Smelling: lilac
Sowing: runner beans, French beans, carrots, beetroot and salad leaves
Harvesting: asparagus and rhubarb
Watching: parsley and chard go to seed
Some years our vegetable planting is planned in January, seeds are bought in good time and diligently sown in gutters in the greenhouse or in well prepared seed beds in the garden. But some years, there are so many distractions that planning and forethought go out of the window. 2015 is proving to be one of those years.
We sketched out the planting plan on the back of the envelope back in January but the envelope inadvertently disappeared into the recycling bin so everything has been sown a little haphazardly. Then the guinea fowl decided that Bill’s beautifully prepared seedbeds were perfect for dust baths and decimated the newly emerged carrots and beetroot. Words were spoken. Guinea fowl and shooting were mentioned in the same sentence. Netting has since been erected.
The flower border consists mainly of perennials and self-sown flowers and weeds. I’m not much of a flower gardener and often mistakenly pull out the flower seedlings while nurturing what turns out to be a massive weed. That’s fine if the weed is pretty, but alas they rarely are. Each May is a surprise as the border erupts into colour, while under the apple trees the forget-me-not and cow parsley push through the long grass.
All with very little effort on my part. My sort of gardening.
LIFE IN MUD SPATTERED BOOTS 
The garden looks AMAZING Anne and thank you for the peace and tranquil view!
I wish I could sit and watch it grow, reading a book, enjoying a cup of tea too!
Yes, I agree!
I just love your garden! Thank you for letting us have a look.
And my sort of gardening. Pity Mr E thinks different, we differ so much on the subject of wild flowers. Lucky nature, with a little help, is with me. Roast guineafowl sounds about right. Lovely garden.
It’s taken me decades to get Bill to leave the grass to grow long under the apple trees.
What a beautiful garden to garden! I hope you have some great veggies and flowers! xx
My kind of gardening, too!
I think we may have finally caught up with your weather – just saw a sign at the farmstand yesterday for fresh rhubarb and my lilacs are now in full bloom too.
Too bad about those seedbeds and the guinea fowl – it’s so hard to keep it straight where you’re supposed to take your dust bath. We just had a landscaping company come to reseed a large area where they pulled out an out of control wild olive bush. My husband’s kind of a nut about his lawn. Lola, just thought that nice soft dirt was perfect for digging a Bernese Mountain dog size bunker though. I do believe there may have been words spoken about that too. Ah well…
At least the guinea fowl only make small indents compared to Bernese Mountain dogs. I blame Bill for making such a good seedbed – mine are full of big clods of dirt.
Your garden looks so green and pretty, thank you for sharing it with us.
I don’t think you will have lost too much time in the veg garden this year Anne, with the cold nights everything seems slow or behind, what ever is ‘normal’ for this time of year.
I think you’re right Brian.
Great you have asparagus 🙂
It takes a few years to establish, but it’s wonderful to have asparagus.
It looks really beautiful in spite of the depredations of the pea fowl and the lack of planning. I would love an asparagus bed, but don’t have room for one.
Space is a problem with asparagus – they take a lot of room for something that can only be cut for six weeks.
That’s exactly it!
Your garden looks lovely and you sound relaxed Anne, a perfect combination for a great garden!
Anne, I just love your theme. It must be new? Such a super layout. Great photos too .. your garden is looking fab. Love the shot with the forget-me-nots, they always add loads of cheer 🙂
Forget-me-nots are one of my favourites.
Your garden is beautiful Anne, it should be in a glossy country gardening book! What is in that gorgeous little stone building? It looks magical. I hope the guinea fowl are continuing to behave.
I think the guinea fowl have been persuaded to take a dust bath elsewhere – for the moment. The little building is a dovecote, though it’s used as a garden shed rather than for keeping doves in.
It’s all looking wonderful Anne! Love these posts. 🙂
Oh lilac … love it.
Me too.
I think you’ve timed your planting perfectly – the temperatures are finally getting warmer and the plants are responding 🙂
More luck than judgement.
Mmm, I am basking in the delicious smell of that lilac…I really must try and grow one. But I don’t think they are too keen on acid soils. Well that’s what I learned from my Mum. Never mind, I must try anyway, because I miss that scent so much. Thank you for showing us your heavenly English country garden.
I love lilac. We’re on clay here, so maybe your mother is right. Still, it’s always worth a try don’t you think?
It all looks pretty good to me … the grass under those trees is so green and lush, and I swear I can smell that lilac from here. Plant it and leave it to do its own thing was my style of gardening too, back when we had a proper garden and not the miniscule plot that passes for a garden here
My sort of gardening, too! I have yet to venture into the wilderness, hoping for some decent self seeding might be my best bet. I am envious of your asparagus!
Anything that self seeds is a winner in my garden.