23 February 2012: Bright, clear and sunny, and 17C. You read that right: 17 degrees. Phew! A huge change is temperature from our recent –7C of last week. Spring is springing out all over the place: daffodils are blooming and the willow’s setting buds.
And even the willow is coming back to life. I’ll give this tree a trim after its little fuzzy-wuzzies are finished. It needs a bit of shaping, and the branches need thinning out.
We’ve yet to decide if we should grow tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse this year. I’m thinking we should grow them on the patio where rain can assist in watering them. A hosepipe ban is definitely on the cards for our area, which will make it difficult to keep plants alive in the greenhouse if go away on holiday. This needs thought and planning.
We’re also considering broadcasting wild flower seeds packaged specifically for drought areas in the borders along the fencing. We’ll see what the garden centre has to offer — besides dog, cat and fish food, and Cotton Trader clothing, and sweets and cakes, and snow shovels, and patio furniture. When did garden centres decide they should follow Home Base’s business model?
It’s way too early to plant anything out yet though. We always have more snow in March, and frost continues well into late April.
I’m looking forward to another gardening season … time to polish the rust off my spade. And turn the compost heap this weekend.
The Chalk Hills Kitchen 
I long to plan my garden.. why is there a ban?? Do you have such a shortage of water? I hope you can work out what to do. I plant a pretty garden every year and whoever is asked to water it forgets… I’m thinking I will scale it back this spring!
Yes, we really do have a problem with the levels of water in local reserve right now. Our nearest one is only filled 42% because of lack of rainfall.