58 - Well, hello Belgium! Welcome to my gardens!

As an avid watcher of Jardins et loisirs, it is such a pleasure to greet more and more of our Southern neighbours, and I know you are just as keen gardeners as I am.

I was always very British garden orientated (helped by my misplaced Celt inclination), but last year I stumbled on the above mentioned TV programme and realised (sorry, a bit late, sorry!) that other Europeans make damn pretty gardens as well! Not only in Belgium and France, but also in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Italy and Finland.

Thus my internationally orientated blog this week

Gardens I love to watch 

Take Instagram@katrins_garten . She tends to go for the close-up, which I adore, as she has a very good eye. Only the names, mind, not the sort of  ramblings I write. 

Also from Germany comes Instagram@basilikum_und_kaktus again great photos, with loooong stories; an interesting garden though.

From France I follow Instagram@small_parisian_balcony because it is exactly what it says, and I have a balcony garden too and like to see what other gardeners do with theirs. This is elegant, just what you expect from Parisians. (I do follow a Delhi balcony garden too, but more about the Asian ones later)

England, obviously! I watch closely what Instagram@nigel.dunnett does. He's a landscaper, very trendy designs, often on a large scale, and I can learn from his use of grasses and earthworks.

More about my international must-follows another time.

What else is happening in Hunky Dory?

There.be.slugs.

Yeah, yeah, what else is new, I hear you think. The thing is, they are in the greenhouse, oh horror! And nibbled on my cup-and-saucer-vines, the little shits. My precious expensive vines! And it is still too cold to plant outside, so what can I do? I patroll, I turn over every pot, I grumbily remove them and throw them over the ditch. I need chickens!! Chickens are not allowed though. (Like sleeping on the plot, not allowed...imagine if I would try to sleep with chickens, I would probably be tarred and covered with nettles before rolled across the allotments' bridge on a wheelbarrow).

But the potted up potatoes are looking wonderful and the cheerful spring flowers warm my heart every time I gaze at them.

Update about the FREE Pollinator seeds

Remember I will be happily handing out seeds on April 9th from 10.00 - 12.00 at my allotment, plot 54a. Drop me a line for the address, either here or DM me at my Instagram, see below.

Read more about my garden on Instagram @songsmith2962 and have a lovely week pricking out your seedlings or whatever it is you do.

56 - Of bark and bees.

Instagram@the_pollinators 

Days, I spent dithering about grass vs French chipped bark. I like grass, especially to walk on barefooted, and the sweet smell when it's freshly cut. But to lay an esthetically pleasing grass path is quite involved. And I'm afraid that on my plot it will soon morph into grass with huge puddles on for 9 months of the year.

Early morning

Thus I decided on chipped bark. It means expense, and digging out a layer of that cement-like soil, but it will look like a path instantly as soon as I've put it down. And no weekly mow. An occasional weeding, yes. But also quite nice to walk on, and creepy crawlies love it. (Oh, to have a clutch of chickens! But no)

So, I ordered 5 humongous 70 liter bags of French bark, which were unceremoniously dropped at the bridge to the allotments, and gave myself a nasty backache as a 'bonus' when I had to get them into my wheelbarrow. Not cheap, pine bark, so if you garden on a tight budget (like me, ha!) I would really think about it. But apart from easy to use, it is great to look at, and smells really good.

The French bark

What else has been happening on my plot? The Verbena bonariensis I foolishly planted outside look okay, despite a week of ground frost. And seen from the road those two obelisks really make a difference to my flat patch. Oh, I could watch that climbing rose out of the ground! But will have to be patient, so far it has just 5 clusters of tiny leaves.

Still, my weekly round of garden centres will continue, searching for bargains. This year, due to the metamorphosis of vegpatch to flower garden, I will use lots of annuals, but the plan is to gradually turn to mostly perennials, interspersed with some veg.

I adore bees

By the way: just like last year I will be a food bank for bees for The Pollinators,Instagram@the_pollinators their address link is also right on top of this blog. I will be distributing FREE seeds from my allotment on April 9th between 10 and noon. You can find my address through their website, or drop me a line in the comments or at my Instagram page.

I will sow my own pollinators mix under the apple trees,  to prolongue the pollen gift after the apple blossom has vanished.

A sea of bark

Back to the bark...

Oh dear, it seems a vast expanse of bark, and it isn't, honestly! It is just the one path circling the lavender circle. It is the angle of the photo, honestly!

 The rest of the front half of my garden will be a mass of flowers, promise. Well, at least that's the plan. I've been sowing yet more seeds today, there is hardly any space left in the greenhouse now. Time for that night frost to leave us!

Oh, and I had my last greenhouse broccoli for dinner last night, it was lovely.

Read more on Instagram@songsmith2962