Poisson d’avril

Just back inside from giving the apple tree a good soak. It was a lovely birthday gift from the Welsteads last week. A Melrose variety which gives lovely homage to the Scottish roots of the donors. it’s planted at the end of the blackberries. And one day may form the edge of the arbour. When we get round to designing it. Right now it all looks a bit bare sticks in the middle of nowhere. But one must plan ahead.

Spring is creeping up on us. The plum blossom is rather glam right now. And the tulips are almost making an appearance. There are some narcissus already up. I did wonder what they were. They were definitely not tulip shaped when they poked bravely out of the snow last week. The peach blossom is less exciting. But then again it did come out too early – or just in time to catch the frost and snow if you wish. Most of the Drome seems to have been blighted by the early cold weather. Dramatic pictures of frozen blossom on the front page of the local Two Minute Silence (Le Dauphine Libere) last week.

Have only been away for just three days and it seems we have missed some rather windy weather. No battered garden. But the potting shed looks distressed. All the carefully applied plastic is sitting in twisted heaps and not doing much good. Need to have a good go with the gaffer tape when I steal some time. (It’s painting of the doors in the guest house time yet again this week.)

And I have brought dozens of packets of seeds with the great dream of actually getting them into seed trays and eventually soil. They seemed to languish in a plastic box in London most of last year. Will they be viable? Let’s see. It’s all going to be rather experimental this year. I’m going to launch myself into all sorts of seeds now that there is a real garden to plant. And play with.