Hail halts play
You can ignore the fleeting April shower that makes you dash to a tree or the potting shed for a few moments while the clouds scud past. But the hail storm that peppered the mountain was enough to bring me indoors for tea. Only 5:30pm and it feels as though I need to call a halt to play for the day. And a shame too as I was planting out the Aquelegia Green Apples under the mirbabelle trees in the garden when I had to escape.
This has been an action packed day out in the garden: lots of things ticked off the list. I have mulched all the trees in the orchard and even had enough to add to the burgeoning jostaberries and black currants in the lower orchard as well. I have risked everything by not fencing these small plants off. No doubt I will pay for it later if any passing animal decides to try juicy fruit as a change of diet. But for now I will keep them unfettered.
As I was down in this part of the farm I decided to sort out the honeysuckle that has seem to have taken off up agains the stable wall. Two levels of wires now attached; and if all goes well, this plant might just thrive. And improve the rather stark nature of this wooden stable wall. Needless to say they too managed to win a large spade load of thick mulch.
Up at the potager I noticed that the radish seeds sown only a few weeks ago were up and off. And crowded. So I have thinned them out. And then couldn’t possibly throw away the extra seedlings. Up to the potting shed and then a happy hour ensued by planting them up and wishing I had more space / more pots / more time / more daylight to get everything done. 
As you can see, there is quite a little industry here at the moment. I seem to collect lists on scraps of paper that carefully record just what I have sown and potted on. But they don’t relate to any particular day so I might as well make it today’s achievement: so the tally of sown plants are runner bean aintree, climbing bean blue lake, courgette soleil, cucumber BTG (oh yes, burpless tasty green), basil, scallop squash mix, verbena bonariensis.
And potted on: tomatoes, swiss chard, sunflowers, nasturtiums, cabbage, cavallo nero. Bound to be more, but I tend to get so involved in the sowing and the potting that I plum forget to write and record.
On the grasses front, I have divided some of the mightier eragrostis curvula plants down on the low terrace below the pool. Thick and tough, I hope they won’t sulk after my clumsy attempts at dividing them. I have planted seven more in the bank. And if the thirty or so that might have survived the winter come into growth this week, I shall plant them as well. 
And I have done two more miscanthus for the future hedge down near the lawn. I transplanted them from the courtyard edge. They weren’t thriving being too close to the mighty giant stipa plant. The name should have warned me it would take off and spread. But one rarely learns.
To finish the day I have loaded up the wheelbarrow with all the plants I want to put into the potager tomorrow: the sweet peas, tarragon, parsley, marjoram and chives.
I then went down to check on the horses to see they have enough water for the night and give them an apple each . Cheeky things, they were lying down on the job. Ulysse didn’t even bother getting up to be fed his Braeburn crunchy treat. 