Western Isles Gardening
April Garden Page
I was just looking back at last April's garden page and I was well ahead of where I am now. The weather was much warmer and calmer last year, whereas this year we have experienced a reverting back to the cold snowy days of winter.
However, the greenhouse is full of seed trays and seedlings and the cold frames are beginning to fill up too, with plants that are ready to go out if only the weather would warm up a little and settle down into being spring. |
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It did make such a big difference though once the clocks went forward to the length of the days. Having more daylight makes us all a bit more cheery and ready for action.
Out here in Callanish on a windy corner my trees struggle to come into bud and the daffodils suffered the blizzards of last week, but some still remain upright and are valiantly flowering despite the wet and wild weather.
My first lot of broad beans are ready to be planted out, the second sowing ready to be hardened off and more sowings occupying the greenhouse bench. I have foxgloves from last year, cowslips, primulas and primroses coming into flower, they make such a nice show at this time of year when there is very little else hardy enough to withstand the temperamental Island weather.
Things that have over wintered and give me a few fresh pickings are, spring cabbage, sprouting broccoli, chives, lovage and welsh onions.
Seedlings in the greenhouse are French marigold, asters, convolvulus, cosmos, carnations, alyssum, lettuce, lobelia, corn cockle, parsley, basil, coriander, sprouts, greyhound cabbage, antirrhinum, godetia, cornflowers, golden acre cabbage and dill.
Seeds recently sown are broad beans, dwarf beans, sweet peas, stir-fry greens and Calabrese.
All that kept me quiet for ages!
Now I have a little lull until I can get things planted out because I have run out of space but there is always something to be done.
We recently dug up a whole load of crocosmia and what a job that was! But it was taking over my shrubs and so it needed to be moved. It is now residing in a boggy bit on a windy corner! I doubt whether that will curtail its will for encroaching on other plants territory, but it might slow it down for a bit!!
I hope the signs of spring are stirring you into getting into the garden in-between the showers and that you enjoy the planning and the planting.
Ela
Callanish April, 2008
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They grow affordable organic produce
for low income families
in the Western Isles
Garden in Polytunnels...
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Peaches, grapes, tomatoes and other salad crops are
grown on The Poly Croft on the Isle of Lewis
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