Saturday 7 May 2022

Let's Get Started

I am kicking off again with my 2022 three word gardening posts. There has been a bit of a break over the winter when the veg plot has been wrapped up but slowly, the vegetable garden is being revealed. The newly made borders a year ago have been great through Autumn and even in deep winter. It is lovely to see my chosen plants popping up again.



The front border has a warm, orange and yellow palette. I love it and am so glad I selected a colour hue for it. The Broome, Heuchera, Tulips, early Daffodils and that amazing tangerine Geum are the best parts about it. 


At the back of the house the softer blue, pink and purple tones blend with the blossom of the fruit trees, pink tinged shrubs, purple Pulmonaria, pink Tulips and blue Brunnera. Granny bonnets and Iris will be next.

In the house I am cutting flowers, some of which are from Pheasant Field Flowers, these anemones are from my friend who grows cut flowers for weddings in my field.


This crab apple tree is simply stunning and huge. It fills the frame of the kitchen window when you look from inside to outside. Everyone comments on it and it was my dad's favourite tree.


There are obviously flowers in the wild too. Bluebells are putting on a fabulous show on the edges of our fields which we pick for a table vase. They don't last long in a jar but the fragrance is beautiful for a day or so.

We are now going to get started on growing our vegetables. I have tried in the past to beat mother nature by starting things off in the greenhouse quite early on in the year but have learnt over the years that it never really works. Seeds grow when they are supposed to grow: when the light is right and the soil is warm. Not just because it was a sunny day in March!


Sown this weekend were courgettes, runner beans, french beans and lettuce. I have been given lots of beetroot seedlings from a neighbour so they will be ready when there are absolutely no risks of frosts. I have six tomato plants I have grown from seed too which are in deep buckets - I didn't get along with grow bags last year, they wouldn't hold enough water.

I also had a complete overhaul of our house plants. I didn't realise I had quite so many then the house looked quite empty after I put them outside. Some I split, some I potted on and some I took cuttings from.


This weekend Bloke and I built a fruit cage because we had 4 strawberries last year thanks to the blackbirds! They look so promising this year it feels like a worthwhile investment. We have already picked 4lb of rhubarb which has either been frozen for winter crumbles or used to make Sticky Rhubarb Cake.



Leaving you with my favourite variety of daffodil. The later flowering 'Pheasants eye'.


Right, let's get started. Growing season here we come.

Thanks for stopping by. Jo xx

9 comments:

  1. It's an exciting time of year for gardeners, isn't it? The crab apple is a beauty!
    Best wishes and happy gardening
    Ellie

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  2. That crab apple is stunning and I love, love, love the geum. Mai tai? It's fabulous. I don't get on with grow bags either. I tend to put the tomatoes in a raised bed now, but now that I think about it, pots against the south facing wall of the house might work quite well. Can't remember if I told you this before (I probably did) but I interviewed a local artist who grows her own cut flowers on her family's organic farm. Her sister is a wedding planner and uses them for that. They are wonderful, and all the nicer for being locally grown. Houseplants are always a surprise to me when I move them and see how big they actually are. I am trying to root some jewel orchid cuttings for Christine at the moment. It's taking a while. CJ xx

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    1. UK grown wedding floristry is so natural and beautiful. X

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  3. I don't know what happened to my comment, I was just saying such a great view, like being on holiday. Also that I love your colour scheme ideas, so restful and peaceful. Cx

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  4. 4 strawberries! Oh my. Where you live is so beautiful! I love to see it!!

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  5. I love the colour of the euphorbia and the geum and shall be looking for something similar when I am next at the garden centre. We have loads of rhubarb here too, so lots of pies,crumbles and cake. Hope the cage helps you to be able to enjoy more of your fruit this year x

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    1. They are good bed fellows. I have a geum called Nona too which is smaller and new this year so I am looking forward to that too.

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  6. That is all looking very summery, I look forward to seeing what you grow. x

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  7. You have wonderful plants inside and outside home.
    Miriam

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