Another weekend of snowy weather has taken its toll on my garden planning.
I dashed home from work as early as possible on Friday to try and make as much headway as I could before the weather turned and while I was out again early doors on Saturday as the first flakes fell, it quickly became too cold for much progress to be made on my bigger project in the back corner.
Work had begun well last week and the area has now been levelled and the first set of preparations for my Veg Plot are underway but they are now buried under the snow and ice. Alongside being disappointed by the delay, I’ve also had to make my peace with the reality that there’s very little chance of salvaging the grass beneath the mound of earth that is awaiting relocation; if I’d managed to finish the job this weekend, I reckon all would have been well, but the prolonged cover and the cold weather will likely mean a lovely bare patch to be dealt with once it clears. At the minute there’s little I can do about that but wait to see the true extent of the damage and then plan accordingly to revive the lawn as needed. Luckily, watching Tilly and Tabitha play in the snow was a good distraction!
There have been a few jobs that I have been able to get on with and the bright green leaves unfurling in my seed trays and poking through the soil where I planted bulbs last year are a welcome reminder that spring is on its way.
My second batch of seedlings are coming on and close to being pricked out and potted on. In the propagator, I have my first sewing of cauliflower which has some very cute double headed leaves to begin and some cherry tomatoes which I’m hoping to plant into some hanging baskets in time. In the greenhouse, I have a selection of sunflowers, sweet-peas and peas beginning to poke their heads above the soil too.
My February sewing of tomatoes and aubergine are cosy on the back bedroom window and growing taller each day but, with the next set ready to go into pots, I am rapidly running low on window space so I’m hoping for a slightly warmer spell of weather which, alongside the paraffin heater, should be enough to keep things cosy in the greenhouse. Moving everything outside will also allow me to relax from the near constant worry that the cats, ever curious about my new windsill decor, will undo my hard work by toppling the trays to the floor with one swift swipe.
Around the garden, the spring bulbs are making an appearance too. The crocus are the first to show their flowers and the hyacinth and tulip bulbs are not far behind. I’m looking forward to their colour in what is otherwise quite a dull March in the flowerbeds.
Indoors, a colleague’s thoughtful gift of a bunch of daffodils upon my desk in work and a little pink potted rose on the dining table are brightening up my working spaces and making the days more cheerful.
I hope you’ve been able to wrap up warm in the midst of this cold snap. In the news this evening is a story that Narnia has been added to the road signs around South Oxfordshire – fitting day dream fodder for the icy drive to work!
