Friday

Good morning, everyone.Despite turning the clocks forward last weekend, it's getting light at half past six and the lighter evenings are just lovely.  Unlike many, I like changing the clocks.  In the winter you get earlier mornings and lovely, dark, cosy evenings and then, in the spring, you suddenly get much lighter evenings again which are a delight too!

I did get out at last yesterday, and was in the garden for about two and a half hours before coming in for a late lunch.  I meant to go back out later, after tuition, but it poured so I didn't.

I wrapped up warm because, despite the sun, it was quite chilly and that, with all the bending, kneeling, etc, kept me cosy warm.  I sorted out the strawberry bed, digging up the runners and repotting them and now, even if only half of them survive, I have enough to plug any gaps in my own bed as well as starting off a strawberry bed at the allotment which is great.

There are three plantlets in the big pots and one or two, depending on size, in the little peat pots.

This is the end of the strawberry and tomato bed - I've planted babies all around the end but they will definitely be dug up and taken to the allotment.  The green frame thing is for the tomato plants, when they are ready to go out.

Note to self - must get some more pots.

After that I sorted out some messy corners (for an almost square garden, I seem to have a lot of corners!) and tidied up the mint pots.  I have three mints - apple mint, chocolate mint and the usual mint sauce mint - and the aroma as I clipped back last year's dead stalks and removed some impertinent weeds was very evocative of roast lamb and long summer days.  I love making a simple infusion of mint and boiling water and noted, with delight, that the faithful mint is coming up yet again.  So is the oregano, despite being cut back severely and I've started using the chives already  The rosemary has survived The Chop and is growing well and, fingers crossed, the sage has also survived that cold weather.  The thyme looks a bit weary so I'll keep a good eye on it and replace, if necessary.

I moved on to the middle bed where I pulled a few weeds but it's rather thick with bulbs and hard to see if anything naughty is coming up underneath.  I wonder if the lupin I planted last year will come up again or whether the very cold weather has killed it off and I must remember to put down the old slug deterrent before the delphinium starts growing.

I also had a go with my leaf hoover and it sucked up some, but it was hard going because everything is damp, so I gave up on that and will wait until we've had a few days of better weather before trying again.  Despite that, the whole area now looks a lot better and is not so 'oh dear' to look out on any more.  What I have got to do now is sort out the little strip at the front and also deal with all the little piles of garden clutter that really are a bit of an eyesore.  I suspect that means giving the shed a good sort out too, in order to make room.

I feel a lot better for the fresh air now, and it looks like the start of the 'Bore Everyone With My Garden News' blog posts!   :-)  Spring really is here at last and now I'm looking forward to sitting out in the sun in my little arbour with my morning coffee and a good book.  Sheer bliss.

Today isn't too clogged.  I hope to be in Sainsbury's in an hour and a half as I have decided to get some of those jeans closer to the size I am now so fingers crossed that they have the size and length I want.  I also want to get a few Easter goodies for people.

I also need to tackle the end of the month accounts which I will do today as there will be no further action over the weekend.

And I might just possibly get out the front and do a spot of much needed weeding.  

Have a lovely day, whatever you have planned and whatever the weather.  I'm sure I will.