We have at least 4 wisteria plants in the garden including a massive white one (Chinese Wisteria’Snow Showers’) on the pergola walkway in the garden. All smell wonderful; the one on the front of the house fills our bedroom (and Jonathan’s) with fragrance when the windows are open. Now I just need to learn how to prune them- especially the white one which has gone mad and is climbing up in to the nearby trees and has also knocked over the pergola upright. I am thinking I may be able to be fairly brutal with it during the dormant phase.

With great skill Ben drove the ride-on mower along the path we have made in the woodland at the end of the garden. The idea is to make the wood accessible all year round so we can go there and see the wild-life. We currently have dead nettles, ground ivy, bluebells, jack-by-the-hedge ( garlic mustard) , stinging nettles, dock and various grasses growing under the trees which are a mix of oak, beech, wild cherry, maple and alder.

It really is Spring here ,even though it has got rather cold lately. The snowdrops and daffodils in the woods have been replaced by bluebells and the blossom is out especially in the orchard. The blossom is starting to indicate which trees are pear and which are apple and there are also cherries and plums I think. Looking forward to being able to tell when the fruits start to form in a few weeks time.

So now the snowdrops are all over and the daffodils are about to turn I have been looking closely in the woods for the next wave of wild flowers. These are very small but the violets in particular have made some small drifts:

Yes, I researched this and they are violets despite the colour!

And these are wood dog violets:

And finally ground ivy.

Small but perfectly formed.

We have been organising places outside to sit, especially at lunchtime when we are lucky to be able to leave the home office and go outside. A new bistro set seemed a good idea…

Our garden is a regular Watership Down for the bunnies with a warren just next door. Damage to the ground and plants is very evident. I decided, rather than try to defend the whole garden, to pay special attention to the kitchen garden with a fence surrounding it which can also double as a plant support and it also looks nice. We painted it and added chicken wire. It is now done!!

Emma helping with the painting.

Soon after my tomatoes, aubergines, red peppers and chillies germinated I moved them from the propagator to the greenhouse. Sadly this was much too soon- within days the tomatoes were looking very sad and pale and the aubergines had given up entirely. The tomatoes are now back inside on a window sill and I have re-started the aubergines. Now also in the propagator with some sage, basil, cosmos and verbena bonariensis.

There were masses of self-seeded foxgloves in the neglected raised vegetable beds. I transplanted them to an area by the bench looking down the garden. Now lets see if the rabbits will leave them alone! I followed some advice and put some dust/hair from my vacuum cleaner around the area- not very beautiful but may do the trick.