Spring has sprung!

Well, although the weather has been odd this last winter,

things seem to finally be settling into a mild Spring-like mode ...

for the moment anyway! 

The broad beans I've sown in pots while I get a bed sorted out for them

are popping up - much to Angel's delight. I shall have to keep a watchful

eye on her while she's outside in case she has a nibble ...

She has already uprooted a couple of potted violas that she has been munching on ... 

 

In the front garden the pond is full of frog spawn, and

Nigel the goldfish has taken up sunbathing while the solar powered

fountain is working happily, in spite of being left out all winter.

The surest sign of all though, is that Archie and Angel

are both happy to mooch around the garden in the nuddy!

As this page doesn't get too many visitors, I'm thinking of simply doing the occasional blog here - maybe monthly rather than weekly - and using the Facebook page more instead.

Come and visit us there at Dog friendly gardening!

Planting up time

Another sign that spring is here - the garden centres are full to bursting with bedding plants ... I was unable to resist the appeal and have just planted up my first planter. You can of course, buy ready made ones from supermarkets, often much more cheaply than doing your own, but it's not half so much fun. And of course, you get the plants of your choice.

This one is destined for my partner's special plot at Hughenden: next I shall be thinking about bedding plants to brighten up the special parts of the garden where Lisa, Fern and Boris are. They already have year-round plants marking their spots, but I like to add some special splashes of colour during the warm months too. It's lovely to be able to do this, a time when as I weed and plant, I also spend time thinking of the ones I have loved and who have gone before.

Although there is inevitably a sadness, there are also lots of happy memories, and if a tear is sometimes shed, there are smiles too. There is something very therapeutic about being able to select and plant flowers in memory of a loved one too: I suspect it is not just about the act of commemoration but because it gives you something physical and tangible to do for someone who is no longer around to be cared for.

Brrrrrrr

The days are getting shorter, and it is definitely feeling more chilly. 

I know this because Archie and Angel are not keen on lingering longer than necessary outside, and have been asking to have their coats on when going out at night for a before-bedtime pee. My Mum also commented on how nippy it felt the other day and went to look out her winter woollies. I checked the temperature - 14 degrees, so not actually as cold as all that. If it had been an early Spring day with the sun out and primroses and crocuses blooming everywhere we would all have been exclaiming about how lovely and mild it was ... but because it is Autumn and leaves are falling, it is apparently, 'chilly'!

What the well dressed whippet will be wearing in the garden this year

Build it and they will come

Well, build it and the plants will hopefully survive!

Yes, the combination of Spring plus a bit of rain meant that I beat a hasty retreat to the shed to finish the project I've had in hand over the winter - a new cold frame to replace the one which finally fell apart last year and was beyond repairs.

Not expertly crafted, but functional!

I did think about buying a new one, but after looking at the prices of the ones I liked, decided to try building my own instead: possibly a foolish idea as I'm not terribly good at DIY. It took some time to get started as first I had to clear a space on the shed floor for construction to take place, and that took a while - like housework, it's easy to find other, more interesting things to do instead. 
Finally I couldn't put it off any longer, and I found handy step by step instructions for making a cold frame in Geoff Hamilton's Practical Gardening Course. It looked fairly straightforward, so I assembled all the bits and pieces - some new, some old and recycled, and can now finally announce that yes, it is pretty easy to do, and cost half of what something similar would have been to buy.
If I can make it, anyone can - and probably much better.
But next time it will be easier, and now I know how cheap gravel boards are to buy, will probably be even cheaper too.

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Spring is sprung!

Spring is sprung!







Or at least, if Spring hasn't completely sprung, is well on its way. Daffodils and primroses are in bloom and the bluebells on one of our favourite woodland walks are gearing up ready for the big display later this year.

Back indoors and under a fleece when the sun goes in ...

The frogs are engaged in frantic activity in the pond, and the sun is out and today it was even warm enough for Archie and Angel to shed their jackets and enjoy the feel of it on their backs. They've been having fun pottering around in the garden with me as I've been working on the borders - although they are quick enough to dive indoors and under a fleece when it goes behind a cloud for more than a few minutes!

The frogs are busy in the pond - six at the last count.
And no, those aren't real lilies but
artificial ones which give the fish a bit of cover!

The pea shoots are doing well in the shed at the moment - but more about them next week when I hope to start harvesting. In the meantime it's back to work on making a new cold frame for the allotment as it looks like I'm going to be needing it pretty soon!