Violet's Garden Diary

Grabbed my chance; the broad beans were quite desperate to go out, and the roots had started going the wrong way up, despite the root-trainers, although overall they have been a successful experiment so far. The beans survived our absence quite well, considering. They actually got too hot under the lid, and the top leaves got scorched where they touched it, until the stems grew tall enough to actually lift it off. Also sowed the last of Nantes 2 carrots, under the same fleecy tunnel as the beans.

Lots of cutting back, including raspberries, some of which were dud (not the Polka ones, only cut them down by about half). Moved some phloxes around in the border, and ripped out quite a lot of the excessive stenciled geranium.

First daffodil out the front! Lots of other stuff out now, iris and crocuses in the rockery, nice heathers. Everything’s sprouting, I better get a move on…

PS Soaked the remainder of sugarsnaps that all failed last year, just to see if they’ll sprout at all before wasting compost on them.

Nemesia has won the sprouting race. But I’ve just realised that I have trod in exactly the same cowpat as last year, and will have propagators full of seedlings days before we go away for half-term. Argh!

Aren’t I glad I didn’t sow the carrots yesterday! Got it all ready, compost and a nice cosy fleece tunnel (of own construction), but decided to give it a chance to warm through… The compost bin continues to annoy: tried to get it out through the hatch this time, but how can you reach to the back without it all falling down? You can’t. Got quite a lot though, of pretty decent stuff, before the whole thing tumbled forward slightly. At least there is room to put in all the dead stuff now. Maybe I should get a small shredder, cause the sticks do make it difficult to turn and handle, even if chopped quite short.

Also did quite a lot of potting: a peace lily, and the streptocarpus, some of the succulents, and a few bits of parsley (autumn sowing) rescued from outside. Window sills totally bursting already. The second amaryllis is in full glory now, a perfect four-way of deep red. The third one is on its way.