Recollections

Iris reticulata in the chilly spring sunshine

And so the cold and unpredictable weather continues with more snow forecast for next week, it prompted me to look back at this time last year when it really was spring. It seems that I was full steam ahead with my seed sowing, we'd already started to mow the grass at Norton Conyers and were about to have one of the hottest March spells since records began. I doubt that will be the case this year but despite my moaning I would prefer it to warm up gradually, then we might see a proper summer in due course. On Wednesday Diana and I finished pruning the orchard and turned over the raised beds ready for the addition of her lovely home made compost, we just have to wait for the heaps to defrost before we can harvest it! Brilliant blue skies coupled with a concrete hard frost tempted us outside at Harlow Carr this morning for a walk around the gardens pinpointing many of the plants we have been tested on so far, cold on the toes but warming to the heart when you realise you can recall the Latin names!

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future"
George Bernard Shaw

Strange shapes are appearing in the vegetable garden, I like this one so much I wish I could take it home!