We just had a lovely May bank holiday weekend where the weather DRY AND WARM! There has been so much rain and dullness up to now, seedlings have really struggled to come through and everyone feels behind with garden progress as it has just been too wet to get anything in the ground. However, that changed over the last few days and we have been able to get planting, digging, trimming and planning.
Sweet peas are in, they have grown from seed really well in the greenhouse so it was fab to get them planted out into the main garden before they got too leggy. Summer isn’t the same without their beautiful scent and cheerful blooms so we have our fingers crossed for a great display, this year we have positioned the row in the main vegetable bed towards the edge where the roots can be cooler and the tops will be in the sun (hopefully) which is how they prefer to be. Just down from there the French Beans have also been planted out - a purple variety - which we decided to grow instead of runner beans which went woody very quickly last year. Tim turned the soil in the rest of the patch ready for the Rainbow Chard, Kohlrabi and Kale which need a couple more weeks in the greenhouse before they are big enough to transplant. Elsewhere the potatoes are in which I mentioned a few weeks ago, the garlic is looking really strong and some strawberries are forming which gives me hope.
The greenhouses are doing well and filling up with goodies, we have three containers of Pak Choi, one of which is nearly ready, cucumbers, tomatoes of various types, peppers which have been slow to start but will hopefully flourish and some salad crops are all looking good too.
The floral component of the garden is in full-flow now, blossom is everywhere and the beds are beginning to bloom. Just walking along the path brings so many beautiful scents, the Mock-Orange is covered in flowers, our white Lilac is looking spectacular and the pink Tamarisk is starting to ‘fluff’ so that will be a real show very soon. Spring flowers have been amazing - mostly left to their own devices the Cowslips, Forget-me-Nots, Grape Hyacinths and Bluebells are now being joined by Welsh poppies, Mountain Cornflower and Lily of the Valley. The roses are forming buds and will follow the Weigela so I am looking forward to many months of beauty…as long as we get just enough rain and not too much!