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!