It’s been a confusing few weeks in the garden – a bit like life in general at the moment – and my gardening view has mainly been one of plants appearing and disappearing.
One day things in the vegetable beds have been on full show, the next they are shrouded in fleece while seedlings and dahlias are getting dizzy through going continually in and out of cover. I’ve had late frosts before but I can’t remember one as late as this time in May.
A particular worry has been the wisteria. It got hit by frost last month and, for the fourth year in a row, all the early buds were shrivelled. However, some survived and there was a smaller but no less welcome display. I’m just hoping they survive this week. So far, so good but the temperatures are due to dip again tonight.
Space in the greenhouse and potting shed, always tight at this point in the gardening year, is now critical. I’ve got trays balanced on every available surface and spend ages each day moving things out only to put them back at night.
I had to resort to putting the dahlias into the garage to avoid this week’s forecast frost. There was just no room elsewhere.
There’s also been a lot of juggling going on with propagator space. I’ve still got seeds to sow but have to wait for something to germinate and move out before I can start them off.
That has meant the odd disaster. Mice have been a real problem this season, unlike any other, and following trouble with the sweet peas earlier this year, they’ve now turned their attention to the peas and beans.
I had to move some out of the propagator – where they were in danger of ‘cooking’ – and overnight the mice had them, digging up ungerminated seed and nipping off the tops of seedlings. So infuriating! The beans and peas are now in the house until I can plant them out.
Thankfully, they don’t appear to have discovered the potting shed and seedlings in there seem to be ok.
In the main garden, my gardening view has been a gradually changing one of spring flowers. The tulips are all but over to be replaced by aquilegia.
The iris are particularly good this year, the result, no doubt, of the good summer last year baking the rhizomes.
Luckily, the slugs and snails seem to have forgotten about them. Long may that last.
Enjoyed this? Do join me on my gardening journey.