Work in progress

In spite of a cold wet start the weather improved in the afternoon.

This year I decided to have more cut flowers in the garden. What could be nicer than a vase of our own flowers in the house or as a present? Agapanthus make great cut flowers. A friend from south Africa dismissed them as weeds which they probably are if you live there and not here. They don't grow in such abundance here and look quite exotic but I never seem to have enough to cut for the house and flower in the garden. It's the same with alliums.... So this year I'm going to have a small cutting border in the vegetable garden a la Sarah Raven http://www.sarahraven.com/shop/signed-books/the-cutting-garden.html.

It's a shame it won't include dahlias as the ones I've stored over the winter have turned to mush! I rather like their vibrant colours so I may get some more....watch this space.

So I sowed some cleomes (spider plants) seeds. I did try them once before in Orkney. What had been healthy young plants suddenly keeled over and died. It reminded me of cabbages that had been attacked by cabbage root fly. And lo and behold when I investigated there were hardly any roots left and several fat grubs. Perhaps cleomes are related to cabbages?

I also sowed some hyacinth beans which produce a stunning purple flower and bean. I first saw these (or similar) on a visit to the States growing in Thomas Jefferson's garden at Monticello. It may not be warm enough here....

The rest of the afternoon was spent clearing the borders, pruning and weeding.