I believe its actually Spring

I love to grow plants from seeds. It can be flowers, veggies or herbs, it really doesn't matter much. Just to watch the new life sprout up out of black dirt gets my heart beating quickly. Around this time of year I usually like to get up early to check on all my seedlings. This year is no different. It might be cold here and maybe there isn't much room to set trays of plants out, but you can still find me up early with a cup of coffee, setting out my struggling seedling so they can get a little sun. At night when the temp drops I store them in the back shed, and if the weather is right in the morning I bring them out on a makeshift table in a sheltered alcove. So far it seems to be working.

Last year was my first spring in England and I wasn't sure what would grow and what wouldn't, so I had decided to start small. I only planted tomatoes, bell peppers and a few herbs; basil, oregano, chives and thyme. My tomato and peppers grew until they hit the height of 2 inches. The herbs never saw the light of day, except for my chives. I realize that much of the summer I was in the states so that could have been most of the problem. I left them in Martin's capable hands (he swore he watered them all), but nothing much lived.

This year things seem to be much more productive. I have carrots sprouting up which are planted in a large tub. Parsnips are also planted there and next month I'll put some beans down in this same tub to grow up on a metal trellis that's already in place. I have 5 tomato seedlings which are guaranteed to grow outside of a greenhouse in England. My thyme is doing well. I planted 6 pots of them and they are all showing signs of life! My oregano is doing ok, basil is just beginning to come up, and I have hopes they they will both do as well as the thyme. The green onion is by far doing the best! I planted 6 small pots, a larger 8 pack that plants come in and I scattered some seeds in a planter I made out of a discarded plastic tray and they're all doing well. They call them spring onions here, this is the pink variety. So far the only things not sprouting are my bell peppers, lobelia and a red seed that I snagged while I was visiting Mount Edgcumbe gardens, I still have hopes. I have more seeds ready for planting once the weather is right.

Martin and I have plans for the back garden. We have discussed them, drawn them up and changed them around many many times. I decided that nothing much would come of them this year so I just as well make use of the space and put in a veggie garden, all from seeds. Its not a large space, but them most yards here aren't. I'm in the process of digging up the grass and turning the soil. This all sounds pretty easy right, well its not. There is not one bit of top soil in his yard! When they built this neighborhood they scooped out all the top soil and sold it off to the highest buyer. This whole area used to be farmland, so the soil must have been wonderful! What's left is a yard filled with clay, rocks, small stones and slate that is so compacted that it can't be shoveled. To turn the soil I have to use a digging fork, then I sieve the dirt to remove the stones. The large rocks will be used to build a small wall to tier sections so I can get rid of the slope at the top of the yard, that was Martin's idea, nice huh? I'm about at the 1/2 way point of the first dig, then I want to turn it over a second time, which should be much easier. Once all of this is finished I have 8 large bags of tree mulch, compliments of Plymouth City Council , which is where Martin works, as they were giving it away 3 weeks ago, that I can add to the soil. THEN I can begin my planting. In addition to the plants I've already mentioned I want to plant leek, radish (not sure how to cook them), non-pink variety of green onion, broccoli, beet and spinach beet, plus more herbs. I'm thinking I'd like to put down sage, parsley (if it grows here), dill and savory. I have rosemary, chamomile and chives growing in pots already from my first year here. Its all going to look great.

Did I mention my berries that I planted? Along one fence I have 8 berry plants; blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, red and black currant and gooseberry, the English pronounce it goosbry.

I can't wait to post a few pictures, again once Martin's computer is healthy...

gi

Martin's computer isn't back to where it was, but I took some new pictures...so here they are.

Click on the picture for a larger copy of the photos.

Sampon enjoying a rare sunny day while I dig the earth. You can see the beginning of the wall that I'm attempting to build. In the background you can see my berries coming up.

A few of my tulips in bloom and a couple of fuschias, I'm waiting for blooms.

My attempts at terracing the yard and a better view of the start of my wall.

These are my carrots and parsnips coming up and all my young fuschias.

Young seedlings struggling in the English weather. Shown here are green onions, tomatoes, oregano, a few basil, thyme and the bell peppers still under plastic.

gi

And they say the English are obsessed with weather

Its been a cold wet winter here. We've had a little snow, lots of wind and, as usual, rain.

I'm still learning how to manage my time around the rain. I'm used to living in an area where it rains a lot, but some how its different. In New Orleans, you'll have hard down pour, then the sun comes out and dries up all the rain, as the song goes. Most people just wait out the rain, then go on their way, hardly a need for an umbrella. In England it rains and rains and rains and then it rains some more. Sometimes its a light rain that goes on for days. The dog doesn't even want to go out to do his business it gets so messy outside. Other times, like this past week, you think its going to have a good rain, then the sun comes out, then it rains again and then the sun comes out again. It tricks you into thinking that you can actually get something done outside. You look out the window and see the sun, get dressed for outside work, put on garden shoes, pull the key out for the back shed, call Sampson to get some fresh air, then by the time you get to the back door it's begun to rain. Other times the rain is joined by wind. The only time I've ever experienced wind like we have here is during a hurricane. Sometimes its blustery, where your hair blows every which way and seems to stand on end, paper blows in circles over your head and the dog gets spooked, other times you can't stand up straight without straining. Last year I bought a small greenhouse for seedlings and tomato plants. I assembled it, put it in a corner so that it had two sides protected, within an hour it had blown over and the plastic sheath was ripped. It has no mercy.

So, I've been trying to paint the back door for about a year now, right. I've managed to get it sanded, puttied and one coat painted. I'm hoping to get it finished this year AND get the front door started. I believe I'll get more things finished quicker once I learn how to work with the weather. I have a new favorite website, Metcheck.com. You guessed it, a weather site!

With the cold and rain I'm doing more indoor things. I've starting to bake bread again, I'll have to find my old bread cookbook, and I'm working on some cross stitch projects. One for Avery Grace and another for Judy. Judy has been waiting for her piece for a few years now, it's been packed away since my move. Now its almost 2/3 done and looking very pretty.

I'll post more pictures when Martin gets his computer back. I believe we put pictures on your computer Cliff and yours Patsy, if so I might be calling to ask for copies. There is a chance that we have lost everything on Martin's computer. :(

Gi