Welcome to Day 4 of my review of my first year of writing Peonies & Posies.
Things were looking up in April. The weather was still cool, but much was happening in the garden. The greenhouse was bulging with seedlings and dahlia tubers were sprouting into life. By April I could feel the blog gaining momentum. So much was happening in the garden that finding subjects to post about was never a problem and my growing passion for photography meant that I always had a ready supply of images.
For my birthday in April I had requested an Open University course on digital photography that would start in May. I had high hopes that this would set me on the right path to understanding my camera.
The highlights from my blog posts included:
Tulip Angelique from the garden.
Dinner in a Jamie Oliver restaurant overlooking St Paul’s.
Ranunculus from the flower market.
Another attempt at flower photography. Tulip Purple Prince from the garden set against a wallpaper background.
Hardy, my beautiful Irish Setter.
Other images from my April archives include:
The ladies huddling together to thwart the amorous cockerels, the first chicks, my rabbits enjoying the spring sunshine, beautiful cherry blossom and spring blooms.
I will be planning my sweetpea selection for the year over the next week, ready to get sowing when I get back from my holiday. I noticed this morning on Instagram that one of my favourite flower farmer blogs is running a series this week about growing sweet peas. I will be reading Erin’s posts at Floret with interest – she runs an amazing flower farm near to Washington USA and I am sure we will all pick up a lot of tips on sweet peas from her.
Erin says “In honor of the New Year, I’m rolling out an entire week of#sweetpea infused blog posts, beginning Monday morning, bright and early. I’m dishing everything from my favorite varieties, to basic growing instructions, to how this fabulous crop grow got me started as a flower farmer, plus a ton of cultivation and post harvest tricks I’ve picked up along the way’.
If you are planning to grow sweetpeas this year I suggest you have a look. Even if you are not growing sweetpeas the pictures will be beautiful! Click on the Floret link to see what she is writing.
Writing these reviews is making me itchy to get out in the garden again! I managed a few hours yesterday, but am now busy packing for my snowy holiday. If my blog is silent for the next week it will mean I have not been able to find an internet connection. I am keeping my fingers crossed I will be able to finish this series whilst I am away.
Thank you for reading and I hope you will be back here tomorrow for a look back at May.
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It seems as if your OU course has paid dividends, Julie! Your Angelique tulips look divine – it’s one I often grow but they are never as beautiful as these – how do you do it?! Aren’t ranunculus lovely? I have tried a few times with them but without success. Hope you enjoy your holiday and don’t suffer any travel disruptions
Thank you Cathy – I never have a problem with growing tulips but ranunculus are my challenge. The shop bought ones are so beautiful, but in my garden they produce very small weak flowers. This year I have planted some in pots in the greenhouse to see if they do any better – I will let you know.
Thanks Julie – I have had the bulbs from Peter Nyssen before so if you are successful I shall try again. I wonder why they prove to be so difficult?