Monday

What a fantastic, absolutely glorious day yesterday was.  After the early frost had gone it was sunny, warm, gentle breeze, everything looks so fresh and green . . . springtime bliss.  Yesterday was worth waiting for.

To go with the day, Beth and I turned all horticultural.  We planted trays of seeds  - runners, French and borlotti beans and yellow courgettes and we sorted the redlove apple.

Regular readers might remember my redlove.  I call it Auntie May because I bought it with the legacy left by my dear Auntie May.  It is a beautiful tree with deep pink blossom, dark leaves and the loveliest fruit.

From Google Images.

Not that this tree has done much fruiting as it was in a pot and a pot really wasn't the best place for it .
When Beth and I were talking about our plans for the allotment, we decided that Auntie May (the tree, not her spirit) should go down to the allotment.

Yesterday afternoon Beth wrestled with the roots until she was able to get them out.  It wasn't easy as the pot has an inner turning lip all round.  However, Beth managed it and, having been in a pot all her short life, the root ball was very compact so we bunged it into a tough garden bag and pootled straight off to the allotment with it.
Now Auntie May is in her forever place when, it is to be hoped, she will be much happier.  Apart from anything else, she's not self fertile and relies on cross pollination so where better than an allotment?  Photos may follow at some point!

There are loads of blossom buds on her.  I'm expecting that a lot will drop while she gets over the 'trauma' but you never know, maybe she is tougher than one would expect.  My Auntie May certainly was!

Taken a couple of years ago.

Now I have a fairly large pot with no plant.  Usually it is t'other way round.  I wonder what I can put in it.  I suspect that this year I will think about it (any ideas for hardy and tough plants that like growing in containers?) and fill it with bedding plants for some instant colour.

The pot was bought with May's legacy too so I will still have something as a memorial in my garden.