Blooming flowers!

Tulips picked from the garden - 27/03/12

After weeks and months of rain, we certainly should have lots of blossom in the garden!  In the hot spell that we enjoyed at the end of March, I picked these tulips that I had grown from bulb.  Unfortunately, my summer flower seeds and bulbs have not done so well!  Partly the wash-out weather and cool temperatures, but probably more significant is my adolescent dog's digging habits!  I only found out recently that flower bulbs can be poisonous for dogs, although it does not seem to have done our four-legged friend any harm!  Roses would rather have not had so much rain as well, but at least we can enjoy the sun now and I can, finally, happily potter around the garden without feeling cold and wet!

Looking on the bright side, tomatoes in the green-house are thriving and lettuces are doing well.  We haven't checked on the potatoes yet, but we are not so hopeful for a good crop.  So a freak year of weather does not help in sustaining self-sufficiency but every little helps.  My hope is now pinned on soft fruit - raspberries and blackberries later on!  My best deterrents for buying is firstly the sunshine - the warm day keeps me happy enough in the garden without the need to venture further - but when that is not possible, my other trick is to go into a shop, look at items and even pick them up, but whisper my mantra of "do I really need it?" to myself. This tends to have the result of me putting back the items on the shelf and feeling good!

I am planning to have a good pruning session in the garden this afternoon in a quest to find something to put in a vase, even if not a conventional cut flower!  And will keep you posted on vegetable, fruit and flower updates.