April sun

Hi all

Hello to the person in California who visited.

This sun spot activity is great isn't it!
I have a row of spinach seedlings emerging and potatoes coming through the plastic. also my first parsnip seedling has poked through in the big green bin. See earlier blog. How exciting. Other things going on are the Ipomaea seedlings which I cant keep up with. They shoot away so quickly that by the time the first set of true leaves appears and they're ready to prick out the damn things are a foot tall.

Most of my group three clematis are out of the cold frame and plunged into place next to the shrubs I want them to grow through. Only the four Romantika to go in and they'll be trained up an obolisk. Sounds posh but actually it's a rough looking thing I put together using slaters lats.

The newts are actively chasing each other round the pond and last night I watched a male smooth newt trying to pursue a female great crested newt. For those who dont know cresties are about three times the size of our other two native newts smoothies and palmates. still you had to admire the little fella for trying. The frog spawn that was laid earlier in the year I took out and put in an aquarium. This is not so I can watch the tadpoles but more to preserve them from being devoured by the newts. Once they are big enough they'll go back in the pond. Not as many frogs this year as previously, have any other pond owners out there noticed a decline?? My little baby Acer palmatums are all leafing up nicely. I bought a tray full of seedlings last year which I planted out under a net tunnel. I hope to grow them on for a few years then sell them when they're worth about £50 each. there are 45 of them and the tray cost me £36. They are field grown so dont require too much attention.

Hi to Debbie who put a comment on my site. You said your dad didn't rate raised beds, well I do and so have the Chinese for centuries. If you ever get the chance visit the Buddist monastery in the Scottish borders near Lockerby, their organic garden is wonderful and entirely made up of raised beds.

This is my raised bed pictured at a bizzare angle! What possessed me?

Thats the plastic the spuds are now coming through the spinach is appearing infront of it.

There is a row of onions at the near edge.

The Hellebores are just going over now but I took some pics a week or two ago.

This black one is dead sexy.

Helleborus orientalis pupurea

Helleborus orientalis alba

They all seed like mad and some of the offspring I put into the gardens of my garden customers.

I'm nice like that.

Happy Easter and all that. Now go and get grubby,, except Debbie, do your bloody assignment!