Here are some pictures of the blooming loveliness that's been surrounding us. I've spent most days in old jeans and a t-shirt, digging furiously. We have planted a herb garden, an apple tree, bulbs for next Spring, and have begun work on the veg patch. It's back-breaking work, but I am enjoying it immensely. We've never been to bed so early, gosh it's exhausting.
Hurry up little seeds and grow! (old eggboxes make perfect seed trays!), and that's a cut glass dressing table tray underneath catching any water.
Plenty of rhubarb has popped up!
These pretty yellow flowers appear on this 'Japonica' shrub. I only know this because I dug up the plastic label.
These turned out to be Bluebells once they opened up - hundreds of them!
How is it going in your garden, do you have it all under control? Or are you a novice too, blindly digging away?!
Are you sure those are bluebells? It may be the angle from which you took the photo, but they look more like grape hyacinths (muscari) to me.
ReplyDeleteI moved last autumn and am trying to identify plants as they emerge, too. I'm going to try to use Google's revers image search - take a photo of the mystery plant and try to find it that way. http://www.google.com/insidesearch/features/images/searchbyimage.html
I didn't think they were bluebells at first either, they took ages to open up! Have added another photo, that's what they all look like now, and there are even some white ones.
DeleteI hadn't heard of that reverse image search, what a genius idea! Thanks for telling me about it. P x
That is definitely a mix of bluebells and grape hyacinth you have there they are both staples of the 1930's garden!
DeleteOur growing season is about a month behind this year, so I haven't actually started to grow anything. My dad has 80 little tomato plants under a grow light in the basement, but this year I'm mainly growing spinach and swiss-chard so I'm waiting until I can plant outside. My dad has a quite impressive garden, and I have a small weed-ridden plot at the back. Despite how neglected my patch looks, I apply a lot of "permaculture" principles and the space is actually quite productive. I also grow a lot of mint in pots to dry for mint-tea.
ReplyDeleteOo tomatoes, that's fab, we just don't have the climate here and we don't have a greenhouse (yet!). Sounds like you have a proper long term vision for your 'patch', and that's great that you can grow things like mint for tea. We've just planted some cuttings and I hope they're going to survive!! P x
DeleteThose bluebells are so tremendously pretty!!! We don't have them around these parts (at least not that I've ever seen), so it's quite the treat to see them in your post, as they really are one of the loveliest of spring's blooms.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
They're quite a romantic flower, I feel. I remember them from my childhood visiting lovely woodland, along with the smell of wild garlic and dapple sunlight through the canopy. Such a treat to find we have them in our garden! P x
DeleteLOL I love that you know the name of the flower because you dug up the plastic label! Ha! That would be me.
ReplyDeleteWe tried our hand at vegetable gardening here and found it was far too much work for the yield we'd get out of it. Last year I planted a bunch of perennials and I see a couple of them didn't come back, which is hugely disappointing. Since I have no help from my husband I've kind of given up more on the backyard. I still do lots of potted flowers around the deck though. They are always lovely. Oh, and we do tomatoes. Those are easy enough : )
Your garden looks wonderful already.
bisous
Suzanne
Oh gosh another person who's braved the tomato growing! My OH attempted it a few years ago but unfortunately it was the wettest and coldest summer on record so they weren't thriving and then something ate them all anyway!! It is frustrating when all the hard work doesn't pay off, so I feel for you wth those perennials. P x
DeleteYes, you really need a good sunny place for tomatoes. That said, cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets do well in our climate.
DeleteMy garden is a nightmare! I resolved to spend at least an hour working on it on every weekend when the weather is good, but I fear that won't be enough and I'll have to put some serious effort in. Good luck with your veg patch! I always grow tomatoes, and might put some chillies in this year too. It's nice to eat things you've grown yourself.
ReplyDeleteI cannot WAIT to eat some home-grown carrots, like on the Waitrose advert!! P x
DeleteLove your bluebells and that's a prefect idea to use old egg crates to get seeds started. I suppose then you can just pop the plant in the ground when it's ready egg crate and all and the egg crate will decompose? I have a small flower bed that I just like to throw seeds into without too much attention on spacing or placement but if I ever wanted to get technical or actually start to make a planned flower bed or veggie garden this is a great idea! I do know what you mean about not knowing what all the plants are popping up everywhere... over time you will start to recognize them when they first start to pop up, and whether they are weeds are good plants. That part does get a bit easier :)
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