My Garden - March 2024

Dear Gentle Reader, 

Spring bonanza continues offering lots of beauties popping up randomly here and there all through my garden. Was nice and sunny outside today, but now it's overcast again. Sheeeesh, more rain, quoting my father, who thinks "that's why Ireland is so green". 

So far march has been very wet, and cold. St. Patrick's Day was a bit moist and windy, but the drizzly rain had stopped before the parade started, so that was a plus. 

Paddy's Day Bank Holiday Monday started good with sunshine in the morning, dry, warmth, but according to the weather forecast rain is expected later.... 

My fruit trees are slowly awakening too, one of my pear trees are laden with flowers, and to my joy one of my plum trees are showing flower buds.... Yayyyyy 😁🌸 My honey Berry Bush has loads of flowers too, I was told they taste like blueberries, but unfortunately not, not even close, so birds can have them. 



To the symphony of spring other plants come along adding their own charm and beauty. The simple and double flowering  cherry almond tree, the wedding tree, then the simple flowering lilac with its unique perfume, envelops the garden and the snake head lillies. 

A few days of warm weather and everything in the garden burst into life. Fat buds on my cherry trees cracked open, leaden with flowering buds. Few flowers on the plum tree too, hoping for a few fruit. Blue berries bushes are blooming in the pots too. They are not doing as well as I hoped but I have hope they'll do better next year. The orchard is peppered with yellow wild tulips I planted a few years ago in the Autumn, and the berrneris bush is dressed up in its bright orange spring gown. Cowslip is peeking through the field marigold leaves, fresh shoots of the single flowering peonies are stepping into the playground too. 

In the big greenhouse life started bit earlier then outside but I'm pleased to see the grape sporting fat buds and slowly opening, and maybe, just maybe I'll get a few bunches of seedless white grapes. I'm excited to see a few fruit on my potted peach tree too. I live on hope that it will give me a few fruit. Tomatoes are jumping out their pots on the kitchen windowsill, time to get them in the greenhouse. A single red tulip bloomed and it's showing its beauty in the flowerbed outside, bit dissapointed but I'll plant more next year.

I wish everyone a very happy, full of gardening fun, peaceful Easter. 

That's all for now, 

Sincerely yours

Annamaria 

 

My Garden - February 2024

Dear Gentle Reader, 

As we trotting through the windy, cold, wet month I'm looking through my seed stash, cherry picking between the seeds that should be sown now. Tomatoes, chillies, eggplants. I've decided to sow these bit later then I use to, just 5 days later and see, does it make any difference at all.

Nature slowly is waking up, snowdrops are showing their little happy faces, daffodils and crocuses are winking at me in the orchard. I couldn't cut the grass in November last year, yet they still pushing through. Resilient little beauties :)

As the weather slowly warms up everything will burst into flower. In the greenhouse my peach is ready to flower too

Can't wait to see the flower and maybe, with a bit of luck I get some fruit too. 

Snowdrops, magnolia (suppose to be bright red, but for some reason blooms pink, I like this one too) dwarf daffs, muscari, crocuses.... All these little moracols of nature always manage to put a smile on my face. 

Finally I got to sown my tomatoes, chillies and aubergines, they'll be cosy and warm in the kitchen windowsill, until they'll be moved out in the greenhouses. 

Tomatoes (beefsteak, cherry and salad) , leeks, chilies and aubergines. Can't wait to see their little green heads popping through the vermiculite. Vermiculite is  great stuff for seeds, it keeps them warm, moist and prevents them from rotting. Click on the link and read all about vermiculite :) 

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/vermiculite-growing-medium.htm

And with sowing my toms and the rest of my veg, the sowing marathon for many gardeners has begun. More about it next month. 

Until next time

Sincerely yours

Anna