Suddenly, the garden is growing again. It is still pretty cold here and there has been a lot of grey cloud hanging over us but it is May and the garden has suddenly greened! We have had a slow start, with such a long, cold Spring and I have been taking my time about things because early seed sowings failed to germinate and early brassicas were eaten by slugs or snails. So now I am Up and At It!
Potatoes and onions are coming up and I have mawled the spuds twice already. Weeding is the next priority to make sure we can find them at harvest time. I have some room left in this bed for lettuce and French beans when the weather improves.
My herb garden is alive and well and is full of various shades of green and seems to have revived almost overnight.
I am delighted to see Angelica and Elecampane as well as lots of Lady’s Mantle, Verbain, (the magical herb), Motherwort, Lemon Balm, Soapwort and many others, including the culinary herbs. It is such a thrill to welcome back old friends after the winter hiatus.
I was up and at it early this morning ’til dinner time, planting herbs and shrubs and some flowers for the bees. I was also weeding and tidying and wondering how it got so bad so quickly!! I am praying that the new lilac trees that I bought at the end of last summer will produce some beautiful and fragrant flowers. They look healthy enough but no flowers yet.
Living in the countryside and growing my own vegetables, fruit and herbs is an idyllic life that I love but now that things are warming up, (pushing up), I really have to get my skates on. There are plants and herbs to harvest and dry, for medicine making – something almost every day.
The Nettles are being dried for tea, the Calendula will go on to make salves, creams and soaps and the Coltsfoot is for my husband’s asthma remedy.
Lotions and potions, salves and tinctures are building up in the apothecary. It’s a good feeling to see such things accruing over the summer.
I have just heard the Cuckoo so I think I will pop outside and have a last look around – I must close in the chickens anyway. The Cuckoo arrived here around the 20th April which was about the same date as last year. I hope you are enjoying this lovely evening where ever you are. Please let me know if and when you heard the Cuckoo this year.