Seed sowing

Most of the March seeds have now been sown.  I've even set up the propagator for the more demanding ones, and am now waiting impatiently for results!  The overwintering hardy annuals have been booted out into the coldframe to make room, as I only have one shelf so far for seedlings and part of it has to make do as a potting bench.  The seeds that are already up - the Tutankhamun sweet peas and the ammi - are now down on the floor.  I'm resisting the temptation to start sowing the April seeds for a week or two as the temperatures are still quite chilly, and even with the heater on the greenhouse temperature has been dropping to low single figures overnight at times.  We've had several snow and hail showers over the past week and, while it has all melted on contact with the ground, overall it definitely feels still like March.

The mid-season daffodils are now out and, with the doronicums which have been in flower for a couple of weeks, the overall picture is yellow.  Also on the yellow theme, there are a few epimedium flowers over by the side hedge; they're on the edge of a big leafy clump, so I think some division will be needed to improve flowering next year.  The anemone blanda are coming out too, and the cream tulips under the dining room window are already showing buds.  Other plants are sticking their heads above the soil; the lily-of-the-valley, the new tulips and various things in pots.  The hosta has also started to shoot, but without the usual slug protection has had its tops nibbled off; need to do something there.

Somewhere a blackbird has a brood hatched; a parent was collecting worms the other day.  I'm not sure it's our pair, as the hen still seems to be on the eggs; she comes out for short periods to peck away at the apples left out for her before going back into the hedge.  The male blackbirds are starting to sing, quietly, unlike the robins who are very vocal now (with a few dunnocks and wrens chiming in from time to time).  Today we had a whole range of tits feeding on the seeds and peanuts, including a pair of coal tits and the marsh tit, and a very belligerent greenfinch and his mate.  We've also had a pair of goldfinches down, and the two partridges are still about.  There are signs that our lame pigeon has got himself a mate, which is good, although he has territorial competition from the other pair of pigeons, who are pushing ahead with their nest and leaving bits of discarded twig all over the place.

Today's job was to thin the two hazel trees at the far end of the veg plot, to minimise the shade that they cast on the vegetables and to take out crossing branches.  They haven't had much attention in years, so it was a rather overdue task.  I've now got lots of twiggy stuff as pea sticks, and some of it will be useful to deter the partridges and other birds from interfering with my seeds once they're in place!

Tea on the bench

My benchmark - more or less literally - for warm weather is whether I can sit outside on the bench, usually with a mug of tea or some lunch.  Last weekend I managed the first mug of tea outside (and without wearing a jacket).  The warm weekend has given way to something more typical for March, however; still dry, apart from some rain yesterday morning (but more is forecast), chillier temperatures and a brisk wind.  The soil is probably still quite warm for the time of year, though; today I spotted the two partridges luxuriating (there's no other word for it) in an extended dust-bath which they had excavated for themselves in the seedbed prepared for the leeks but fortunately not yet sown.  One of them, and I'm guessing it was the female as the other bird was being the lookout, was rolling on her side, leg kicking away as she dug herself further into the sun-warmed ground.  There's a trench of garden compost buried underneath - I wonder if that's providing added warmth?  Anyway I now know that I'll need to protect the leeks, and anything else sown outside.

Red sky at night

I did wonder briefly whether I should take the bubblewrap down in the greenhouse - temperatures reached well into the upper 20s in there when the sun was out, even with the roof vents open - but some night frosts are forecast for next week, so I've left it there for the time being.  The new dahlias have been potted up but seed sowing hasn't started in earnest yet; it seemed a pity to be inside when the weather was so good.  The cooler temperatures and the wind will probably see me in there in the next few days.  I did some tidying up of the overwintering plants.  While pulling dead leaves off the blue echeveria I was startled by something flying out at me; it must have been hibernating under the top rosette.  It was a big flying insect, making a clattering sound and clearly not pleased; could it have been a hawkmoth?  It disappeared and I haven't found where it has hidden itself.


There has been a pleasing number of bumblebees around, and, while I haven't seen the tortoiseshell butterfly again, there was a brimstone about the other day.  On the bird front, sparrows are collecting nesting material and there's a pigeon building a nest in the holly tree; a song thrush came for a bath one day, and a wren has been about in the bottom hedge.

The big daffodils and the very small ones are in full flower (the slightly smaller ones in the shady borders are yet to open), as is the pulmonaria; the muscari (those that haven't been dug out) are just starting.  A few dandelion buds have started to show, so I've begun the annual round of trying to dig them out or at least pick the buds off before they can open.  We managed to cut the grass for the first time today, so they're a bit more visible - but so too is the moss, which seems to get deeper every year!

A butterfly on the snowdrops

Rather more settled weather recently, with a sunny and mild weekend over the last few days; very pleasant weather for March, but now returning to something chillier and more seasonable, though still dry.  At least I know that the automatic vents on the greenhouse work when the temperature rises!  The warmth brought out the insect life - several bumblebees were working the crocuses and winter honeysuckle, and a tortoiseshell butterfly was looking for nectar on the snowdrops (surely an unusual pairing?).

The bullfinches have been around quite a lot, as has the wren; the woodpecker (gt spotted) has visited, and a pair of partridges have also been about.  The large number of blackbirds that were in the garden in early winter has diminished to a single pair, who may be nesting.

Bergenia, brunnera, comfrey and winter jasmine

The Tete-a-tete daffodils in the windowbox and big pot are in flower, and the big daffodils are now starting to open.  The crocuses and bergenia are in full flower, and the brunneras are beginning to put out a few tentative sprays of bloom.  The snowdrops are fading.  It's definitely early spring rather than late winter!