Tete a Tete

As the first day of spring is upon us, my Tete a Tete are just beginning to bloom.

But I don't think the weather was aware of this auspicious day though. The rain on Saturday was relentless in the South. It was that fine sort of rain, which you think doesn't get you wet, so you go out without an umbrella and then get soaked! I dashed to the local shops and then spent the rest of the day making comforting food; Lasagne and a scrumptious chocolate Victoria sponge, with a chocolate and fresh cream filling. And whilst that was in the oven, I watched a  DVD of Geoff Hamilton's Cottage Garden series. Just listening to his voice and looking at those gorgeous cottage garden flowers, made me feel a little more cheery.

Talking of making comfort food. A new series comes to BBC2 this week called The Delicious Miss Dahl. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rs7c9. Gorgeous Sophie cooks up a storm and still looks delectable and slim. So I am going to watch and see how she does it. Everything in moderation I say and if you get out in the garden, you must surely burn up enough calories, to make way for that lovely pudding! And I have been busy in the garden today. I assembled my little plastic greenhouse, to accommodate my chilies, which I have potted on. Some sweetpeas and garden peas, to give them a head start. I have sowed two lots of tomatoes. The ones free in the Gardeners' World magazine and the other called Ferline from Thompson and Morgan, which supposed to be blight resistant. I am growing Rhubarb for the first time as well and that got planted out today. The sun felt so warm and I managed to stay out weeding until 5.30, which really is a treat. With the clocks going forward next weekend and Easter the weekend after, it really is a lovely time of year, with lots to look forward to.

Happy Mother's Day

The florist in the village was packed out on Saturday morning, bustling with Dad's and their offspring, getting flowers for mums. It really  was a cheery sight. My children bought me wine and Lindt chocolate (they know me so well!) and I bought myself these beautiful tulips.
There is nothing lovelier than a vase full of seasonal flowers and spring flowers seem so fresh and are definitely welcome after the long winter.

This weekend I managed to find a couple of hours spare, to spend in the garden, sucking up leaves and trimming back perennials. The buds are beginning to break; it's a very exciting time of the year. Like most gardeners, with all this activity in the garden, I wonder how I am going to keep up with all the jobs the garden throws at me. I call them jobs, but I don't see the planting, digging and cutting back etc as work - now dusting, that's what I call work!

Daffodils - The beginning of Spring

A sunny Sunday is always welcome. Today was spent in the garden, cutting back perennials, making plans for the season ahead and soaking up the spring sunshine. Although the sun was out today, the wind was biting and my images of Daffodils are not from my garden but  from Daffodils bought from the greengrocer. My Tete a Tete, which usually bloom in February, are only just appearing from the ground. The cold has held the plants back a good few weeks.

Gardeners' World made a welcome return to our screens on Friday. They have returned to shows lasting half and hour, which seemed to be over before it begun! I felt really nervous for Toby and the team, after the slating the programme had received and I wondered if they had made any changes to the format but apart from the time difference, everything seemed the same - I'm very glad to say.

With the vernal equinox on 20 March and the clocks going forward the following weekend, it will soon be light enough to get out in the garden after work, which fills my heart with glee; more time to spend in the place I love the most - my garden.

Gardeners' World is back and Carol has a new book on the way

My valentines flowers have now bitten the dust and as I reached for the single red rose, my daughter received, to discard it, I noticed how beautiful it looked in a deceased state.

The colour had changed from crimson to burgundy and the petals were curled and wrinkled but still had shape and texture.
I have photographed this subject before; flowers just fascinate me, dead or alive!

Two pieces of gardening news

• Gardeners' World starts Friday 5th March!
• Carole Klein has a new book out 1st April!

Firstly Gardeners' World. Despite being unsure at the beginning of last season, I quickly adjusted to the new line up of GW. Yes I had wanted Carol to be the anchor but it wasn't to be. I have loved GW since Geoff Hamilton was at the helm and there was nothing or no one who was going to take away the enjoyment of my Friday night treat after all these years. I have read over the past months that people switched off GW saying it was being too trendy and jokey and that the 30 min makeover was likened to the Generation Game but come on gardening isn't a middle aged privilege, it's for all to enjoy young and old, so my plea is, please don't bring back Alan Titchmarsh, to pacify the oldies, we don't want twee, let Toby, Carol, Joe and lovely Alyce do their stuff. What's so wrong with using an ice-cream van to dish out free packets of seeds anyway!
I will await Friday to see if they have tinkered with the format. Ooh I can hear the theme tune in my head now - how exciting!!

