Some activities are described in more detail on our blogs - links below
1 - 5 March
The spring bulbs are really coming into their own as was evident on our visit to RHS - Harlow Carr, I posted about our visit on my blog here. We were really surprised by how much colour there was.
We were even tempted to make one or two purchases from their plant sales area.
Things are also beginning to colour up in our garden with the crocuses and miniature daffodils taking centre stage with appearances from some of the species tulips in the front garden area.
The apricot tree planted in a tub in the garden is ready to burst into blossom. It is covered in buds so we are hoping the frost doesn’t do any damage and the pollinating insects do their best.
In the greenhouse the onion sets are sprouting
Our visits to the plot have again been mainly to collect fresh vegetables but we have noticed that the early variety of rhubarb - Timperley early is now growing quickly.
A little tidying of the paved area outside the shed and under the tayberry has been undertaken.
6 - 12 March
We have had a bit of sunshine and really hope that this will have encouraged pollinators to venture out and pollinate the apricot blossom. I posted about the apricot here on my blog.
The frogs have now arrived and are busy filling our garden pond with spawn much of which will be feasted on by the fish but I’m sure some will survive.
The miniature daffodils are now putting on a lovely display.
The front garden bed has been tidied and spent compost added as a mulch, I have also added a dressing of fish, blood and bone fertiliser to give the plants a boost
We are still harvesting winter vegetables from the plot but soon the root vegetables will begin to grow so no doubt harvesting days are numbered.
Last years canes of autumn raspberries have been cut back to ground level and the buddleias have been pruned back almost but not quite a severely.
A sight that always heralds spring is the row of native primroses growing under the kiwi vines.
At the end of last year one of our pear trees was affected by what we think was pear fireblight. We decided to wait to see if the ree made any sort of recovery. It seems that the top half of the tree has been killed but there are lots of branches budding lower down. We have cut out the top half of the tree and so now our tree has metamorphosed into a bush. I have posted about it here on my blog.
12 - 21 March
The garden greenhouse has now been restained on the outside and the broken roof windows reglazed with polycarbonate. Er have written quite a few posts about this on our blogs - just clock on the March links on the left side panel. It now looks more cared for but there are still various bits and pieces to take care of.
Most of the blossom is now over on the apricot. I tried to give nature a hand with a bit of hand pollination but we will have to just wait to see whether any fruit sets. The nectarine blossom is now beginning to open.
Lots of plants are now beginning to flower and the birds are becoming more vocal.
The are photos on my blog here.
Borders are being tidied in the garden and seeds are starting to be sown. Just salad leaves and cyclamen at the moment but that is set to change.
Bubblewrap has been removed from the large tubs that are planted with fruit trees.
The onions and shallots planted in modules in the greenhouse are growing quickly now too.
24 - 31 March
The lavender hedge on the plot was staring to make new grow so U clipped it with a pair of shears so that it doesn’t become too straggly. More on my blog here.
The bed containing the remains of the dead raspberry canes has been cleared, Fortunately the new canes planted in autumn are now shooting. We won;t have any fruit from them this year but it is good to know they have settled in. The autumn raspberries are also shooting so will be our only source of raspberries this year.
I’ve tidied up the strawberry bed and fed the plants so hopefully we will get enough strawberries to make up for the lack of raspberries. However, it looks as though we will need to replant a new strawberry bed nect year,
Lots of promise of fruit on the plot, lots of blossom and buds already. The newly planted honeyberries have a few interesting. W have begun to pull the first rhubarb In the garden the nectarine blossom has opened with the peach not far behind in bud. More about our fruit on my blog here.
Beds on the plot are being prepared for planting. Weed control fabric is being removed and the surface of the soil given a gentle tolling before fertilising with fish blood and bonemeal and replacing weed control fabric with the appropriate planting holes.
