Brimming with new growth
The garden is brimming with new growth....
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| Clematis |
and it is such a delight for us to look out of the window and see so much green all around. How I love this time of year! What is the highlight in your garden at the moment? It is difficult to choose mine!
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| Blackcurrant bush |
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| Perennial wallflower |
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The vegetable and cutting garden are also emerging from their winter slumber. We discovered that we had a crop of wild garlic (see white flowers above). We have also seen plants of this for sale in the local garden centre. It might take over the border, so it will need watching! We have been enjoying using the leaves and flowers in salads and I made a simple omelette with garlic leaves, which was so tasty.We have also had our first picking of rhubarb. The greenhouse is filling up with lots of flower and vegetable seeds too.
The pelargoniums have been over-wintering in the conservatory. They have been really enjoying the conditions. This one has been flowering so well, I don't know the variety, I originally picked it up for 50p at a local plant sale.
It has been quite cold and windy here this weekend. To find a more sheltered spot to walk Tavi we visited Abbotsbury Sub tropical gardens, where we have recently bought another season ticket. We try to visit there at least once a month and regular readers will have seen it in previous posts. As usual I took too many pictures, but there is always something different to admire especially at this time of year!
The gardens are celebrating their 250th Anniversary this year, some of the magnificent trees and camillias are so huge and tower way above you. Amazing to think that some of these plants or their ancestors would have been bought back to England by those first plant hunters so long ago.
The bridge made me think about the novel I recently bought for my kindle it was The Elephant Moon by John Sweeney. The novel is about an English teacher and orphan children escaping from Burma during the second world war through the jungle with the help of elephants. It was one of those books I couldn't put down, which was just as well on my train journey to London last week. It takes 3 hours each way! I was attending a conference near Tower Bridge, so during the lunch hour I managed to escape for a short while and enjoy the views of the Thames. The last time I visited this area was when I was 10 and visited the Tower of London with my sister to see the crown jewels! I was impressed with the area and will have to make a return visit as a tourist.
Although it was lovely by the Thames and the conference was useful, I would still have preferred to have been with my husband, who was enjoying this scenery on a walk !
Thank you for all your comments on the last post, especially about Nepal. I did update it with news that the village that my daughter had visited had escaped major damage with only one building damaged.
Hope you have had a good weekend too and are enjoying the delights of the season, wherever you live.
Sarah x
Your garden looks so beautiful - the colours are so fresh and vibrant!
ReplyDeletexox
Your garden is looking lovely Sarah. I also bought a few bulbs from Sarah Raven and they have not disappointed me, they are beautiful! Your raised beds are something I would love to have if only I had the space. It has been rather wet this bank holiday weekend, perhaps next week the sun will come out! Enjoy your garden! Sharon x
ReplyDeleteWe are tripping over each other! Was at Abbotsbury Gardens last week too (though I was cheating by merely having coffee on the veranda).
ReplyDeleteIt is so lovely to see the garden emerging isn't it? I like the idea of a step-over but have never tried one - will be interested to hear how you find it. I haven't heard of wild garlic being grown in a garden but I imagine it could be very productive. I usually try and collect some each year for making pesto - the kids love it. It has taken me a while to fid a good local source but I spotted some along the old railway line last week....I'll be back soon with a bag to pick some. The pelargonium is so pretty, I don't have any just now but think I might have to but one or two! Juliex
ReplyDeleteYOU can never take too many photos. I love going to the gardens and the sea with you and of course Tavi.
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks wonderful Sarah! Love the beautiful tulips and what a delight your vegetable and cutting garden is with the raised beds. I dream of having something exactly like that, with the gorgeous garden house as well. Can't wait to see it growing and blooming. Last week I went for a walk on the border of France and Belgium and saw whole carpets of wild garlic so I can imagine it could take over a whole garden if you'd let it. It was a beautiful view though, like a carpet of snow almost.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking wonderful already. and that last photograph is just a dream - idyillic.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun to have a new garden and be making new discoveries as the plants emerge! Abbotsbury looks so green and lush!
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear some more joyful news from Nepal. It's hard to really grasp such a disaster for an entire region when I've never been in that situation. The survivors are still struggling and will for months (years perhaps). Your photos are lovely. I sure would have liked to see that bridge--maybe next month?? :-) I, too, would have preferred your lovely countryside to London. If I ever do get to England you can be sure I won't waste anytime getting out in the countryside.
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous flowers and garden beds that await you. I have never seen a clematis like that. It is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a lovely garden, as well as some stunning scenery in your neighborhood!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking so nice and it will be exciting to see what comes up and how things grow in your new home. I have never heard of a step-over-tree and wild garlic. I will have to look them up. It's a good thing you can pick up a Westie or grab their tail, Archie is quite excitable and absolutely fearless. Love the photos of that beautiful garden. It's so lush and full of amazing plants. You live in such a beautiful area!
ReplyDeleteTavi is very excitable too which isn't helped when we have a footpath running along side us. This border is the quickest route to reach those he is barking at! Sarah x
DeleteWhat a beautiful garden. My 100 bulb tulip bed is my joy just now. Many of those were from Sarah Raven. The only problem with it is that it was carefully planned according to the relative heights of the different varieties and one type has unexpectedly come through 4 inches taller than the rest. I can't decide whether to lift those 10, or add more extra tall ones next year.
