Looks like being another warm dry day today - it would be nice to see some rain on the garden! We have various seedlings emerging in the vegetable garden including carrots, chard, and leeks. We are eating last years chard now and it providing a steady supply of greeen leaves for the kitchen - I will make another sowing in a few weeks time. We have leaking pipe irrigation for veg but the growing plants are spaced out all over the place so we would waste a lot of water if we use it - I will need to do some manual watering.

The flower seeds that I planted in the greenhouse last week are all coming up nicely as well as the new lettuce varieties - time to plant another tray in the next few days. The first french beans are germinating and so is the sweetcorn. Next to plant is the runner beans and the climbing french beans. Last year I found that climbing french beans experienced a cool windy spell after planting out in late May - which damaged their leaves - so I am not in a hurry this year. I am using a variety called Trionfo Violetta which is highly recommended for flavour and productivity.

We did more work on a new border yesterday. Paul transplanted ferns - the apple tree that was shading them died last year and we have tried moving them because they would not have enjoyed being in full sun. Also moved from another part of the garden is the Acanthus (not sure which one - its the herbaceous variety). I planted a David Austen rose that we were given at Christmas and two big groups of Zantedeschia that I propogated last year. The apple and cherry trees are in full blossom and the bees are distracted from the Symphytum to polinate the fruit blossom. Fruit is already set on the gooseberries and blackcurrants.