April into May

A quiet week as I have been poorly - could just about manage to sit in the garden and contemplate the weeds. However, much has been growing.

Indoors, basil is sprouting, along with fennel, tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, and stocks.  Cuttings have been taken and potted up, of golden Spiraea, Penstemon, Forsythia, Fuchsia and Akebia quinata ("Chocolate Vine"). These have been covered over with squash bottles with their bottoms cut off, which act as mini cloches and keep the humidity up.  Dandelion seeds have been collected and sown so that I can have a proper crop of these. I have read that these need potting up as soon as their seedlings can be handled so could be tricky. Only one of my sweetcorn seeds has germinated so far, which won't end up with a crop as more than one is needed for cross-pollination. I have sown seeds of Swiss Chard for the vegetable patch so that it can be planted out as soon as the new bed is ready.

In the garden the bindweed is thriving, so every time I go out there I have to hoik out a handful of the stuff, trying to get as much root as possible. Straight into the bindweed bucket. The new border is looking good, and the plants are settling in nicely, as are the herb plants next to it. The perennial sweet pea that came up is gradually attaching itself onto the makeshift tripod that I put up, so I am hopeful of flowers later in the season. The seeds sown in the wildflower border are germinating between the bindweed, dandelions and tree seedlings; there will definitely be pot marigolds!

In the vegetable patch, the shallots are doing well for the most part, not much of the garlic has sprouted, and the spring onions have germinated but aren't doing a huge amount. The broad beans have been attacked by pea and bean weevil so have notches along all the leaves. They still seem to be growing though. I shall grow some in pots as back up.

I have moved more plants outdoors as they weren't getting enough light on the bottom of the frame; these include Hart's Tongue Ferns, Oregano, Lemon Balm and Lamium. The grass (dandelion flowers) has been cut and looks a little tidier. The Ginkgo is sprouting leaves from the branches and trunk and is really looking nice. SO happy that it came with the garden.

Still lots to do - I really need to get on with sorting the borders out so I can plant the lovely plants that I am growing in pots. However, I am really hopeful that this garden is going to be fabulous!

NB: popped out there tonight. Brown slugs everywhere, especially on the vegetable patch. Made a couple of slug traps from takeaway boxes with a slit cut in their lids, and partially filled with marmitey water. It has been effective in the past, although this time I am using own brand yeast extract...

Aquilegia

Dandelion

Allium triquetrum