Garden plans

The days are growing longer and now the snows have gone it is warm and mild outside again. (Some people would no doubt disagree, but compared with the low temperatures and high winds, the temperature seems balmy these days!). Yesterday we took a long walk by the canal with our visitors and today I am pondering my barren back yard.

Still, it's far too early to start sowing, so I'm left with pondering when to cut back my roses (march) and hydrangea (end of march, beginning of april) which does not leave me hopeful. That's about the time the larp season starts and it's also about the time I need to start sowing my tomatoes.

If I look at the pile of seed packets I've gathered over the years, it doesn't look like I can start anything any time soon. The only thing I'm late with it the Glory of the Snow bulbs which was a gift from someone or other (an organisation, I believe). There's also a packet of "wildflower mix" which features papaver and cornflowers on the front (sowing between march and july). Never mind Ursula, who lives in sunny South Carolina and is already sowing and mulching, I can only start on these in two to three week's time:

- Chives
- Basil
- Parsley
- Several colours of paprika
- Tomato
- Spearmint
- Dill
- Strawberry (these did not come up last year)
- Radish
- Climbing French beans
- Courgette
- Butterhead lettuce
- Red peppers (thanks to Twi)

I'm going to have a very busy and full windowsill for the duration of March!

As for mulching: as soon as I've cut back several of the larger things in my garden will my compost barrel be filling up a bit. I know there's good humus in there somewhere, but at this point it's mostly just kitchen scraps and no use getting the humus out. The water butt also still needs to be installed.

Those three weeks will just fly by, I'm sure, but I just can't wait for the first lettuce from my own garden!