The sun’s out, so we venture into the garden for the first time in weeks. My Mediterranean herbs did overwinter (yay!). Our long, cold, wet winters up here in the bog are anathema to these herbs that like hot, dry, sandy soil, where they grow like weeds. Whole hillsides are covered with tough clinging thyme and rosemary in far away Spain. These ones are showing damage but they’ll be fine. The thyme is healthy, can’t decide whether to cut out the dead brown stems – think I’ll leave them for now and not expose the living bits to cold. The rosemary is a bit yellow – needs something. They’re sitting nervously in the doorway of the polytunnel, bathing in some direct sunlight for the first time in months. The tunnel is warm and dry but the sun hits through thick plastic. I need to remember to cosy them up and shut the door before the temperature drops – easy to lose plants on the first warm day when you forget to tuck them in before the cold night.
(I lost my primroses for a week in the big snow. They’re mostly fine tho. I guess the snow insulated them)
Finally I need cheering up…some pansies in an old slipper looks fun and silly. For some reason I’ve got a bag of old slippers, way beyond wearing. Lined with cardboard, and filled with compost they can be planted up, with violas this time. Have to work out how to stop water seeping through…maybe a plastic bag but I do hate using plastic in the garden. Going to do these for Easter gifts. Happy spring sunshine day!
