Unimaginable Excitement

Their is huge excitement in the Tidy Garden today.

As mentioned in my previous post this week (here), I'm having a go at growing cucumbers this year.

I expected a high failure rate just getting the seeds to germinate, so planted several thousand (give or take). Each & every one has taken and thanks to some inspiration from Virginia over at Tangent Gardening, my trellis seems to holding.

But here's what's got me all excited today....a flower...yes, a flower & behind it a baby cucumber, my first ever!! (easily pleased me).

Admittedly, it doesn't look that inviting at the mo', being quite spikey, but it is only 1cm long.

So I'm employing armed-security guards, a pack of rottweilers & a swat team to watch over my little treasure as it hopefully develops.

(This is the Marketmore 76 variety in case you're interested)

Size Isn't Everything!

Alas the Tidy Garden doesn't have the acreage we'd like, but that hasn't stopped us cramming every living specimen of plant known to man (and woman) EVER in the garden we have.

Tomatoes

As space is limited, when it comes to planting up our crops, everything goes in pots. And me being a bit sentimental about not being able to discard weak seedlings, EVERYTHING gets a chance to grow, so we have lots of pots.

This year we're having a go at cucumbers.....

I have no idea if these trellis will work but there was no space to let them sprawl along the ground. We'll wait n' see...

Peppers

More tomatoes

Strawberries

Runner Beans

A bit of everything here...Radish, Lettuce, Raspberries, Mint...

Spares...to be re-homed

It's not what you've got, it's what you do with it!

Cowslips

The Tidy Garden is simply oozing with 'good times' at the moment.

The Cowslips have done their bit for this Spring (I use the word 'Spring' loosely here in the UK) and it's time to shake those babies up & divide them.

A gentle tease of one plant...et voila...9 new ones.

The problem is the garden is bursting at the seams, so for now I've put some in pots and tucked them away for safe keeping...

...ready for next year.

Tiarella Spring Symphony

This is our, or I should say, Mr TG's 'Tiarella Spring Symphony'.

I call it the gravestone plant as when we revamped the garden with purple slate we bought some larger pieces to dot around one of the flowerbeds and one was shaped like a headstone & positioned so it looks like we've buried someone under the apple tree.

Mr TG thought his beloved plant would look lovely against the purple slate backdrop. I think it looks like we laid flowers on the grave of someone we've buried under the apple tree!!

That said, it is a stunning little flower (also know as the Foam Flower because of its frothy heads...and the gravestone plant. Did I mention that?) Despite the label stating a shady spot, I'm a rule breaker and ours is in full sun and has performed brilliantly for a few years now. (Maybe that gravestone casts the odd shadow?)

The leaves are pretty too, staying nicely neat & tidy.

You can't beat a plant that just gets on with it...no fuss!

Now...can't stop...I have a headstone to buff!

Have a groovy gardening weekend.

Excitable in the Garden

I feel like an over excited Carol Klein, who's had a sherry or two, in the garden this week.

There's so much to smile about.

The sun's finally made an appearance, there's been a gentle breeze and the garden has gone beserk.

Everywhere I look there's something new appearing, everything is lush from all the rain we've had. Any gaps in the soil have been filled with plants that this year have doubled in size, doubled in their beauty and eagerness to please the eye.

The Forget-Me-Nots which have just been blue in past years have decided to blossom in shades of pink, mauve & blue this year.

Usually I just walk past them with a polite nod of my hat to acknowledge their existance. This year, I sit a while and gaze in admiration.

Good times!

Are We There Yet?

Have spent the afternoon with Mr TG tending our own piece of the planet. Pots have been earthed up & positioned ready for the flower & veg' seedlings that are chomping at the bit indoors. With temperatures set to plummet below freezing tonight, they'll have to stay inside a while longer. The tomatoes & runner-beans are already in pots in the shed, the beans were strangling us a we watched TV so it was time to go.

The Spireas are looking fabulous providing a splash of colour...everything's going mad having soaked up 3 weeks of Spring rain.

 The herbs are beginning to poke through & the strawberry plants have flowers already.

 C'Mon Summer!

Just a Quickie...

(Primrose)

Just flying in quickly this evening to bring some Spring cheer.

Weather-wise it's been another murky ol' week, but that doesn't dampen this gardener's spirit.

These beauties were from a client's garden.

Can't stop, I've a hoe to buff, secateurs to sharpen and wellies to de-mud.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday all.