The Soil Warms Up

Finally, the spring is coming, and I am begrudging every moment that I'm not spending either pruning the roses before they put on too much growth, or busying about in the tiny polytunnel, out of which we have already moved the first batch of treasures for planting, so that there is space now for lots more seed sowing and potting on.   There is much to do!  But the team have been she-women, and a he-man, barrowing an estimated twenty tons of muck onto the flower beds since November, keeping in the moisture, supressing the weeds, and nourishing the soil.  Another enormous trailer load arrived at the weekend, destined for the new roses and the long sweet pea trenches; more hard work and more flowers!  It is such an exciting time of year.  We have finally begun to pick a few flowers, frilly and fragrant narcissi and chunky hyacinths, and the tulips are almost ready too.  Blossom buds are poised on fruit trees, ready to burst, and the seedlings are growing now at an astounding rate.  Ammi, larkspur, snapdragons, sweet peas, wild carrot, grasses, scabious...  I must go now and sow some more.  And prune those roses.