Monday

 Good morning, everyone.  It's a dull start but that means little as the forecast is for warm and sunny weather with temperatures into the twenties.  I'll take that!

I mentioned my rather extended drive home in yesterday's entry; this morning, I'm going to just look it up on Google Maps so I know where I went.  I don't think it is shorter than my usual route but it is easy apart from having to go through Harlow when the Sat Nav came into its own!

After unpacking and lunch, Beth came round and we trotted off to the allotment where we weeded and planted out.  Now the baby corn and the yellow courgettes are in their forever home and Beth took two more courgettes home for her little patch.  After watering, we sat at the table under the trees and chatted while we munched an apple before coming back here where I put the kettle on and we say in the garden sunshine and made A List!  There's not an awful lot more to do apart from the ongoing weeding - the bindweed is now making an appearance, grrrrr - and general maintaining.

While Beth was there, I strained off the rhubarb gin which has been steeping (is that the right word) in the cupboard for some weeks and we tasted it.  Wow!!  
I will be making some more over this week, some using gin and some using vodka and will try some flavourings.  Rhubarb and strawberry is always nice, and we thought rhubarb and ginger would also work well.  There's loads of rhubarb to pull so that's not a problem.
This wasn't the recipe I used but very similar - they're all much of a muchness really.  https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5648310406783744033/917105241725191087

I took a few garden photos so . . .

The columnar Flamenco definitely has babies - these four and four more.  A few will drop, of course, but wouldn't it be nice to have four or five apples in its first year!

The strawberries are doing well although the cold spring has delayed them.  This time usually I have some turning pink and they're nowhere near that yet.  Perhaps the warmer weather will bring them on.
The strawberries at the allotment are also at more or less the same stage.

It looks as if there will be a nice little blueberry crop after all.  Three cheers.  I need to think about netting them, I suppose.  

The raspberries are also looking great, both in the garden and at the allotment, the allotment apple trees are not disappointing, the pear got caught by the frost but there's still some baby fruit.  As for the poor old plum - we counted a few fruit but they may drop as they did last year.  Time will tell.

End of this week?  Beginning of next?  Not long, anyway.

The bamboo has definitely taken and seems happy in that pot.  It's already thickening out and sending up new growth.

The geranium is going to be absolutely gorgeous soon.

This heuchera has never really done very well; I guess it was crowded by the rosemary.  Now that's gone, up comes the heuchera.  I love the colour.

The other flowers are also doing nicely now that the warmer weather has arrived.

Today looks busy but isn't really.

First of all I have the one tuition session of the week, half past eight to half past nine.  Then I plan a trip to a garden centre as I have failed miserably with the tomatoes and want to get some bedding plants.  Ditto for cucumber.  Today I will try Grenville Nursery which is the most local one and tends to be pretty good.  I'm hoping it is a ten o'clock opening, although I can't find anything on the internet.

Once home again, I want to work out in the garden - it's time to clear the spring bulb leaves away and get a clear view of what is coming up for the summer.

Beth's around for lunch and then we are off to the allotment again to work through The List.

It should be a very happy and satisfying day, don't you think?  Have a good 'un too and stay safe.  xx