Spring 2017 is here in Suffolk UK and in full swing!

Late April and the weather is slowly getting warmer, but is a little unpredictable still. Snowdrops and daffodils have blossomed and the flowers died back and hawthorn and early flowering shrubs have already blossomed. The hedges and woods are greening up with the new leaf shoots opening to reveal light green leaves and the animals and insects (birds, bees, rabbits, squirrels etc) are being busy!

It is a fine time of year, as the UK heads towards the lighter and so longer evenings. Nature seems to go a little crazy busy with plants and animals getting a lot busier and humans seem to do the same!

My own garden has awakened with early honeysuckle, forsythia, snowdrops and pot planted daffodils flowering. Also, as usual there is a lot to do in my garden and over the last 3 weeks I have nearly completed a new project, installing a raised bed for vegetables. My wife and son helped me construct it! I enjoy good help.

At home, we like herbs and have them growing in odd places in the borders and pots. We have a potato tub and bags for vegetables, but this new 2m x1m raised bed, extends our vegetable growing capabilty a little more. It has a lot of compost in it and yesterday, I planted it up with courgettes, lettuce, peas, beans, chard, carrots and tomatoes and even fleeced it to keep any frost at bay! Now to look after it and look forward to the plants establishing and growing our own salads and vegetable crops…

There is plenty of other work to be done in our garden this year and I am hopeful to get on top of it, as it is only relatively small! Still, as my wife and I are busy in and out of the garden, the hard part is finding the time, but with the weather improving and light evenings, there should be more opportunity to get time for gardening!

Right that’s enough healthy activity, back to the computer! Hope you are having a good spring or autumn depending where you are in the world!