs is not!

Cumin though, last week, nothing, I thought that I’d sown them too early. This week seedlings!

Crown imperials

Ah, the crown imperials, always a key, and therefore wow moment for me. They appear with big buds bursting through the soil in early spring and today they were in flower. There are quite a few in this garden so they make a good display.

One of the main highlights at the moment is all the prunus blossom out in gardens, streets and hedgerows, it looked good last week but the sunshine and blue skies made it look amazing today and humming with bees too.

The other notable new flowers out are the daffodils, en masse in the orchard and by the swimming pond.

Other notable mentions looking good today, the anemones and Brunnera but prize for most spectacular, today, goes to the frothy blossom.

Brunnera maculata

Small changes.

It is mid March, and there is an abundance of primroses and violets. They do make a good combination and good to see because, with the exception of a few days, it’s still cold and blossom is late this year.

A rare sunny lunch break.

1st chilli seedling

When I couldn’t resist the urge any longer, I sowed some chilli seeds in a homemade propagator on the windowsill. All 3 have germinated now. The peppers didn’t do anything so I have tried some aubergines instead.

This is my corn salad and rocket, overwintered in the polytunnel, the pots had some good roots so I have planted them, still in clumps, into the ground within a cold frame.

As there was no frost forecast, lettuces and other salad, under cover and a few broad beans have been planted at the pub.

With a bit of space created, I have been able to sow the spring onions, beetroot and various brassicas. Germination has happened albeit slowly.

This is the beginning of the seed sowing for the pub, in early March. There are a few more now.

Daffodils are beginning to come out and the blossom is nearly there!

I’ve held back on my successional sowing while I wait for it to warm up a bit, I may have mentioned it’s been cold! My village seed swap has gone well, I have sent out about 40 packets of seeds and I’m very proud of the sustainability of all those seeds being put to good use.

Last weeks weather included blue sky, strong winds and rain and the curious Cumulus mammatus cloud.

Cumulus mammatus clouds.

So at the moment, work is picking up and I’m feeling in control of the gardens. It won’t be long before everything starts growing fast, including weeds, and seeds and seedlings will need a lot more care. That’s is when start panicking that I don’t have enough hours in the day. I’m looking forward to it really!

It has taken me so long to write this that at the beginning of another week I have returned to work to find that the cherry plum blossom has finally burst open and the hellebores are getting better and better.