Enjoying the garden

Last month on the 20th March we had our first BBQ of the year. We invited our friends and enjoyed the spring sunshine with a well earned "day off" and soaked up a few rays!

This time of the year I think the flowers are at their best. Mostly in other people's gardens though as ours isn't established yet. There are many fields displaying splendid shows of cherry and other fruit blossoms. Also lots of colourful shrubs, and garden flowers which are unknown to me. I am still learning which plants do well here as I have had to learn the hard way by finding out that some flowers I used to grow back in the UK just get burnt to death in the heat of the summer! Keeping them well watered is a major task in the summer and a lot of flowers just cannot tolerate the heat.

On the more productive side we are harvesting onions planted last October with another batch to harvest later which were planted in January, and very soon the next lot will be planted. We use lots onions either fresh or for cooking so I am trying to keep a succession of plants always in the garden, as thankfully this is one plant which will grow all year round here. Last month we planted a full bed of seed potatoes and this last week they are sprutting like mad! It is our first attempt at potatoes so fingers crossed we are successful. Garden peas are now planted, they don't seem to be growing as quickly as last year but they are up and on their way. Last week-end (5th April) we planted tomatoes and sweet peppers and in the small greenhouse we have courgettes and french beans waiting to be planted out. I know I am doing well with my onions as I can proudly say that when our locals pass by they always comment on my "grande cebolas" - big onions !!! Drying this batch out to use soon:-