Starting

I planted these last week, the 3 packs other than red pompom dahlias all in raised bed in front of the greenhouse, dahlia's planted along the back, freesia's in the front corner, hopefully to give me some beautiful summer colour, the red pompom is in a pot in the greenhouse for now, I can cover the raised bed if frost is promised, so all should grow. 

When looking on my side of the garage, I do look like a real gardener, for years I would keep a bag of compost to use, and maybe a fine John Innes, these days I have many different compost, which I now mix for the conditions I require, are you a mixer or do use use as it comes. I do think we are doing better not using peat in compost, but it does make our compost lacking. 

This spot is outside the greenhouse in the rhubarb bed, the pot with the spring bulbs in will be used for a tomato plant in the coming months, the hellebore covers the front of the pot,  I am loving the primrose in the front of the bed, this one photo shows how I want this bed, mixed with flowers, fruit and tomato plants, whilst providing food to eat, I can still have the colour I crave. The old handle from my mum's fork has sat in this spot for years, sadly I have never seen a robin perch on it. 

The various fruits are doing well, I sorted my strawberry tub and added plants on bottom level, all babies from existing plants, the earlier blueberry has loads of buds, my rhubarb, I can't take any fruit in this it's first year, I have a wire fence around it to keep pest away. I have raspberries coming up, I will need to build their frame soon, the blackberries are beginning to bud as well. I also have flowers on my broad beans, so much promise to come. 

In the greenhouse my plants are a good size, these were purchased small to grow on before planting out, I'm not sure what's in the twiggy pot, I've put it here in case it's something which will grow again, I'm sure it was something I put back into this pot last year. The Amaryllis had a new bud, I cut off the 2 which refused to grow. I have been sorting the greenhouse, making enough room for the busy weeks ahead. I have moved my green tub here for now, we can see the bulbs from the house and garden, with so much rain, I don't want the bulbs to rot.

I have planted one potato bag, it's in the greenhouse for now along with a tub full of carrot seeds, hopefully I can get an early start, we have had a few light frost, but my greenhouse is in a sunny position, I have raised both off the floor. I have already sown little gem lettuce in my raised salad bed, which is covered with glass, I have started tomato and cucumber seeds, these are in my office, the warmest place in our house, I gave all my seed trays a good watering, so I can soon start filling them. 

I had this post partly done on Wednesday evening, last week whilst the sun shone I was outside most days, my garden section in the garage has had a good sort and clean. Now again we have rain, everyday rain, it's again so dull and grey, hopefully for only one week, I have cabin fever. 

We purchased a new cat basket for here in the office, we spend time in here most mornings, it's always sunny and warm, Grace is wandering around under our feet, we are terrified we will step on her,  hopefully the basket will keep her near to us in a sunny warm spot. We popped to town on Monday morning and she was sleeping in the new bed when we returned, everything at this time is about keeping her happy.