Blooming Marvelous!

Everything is growing like mad - I've had the first salads, chard, strawberries and mangetout. Its been so nice, me and a friend are thinking about starting an allottment. We have some just over the road from us - but as we've only just started growing veggies we thought just half to begin with, with the option of a full one later.

I fancy potatoes (I can only grow them in a wheelie bin here), and carrots, broccolli and cabbage - all the things I dont have enough room for.

Cutting hedges

I have an informal hedge going round the garden - it started with some small plants brought from a supermarket - now they are taller than me! So out came the shears this afternoon - too hot but it had to be done - I can now see over my fence!
The veggie patch is doing well - I've eaten my first lot of salad leaves, radishes and planted up a "Totem" tomatoe and pepper. The strawberries are growing but still a little white. They need this lovely sunshine to rippen. Another couple of days I hope!

We have a hedgehog! A small scruffy thing was investigating the peanut butter jar that was put out for recycling - I went out to see if he was stuck and there he was as bold as anything! Under the bird table are bits of bird seed and you get the slugs coming out there so hopefully that was what he was eating! I've never known them to like peanut butter though - I've always been told to put out cat or dog food! Still it was lovely to see!

Isnt it hot! 24 degrees - I might have to get out the hose (first time this year - not a ban yet!)
I took out a hebe yesterday - its been in for 11 years and this year the frost got it - it normally comes back but it finally gave up the ghost - as its right in the front of the border I've replaced it with some Nicotiana plants (they are right under my window so should smell gorgeous) and some grasses. I try and not put too many flowering plants in the front garden - the local children think nothing of nicking them! I keep the best for round the back.

Hi - been busy today - helped a neighbour put up some bamboo screening along her fence - it looked pretty good. See once you start - they all do!!
Also planted some sweet peas that I brought at Tesco's - when I put mine in the snails had a field day so hopefully these will survive!
Anyway - day off tomorrow - so its all hands on deck - trip to the garden centre (the purse just went ouch!)

This is my arum lilly - i'm really pleased with it this year - the flowers are really white and it stands out in quite a shady position. Very hardy and looks good all year round!

This is the second shed(arn't I the lucky one) with my little veggie patch in front - it has mangetout growing up the canes, beetroot, spring onions, swiss chard and lettuce (again).

This is my garden shed! - I was so fed up of the normal brown I thought I would cheer it up - it soon got the neighbours doing theirs too!!

The planter in the front is full of salad leaves, spring onions and a baby tomatoe. The big banana at the back is from the Eden Project (fab place) when it was just a little baby. I just cover it in straw and fleece each winter - now look at it! (The baby in the middle was one I took this year from it)

Hello

This is the first of many postings (I hope!). Please bear with me - I am totally new to this (computers not gardening!)
What a cold spring we've had - everything seems really slower this year. I've only just hung out my hanging baskets! The rain has helped - we havent had much this year and they are talking about drought orders down here in Hampshire!! Typical!!