Happy Easter

 The sky turned blue and the sun came out for Easter.





The crocuses, polyanthus and snowdrops emerged from under the snow - and there was even one daffodil in flower.....

On the shady side of the garden though, things are looking rather different - still snowy and not a flower in sight.

Crocus under the snow

Fifth day of this unseasonable snow and it's now starting to melt a little. Even the flowers are starting to show through again.

March snow!

 Well, March continues with strange weather. More snow started falling Thursday evening, through Friday and Saturday and the daffodils will soon be covered!

Friday pic above, Saturday below

Spring Equinox - 2013

 Today is supposed to be the first day  of Spring but it doesn't really feel like it. Snow fell again today and night-time temperatures could drop to minus 3!








I still have a garden full of snowdrops with just one brave daffodil trying to flower and a few crocuses.

 there are barely any flowers on the forsythia.....







..and, although it is trying to grow, last week the rhubarb got frosted!

 I still have windowsills and the porch work surface covered in seedlings - lettuce on the left and spinach on the right.

 winter salad leaves in the kitchen



and some baby rhubarb

 On a brighter note - I have a window full of cyclamen

and a flower bud on an over-wintering chilli plant.

Crossing fingers and hoping for Spring...

I have lots of small seedlings - tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers - up and growing on windowsills around the house and a porch full of harder stuff - cabbages, onions, sweet peas.  All of these were set back in February when I expected Spring to take its normal course and I'd be able to move the more hardy out to the greenhouse by now but frosts have returned, anything that can be moved back in the house has been and we're desperate fro some milder weather.
Still, I'm crossing my fingers that now we're at the equinox, the weather must turn and so I spent yesterday afternoon sowing courgettes and more peppers. With the heating still on full blast, they'll get off to a nice warm start in their propagator in the airing cupboard and hopefully by the time the shoots appear I'll have windowsill space for them.

Picked this week 17th March 2013

Despite the snow and freezing nights, we managed to get to the allotment to visit our new patch and even harvest something from the old one.

 a couple of leeks, though we're nearing the end of the row.....

..and some leaves from the running-to-seed brussels sprouts. There haven't been any sprouts at all this year. The early plants got washed away in August's rain and the later ones didn't grow quickly enough and are now running straight to seed.

So cold......

                                   ...even the daffodils and snowdrops are frozen!

Back to Winter

I woke up to snow on the ground and sun streaming through the window this morning! All day the weather has veered between two extremes of warm sunshine and icy snow showers. With low temperatures of -3 predicted for tonight and Wednesday, I've spent the day so far bringing seedlings into the house from the greenhouse.

the rather crowded worksurface in the back porch!

 Anything I couldn't move -  radish set in the floor or french beans in an enormous pot - and those plants I thought hardy enough are still out there with a triple layer of fleece to keep them warm.

Hoping for a return to Spring soon!

Sowing time

In last week's sunshine we got lots of seed set down at the allotment - peas, broad beans, carrots and beetroot under plastic. This week, which isn't so pleasant, I've concentrated on the garden - that way I can go back inside for coffee when I get too cold :)

I dug over one of the wedges of my veg patch with the intent of sowing early peas there.

On the left are clumps of American land cress and on the right, winter onions, with flowers here and there among them.

I had some homegrown seed in a pot clearly marked as peas but hubby doesn't believe the label so won't set them at the allotment. They look particularly odd in the photo as they've been soaked then rolled in chilli powder to deter mice! Anyway I'm hoping they grow nicely and I soon have peas for dinner!

Fingers crossed.

March coming in like a lamb

 February has ended and March begun with lovely warm spring-like weather.


There were no daffodils for St Davids Day though - and no crocus or forsythia yet.

The colder start to last month means lots of things are delayed and snowdrops are still the main feature.

There are some polyanthus flowering ..

... bergenias 










...and wallflowers in bud.

March beginning with settled weather is not necessarily a good sign though. I'm hoping it doesn't go out roaring 'like a lion'.

Picked this week 3rd March 2013

  Two batches of salad leaves this week - lots of american land cress ready to pick plus some small lettuce leaves from the allotment cold frame. I've now pricked these plants out so won't be able to pull any for a while.

I also managed to find a small amount of kale. It isn't really growing back properly after being eaten by birds. Hoping that the cabbages will grow quickly now for some veg.

Also lifted a couple of leeks from the garden - not as large as the allotment ones and with more beetles so not a lot to eat from them