Soap and water

A clear view from the greenhouse!

Mid-March, and so much to do.  With the buddleja pruned, and the prunings taken to the compost bins (emptied and refilled for the coming season), I earmarked Sunday for the other big pruning job, the cooking apple tree.  The forecast was for a dry day – ideal for getting on with it.

After much consideration of what to take out, I started to make the first few cuts – and it began to rain.  Only light, but enough to make me retreat indoors, and to listen to Gardeners’ Question Time on the radio instead.  One of the subjects covered was that this is a good time to clean the greenhouse.  This is a job that I don’t enjoy and rarely do, but (like so much else in the garden) it badly needs tackling.  With the clouds promising intermittent drizzle during the afternoon, I reluctantly took myself into the greenhouse with a bucket of hot soapy water to clean the green-filmed windows.

Promise of rain

To my surprise, it took less time than I had expected (although, admittedly, I still haven’t done the roof), and the results were gratifying.  Even working around the various obstacles, such as the pots where the dahlias are being started off and the assorted junk in the way – and the self-sown antirrhinum, which is still in situ and looking very healthy (I don’t have the heart to pull it up) – it proved quite easy.  I also cleaned the lid of the propagator, which had become opaque with grime, and now I can see the seed trays inside (maincrop broad beans, parsley, dill, coriander and salad onions), and whether or not the seeds are coming up!

The propagator - newly cleaned!

The antirrhinum - and dahlia pots

My efforts obviously disturbed a ladybird that must have been hiding in there – I found it crawling across an old pair of gardening gloves.

Ladybird on my gloves

Although the weather was damp, it was the first day this year that was warm enough for me to work outside without a jacket; and today the first butterfly of the year – a male brimstone – fluttered through the garden.  There will no doubt be chilly days still to come, but spring is in the air!