Potager and garden update

April was a month of  incredible greening up.  Not only did the garden suddenly take on a feeling of lushness and promise but the lanes and hedgerows also looked greener and fatter - it felt so much more positive.

Watering can, sweet peas

spinach, comfrey

Our little potager continues to grow and develop. The seedlings in the greenhouse have been thriving in the warmth and the cats have continued to walk across them (sigh). Our girls are allowed to sunbathe and recharge in the greenhouse so they take every opportunity (it is a cat right) to lounge around on anything they fancy .... kale seedlings ....purple sprouting broccoli shoots .... twisted willow cuttings ... nothing is too sacred. (more sighs).

The chive 'fields', Little Gem lettuce,

Valmaine lettuce, Eldest weeding the potager

More bricks have been laid out, doubling the size of the potager beds and a new lawn area has been reseeded (twice ... cheers little hungry birdies who are not put off by anti-bird nets). The main lawn has also been reseeded (Moss is a little boisterous for our lawn to cope over winter and spring so needs help until it can grow and toughen up).

The almost daily egg from the elderly hen!, spinach, chard, lettuce growing

'Staff' enjoying a tea break, strawberry blossoms

I've continued to heap generous quantities of home made compost into the garden - it is rather rough and ready, but I keep telling myself that it is good to help counter the heavy clay I have.  I do sift it for seed sowing and the seedlings but when they go out in to the potager, they have to take the lumps - like it or ... erm... lump it!

Pan in the greenhouse, cherry blossom at the end of the garden,

Himself demolishing and rebuilding 4 compost bins, Pepper in the sun

Weeding and general gardening still stresses Moss out, tools have to be wielded with all the slow method of a tai chi movement however she is improving and hopefully by the end of summer she will no longer fear gardening and all the apparent death-by-hand-trowel issues she harbours in her little head.

Right. Best stop blogging. I have paintings to complete, a new commission of a rather handsome ginger cat and stock to create for the art exhibition. But before I do, a quick wander through the garden will do me a world of good  .... so if you'll excuse me..... until next time :)

The Potager Gardens page has been updated