Garden Clearing

March has only one week left.  Despite the cold air, the spring has been marching all over around here.  The spring equinox was on the 20th March; the day is longer than the night.  The dynamism of plants are rapidly activated in the last couple of days, which means our garden need to be cleared for the coming seasons.  I'm not a very keen gardener, I'm afraid.  During the last autumn and the winter the garden had been just abandoned as usual.  Every weekend now I have to get rid of dead plants and weed so that I can sow seeds and replant seedlings.

Some weeds have survived over the winter and some have overgrown so quickly.  Grass invaded onto the flowerbed and vegetable patch....  My youngest son helped me to extend the flowerbed to plant my lavender seedlings I planted in planters last year.  A patch of the grass was removed and the mixed soil with sand and compost was put in the extended area.  My son transferred my lavender into the patch.  We'll see how they grow.

The hazel bushes have a lot of female flowers this year.  Hopefully we have a good crop of nuts.  But there are not only us who are waiting for the nuts.  Squirrels, magpies, black birds etc.

The green leaves of rhubarb have been growing and the stems are becoming vibrant red.  Though we have to wait for picking them for baking until they grow enough.

Early dog violet and green alkanet are normally considered as weed.  Early dog violet wasn't in our front garden when we moved into the house.  They spread every year and now occupy and cover the flowerbed in the front garden.  It's very hard to get rid of them.  The roots are very hardy and the seeds spread everywhere, even at the tiny gaps between stones.  I gave up to get rid of them.  Looking at the small pretty flower, you can't just weed out them.  Besides, the petal of violet is edible and a kind of herb.  I can use them for petal jelly, tea , garnish for salad and cake etc.  The green alkanet is our new comer; this plant is sturdy as well.  Though, it is a borage family and I like borage.  (I have borage in our back garden every year to enjoy the beautiful blue flower for eyes and mouths.)  Which is why our garden keeps a lot of weeds all round the year???

 early dog-violet

green alkanet