It has been quite a while since I have shown you what is going on in my greenhouse here on my blog. Recently I have started uploading videos to IGTV and I thought that as many of you are not Instagram users you might like to see the videos here. In this first video you get a good look at all the seeds I have started in my greenhouse, watch me sow some cosmos and courgette seeds and cut some of the early flowering sweet peas that I grow every spring.

In other garden news spring seems to be galloping past at quite a pace this year. I feel like I have had more time to enjoy the seasonal changes as lockdown has slowed the pace of daily life, but my favourite season is still whizzing past far too quickly. This beautiful lilac tree is looking more stunning than ever this year – dripping with fragrant flowers. Hopefully this weeks rain and cooler temperatures will help her flowers to last.

Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’ is another of my favourite spring shrubs. I planted my 2 bushes as very small plants about 4 years ago and have been waiting patiently for them to mature. This year they finally have a strong presence in the Spring Walk border and I am enjoying every minute of these gorgeous snowball blooms.

Geum Totally Tangerine has been flowering for quite a few weeks now. The upright stems stand tall above leafy foliage and look well growing amongst a sea of forget-me-nots.

I have had mixed results with my tulips this year. I lost almost all of my favourite parrots and peony flowered varieties that I plant annually in my raised beds to voles or mice. The more perennial tulips that are planted in the beds closer to the house have been fabulous, but are going over very quickly due to the recent hot weather – I am not complaining though – it has been such a treat to enjoy long sunny days in the garden whilst confined at home.

This weeks highlight is my immature orchard which is flowering its socks off! The small trees are finally starting to fill out and give a hint of the orchard romance I am hoping for. Hopefully there will be plenty of fruit to enjoy in the autumn.

I am extremely lucky to have my son at home with me during this period of lockdown. Poor Harry was in his second season working in Whistler as a snowboarding instructor but had to come home early as the world began to shut down. Looking to the future Harry is planning to make his career in filming and he is filling his lockdown time here developing his skills as a garden videographer. We are hoping to make a couple of videos a week whilst he is at home and I will try and share them all here for you.

Our next video is filmed in my very empty vegetable garden. For the past 4 years I have been growing flowers in what was originally designed to be a vegetable area. Even before Coronvirus had become a common part of our everyday vocabulary I had decided to grow more vegetables this year, but back in January I was planning to add some new beds. As everything became more difficult to organise the easiest option was to use the beds that I already had, but this did involve a few weeks of moving roses and perennials and preparing the soil. The beds are now ready and I am going to start planting them up later this week – this weeks rain is very welcome as the ground that was sodden in early spring is now extremely dry. I will talk more about my vegetable growing plans when I post the first video of this area of the garden next week. The Cutting Garden is beginning to wake up so she will star in her own video very soon.

I hope that you are all keeping well and have not been hit too hard by the constraints of lockdown. Possibly the best thing about being a gardener is that we are blessed with patience and the ability to look to the future with optimism. I certainly hope that your gardens are bringing you joy right now!

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