ReplyDeleteWow your 100 bulb border must be a sight! Will you be featuring it in a post? Sarah x
DeleteIt's actually difficult to photograph because of where it is, and perhaps not as huge as you'd think as all the bulbs were new this year so it's only like having ten bunches of ten, they would barely fill a bucket, but I'll give it a go when the sun shines next :)
DeleteGood morning Sarah! Spring has finally started to bud here! We have been enjoying the pinks and whites of our rhododendrons and crabapple trees, and their peak seemed to be this Sunday. HOWEVER....in the middle of all this color, a hail storm came in uninvited, and knocked off all the blooms before their time. I am just grateful that no one was hurt because that hail came down HARD!
ReplyDeleteAgain, your corner of the world is lush with velvety smooth beauty. That Tavi must be excited with the smells of new growth!
Enjoy your day, Anita
The weather usually damages our blossom here too, it is such a shame when the flowers are there for such a short time. We have gale force winds here as I write! Sarah x
DeleteYou have made the new garden yours within no time at all, but behind the scenes I am sure that you have both put in a lot of work to make it look so beautiful. I love so many of your photos here especially the last view. I am half way through the Kashmir Shawl and reliving my trip to Srinagar.
ReplyDeleteSo glad the Kashmir Shawl is bringing back wonderful memories of your trip. Sarah x
DeleteYour garden looks wonderful and colourful with the Sarah Raven tulips and then your vegetable garden, so nice and tidy, love it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful garden you have! Lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is bursting with colour. It's so rewarding to see the fruits of our labour coming to life. The highlight of my garden at the moment is the herbs. I have started cutting them for a vase in my kitchen, all ready for cooking with. Have a great week x
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, I'm happy for you that your new garden ist beautiful growing. No, I have not tryed this with bulbs, steps over steps. Only in pots, the are frozen in winter and dead in spring.
ReplyDeleteI like your last foto from the beautiful british countryside.
Sigrun
I'm impressed by the view of your new outdoor area. A kitchen garden perfectly landscaped and a cutting garden as well.You must be very excited now, this is the time when it all goes berserk in the yard!
ReplyDeleteOlympia
It's lovely to see everything greening up in the garden now. There's a lot of blue and yellow in my garden at the moment. I love your shed and vegetable beds--very neat and tidy. xx
ReplyDeleteYou have an incredible garden, Sarah. I'm very envious of how many garden boxes you have! I'm thinking of putting in a couple apple trees here at our cottage. I've never heard of a step-over tree, so will have to look that up. And thanks for the book recommendation. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks like a park! It's such a beautiful space. You must love spending time out there. I can imagine reading out there for hours.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking so beautiful Sarah- you must be thrilled with the way it's taking shape. Loved the shots of London too- I love going up for the odd day as a tourist and taking a scenic bus tour :o) xx
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks beautiful, I love the tulips. I bought lots of dark purple ones last year and they've come up looking lovely :) Such a happy flower :)
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking a 'picture' with the colours so lovely. May can be so glorious...
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing your gorgeous garden and it is looking wonderful with all the flowers and lovely plants growing and in such a short time.
The tulips are pretty and I have a little apple tree that looks just like a little stick and hopefully it will grow a little better - it is a dwarf miniature French variety. Enjoyed seeing your lovely photos of London too.
Hope you are enjoying the week
hugs
Carolyn
What a lovely garden, so full of colour and tidy too! I especially love your shed (I have a thing for sheds) and the colour you've painted it. I've never been to Abbotsbury Gardens - I must go one day. It looks like you had a lovely visit :)
ReplyDeleteCathy x
Good Afternoon Sarah, It is so nice to meet you. How lovely it was to see so much colour in your garden. I live in Newcastle so our flowering season tends to be a good month behind yours. I am so looking forward to my garden bursting into flower like yours. I have three tulip bulbs growing in a chimney pot, which are doing really well, but that is all the tulips I have.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the book recommendation.... I shall keep an eye out for it.
Best wishes to you.
Daphne
What a beautiful garden you have Sarah. It's huge compared to the gardens we have in Holland. You have some beautiful flowers in bloom! Lovely photo's of the arboreal too!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend!
Madelief x
I've been impressed with my Sarah Raven tulips this year too. I planted them in 2013 and thought they were disappointing in their first year but this spring they've re-emerged to outlast and outshine all the other bulbs. Great value but I have no idea if they'll pop up again next year so might buy more. My wild garlic has been gently self-seeding itself around but the seedlings are easy to spot and dig up (or pot up, in my case!). It's so exciting when the garden comes back to life - and I'd have rather been walking in the countryside than around Tower Bridge as well!! Caro x
ReplyDeleteDear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful post. Your garden is coming along well. Love your new patch of tulips ..
My eldest son made veggi boxes like yours.. they are a little worse for over use.. but ever so efficient.
I must order the book.. I would love to read it.
My daughter in law Heleen.. her grandparents and uncles were prisoners of war in Burma..
Abbostbury has a stunning layout with its gardens.
Happy gardening Sarah.
val xxx
I think your photo shows two of the Sarah raven tulips we got this year Jimmy and Purple dream, your raised beds look very neat and tidy
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tulips in your garden and I loved looking at the photos of Abbotsbury, this is somewhere I would like to visit one day, it has been on our agenda for some time. xx
ReplyDeleteI love the photo of the vegetable garden - such promise of things to come.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Hello Sarah, I am fascinated by that clematis at the start. Quite different to any I know. I also love the scenery where your husband was walking, very pretty and calming.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, as always. I love the cat enjoying her shady spot under the bench in the first tulips photo. :)
ReplyDeleteYour garden and planting is so beautiful. I love the clematis, shed and the colour of your garden furniture. Debating whether to paint ours now!
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