April showers

It is all kicking off in the gardens right now. Really warm one minute and yet a frost last night. Raining all day and dry the next with blue sky. It always messes with my tiny brain! Is it Spring, are we out of Winter yet. Yes? No? hurry up!

I have been busy in my Tuesday garden getting the kitchen garden up to scratch for planting. A small scale, therefore we can be a bit more spontaneous than in a large garden. Things change, we can decide at the last minute where things go. If it doesn't work, we pull it out and plant something else. Weeds are now growing which is a sure sign that seeds will germinate, so it is safe to try direct sowing. I sowed some Carrot and Radish.

At Heale, a much larger scale, things need a little more planning. All our hard work digging through the Winter months, means we are ready to go when the weather turns. We have been sowing more Broad beans, red flowered, which comes from a green bean. I have never seen this colour bean before, beautiful.

We have planted all our Potatoes, a different variety each week, staggered. Salads and herbs are out, Radishes are almost ready, much more in production, seed stage, pricking out stage, potting on and hardening off.

It is a chaotic time and HG (@michaelmaltby30) is really measured in his process of ensuring everything runs smoothly. Every morning the greenhouse temperatures are monitored and as the day unfolds, we have to check they are not too hot/cold and that the seedlings haven't dried out if the sun has shown its face!

In the wider garden, beyond the confines of the veg garden, Spring has sprung. Blossom is bursting from its bud. Magnolias are out (Felix Jury pictured), Tulips, Amelanchiers are just about ready in the Japanese garden and Hostas are sending their thick spikes up through the soil (I always think they are rather like something form the Dinosaur times).

Clematis armandii (above) is showing off it's huge scented flowers and shiny large shiny leaves against the brick wall of the veg garden.

We planted out the Sweet peas last week, our single cordons, over 80 plants. I love Sweet pea planting day, my favourite plant. the promise of these sweet blooms is too much for me. They are such a fabulous flower. to know that I will spend an hour a week with these beauties, pinching out an picking, once they get going is such a joy.

The rains came one day and we had time out to sow, pot on, prick out and sort the prop. When the days are fine, being in the garden is all you have time for but when the rain comes you can actually get all those jobs done that pile up.

We divided some Hostas and potted them on into new soil with feed. HG showed me how you can wash off all the existing soil so you can really see what you are working with. Then you can decide how to divide and which part of the plant will make a good division. Hostas are tough as boots! We took the time to get some potted plants out into their positions in the garden. Lots of Hostas in pots surround the house front door and look glorious and lush when in full flow.