It's a beautiful day

My often cynical son ( yes it is possible at seven years of age) woke up marvelling at the world- at the things that weren't here a hundred years ago. He smiled the most beautiful smile and talked about how amazing electricity is and the way it comes into being. The garden makes me feel that way.
Here are some photos of the Fritillaria imperialis I mentioned in my last entry. ..














..and the Fritillaria meleagris. The heads of these flowers start to appear when the plants has hardly pushed it's way out of the ground. The petals are an anaemic version to begin with, gradually darkening to the colour here. The checked pattern is so unexpected on a flower.



The plum tree blossomed really well this year. The petals are now fading. This picture was taken last week. Frost killed most of the blossoms last year and there were hardly any plums. Hopefully the bees have done their work already and we'll have more fruit.

Following an Alan Titmarsh tip, I put forget- me-nots (free from the allotment) with tulips. I think the idea is that they hide the dying foliage of the tulip. They also look good together. I've run out of space in the garden so my tulips are mainly in pots which I think works well.




I put a line of parsnips in at the allotment. I made holes with a big dibber and filled it with multipurpose compost and sowed three seeds into each hole. I dented the top of the compost to mark the position of the hole as I went along so that I would know where to sow. I lifted and separated the strawberries as they had made lots of babies that were huddled too close together. Think I should have done it earlier but I am hoping better late than never. At the allotment we get free deliveries of the compost made from the green waste that is collected from each household. It's ok apart from it sometimes has bits of glass and plastic bags in it. Still lots more to do but I am concentrating on one particular job each time I visit.

Writing,potions and plants

Have been working at the allotment this week as weather has been perfect for growing. Have been hoeing the weeds before they get too big. Sowed some carrots and moved a red currant bush. There are flowers coming hurrah - hopefuly will get my first taste of red currants since I was a child.
Blowsy tulip in my garden.

I feel so happy to have this now. In my teens I did my home work on this. It's my parent's old sewing machine and my new writing desk. Might even do some sewing with it once I fix the belt on it. My mate said a pair of tights would do the job. The machine folds neatly away inside and a panel covers the hole. Once I have oiled the top of it I can make the study corner in our bedroom instead of perching the old laptop on the blanket box. It really feels like things are coming together.

Kids were playing nicely outside. Wondered what was keeping them so happy and it was the potions they were making(one pictured). Girls were making a potion to keep the boy(my son) away and my boy was making one to keep girls away. Who says they don't play imaginatively. Though I was cursing when I found sludgy play sand at bottom.

My herb gaden is springing back to life.

tomato pricking out and flowers

My son chose these tulips and it's the third year they have reappeared. When it's sunny they open out into vivid yellow petals hiding their red underside but when it's overcast you get to see mainly dusky red. I love the contrasting colours/looks.





More pictures of the carmelia but this time the clematis behind is in flower. It's a Clematis alpina 'Pamela Jackman' and looks stunning in the dusk - it suddenly shines out - comes alive. After the flowers are gone, fluffy silvery seedheads take their place.


My broom is starting to bloom.








Last but not least I belive these are the fragrant daffodils my friend R gave me. Thanks again!!!









Managed to rehouse tomato seedlings in 3 inch pots though hurt my wrist snapping a chocolate bar to share between the kids (wouldn't have happened if I hadn't eaten the other bar of chocolate on the way home with it). Now have flowers to rehouse- next week will do. Sowed some courgettes as last year forgot to do it and accepted some off neighbour which turned out to be yellow - found colour much more pleasing than the taste of them. My cucumbers have germinated-hooorah!!!!

sunny afternoon in my garden

I love my garden at the moment. These tulips have come up from the year before last. I like the red against the purple of the perenial wallflower. The wallflower was a present from my friends daughter and it has flowered continuously all seasons since I got it two years ago.








This is my parsley before I pricked out the seedlings and put them two to a 3 inch pot.










These chanomeles (spelling?) otherwise known as flowering quince are lovely can't wait till the climb up against the fence and cover it.






Oooh and this ribes is related to currant family but is just ornamental but flowers smell beautifully fruity and the colour is gorgeous as the bush is covered in these flowers this time of year.






Last but not least the forsythia that has grown on me. When I need a burst of sun I just stand under, look up and soak up the yellow.

This time of year my head is full of all the jobs that need doing. Poems I need to write, seeds to sow and potatoes to plant. My tomatoes germinated and have now got four leaves which means they need rehousing. Need to get some peat first and wash some more pots or I could stick them in toilet rolls. I got a poem accepted by Everday Poets - not up this month but will keep you posted. Very excited as will be my first ever payment for writing - I know it's only a dollar but it means a lot to me.