It's the first of April. For many the Easter holidays have begun but our kids have another 3 weeks before their Spring holiday begins. Though they might as well be on holiday as they only seem to be at school 3 days a week at the moment thanks to ongoing strikes. People aren't happy with the proposed raising of retirement age and so every other week there are mass strikes held across the country. The kids don't mind, they're happy enough pottering about at home. This afternoon one is off to a birthday party and the other two will venture into town with me, we have to replace some particular soft toys that littlest seems to be completely incapable of holding onto.
Spring has well and truly sprung. The wildlife has come alive and the air is warming up. It's made me want to venture outside once more (I'm so bad at going outside in the depths of winter.) I'm forcing myself out for regular walks and the land is calling me to tidy up and prepare for planting. After the super dry summer last year it's sad to see so much was lost, my bumper strawberry patch and raspberry canes didn't make it. But there are some surprises, the rhubarb survived and is coming back to life, and there's one lonesome blueberry branch that is trying it's hardest so I'll see if I can rescue that.
The greenhouse is starting to fill up with all kinds of seeds. In years gone past we've used our dining room as a greenhouse due to cheeky mice eating whatever seeds I plant, so this year we've sealed it around the bottom in an attempt to keep them out. So far it seems to be working and my courgette, beetroot and pumpkin seeds are already starting to rear their heads. I love it. It's so magical! And I'm so determined for us to do better in our veg patch this year. I'm expecting it to be hot like last year so we need to se what natural water sources we can tap into to keep it going throughout the summer.
I'd love to know if you're growing anything this year. Are you sowing seeds? Are you going for veg or flowers? Do you have a garden to grow in, an allotment, or pots? Do let me know and share your growing tips!