Had a multi-site day of digging today - a trip to the allotment to get spuds in, and ground elder attacks and weeding at home. So at the plot I now have a row and a half of Charlotte potatoes, and a row and a half of Rooster main crops in situ, along with a dressing of muck. Can't wait to see what that does for them. Forgot to take the raspberry canes which my dad recently donated, so there is a useful reason to get back down there later in the week. Checked on my peas, but no signs of life there yet - even under the tunnel cloche.
In the garden at home, things are looking a bit more cheerful as there are actually green things growing in the borders where I have planted my strong seedlings. Makes such a difference. A few circuits of the gardener's prowl also reveal that brunnera, astrantia, peonies, veronica and various other perennials are starting to sprout too. There are even tiny buds on the spirea. Lurking down at soil level, cowslip buds and grape hyacinth flowers are forming, so am praying for warmth and a growth spurt in time for next weekend's flower stall. Clematis 'Markham's Pink' has big fat buds waiting to pop, and that makes a surprisingly good cut flower, so it would be brilliant if that comes out in the next few days.
This time last year, all these boys were out - none at this stage yet, but buds are finally showing on the cowslips and pink clematis at least.
Primulas are looking cheery, a few daffs are now out, and honesty is threatening to develop its flower spikes. Allium and tulips are looking leafy and strong too. Come on you lot, get a shift on!
Any of my neighbours peering into my garden would have spotted me doing various jigs of delight today. The first one prompted by me finally managing to up-end and remove the rambling rose stump after letting the winter frosts do their work (in combination with my loppers, fork and jumping up and down with my not insignificant weight on the stump for half and hour or so). The second was when I finally got round to chopping down a straggly, half dead viburnum which I've been meaning to tackle for months. Light can now get into the border beneath it, and it opens up a whole load of planting space, hence jig number 2.
Off to do all the neglected household chores now - if the weather keeps improving, the house is going to get a whole lot dustier and dirtier....
