Grow Your Own Magazine

Lovely warm sunshine for the first time in ages today. Sowed sweet peas "Cuthbertson mixed" and "Bijou" after soaking them first; left in greenhouse all day, then back in conservatory windowsill.

Potatoes are chitting in eggboxes in conservatory - Maris Peer (2nd early) and Vales Emerald (1st early).

Sowed leek musselburgh and put in greenhouse.

Cycled to North Ripley and then on to Braggers Lane and back; on the way back there was...

ChocClare

Daffodils and primroses in bloom in the garden, despite the bottom still being flooded. We noticed ducks perching on log islands in the "lake" that is the water meadow - only high ground! Cycled out to North Ripley today - most farmyards still pretty flooded. Decided that nut and/or fruit trees could go by old front door to make orchard there rather than block our view over the meadows.

ChocClare

Got home to find Zaz had put my new greenhouse together. All it needs now is glass. Woohoo!

ChocClare

The bottom of the garden is totally flooded, though the cherry plum hedging I planted along the fenceline is no longer actually standing in water.

The lady at the egg farm told me this morning she has lived here for 60 years (in the house opposite us until she was eight) and it never floods more than to the very bottom of the gardens, so there's hope yet! There are loads of bulbs coming through (just poking their heads above the top of the water!) so they are obviously used to it!...

ChocClare