Sunday in the garden in Middle England......

Hello there. 

I was up at a ridiculous hour this morning, because Mum woke me to tell me that the tomato greenhouse had blown down. So, LONG before I would normally get out of bed on a Sunday morning (church starts at 11am) I was up and out there, trying to work out how to stop its immediate flight to Siberia.

You know, I have had a tomato greenhouse for years. The plastic on the old one was past help, so I bought a new one from the same shop, and before I had even unfolded the cover, it was torn. It is the thickness of a cheap supermarket bag and totally useless. Then trying to get the poles into the plastic slots, I broke 3. So I had to use ones from the old frame. It is such shocking quality. I had a few words with their customer service department when I was last in town, and the man said that he had noticed the shocking quality when he assembled something for their display too. Well, why didn't he do something? And heaven knows where my receipt is, so I can't return it, even if the box is this year's design and it has the store name all over it.

I will not bother with anything else from that previously favourite place to shop. I am less than impressed.

Anyway. When I got back from church it was still in place, but bending badly, so I screwed two cup hooks to the wooden fence behind it, and secured it with fencing wire. So now, if you see a fence panel flying through the skies with a tomato greenhouse underneath it, it will probably be mine.

It would make an interesting UFO.

The wind is wild today and my hair is standing on end. And I have come to the limit of what I can do in the garden right now, because seeds have to grow and it is too early to plant other seeds and I can't pace about all day, now can I? I just love being out there, getting my hands all grubby. The child in me remains, it seems.........

 The music at church was particularly heavy on the bass and drums this morning, so my pain levels shot through the top of the scale and I was a gibbering wreck. My friend tried to help me, but all I could do was say "Don't touch me" through gritted teeth, as the body shook uncontrollably. Both my friends felt the huge vibrations and turned to me immediately, but I was holding on to the stick with a death grip as I stood on the kneeler, trying to breathe.  That was enough to cope with. And the saddest part of all this is that I absolutely LOVE the music. The bass. The drums. The volume. The sound swells over the congregation and is just fabulous. Or it once was. For me.

Ayeyaiyai. Life can be very complicated.

The cakes after the service were made by the cupcake queen in the congregation, and I asked if I could bring a couple home for mum (and me) as there were so many left over, and Jo was delighted I wanted some. Believe me, they are worth a fortune. The carrot cake ones.............. groan. I just ate mine. Divine.

Andrew and his family are on their way home from the Alps right now. Missy has had a wonderful time with her Grauntie and Uncle Peter. The snow is finally vacating the garden, and Marge is itching to get out there and see what is coming up. 

It always amazes me when her garden springs into action as the snow melts. The daffodils, lilies, tulips and other plants start shooting up almost immediately. And even if it snows again, they will keep growing, shake it off and bloom. She has become as enthusiastic a gardener as I have in recent years. Our gardens bring us such joy.

Daffodils are such happy flowers, aren't they? They are finally opening their eyes and turning their faces to the sun, and they are so tall this year! Maybe it is the brightness of the yellow that I love, especially on grey days and right now, the sun has disappeared and the skies are grey again. 

This little garden cloche is the best thing ever. Seedlings do incredibly well inside it. I only have it up for the seedling stage and then I pack it away again. This year, it, and the greenhouse, have new heavy duty covers, and the quality of these is superb. I put one of my growbag wooden frames inside, and then add an unopened growbag too, so it absorbs the heat during the day and keeps the seedlings warm as the nights get cold. And then I balance trays over the wooden frame. Brilliant invention. 

And finally, yesterday marked the emergence of the lilies. They have started appearing, and I could not be more excited. I am out there every day inspecting the spots where I think they will pop up in hope. The hosta is also beginning to appear. So, despite the appalling weather, Spring can't be that far off. 

I need a nap now, my friends. I don't have to tell you how exhausting pain is, and ignoring it is not an option any more. But I will be back tomorrow.