Looking down the garden

I had intended to spend most of the day in the garden today, lots of things to do, but it started to drizzle before lunch and from the kitchen window I can see that the rain is still speckling the surface of the pond.  An update on my blog being long overdue, writing about the garden is the next best thing to be working in it!

So, how and what is gathering momentum?  I believe the coming of Spring is at last; as the hours of daylight continue to stretch out the temperatures have started to rise and head in the right direction for April, and this in turn means that tasks for the garden have increased too.

View from the house

As it had continued so cold at night I brought the seeds I sowed at the beginning of the month into the house to try to encourage them into life.  I’m pleased to report that it is working.  The Cosmos germinated within three days, the Ammi have followed suit and the sweet peas that were dithering whether or not to fully emerge from the compost are standing tall.  I just have to turn them all regularly to keep the stems in an upright direction rather than growing horizontally towards the window.  And joy of joys, some of the seeds I sowed in March and placed in my growframe are finally germinating.  First to show life were the black cornflower, closely followed by the blue.  Now if the calendula would just get a move on I might feel confident that I will have some flowers for sale by the end of June.  This is when I want to try on being a flower farmer for size and see if I like it – I can’t for a moment believe I won’t.

The growhouse

We have a little local fete in late June, very small scale but it is a start.  This year I have offered my cut flowers for sale – but if things don’t get a move on I will not have anything to offer.  I made this offer because on my allotment and to some extent in my garden, I am growing flowers for cutting, partly for the sheer fun of it and how beautiful I imagine the plot will look in high summer, and also because I am presently learning how to create a (small) flower farm and the fete gives me an opportunity to see my flowers go out into the world.

For now I’ll say no more about my flower farmering plans, but I really am excited by them and just need to remain positive and focused on bringing them on – like my flowers.