After a prolonged dry spell, we awoke to a rainy day. You could tell the cloud was thick because the light levels that greeted me when I opened my eyes were so low!  So this was a morning when it rained properly - not one of those that starts with promise then delivers nothing. By 08.30am the rain was streaming off our thatched roof - a sure sign of significant water delivery! It was pretty cool too - around 8 - 10 Celcius.

By lunchtime the main weather system had passed through and the April showers started. How beautiful it is when the sky is full of billowing white clouds against a bright blue background - and then these clouds darken and deliver heavy showers of rain and hail. We saw several rainbows during the afternoon arcing across Hambledon Hill, while the village at the foot of the hill was bathed in sunshine. And a sunlight tree in its first flush of bright green, highlighted against and almost black sky. How lucky we are in England to have the seasons!

The greenhouse was the only place to be today so I planted out one cucumber, one tomato Costoluto Fiorentino and one tomato Caspian pink in the small greenhouse border. Thats all there is room for - the rest will go in the top greenhouse when the family have been eaten the salads growing there. All three plants looked miserable after transplanting - they just hate disturbance, don't they!  Perhaps the cool draft from the door contributed? Laura took the celeriac seedlings left over from yesterdays potting-on, so they have a good home and a future!

All the first french beans are up and growing - we like Purple Queen and I have planted dwarf borlotti which were enjoyed last year - we ate the green pods and they were substantial and delicious.

I quickly toured the rest of the garden and can report that the annual weed seedlings have loved the rain and seem to have mutiplied enormously since yesterday - so some work with the hoe as soon as possible.

Good gardening
Susy