power plant

How does that saying go about March? ‘In like a lion, out like a lamb?’ My Spring lamb always comes out for an airing at this time of year! Well, our March came in like a lion, was lamb-like for a few days in between, and is going out like a lion too! A fierce cold wind had me heading indoors at the weekend. I did, however, manage to make some progress this week on the seating area in the new Words and Herbs Bed, which we made last year. I hauled lots of molehill soil to the centre and used some for planting all the climbers around the Pergola – to be shared at a later date once all the dust has settled! As you can see, we have slopes in all directions in our garden, but rest assured the pergola IS level! Just a bit more soil is needed and then we can sow grass seed. April looks very promising with 18°C forecast for the end of this week, and we are already noticing the garden and hedges turning green – a wonderful sight after so many colourless months. Since the Forsythia open...

Some much needed rain has stopped play/work in the garden, but you can almost watch the plants growing as they soak it up! There are still only some little things in flower suitable for picking to share this week, but enough for me to join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for a Monday vase. Do go and visit her and see what she and a whole bunch of other gardeners are sharing in vases today. So, first of all some Hellebores again. Yes, I featured hellebores last week, but they are looking so good at the moment I couldn’t resist picking more. And these red ones seems to last better than the white and cream, so I am making the most of them! The greenery in the vase is deceptive – there is nothing quite that green in our landscape yet, but this is Cornus sibirica which was cut for a vase a few weeks ago and has unfurled some fresh leaves and even flowers while indoors. Then my variety performance of small bulbs and plants in my dinky bird ensemble! (All lined up like this, they do lo...

On Saturday a nasty cold north wind did not deter me from getting some jobs done outside: among other things a couple of evergreens desperately needed repotting and what a struggle it was to get them out of their pot… a word of advice: never use containers that get narrower at the top! Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwood’s Gold’ in its new container, after being removed from that white pot on the right, now holding a Hippophae… hope that doesn’t need a bigger pot soon as well! Anyway, I was rewarded with sunshine on Sunday (still cold and windy though!) and did very little except pick flowers for a vase so that I can join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden today for her Monday meme. (And as I write on Monday morning, it is trying to snow!) Indoors, spring is underway with my Kohlrabi seedlings sprouting, and the aubergines too. Outdoors, the Hellebores are all in flower or just coming into flower, waving goodbye to winter. This creamy one is ‘Prince Double White’… The Viburnum ‘Da...

Spring is in the air, and I have been sorting through my seed packets to decide what annuals and vegetables to grow this year. It is always a matter of juggling for space, as our last frost date here in southern Germany is not until mid to late May. So I have to be strict with myself and not sow too much, or I won’t have room for all those pots of tender seedlings. I am sure many of you have the same problem! In terms of vegetables, I usually grow runner beans, zucchini, beetroot, kohlrabi, cucumbers and butternut squash. I have chosen a climbing zucchini called ‘Quine’ this year… also suitable for growing in containers. For a change, I have decided to try growing some aubergines in a container on the patio. I tried them once, years ago, and they were still only golf ball size in September, and hard as rocks. Aubergine  ‘Black Beauty’ was therefore my priority to sow early, as soon as I got my potting compost. So they are ticked off the list now. The tomatoes, some kohlrabi a...

Spring has sprung, and we have had some beautiful sunshine and warmth. Crocuses, Primroses, Dwarf Iris and Hellebores are starting to flower, and a few shoots of other early spring bulbs are showing. One of the Hellebores was the inspiration for my vase title, as I join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her weekly meme. Hellebore ‘Days of Joy’ (Very apt for this time of year!) After looking up this hellebore, it doesn’t appear to exist, so I wonder if the label on it was just a promotion strategy to sell an unnamed variety… The pointed petals are a dark pink on both the inside and outside – most of my other pink hellebores vary. This makes it quite unique I think. I added another pink Hellebore to my vase (name fails me right now), a couple of Iris reticulata, and some Primulas. Just to show how blue the Iris really are, I photographed them next to the purple crocus outside. The little blue vase was originally intended for snowdrops, but since they won’t grow for me here ...