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Plinth!

 Having been perched on an old tree stump for a week or so, on Friday the sun dial got a brand new plinth. His Lordship Malarkey was out walking Nell and he stopped at some random little independent garden centre and sent me photos of the four different plinths they had on sale. One was too plain, two were too fancy and one was, like Goldilocks, just right! I stated my preference and he purchased it and bought it home. 

It was bloomin’ heavy. At least it isn’t going to rock over in a high wind.



The two hedgehog statues were adopted by me from my late Auntie Pollie where they used to stand guard by her front door. I can’t remember where the duck statue came from but I’ve had it for well over twenty years. And the chicken, which is made from a chunky metal, was a gift to Andy from work colleagues when he left to move from Kent to Shropshire. I have sown cosmos and calendula in the little border around the statue/sun dial square, which is in the middle of the raised bed area, and they are popping up nicely so there should be a riot of orange and pinks come June. Good for the bees, too.

EVERYTHING is coming up in the greenhouse! I potted on the purple sprouting broccoli and was very stern with myself, selecting only forty five seedlings from the masses that germinated. Still too many? Possibly. I need to pot on the tomatoes (twenty one in total now) and the lupins and geraniums. The lavender cuttings are still looking good. 

This week I shall be making sowings of dill, parsley, a variety of salad leaves, chard and radishes. And beetroot, although I might start those off in modules in the greenhouse first. 

It’s currently 20 degrees Celsius here and supposed to be growing warmer as the week progresses. This is about my temperature limit for gardening weather before I start feeling wilty. I spent this afternoon weeding out cleavers, nettles and ivy. I have decided I like a tidy garden. I like to channel Margo Leadbetter and Hyacinth Bouquet in my gardening. I spied the first pink rode bud on Wild Edric this morning and the first hints of purple are appearing on the clematis buds. The lilac is in full bloom and smells gorgeous. Well, one of the bushes is. The other, although very green and leafy hasn’t flowered and I think this might be because it’s not getting enough sunshine on account of the stupidly big goat willow casting it’s stupidly big shadow over everything. I think the goat willow might need removing, or at least cutting back by at least two thirds. 

One of the apple trees is in full blossom and looking very beautiful. 


To the right of the tree you can just see the area where the raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries and gooseberries live. I am wondering about calling this part of the garden ‘Muller’. Because it’s a fruit corner. Yes? No. Okay. You’re probably right. 



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