Treasure hunt

The wild boar must be thrilled.   I have spent a good hour and a half planting beautiful white camassia bulbs into the base of the bank below the quince.   It’s the eastern most part of farm and the closest to the forest.

Boar come out in winter and forage on this very garden.   And what a treat for them to be burying lovely fat bulbs just where they grub up fungus.

I have a hundred bulbs to plant and I will be very keen to see just how many come up in spring.   I haven’t taken any action shots of bits of dirt disturbed in a long grassed bank.   So have a picture of Artur instead.

Talk about trouble. We have had some rainy sessions in the past few days and that means Artur is forced to lurk indoors.   If I am inside the potting shed as well he demands attention.   And my full attention.

I was potting up some of my sedum cuttings earlier and the cat just wouldn’t settle.   He has endless spots he can sleep. But prefers to get in the way.

Despite him, I have potted up dozens of young plants and moved lots of winter greens up a size.

Outside all is glowing with light. I love this time of year; it really sings.   And with a few good sessions of rain, lots of the parched state of the garden is just a memory.

The shade garden is almost fetching, and there are plenty of little honesty seedlings in among the plants, so I don’t dare weed.

Even the calabert garden has come back to life.

I’m so pleased that the santolina have come back from the dead.

I don’t think all are alive, but the three plants which Andrew gave me are back and greening up.

And I must make a note to plant more prostrate rosemary here – it’s a good plant for this bank. Not too high to prevent you seeing over it or other plants, but a good ground cover.

Today I went over to visit one of Leslie’s client’s garden. And it was amazing to see a happy and thriving eucalyptus tree in the Ardeche. Granted, the garden is only at 350m altitude. So 200 metres lower than ours.   Oh do I yearn for a gum.

But I did grab some branches as a treat. And shall put them into a vase next to my favourite Margaret Preston still life painting of the same subject.