Tulips, spring harvest and working in the garden

Tulips are blooming all through the garden – I love their bright colours.

I did it! I have finished digging through the sorrel infested areas and removing all roots that I found. I know that I have missed pieces of root as there are sorrel sprouts in areas that I have dug through – I remove these as I see them. The patches that were dug earlier are now growing all kinds of things – mesclun, lettuces, rocket, carrots, fennel and more – all from self-sown seeds that have been waiting in the soil.

Sorrel all gone! Self-seeded plants can be seen growing in the patches I cleared earlier
The last bucket of sorrel roots

The vegetable garden is starting to grow like crazy. This morning I picked more asparagus (have been picking it for a few weeks now), globe artichokes, silverbeet (swiss chard) and miners lettuce (this didn’t make it inside).

I moved several punnets of seedlings (beans, cucurbits, celery) out of the glasshouse this morning. They are starting to get too big for their pots, so I wanted to slow them down as it’s a little too early to plant them yet. I want to wait 2 more weeks in case of a late frost.

Bean and zucchini seedlings

I’ve been working in the house garden as well lately. I have cleared a patch of Iris foetidissima – it’s very easy to rip out – and planted 4 blue poppies – 2 x Meconopsis betonicifolia and 2 x Meconopsis ‘lingholm’

Hellebores (thanks Victoria!) in the front and Meconopsis at the back

Youngest son has been busy with a chainsaw removing self-sown whiteywoods from the forest garden near the house. He and I placed out seven rhododendrons that I will plant in the cleared area.

Rhododendrons and the newly cleared area