They call it faint May – because of the changing of the seasons and the heady blossom that prevails but I believe it’s because there is just so much that needs doing in the garden during May that your head’s in a spin!! Well mine was anyway and it’s only now that I can see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.
Everything grew just like topsy, except of course those things I really wanted to grow such as the mange tout seeds planted in haste back in April. Of approx 25 sown only 4 germinated and one of those is struggling still!! Don’t expect a good crop of those for our tea!! Still the parsnip seeds which I just scattered germinated really well as did the carrots .
The runner beans were so so and then I went and planted them out too soon and we had a couple of cold and windy nights so their growth is a little stunted. I spied a first flower on one though so fingers crossed they will pull through. The potatoes look good too but am thinking I should cut down on carbs!! All in all a fair result for just planting left over seeds – some over 2 years old. And luckily for me a gardener friend has bought me some young plants to fill in the gaps – 3 sweetcorn, an outdoor cucumber, a courgette and a squash plant – gardeners are generous souls.
The veggie plants I bought are all producing now – broadbeans. (not my favourite but fill a gap) and spring cabbages (yummy with mint sauce and as I did last weekend, shredded, patted dry and fried with palma ham until crispy!)
Now it’s June and the roses are out and smell gorgeous,
the sweet peas are just starting to bloom and smell equally gorgeous, the alliums are mostly over, flopping about and distributing their seeds, foxgloves are majestic but tend to be battered by those sharp thundery showers, perennial geraniums are blooming and here and there are numerous gaps that need filling either with annuals or a new perennial or two. Love hebes and heucheras so will get a few more of them I think.
Countless shrubs need trimming back into shape before they take over the borders and a decision needs to be made on the two conifers at the back of the house which are going skywards. Let alone all the other trees which surround my garden – where shall we start – my head’s in a spin again. Thank goodness for the lovely Mark who helps with the garden – am sure he will advise me or bully me into submission!
And it seems that a lot of you have been busy in the garden too with sales up on last year and the Garden Divas team being kept busy. – two of our most popular products this last few weeks are the ultra glamorous Foxgloves Garden Gloves and our extremely comfy backdoorshoes
Looks like you are all getting kitted out for a summer in the garden – lets just hope we can enjoy the fruits of our labours after these busy weeks!
Happy Gardening
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