Got up astonishingly early this morning (for a Saturday) and was in the garden by about 9.15. It was sunny and pleasant, and everything looks so pretty since there are so many things out at the moment. The mirabelle plum looks fabulous, the camellia is at perfection, the clematis armandii has recovered from its crash last year, although the pear tree hasn't. And there are lots of daffs, a few lingering crocus, hyacinths and a few early tulips, as well as muscari, the specially lovely m.latifolia are a great joy - some scillas, lots of celandines, which I love even though they are widely regarded as a weed. There are pulmonaria, the first of the orange epimediums, kingcups in the pond.
I began gardening in the usual way, sitting in a chair staring at things, then I sprang to life. I bought a Globe artichoke tuber the other day, and soaked it for a couple of days, the little dead looking thing at the end of it turned out to be this season's growth. It perked up remarkably in water. This morning I planted it in the front garden, where I have already installed a great many broad beans. They are flourishing but need water, since it hasn't rained for over a week. I then filled a vast outdoor flower pot with a mix of soil and homemade compost, and covered it with a selection of seeds:mixed leaves, wild rocket and chervil. After that I planted some seeds: two types of tomatoes Costoluto Genovese, and Vilma - a small type, and some basil. In a second propagator I planted some fancy digitalis, an unusal convolvulus and some very old eccremocarpus scaber seeds dating to 2004 - when I had them in the front garden. I really hope these will work, as I want to plant some more in the front garden.
The major problem in the garden at present is cat pooh. It lies everywhere, ground cover is no deterrent. Landmines have been suggested. Orange peel works, but only in a limited way.
Although there has been a little bit of rain this afternoon, I think I should water the garden, nothing like enough has fallen, and the peas could do with a wetting.
Nature notes: the red bees are out in force. I think I must have seen at least a dozen different varieties of bees in the garden so far, some honey bees, but the others presumably varieties of solitary bee. There are definitely far more of the red bees than ever before, we must be providing a good environment for them.
Also, a garden warbler. I have seen this bird before, but didn't see it clearly enough and thought it was a dunnock - but it doesn't have the tail and the colouring is different. It warbled.
Last night I saw the woodmouse in the kitchen. He is a strange chap. He stood still and looked at us for a bit then steadily made his way around the island, under the table, along the side of the Irish cupboard and into the tool lobby. I presume he hid there for a bit before proceeding to the sitting room to his nest in the sofa. We've never had a mouse nesting in the sofa before, last year the mouse (the same one? or his father?) lived under a corner of the Irish cupboard and ate the parrot's dropped seeds. Now, with Olly gone, there are fewer pickings for him, so he has to rove further to get grub. A few weeks ago I dropped a small potato on the floor and didn't notice, the following day it had been eaten away, so I left it there for a bit to give him a supply. I think in the summer the mice live in the vicinity of the shed - but I am worried about what will happen to them when we take the shed away and put up the new one. M fears we will find Aphra's corpse there....oh dear, talking of which I have discovered a frog corpse melting under one of the stones by the pond - but haven't the strength to move it. The frog spawn is hatching - small comma-like tadpoles are drifting aimlessly about the pond. No fish - they must all have bought it during the winter. Never mind, will cultivate nature instead.
I began gardening in the usual way, sitting in a chair staring at things, then I sprang to life. I bought a Globe artichoke tuber the other day, and soaked it for a couple of days, the little dead looking thing at the end of it turned out to be this season's growth. It perked up remarkably in water. This morning I planted it in the front garden, where I have already installed a great many broad beans. They are flourishing but need water, since it hasn't rained for over a week. I then filled a vast outdoor flower pot with a mix of soil and homemade compost, and covered it with a selection of seeds:mixed leaves, wild rocket and chervil. After that I planted some seeds: two types of tomatoes Costoluto Genovese, and Vilma - a small type, and some basil. In a second propagator I planted some fancy digitalis, an unusal convolvulus and some very old eccremocarpus scaber seeds dating to 2004 - when I had them in the front garden. I really hope these will work, as I want to plant some more in the front garden.
The major problem in the garden at present is cat pooh. It lies everywhere, ground cover is no deterrent. Landmines have been suggested. Orange peel works, but only in a limited way.
Although there has been a little bit of rain this afternoon, I think I should water the garden, nothing like enough has fallen, and the peas could do with a wetting.
Nature notes: the red bees are out in force. I think I must have seen at least a dozen different varieties of bees in the garden so far, some honey bees, but the others presumably varieties of solitary bee. There are definitely far more of the red bees than ever before, we must be providing a good environment for them.
Also, a garden warbler. I have seen this bird before, but didn't see it clearly enough and thought it was a dunnock - but it doesn't have the tail and the colouring is different. It warbled.
Last night I saw the woodmouse in the kitchen. He is a strange chap. He stood still and looked at us for a bit then steadily made his way around the island, under the table, along the side of the Irish cupboard and into the tool lobby. I presume he hid there for a bit before proceeding to the sitting room to his nest in the sofa. We've never had a mouse nesting in the sofa before, last year the mouse (the same one? or his father?) lived under a corner of the Irish cupboard and ate the parrot's dropped seeds. Now, with Olly gone, there are fewer pickings for him, so he has to rove further to get grub. A few weeks ago I dropped a small potato on the floor and didn't notice, the following day it had been eaten away, so I left it there for a bit to give him a supply. I think in the summer the mice live in the vicinity of the shed - but I am worried about what will happen to them when we take the shed away and put up the new one. M fears we will find Aphra's corpse there....oh dear, talking of which I have discovered a frog corpse melting under one of the stones by the pond - but haven't the strength to move it. The frog spawn is hatching - small comma-like tadpoles are drifting aimlessly about the pond. No fish - they must all have bought it during the winter. Never mind, will cultivate nature instead.
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