Ignoring the awfulness of Thursday when, here, it rained all day with a real insistence there are reasons to be cheerful. I feel there is a sense of spring in the air. The garden is giving me strong signs that it is time to emerge from hibernation, open up the seed packets and get growing. This week I’ve sowed lupins, dahlias, a first batch of tomato seeds and three pots of basil seeds. I even gave the autumn sown ammi a brief outing in the sunshine. There isn’t much new on the flowering front but progress is being made.
One
The clematis amandii ‘Apple Blossom’ has broken into flower. This is it’s best side, further along there are one or two bald patches. I hope these will fill out over the year.
Two
A small group of anemone blanda have deigned to push through again. No sign yet of a new batch I planted in the north border. I’m hoping a little more warmth will persuade them to show up.
Three
The fritillaries are dangling their lanterns again and reminding me that I must invest in a few more of these to make the impact stronger.
Four
The tulips leaves are marching on. I particularly like these striped ones from ‘China Town’
Five
There is a rose to be seen! Battered by wind and rain but managing to look pretty even so.
Six
I was very happy to see some new growth on the alpine alchemilla. I thought I’d lost this after the squirrels made short shrift of it when they planted a few acorns in the same spot. Shame on me for being so despondent.
The ground is still very wet, the weeds, particularly the bittercress, are enjoying the damp conditions and I’ll have to get to them soon before they find the energy to flower. That means I’ll be in the garden which can’t be a bad thing. And would you believe it, I’ve just had a delivery of 300 in-the-green snowdrops! They are so late coming due to the poor conditions for lifting them from the fields. That sorts out my morning. Mr P has all the updates from other SOSers. Plenty to admire and inspire! Cheerfulness all round I think.
n20gardener 