Away for a few days

 We were away for three days last week, and the changes that have taken place in the garden in that time have me stunned.








 The most noticeable is the huge wild cherry which although outside the garden forms the backdrop to it When we went away there were only a couple of buds opening - now, after some gorgeous sunshine, it's in full flower.







On the inside -the flowering currant has leaves as well as blossom and is hiding the fence nicely.

Lots of new flowers have opened - wallflowers, forget me nots, pansies, dwarf Red Riding Hood tulips with tall Appeldoorn tulips just waiting for one more day of sun.

 The peach tree is now covered in blossom - so hopefully we'll have home grown peaches in summer

 In the greenhouse, a handful of tiny seedlings have grown into ready-to-pick salads

and even the rhubarb has put on a spurt of growth.










The weeds have been springing up too, and I spent Sunday morning trying to clear the paths of sticky-bud, unwanted forget me nots, sycamore seedlings and baby nettles.  So far I've left the self spread strawberries in place but even though I'd like to keep them the path isn't a good place for them.

Picked this week - 12th April 2015

 A couple of good handfuls of mixed salad leaves and more radishes. It doesn't look a lot but it's always exciting to pull the first crops of the year.

Harvesting....

 Seems a bit surprising to be starting to harvest crops already, but here I have an early bunch of mixed salad leaves - mustard, spinach, chives, lambs' lettuce -

and some cabbage just starting to bolt but still edible.

Spring is on the way!

 They may not be as fantastic as the snowdrops we found last weekend at Dimminsdale Nature Reserve but at least I can see these in my garden any day.

 It's not just snowdrops brightening up the garden - polyanthus,which have tried to flower on and off all winter, are now getting properly intot heir stride.

 and crocus are starting to bloom

 the greenhouse is starting to fill up - with spring onions and brassicas which have over-wintered there

 sweet peas and tiny salad leaves

 and trays planted with broad beans and peas (the holly should deter mice)

 Out in the veg patch, the spinach is looking better for a few warm days




and I even found some lambs' lettuce growing weed-like among the strawberries.

These daffodils are what will really herald Spring in though - doesn't look like it will be all that long to wait...

Picked this week - 15th June 2014

I've had a bust time this week in the garden and at the allotment just picking and harvesting!
 Most days my lunch-time salad leaves have come from the garden with some spinach from the allotment.

It's been a good week for radishes - in a variety of colours - and some over-wintered spring onions

more rhubarb

and lots and lots of strawberries that I'm having to find new ways to eat up!


















..and a lot of new season crops - a small cucumber

courgette





peas from the allotment






and mangetout peas from the garden

 broad beans





and a vase full of 'weeds'

Picked this week - 11th May 2014

Rain and other things stopped me getting to the allotment this week. Hubby went to dig ground for potatoes but didn't bring any produce back! Fortunately I'm starting to have salad crops ready at home - some radishes which I'm pulling quite small for two reasons; I've sown the seed too closely, and I hoped they'd be grown and out before I wanted to plant peas in the same space but they aren't.

Lots of strange mustard salad leaves - nice and spicy to go with blander green lettuce.  I've been picking lettuce as 'baby leaves' and had hoped to grow some on for larger plants - unfortunately the slugs took too much of a liking to them and everything I planted out was eaten!

April veg

 It's a busy time of year right now (though sometimes with gardening ALL times of year can feel busy!)

I've been getting the veg beds sorted out with leeks and spring onions set and winter salad leaves pricked out (look very carefully, they're in the area between the two seed packets)

The other side of the path has some ready-to-bolt winter cabbage, with chives on the left and garlic to the right.

Another area, around last year's rocket, has radish and more rocket set.














At the back of the garden, the rhubarb is doing well











and the fruit trees are showing early signs of flowers to come

apples...











red currants











and the peach tree already in flower




window sills are full of cucumbers, squashes, courgettes

 tomatoes, aubergines and peppers 

and there are trays and trays of early veg waiting to be moved into the allotment - these are tiny beetroot plants