In the Garden

Hello everybody, I can't believe we're into April already!

The weeks are flying past as they always do once the gardening year gets under way, and there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done.

I've managed a few days in the garden, mostly last weekend, when I managed to finally get some seeds sown both under glass and direct into the raised beds.

A bit late I know, but should be OK for growing outside, I've finally sown my tomato seeds - Gardeners Delight and Sweet 100 F1. I shall have to cheat and buy a few ready grown plants for growing in the greenhouse for earlier tomatoes, but I usually have successful crops from plants grown outside. I've also sown pots of Basil, Coriander and Rosemary in the greenhouse. Last year a pot of basil I started in the Spring lasted most of the summer on the kitchen window sill.

I've also sown two types of courgettes under glass, an ordinary green courgette and some fancy coloured round ones! You can tell I haven't got the seed packets to hand and I'm blowed if I can remember the variety!

Outside I've sown half rows of lettuce (Tom Thumb and Little Gem), salad leaves, swiss chard, spinach and beetroot. I can then sow more in a few weeks time.

This weekend, weather permitting, I am hoping to get my potatoes in and some leeks sown into a seed bed, and some peas and kale too.

I've just finished an order for two coastal themed cushion covers which I loved making once I'd sourced the fabrics. Two different pale ticking stripes matched with a soft natural linen.

I've also been plodding on with The Sampler....sorry ladies, you're probably fed up seeing progress reports on this so please bear with me or fast forward!

I've started on the border....little pink flowers with pale blue centres and a blue design in between. This will go all the way round the sampler.

And I've started an alphabet row...working out from the centre point, and will in fill with little hearts.

And a new row of birds and hearts is underway above the still unfinished house....its the most tedious bit!

The garden is showing more signs of life now we are in April, with the first azalea well out now, although no signs of flowers from any of the other azaleas in the garden.

a few individual snakeshead fritillaries are up

the pretty pinky white wood anemones are out along the front, although in these photos it had just finished raining so their flowers are closed against the rain

the tulips have also shut up shop until the sun comes back out

bright and fresh new foliage is appearing on the crab apple tree and the variegated weigela

and the peonies are starting to show signs of life with thick fleshy rhubarb pink growth pushing up.

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I still haven't got around to the Hastings blog post but hope to share that soon. 

Hope all is well with everyone out there. What have you been up to in the vegetable garden? What have you planned to grow or have already got growing?  

A friend I met for coffee this morning mentioned cucamelon plants which are supposed to be coming to Waitrose soon....I think I'll have to give those a whirl! Has anyone tried growing these yet? Any tips or comments???

Thank you for visiting me here, and thanks for all your comments on my last post.

Have a good rest of the week and a great weekend!