Thinking about spring

 

This lovely warm sunny weather we've been having these last few days has taken us a bit by surprise. It was quite a sudden change from being chilly to warm to the point of having to root out summer clothes from the back of the wardrobe. 

I have been enjoying the warm spring sunshine, it brings a lovely sense of well being, a feeling of peace and relaxation, and there's a lovely smell in the air too.  As I walk around the garden each day, clutching a mug of tea or coffee I love to see the changes that spring is bringing to the garden. New growth is appearing daily,  on the trees and in the borders reminding me of plants that are there, just in case I'd forgotten about them. I do sometimes forget what there is in the ground and it's a lovely surprise when those new green shoots arrive. It's like meeting up with old friends. It's also a time when I think that I really must remember to label my plants--especially those I only planted last year.  There are a few which at the moment I cannot remember what they are and I will have to wait for them to get bigger so I can identify the leaves.

The colours of spring are so lovely,  lots of yellow from the daffodils and  primroses. I'm also loving the greeny yellow of the euphorbia. There's a big clump of it under the holly tree. It's taken over that area a bit but I like it. There are also plenty of blue flowers about at the moment. The pulmonaria are starting to flower,  the muscari, and even some early bluebells. I love blue in the garden.

 There's so much to do now as the weather gets warmer, so I'm not just watching flowers grow, I'm sowing seeds.  Seeds for the allotment and salad beds and I might even try growing some wildflower mix this year. I'm making plans.  I think spring has that effect on me, it brings me out of the sluggishness of winter, lifts my spirits and gives me enthusiasm to get on with jobs in the garden.

Salad news

I'm pleased that this month I've been able to cut more salad from seed shoots and even have a complete salad from things I've grown.

I'm loving the pea shoots. I have had two cuts from the first lot of shoots I grew and I know I will definitely have another cut from them yet. This first sowing was grown from a few mange tout seeds I had left from last year.  I was so impressed by their taste and the speed they grew that I bought a packet of dried marrow fat peas from the supermarket to sow another lot.  These are now just starting to sprout having sown them a week ago. I have also got basil seedlings on my kitchen windowsill and  some seeds of a mixed leaves 'gourmet garnish' micro greens from Johnsons which look quite interesting and are growing at an amazing rate.

I have now started growing salad for outside. I have some Little Gem lettuce and watercress  in seed trays and outside last week in my raised beds I sowed radish and rocket. I bought more lettuce seeds the other week and will soon be sowing Lolo Rosso, mixed leaves and spring onion in my raised beds outside and planting out the Little Gem and watercress.

I'm not all that well organised with my seed sowing, but this salad challenge has got me thinking more. So actually I feel I'm doing much better than in previous years.

For more information on the Salad Challenge click on these links:

http://vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk/p/52-week-salad-challenge.html

http://vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/salad-days-first-salad.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+VegPlotting+%28Veg+Plotting%29

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