Spring appears to have finally arrived in the Midlands. Cherries are blossoming, trees are getting leaves, and the temperature is above 15 ° C during the day. This means for a large number of us that the gardening season has started, and this year it includes me.

I’ve decided to rip out most plants in the lower bed (towards the house), and extend it by about a foot into the lawn. I’ll be converting this space into a vegetable garden with a bit of green thumb luck – carrots, peas, broccoli if all goes well. To that end, I’ve spent the weekend pulling plants out, and digging up the entire bed to add 150 litres of farmyard manure, and 50 odd litres of topsoil. I’ve found muscles I never knew I had as a result. Continue reading →