Now this is really exciting. Last season on GW, Carol did a series on propagation, which I found fascinating, especially the different types of root cuttings. I thought then 'if only she had written a book about this subject' and lo and behold my wish was granted and she has a new book coming out on 1 April - how fab!

Carol Klein Grow Your Own Garden

Still no sign of my purple sprouting broccoli on the plants but the earth around has been dug over and I now need to add some lovely muck to the soil. I spotted some worms as I was digging, so they are coming at last.
The latest issue of GW mag comes with two free packets of seeds. Sweet peas and tomatoes, so I will get sowing next weekend, now that my chilies no longer need the heated propagator.
Today the air smelt new and fresh, so I think spring is defiantly around the corner, well in sunny Dorset anyway!

Chitting and sowing

The mornings are getting lighter (more chance of putting my makeup on in the right place) and I'm driving home from work in the light which is such a relief as I hate tackling the country lanes in the pitch black.
I am eager to get out in the garden and keep wandering down to my veg patch and inspecting the purple sprouting broccoli. Still no sign of flowers but I didn't plant them out till later in the season, so I shouldn't expect yummy broccoli until the beginning of spring. Whilst on one of my inspections I noticed in one of the veg beds some shoots coming up out of the soil. It seems that some of the garlic which I planted out last spring and then disappeared, have decided to have another go and have started to grow again. I will leave them in the ground and see what becomes of them.
It is still a little bit chilly to brave the outside, so I have set to work inside by sowing some chillies and chitting my potatoes.

I have decided to buy a greenhouse and have seen one on the Internet http://www.simplygreenhouses.co.uk/Metal-Greenhouses/Palram-Silverline-Polycarbonate. It looks very good value for money and I am very excited about my prospective purchase but I need to clear a space for it first. I have the very spot at the top of the garden but there is an awful overgrown rockery (I use the term very loosely) which needs dismantling first. My plan is to have the space ready by Easter, my favourite bank holiday as for me it signifies the start of spring, I just need to break the news to Andy - wish me luck with that one!

With Love On Valentines Day

Today is St Valentines Day. You should let your loved ones know everyday that you love them but today it's time for extra special love!
There was an early knock at the door this morning, which usually means that someone has knocked their ball into our garden, so I told Andy to ignore it. After all today, being Sunday, is our day to have a delicious lie-in and Valentines day to boot, surely the kids can wait but no Andy sprung out of bed to answer the door and returned with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Oh my gosh they are gorgeous.

Rose

Lisianthus

Anthurium
He was also busy in the kitchen this week and has made me some white heart shaped chocolates with scrummy milk chocolate squidgy centres. I only have one left, they were so delicious.

I am not the only lucky lady to receive such wonderful gifts, as you will see if you click on the video below. Last week I blogged about meeting Joe Swift but he was not the only gardener I met. I had the pleasure in meeting James Alexander-Sinclair. He is an absolutely charming man and this week he sent me a link to a YouTube video he, Joe and Cleve West made in a series called Three Men Went to Mo; very apt for Valentines Day.
Hope your day is filled with love......................................

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NGS Yellow Book Launch

Not even the grey London skies could put a dampener on the joy I was feeling, as I travelled up by train, on Wednesday for the launch of the NGS yellow book.

It was very busy with, as one lovely person I met put it, 'the gardening mafia' but it felt good to connect with people who shared my interest in garden writing and imagery.
I met Joe Swift and no I didn't explode but gave him my card and had a nice conversation with him about the NGS. He has taken over the role of President this year and I couldn't think of a more perfect ambassador for the organisation. On television he is usually seen in his gardening gear but I can happily report that he scrubs up very well, in his suit and crisp white shirt.
He gave a speech and cheques were handed over to Marie Curie Cancer Care, Macmillan Cancer Support and Cross Roads Hospice. Amazing amounts of money is raised through people opening their gardens in aid of the National Garden Scheme, it really is a fantastic organisation.
During a talk about the different kinds of gardens open around the country, an image of one the gardens from my project appeared. This was from the garden of Mr and Mrs Cleall at 1162 Wimborne Road.

An absolutely lovely suburban garden and well worth a visit.

I am absolutely delighted to say that the following four images from my project, appear in this years book.

Wild Garlic from Wincombe Park

Nora Barlow from Herons Mead

Noel Road (this appears in black and white)

Betty's cake from Knowle Farm

I shall carry on supporting the NGS with my photography this year and if you can support them by visiting a garden, you won't be disappointed. Teas, cakes and gardens, what a perfect combination!