We spent some time tidying the garden this week and also had a day out in North Yorkshire. As most other days were wet and miserable, we only managed one afternoon at the allotment. Even then that afternoon was cut short as it started to rain.
Our main aim was a bit more tidying and edging of beds ready for them to be tilled when - if ever - they dry a little. Martyn worked on this whilst I trimmed back the lavender beds and a couple of helianthemums which share the bed with the blueberries.
I ran the shears over the plants trimming off the spent flower stems and straggly bits. I didn't have time to gather up the pieces, which as you can see are left on top of the plants, before the rain started.
With rain threatening my first 'job' though was to have a wander round the plot taking some photos. The warmer weather last week seems to have spurred some plants into action. I was surprised to see that the tulips planted in the pear tree bed were flowering.
Self sown primroses are flowering in the grass paths - they don't seem to mind the fact that the grass is regularly strimmed.
At last the plum trees seem to be preparing to flower. Up until this week the trees were showing little sign of life.
The autumn raspberries are also now producing plenty of shoots.
The early rhubarb is growing quickly. Later varieties can be seen alongside the large clump in the photo on the left.
One other thing that we managed before the rain chased us away was to pull a few sticks of rhubarb which are destined to be used in a sponge pudding,
I hope that this little bit of rhubarb qualifies the post for additions to link to harvest Monday hosted on Dave's blog Our Happy Acres
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Hopefully we are going to have some fine weather later this week then we can all get out on our allotments to catch up. My rhubarb is looking good too, I'm sure I'll be pulling some soon.
ReplyDeleteWe had an afternoon there yesterday, Margaret and did more tidying and cut the grass paths. Just need the soil to dry out a bit so we can cultivate the beds - some are still more mud than soil.
DeleteThat lavender is going for world domination! Enjoy your rhubarb.
ReplyDeleteThat is just one of our lavender areas, Mal we have it edging some fruit beds too. As for he rhubarb - we did,
DeleteAll this rain, when it eventually stops for more than a day will surely be helpful later in the year... I'm trying to be positive here :-}
ReplyDeleteLet's hope so, Belinda - positive is the only way to go.
DeleteMy mother's rhubarb was just beginning to show before our latest snowstorm. Yours is lovely.
ReplyDeleteSnow again, tpals? What a shame! Still it shouldn't harm rhubarb.
DeleteLovely update. Like me, first job is nearly always take some photos first ...Lol
ReplyDeleteHi Hugo - I'd be post without my camera and it is a great aide memoire,
DeleteIt looks like our lavender did not make it through our cold and wet winter. I do see some rhubarb poking up, but I doubt it likes the snow flurries we are getting today! I believe it much prefers your climate. Your looks very healthy.
ReplyDeleteShame about the lavender, Dave - was it a less hardy variety. Rhubarb does like a cold spell and ours has certainy had that.
DeleteYour rhubarb looks fantastic as do the spring flowers. I always think that they brighten up the plot at this time of year. Our lavenders survived the rain but our Torbay Palms didn't and nor did the Avocado I was nurturing in an unheated greenhouse. Ah well.
ReplyDeleteHi Joy, that is such a shame about the avocado. Will you try again.
DeleteHere's hoping that the warmer and drier weather predicted for later this week will dry our respective plots. I don't think that I've ever had a rhubarb sponge Sue. It sounds most yummy :)
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping for the same, Anna. The rhubarb sponge was more sponge with a rhubarb sauce. Rhubarb crumble muffins are good too.
DeleteOh I say...rhubarb! Sooo jealous! I cut back some of my lavender today, it's become very woody! Good to see those tulips and cowslips, and buds a bursting! xxx
ReplyDeleteThey're actually primroses, Dina. Growing in the grass makes it less obvious. The tulip are growing quickly now.
DeleteLovely rhubarb. I have some plants that have been growing for a few years but they only produce huge leaves and short stalks that aren’t worth harvesting. I’ not sure what the problem is, perhaps it doesn’t get cold enough here.
ReplyDeleteThe rhubarb growers in our area complain if the winter isn't cold enough, Michelle. They reckon the roots need a cold spell in order to produce good stems.
DeleteAt least you have made a start which is more than I can say for myself having only been able to get into the garden once so far this season. I'll be crossing my fingers for drier weather for you and warmer (and dry!) weather for myself ;)
ReplyDeleteToday was a lovely day, Margaret. Here’s hoping for more of the same to dry the soil for the weekend.
DeleteIt looks like everything is waking up in your garden. And that is a wonderfully large planting of lavender. I've been potting up my peppers and tomatoes, but there's still lots seed starting and potting up that needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteThe lavenders were bought to edge some fruit beds, Phuong and planted in this bed to grown on but we liked the end product and decided to leave them where they were!
DeleteThe weather has changed so quickly in the past few days - I noticed new growth on my lavender bushes and they need to be cut back so that's gone to the top of my jobs list. My Red Champagne rhubarb is about to flower - again! I think I need to move it, it's obviously stressed where it's growing under the plum tree. Hope your soil is drying out now - a few pots here have crusted over in the heat so I'm on watering duty already.
ReplyDeleteWe hope the last couple of days have done the job, Caro. We will find out tomorrow.
DeleteRhubarb mmmmmmmm. One of my favourite tastes of Spring. So many things you can do with it. Have you tried Rhubarb Gin?
ReplyDeleteI haven’t, Kathy but then again I don’t like gin.
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