7 April 2019

Dorset Garden Diary - April Showers and Seedlings


Two weeks ago it felt like summer during the day and winter at night. One afternoon the temperature in the greenhouse was 90F/32C and the next morning it was only40F/4C. Then it turned cold with rain and winds and this weekend it's warmed up again. In the past week I've worn my sun hat and my woolly hat. Crazy.

I decided to take the netting cover off the pond so that the insects and dragonflies can get to the water. A few days later I saw the heron standing on the path. I panicked and shooed it away before realising I should've taken a photo first as it was framed nicely in the arch...I'm still kicking myself. Since then I haven't seen the fish. I'm hoping it's just scared them and they've retreated to the bottom of the pond.

The blue tits are in and out of the nesting box, it's such a relief after last year when we lost one. The sparrows, blue tits and robins are voraciously feeding from the feeders and the blackbirds have eaten the home-made coconut cake I put on the bird table - it couldn't have been that bad!

In the last few days the weather has been warm enough to start hardening off the seedlings.
Kale, salad leaves, little gem, leeks, lupins and stocks.
 Courgettes


In the greenhouse we have cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, peppers and lemongrass
razzmatazz chillies, marigolds and echinacea

Today I sowed perpetual spinach, coriander, edamame beans, dwarf beans Ferrari and dwarf beans Stanley.

Also in the greenhouse the jasmine has flowered (gorgeous waxy blooms) and the smell is intoxicating


In the garden the mixed onions and garlic are coming along

Next to the garlic (front) I've sown carrots together with spring onions and dill to hopefully discourage carrot fly.

The daffodils are going over now but there is plenty of colour in the garden. The fruit trees are all in bloom although the pear tree is looking a bit sparse, I think I may have been rather over-enthusiastic with the pruning. The aubretia in one of the beds near the greenhouse is looking colourful

The small beds underneath the fruit tress have blossomed in the last week



and I had to put this in because it's got such a cute face - it looks like it's dozing.


the honeysuckle is thriving - I haven't seen it grow this rapidly before

and the lilac tree is blossoming

As you know I like to plant seeds and stones from fruit and nuts to see if they'll grow. Well...one of the apricots has sprouted

as has an avocado

And the delight of the week is...
my orchid that hasn't flowered for nearly four years. I thought it had died but I've persevered with it and this is how it's repaid me...thank you!

The lawn needs mowing and the cold frame needs assembling which him indoors will do this week (plus other jobs) and we need to devise something for the pond that allows the frogs, toads, insects and dragonflies in and out and stops the heron getting to the fish...I have an idea.

Well that's it for this week.  Mixed forecast as to whether we're going to get rain or later or not so I'll water the pots and veg beds just in case. Have a good gardening week.

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