The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. Gertrude Jekyll

Annie's Little Plot

Annie's Little Plot

Monday 8 April 2013

Can we restart Spring now?

So the snow has finally gone from my garden, only yesterday though. There was a patch holding on. All round Huddersfield there are still little towers of snow. The moor roads still have big drifts where the snow plough has piled it up high.Though its gradually sinking a little bit each day.
It was a good weekend though with plenty of sunshine, and it was great to get out for some fresh air after a very stressful and long working week.
On Saturday it was a gorgeous day with proper blue skies, still a bit of a nip in the air but compared to what it has been it was balmy. It was my friend's 40th birthday celebrations and we were having afternoon tea on a canal barge at Hebden Bridge. Delicious scones with jam and cream, cucumber sandwiches and lots tea in vintage tea pots and delicate cups and saucers. Very civilised.

On Sunday the sun was streaming in through the curtains so I gave up on the lie-in and got up and out. It was a little bit warmer too. 

At the allotment, my rhubarb has survived the snow but has not grown at all since my last visit, there are some signs of green on the redcurrant.

Martin helped me finish off getting the last bits of manure on the beds.
I lured him there with a promise of a nice cup of tea and some bourbon biscuits, with our new toy for the allotment, a small gas stove to make a brew.
But unfortunately the water has been switched off on the site due to the freezing weather, I think there has been a leak and it was being fixed today. So no tea for us!! We were gasping after all our barrowing and digging. Oh well I'm sure it will get some use soon.
I've been off today and it was a bit different, much hazier and much colder again, with a biting wind but I finished off most of my digging today and have then been sowing seeds, pricking out and potting on. My christmas present has been coming in useful.
My back bedroom is starting to look like a greenhouse again. But with it so cold at nights I'm reluctant to put too many things in the plastic greenhouses outside just yet.
It seems like the garden and the allotment have been on freeze-frame for the last month. Nothing has changed. Reading my gardening magazines telling me what flowers I should be enjoying is a bit of a joke with the Snowdrops, Crocuses and Hellebores still in full bloom in my garden and the tulips, forget me nots and blossom seeming a long way off. But a bit of sunshine and more importantly some warmth and I'm sure things will start moving again. Maybe soon the scene will be transformed from this monochrome landscape to a world of Spring colour, like Dorothy walking into the land of Oz. Here's hoping it gets a move on.

22 comments:

  1. Your garden sound just the same as mine - there are still snowdrops flowering but the daffs still haven't opened. Your tea party sounded lovely at least it warmed up a bit for you. I have been seed sowing too but still have a snowdrift across my plot so no planting yet. I am desperate to get the onions in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Daffs are just starting now. The tea party was lovely and it was so nice to see some sun.

      Delete
  2. It was lovely at the weekend, and I thought that spring might have finally sprung, but it's so cold again. I think everything is going to be really late this year, my spring bulbs have only just started to flower. The afternoon tea on the canal looked wonderful, I'm so pleased the sun put in a rare appearance for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes the wind has gone really cold again. Everything is sooo late, but I think things are starting up again.

      Delete
  3. Your afternoon tea sounded fabulous; I'm pleased that you had some sun. I agree about the dilemma of where to put tender seedlings, with snow only a few days ago. And I had to smile at gardening magazines - and my beekeeping magazine - which are full of "jobs to do in April", when there's been no chance to do any of them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep you have to have an open mind at the moment about which jobs to do! I'm sure the bees are as fed up as we are. I seem to spend all my blogs writing about the weather!

      Delete
  4. Tea on a canal barge looks and sounds like a nice idea.
    You have to remember to take some water with you to the plot next time just in case.
    My rhubarb appeared then stalled. It seems that everything is about a month adrift now but I'm sure will start to catch up when it does get sunny and warm. Flighty xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I think you are right, about a month behind. Yes I will take a bottle of water up to the plot next time!

      Delete
  5. What a great place to have afternoon tea, nice to see the sun shining too. My rhubarb seems to be resting at the moment, and a few smaller stalks died off in the frost, I hope it gets a move on as I'm desperate to eat it! Oh, and my spare bedroom is the same as yours...full of seed trays. I knew it would come in useful one day :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was lovely, and Hebden Bridge is such a lovely little town, we didn't get much chance to explore but will be back again soon to visit I think. I'm so looking forward to my rhubarb which is why I keep a close eye on its growth!

      Delete
  6. How lovely to have afternoon tea on a boat! Marvelous.
    Now I have that exact same little stove on my boat and it's wonderful, we have had many a BBQ on it.
    Your rhubarb is doing well, mine isn't up at all!xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm hoping for some good weather so I can get some good use out of my new stove but we'll see!

      Delete
  7. You certainly had a lovely weekend for your tea party, it sounds wonderful. I feel that the garden here is a month behind last year, I'm so glad to hear that your snow has finally gone, we just had the freezing winds burning everything! We are now hoping that with the warmer weather due this weekend, plants and seeds will soon catch up, your rhubarb is much further on than mine, maybe it was cosy under its duvet of snow!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes they are promising us warmer weather this weekend, so I've got my fingers crossed, even if it is wet, I think we also need some rain.

      Delete
  8. we're definitely way behind on the gardening year - so if you could rest Spring I'd be very grateful! We have a little stove like yours and it's fab! Defrosts fingers as well :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes need to restart. I want to get my stove in action. Really hoping I can get some use out of it this year.

      Delete
  9. What a lovely way to spend a sunny day. My in-laws live near Hebden and it's one of my favourite places. Some gorgeous little shops and great walks. I would definitely recommend Hardcastle Crags. My rhubarb isn't much bigger either but I have got a big bucket over one clump and the forced pink stems should be ready to pick in a few days time.

    My windowsills are exactly the same, covered in pots and seed trays. We've got rain here today and it does feel a little milder. Come on spring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes although its not too far from me I've only been to Hebden a couple of times but I must go more often. I have been to Hardcastle Crags, but only once too but it was lovely.
      Enjoy your rhubarb, will have to give forcing a go one year to get those sweet stems.

      Delete
  10. A perfect day on that boat (I dream of owning one one day!). I know what you mean about the gardening at the moment. I have seen some blossom on my trees, but still so far behind. My daffodils are still blooming but I think the tulips have given up for this year and gone back to bed! Spring will come on Sunday apparently! Take care. Chel x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Spring does seem to have arrived all of a sudden and everything is racing to come up in this sunshine and unexpected warmth!

      Delete
  11. That little stove looks like ours but so far it hasn't been used this year - too cold to sit having coffee - even in the shed. It is amazing how patches of snow are hanging on!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm still thinking positively that we will get some nice weather so I can use my stove but we'll see!

      Delete