A late-April walk around the estate... and what a pleasing sight it is

Been doing plenty more sowing this week after work, now that the evenings are nice and long, and I am having to remember to water the dozens of pots and trays every night. This morning I wandered outside while OH was preparing our glutenfree brunch (gf sausage without rusk, home-made tattie scones, fried egg and tomato), and this is what I found:

The black tulips in the triangular bed are out.

The red tulips in the Goth bed have been out for a while.

The triangular bed in front of the patio, newly planted with 2 delphiniums, feverfew, sweet williams, salvia, Asiatic lilies and several dahlias.

Our Discovery apple tree, in flower. It's leaning and really needs to be staked properly.

Our cherry tree, bought last year. Doing well in the pot at the moment, even had flowers. Maybe we'll get a couple of cherries off it this year.

We managed to rescue a congested phormium from the cheap pile at a local garden centre. OH divided it and we got 5 more plants off the main one. All potted up. In front: more sweet williams from the allotment where I had first grown them two years ago and where they'd established themselves rather well. In the painted terracotta pots behind: our scented spring bulbs. The ferns have come through winter and will be planted out to fill holes in my side of the garden, further towards the back where we've now dissolved the huge and unsightly twig and branch pile. 

Our mini greenhouse this year, again full of seedlings: red cabbage, radishes, climbing nasturtiums, ageratum, snapdragons, tomatoes. To the left, the rescued horseradish root under plastic.

On top of the mini greenhouse: dill, lovage, chives, carrots, rocket, parsley.

My big greenhouse this year: in front: repotted aubergine plants: all 12 of the seeds came on, a fabulous yield. In the black tray below: Golden Sunrise tomatoes (the yellow ones), still to sprout, only just sown. In the various pots and trays next and behind: calendula, salvia, zinnia, leucanthemum, anemones, 2 Patty Pan pumpkin plants, well on and almost flowering! Then: anchusa "Blue Angel", cavolo nero, yellow runner beans (Wachsbohnen), green runner beans ("Neckarkoenigin"), courgettes "Black Beauty", Livingstone Daisies, basil Genovese, cape gooseberries, cumin. OH has also sown quinoa, a glutenfree grain normally grown in South America and which he really likes in place of couscous.

 

Mr Tubby, who has had to spend the night outside in the wood shed because he keeps being territorial with his wee -- on my territory, which is never a good idea. He does get fed though, as you can see from the orange bowl by the patio door. Here he has spotted me wandering round the estate taking pictures and is trying to slip back inside.