How on earth can it be March already? Wasn’t it only just February?  But before I complain too much I’m secretly pleased because March means I can now start sowing my first seeds.  You may remember that I actually sowed some lavender back in January.  I left it in the greenhouse and it sat dormant until I noticed a few sprouting seeds the other day (see picture above).  I may well bring the trays inside so I can give them some more heat.  I sowed some celeriac, pepper and aubergene seeds last week and have them in the kitchen already.  Today I sowed 2 different types of tomato and some Aristotle basil. If they do start growing I’ll need to head out to get some grow bags for the green house as I’ve nowhere to plant them at the moment. I’ve also sown some mixed salad leaves into a couple of pots, I’ll transfer them once they’ve germinated. I’m so excited to see what I get because it’s a random assortment of leaves.

You can tell how mild the weather has been because I think this is a rouge broad bean that has sprouted from last years crop!  I’m just going to leave it to grow  as its settled itself now so we will have one broad been plant amongst my peas (I planted them straight into the soil today). The potatoes are still waiting to be planted, I think I probably have far too many potatoes for the space I have.

I am thinking about filling a trug full of potatoes and I have allocated 3 squares in the vegetable patch.  My research so far says I should plant 4 seed potatoes in each square so thats 12 potato seeds in the beds and maybe 6 in the trug.   This week I’ve also planted out the marjoram (it was reduced to 50p at the garden centre) and been hanging around in a pot for weeks. The garlic continues to grow well, although a few of the onions have been made off with and the mint I re-potted is still alive so far…

My new hellebores have flowered, I’m so pleased with them but the front garden bed is still looking very sparse.  Just a mass of stony soil and a few fledgling weeds.  It literally has 2 hellebore’s a viburnum and some new bulbs that are yet to flower.  There are signs of my alliums and the tulips but this area still needs some serious work. Around the front of the house I have various daffodils almost in bloom and and a rose which has so much new growth already.  There’s also these bushy shrubs in clumps which I’m still yet to work out what they are… (They’re the purple and green leaved things beneath the daffodil stalks) Any ideas?

The daffodils in my front garden finally came out last week, there are hundreds coming up in the back garden but none have flowered yet.  I know they’ll bring a wonderful zing to the mass off new folliage that is starting to creep in.  I even noticed that the pond plants are rejuvenating themselves and I can see where I haven’t cut back last years growth.  A job for this week I think! You may also notice my black hyacinth is slowly growing up and out of the ground.  There’s some other bulbs there too, no idea what they are.  I’ve had that pot since we were in London and shoved no end of things in it.

In a dangerous move, I recently discovered our local market has a garden stall and it happens to be on when I am toddler free just before baby bounce at the library.  I can see buying things there becoming a bit of a weekly treat.  Last week I bought a lovely Spinach plant for £1.70 and 6 allium siculum bulbs (2 pots of 3 bulbs for £3) which I’ve now planted out.  If you haven’t seen the allium siculum, click on the link above because they have beautiful honey coloured cascading flower heads.

Indoors there is gardening action too.  I forgot to mention it was my birthday during half term (it went by in quite a blur), but I was very happy to receive a subscription to Gardeners World and a new gardening journal from my husband and a lovely seed kit from my sister.  After one week on the kitchen windowsill the seeds had already sprouted and now at 2 weeks they are positively thriving.  I think maybe I should thin them out… What do you think?  Don’t ask me what they are, I threw away the packaging so I shall get a lovely surprise when they flower.  The roses were a gift from my husband, I love the way the light of the window washes them with with subtle colour. And finally, I’ve been able to use my beautiful plant labels as I planted out my peas, they were a present from my husband at Christmas.