April showers

I know there are only a few more days of April left, but it was tremendous April sunshine and showers weather today.

Blazing sunshine, head down planting out dozens of lettuce, mustard greens, sunflowers and nasturtiums and then suddenly the world goes black and the heavens open up.

I can’t tell you the number of times I had to sprint up to the potting shed, plants abandoned and jobs unfinished just to get out of the rain. I must go out to the rain gauge and see how  much we had. There were some amazing downpours. They even woke up You Know Who.

It gave me time to pot on yet more plants for Andrew (nitotiana grandiflora, tall calendula, cosmos galore, tithonia Torch) and for me.

I’ve done a few more dozen lettuce seedlings and the whole place is just a stack of seedlings and pots. I need to give it a careful sort as Elodie will be watering from this weekend. Or her father will. What a treat to have a friend’s father who is at a loose end to come over and tend to things.

And the Gertrude Jeykll roses are just starting to come out so they will have lovely blooms this weekend.  It’s incredible the difference in seasons from last year.

The roses in the courtyard started blooming at the very end of May last year. And they are a whole month early this year.

The white wisteria is just starting to bloom as well too. I noticed that as I came back from setting up my clothes line down on the lower terrace. 

I know it’s a bit of a walk to hang out sheets. But I really can’t stand the sight of a clothes line. Don’t ask me why.  So ours will be tucked well out of the way and not on view.  I will regret it if we have another of these mad sunshine and showers events and I have laundry drying on the line.

But at least it’s marvellous exercise.