EVERYBODY OUT!

It was wonderful to wake up this morning to bright sunshine, there was a thick coating of frost upon everything but never mind, the sun was shining and everything looked splendid. We ate our breakfast of crumpets and oven bottom muffins in a kitchen flooded with light and we all felt the better for the change. For the past few days it has been grey and gloomy, and so have I.

My son's friends began to arrive at around eleven and I set about the washing up before heading off to the shops. I have only been out of the house once in the last two weeks and I enjoyed the ride in the fresh air. I was amazed to see how much things had changed, I encountered cherry trees smothered in a snowy with and delicate pink froth of flowers and everywhere knots of green showing on the trees. On the ground tufts of cow-parsley vivid green and the early spears of arum lilies,perfect.
About the supermarket I shall say never a word as my views are well know on that subject.
I hurried home anxious to get in to the garden for an hour or so and found that my next door neighbours had the same idea. A huge pile of weeds on the path showed that some serious work had been going on. I unpacked the shopping and out I went.

The question for me at this time of year is always “Where the heck do I start.” There is always so much to do and I freely admit that I am behind this year. I was just getting started two weeks ago when I was laid low with “The stone.” it was much too nice being outside to allow such cares to linger and I planted out some foxglove plants and some other odds and ends before moving in to the vegetable garden to deal with the growing tunnel. I put on the polythene cover which will I hope trap the heat and warm up the ground a little so that In can sow some early salad such as rocket and our favourite mix of salad leaves. These are wonderful as you can eat them as baby leaves within a few weeks and also allow some of them to grow on and became large plants. As they are the cut and come again type the bugbear of sowing in succession is almost totally eliminated

I shall also sow out squash and pumpkin seed in the warm tunnel in trays of small pots, I can not wait to get started. While I was in the garden I picked a bowl of sorrel and some radichio the later suffered badly in the winter but has made a come back, much to my surprise and looks lovely.
We still have plenty of kale but the early spinach bit the dust during the harsh weather.
Pa joined me outside and as we pottered about it was plain that the whole village felt inclined to take a walk in the sunshine. People out with their dogs of their children, some boys were playing cricket on the green and the garden was full of bees of every sort.

I was quite tired by tea time but it was the nice sort of tiredness that you get after a day in the fresh air. I mad a fast meal of well stuffed fajitas served with a dish of piping hot buglar wheat and sun dried tomato for Pa who dislikes the wraps. It was the perfect meal for tonight especially since we had an unexpected dinner guest in the shape of one of my son's friends, it is the sort of meal that can easily be stretched to accommodate an extra person.

I shall be obliged to bake tomorrow as I played truant from the kitchen today. It will only be a few dozen biscuits and a dozen of so scones so it should not take too long ,and then if the day is fine I shall be out in my beloved garden again. I truly am happier in my garden that anywhere, it is my sanctuary and my sanity. There is nothing quite like the feel of warm earth in your hands and I love to handle the tender young plants and watch the grow. Later when the crops begin to come there will be the great pleasure of eating each in its turn as the seasons progress. I hope with all my heart that I never have to live without a garden , it is a prospect to dreadful to contemplate. But then of course I am lucky to have always had a garden and so I be grateful for that lifelong joy.

Have a happy weekend where ever you are, and blessings lite upon you.