Garden catch up

Interesting to see the update, Peter..
I can send you some creepy crawlies ;o)
Nice watering can pic :o)

You can have all my creepy crawlies too! The frozen Acer pic is amazing and even more so that it survived :-)))

You look as if you have been (bean!!) busy - loved the pics of the ice

Thanks for all the offers. I'm sure the postman would appreciate packages of bugs :o)

At primary school we used to get boxes of grasshoppers delivered to feed the animals our class kept. Could have been for the toads or slow worms, I can't remember now.

Everything's looking great, after that very cold start. Hostas and ferns are 2 of my faves. Am also growing red/ purple basil for the first time this year. That Acer is tougher than it looks, too. Looking forward to seeing the beans, peas and toms. :-)

You were very lucky with your Acer, Peter! Both it being encased in ice & making an unusual photo opportunity & now that it has leaved out! It looks a lovely tree!

You have lots on the go there Peter. Your hostas look very healthy. Good luck with your seeds.

Your icy acer is quite a sculpture Peter ... lovely.
I do a night-time slug patrol too ... it's worth it to save the hostas.

Enjoyed catching up with your garden

thanks for sharing. you can eat sage flowers too by the way:o)

Thanks folks :o)

I think hostas & ferns suit my garden, the bits without veg are very shady and quite damp. I hadn't thought about watering cans being posh :o) It was a gift a few years ago but I do like it. At least my suffering plants know that I'm forgetting to water them with a fancy watering can :o)

I love your acer plus I'm a little bit obsessed with herbs. let me give you this recipe. I made it last year, It's for green herb pesto and its really ad hoc. Basicly you can adapt it to what you have. I added lots of sage, which was nice.

50g nasturtium leaves
a few mint leaves
75g parmesan (or hard goats cheese)
2-3 cloves of garlic
juice of half a lemon
150ml olive oil (or other)
50g pine nuts (optional)
salt to tast

pound until well blended

I omitted the pine nuts and just tossed it through some warm pasta. Delicious!

geat site by the way!

Just returned home from a week away in the Bournemouth region and found that everything in the garden has grown so much in a week including the weeds. Had a go out there yesterday and it's catch up time today too. We now have baby starlings visiting the garden. Very arguementative lot Starlings!!!! Found snails in pots and under windowsills. They nestle everywhere don't they. Threw them on the drive and the birds had them. Nice photos Peter and the acer is a lovely colour. I love acers and have six different ones in pots and in the small flowerbeds.The hawthorn hedges are abundant with blossom this year. It's catch up time for everything after such a cold and lengthy winter.

I've no nasturtiums this year, Neophyte. Thanks for the recipe though, I will have to try it - looks like it might marinade well, too.

Linda, The last few weeks here have seen a lot of growth and I'm expecting more when the sun returns :o)

DO you think that the small amount of volcanic ash mixed with the rain will have a feed effect on the plants?