Springtime is gorgeous in the UK this year with such warm & sunny weather in most areas. It seems April is probably the best month of the year in recent times and 2011 is no exception.

The photos above were taken on April 17th and feature aspects of my garden again.

The Tulips have been lovely and the Fruit Blossom was probably 3 weeks early this year.

So we're hoping that any frosts now will not damage the forming fruits.

Recently planted were more Apple & Pear Trees . Soon an Apricot Tree will be added!

The Allotment is taking shape now also and most of that is also planted out.

The Hens are looking well now and re-gained their feathers, since collecting them earlier this year. They are laying on a regular basis too.

The Greenhouse is full to capacity as you can see above. The Summer bedding plants should be put out to harden in mid-May and set out at the end of May. Fingers crossed no Frosts then!

New Season 2011

Well another gardening season is with us and such a busy time planning what to grow too.
This year we've excelled ourselves with seed packets!.....as we now have a Full Size allotment, having swapped with someone who wanted a half-size one.
So more digging this year. But it is quite exciting knowing we can now grow almost everything we want. So we have seeds for Sweet Corn, Pumpkins , Peas , Broad Beans , Celery, Beetroot, Broccoli , Cabbages, Cauliflowers , Spring Onions, Potatos (3 Varieties) Runner Beans, Lettuces, Radish, Mange Tout , Fennel, Spinach, Carrots, Courgettes, Dwarf Beans, Onions and possibly others i've forgotten about!!
At home we have a few Fruit Trees of Plums, Damson, Pear, Apples & Cherry , plus bushes of Blueberries & Gooseberries and Raspberry Canes and Strawberries too.
The Greenhouse is now starting to fill up with trays of Bedding Plants and Vegetables for the allotment later on. I've also sown my Tomato seeds. So busy times ahead now.I'll continue to chart the gardens progress on here this year with more photos as well.

                                              

                                                   

The Latest Hens

On January 29th we collected 5 more Ex-Battery Hens, from the Hen Welfare Trusts rescue centre, near Coventry. I had only one Hen remaining from my Original Three. So I enlarged the Hen Run to accomodate these extra Hens. They now appear to have settled in nicely, after some early "pecking", which is natural. Hopefully they'll all get along well . I have also made a proper Hen Enclosure at the rear of my garden, so they can run outside in more space on fine days. The latest Hens are named after flowers!... Bluebell, Violet, Daisy, Rose & Lily.