Here comes the sun...

I like this time of year. I like it when the sun breaks through the clouds and lifts the garden from it's gloom. A few daffodils have opened. The snowdrops are beautiful and I must remember to split some up and replant elsewhere so they can naturalise in other parts of the garden. The Pussy Willow and Forsythia will soon be dazzling and I am really looking forward to the yellow. Yellow is the starting colour in my garden, it changes to sharp acid greens, then blues, then whites, then dark blues and purple, to orange and rust, and back to yellow. I have noticed I don't have any red or pink flowers in my garden. Red and pink fruit and veg, but not one flower.

 

 

I have had a wretched cold this week, so have been drinking lemon and ginger tea with honey and a couple of dispersible asprin thrown in to try and combat it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 I have started thinking about which plants I want to grow from seed other than veg. I did sow some Peppermint last year which were growing away happily in the greenhouse. I then planted them out. Then the slugs and snails ate all of them which I was surprised about as I remember reading somewhere that they don't like strong scented plants. I also read that they don't like Foxgloves, so they are on the to sow list too.

 

 

I would like to sow some Chamomile and more Peppermint for tea although instead of planting them up in the garden I think I will grow them in terracotta pots near the back door for easy picking and because it will be easier to keep an eye on the slugs and snails.

 

 

I will be taking lots of Lavender and Rosemary cuttings as I really want to increase my stock of these wonderful plants. I couldn't imagine a garden without Lavender...

 

 

I like to include as many plants as possible that are beneficial to insects and wildlife, as well as those that taste nice, look nice and smell nice.

 

 

So my cheeky 'just for me' plant this year will be scented geraniums. I absolutely adore these plants. I love the lemon scented varieties and plan to order some plug plants from a specialist nursery. It seems easier and cheaper to buy them as plug plants, and once they have matured I will take as many cuttings as possible and have some as house plants too.

 

 

I want to start again with patio. There are currently half barrels with ericaceous plants which I want to move to the front or back garden. I like the idea of having them in the front garden. There are four nice Pieris Japonica which would look lovely in the front garden and would be a real feature, if I move them to the back I feel they would get lost among the other plants somehow. 

 

 

I want to build a long narrow raised bed for salad against the more shady wall.

 

 

Then have as many terracotta pots as possible filled with herbs and scented geraniums.

 

 

Something like this...

 

 

 

 

 

Right, am going to start drawing plans for the patio in the notebook otherwise I will get distracted by peas or potatoes...

 

Goodnight.