Shiver me timbers

Well so much for being a diligent blogger ! Here we are a good few few weeks later and a lot has happened in the garden. The snowdrops are nearly all over now - only one or two late stragglers. The hellebores are still thriving and I have a lovely new one which is a very deep plummy colour. Pulmonarias and primroses are in bloom. I had a shock yesterday to see a geranium phaeum in flower.

The weather has been mild on the whole but a cold snap just now. A very windy night and hail,sleet etc.this morning. The forecast for the rest of the week is for some wintry weather and frosts at night. My camellia 'Jury's Yellow' is just opening its first flowers so I hope that these are not damaged by the frosts.

I spent a couple of hours at the lottie on Friday morning and could see a visible difference after my stint. Sadly the dividing fence between us and next door is all but down. I imagine that last night's winds could have done more damage but it will be a few days before I get up there to see what may have happened.

Seeds sown so far include tomatoes 'Ildi','Black Cherry' and 'Gardener's Delight', nicotiana mutablis, rhodochition, sweet peppers, celeriac, mixed salad leaves, 'Bijou' lettuce, brussel sprouts 'Red Bull' and sweet pea 'Zorija Rose'. I think that all these babies will need some nurturing this week. Only a week though to go to summer time.

Wet and windy

The first fortnight of 2007 has been very wet,windy and mild. Some snowdrops and hellebores already open ! I saw some daffodils in flower today - not in my garden but just up the road. They are snuggled away just behind a wall. I remember thinking that they were early last year but not as early as this. On telling himself of the daffodils he told me that he saw a flash of yellow by the stream yesterday. Maybe an aconite. Surely not a daffodil. I am off come first light to have a reccie. Will report back.

New Year's Day 2007

Last night's threatened gale force winds did not materialise I am glad to say. New Year's Day started bright and sunny but went downhill. Rain and hail the order of the afternoon and the evening. I have not had a chance to sort out seeds or order but have planted some daff bulbs albeit late on in the day. They had already started to sprout. I also planted up an amaryllis. Back to work tomorrow.