My gardening DIARY

MONDAY

Our cercis tree has had more blossom than ever. My mum grew this from a pod she picked up on the pavement in Portugal. I’m hoping many of this year’s flowers will turn into pods so we can grow a few more cercis trees.

TUESDAY

All our tulips have now been lifted from their pots, the compost shaken from them and gathered together in big empty pots, carefully labelled. The goodness from their leaves will be reabsorbed by the bulbs and, when leaves are shrivelled, tops will be removed.

WEDNESDAY

Most of our spuds this year are growing in pots; we left about six inches clear between the top of the compost and the top of the pots so earthing up couldn’t be easier.

THURSDAY

Many new plants have been added to beds and borders during the past few months. We must water them regularly, especially in dry spells, to ensure they get established. Some of them are big plants, Anchusa azurea ‘Loddon Royalist’ for one, and should flower splendidly.

FRIDAY

Runner beans have been planted all along a row of tall hazel stakes. Eventually they’ll wrap themselves round the supports. They always climb anti-clockwise, but initially they need to be pointed in the right direction.

SATURDAY

We have a huge trachelospermum in a pot, which has been looking unhappy. It’s been watered and fed and I’ve extracted the holly that had seeded itself in the pot, but I think it’s yearning to escape. I may build it a mini raised bed against the front of the cottage.

SUNDAY

I’ve only ever been successful with Florence fennel on a couple of occasions, but we love eating it so much, I’m determined to give it a try. You’re advised not to sow it too early to prevent it running to seed. We’re sowing into modules so that they can be planted out without root disturbance.