Blue

I love the colour blue in the garden and in late spring (LATE spring? It feels like winter!) blue flowers start to appear with all the earlier yellows, to the benefit of both. The forget-me-nots that self-seed each year (and get dug up and repositioned) are in full flower along with the bluebells and camassia.

As the 'St Patrick's Day daffodils fade they become paler and, to my mind, prettier.

But, in spite of sunshine there is a bitterly cold wind which makes planting out too much of a risk. Frosts are forecast for the week ahead. I've never had so much bare soil so late in the season.

I've planted the onions in this patch,

but the beds for greens, roots and brassicas remain empty. Meanwhile the greenhouse is bursting with young plants waiting to be put outside. They come out to harden when it's suitable but most of their time is spent tucked up under cover.

Shape up, weather - I'm champing at the bit!

April skywatch

April showers

and plum blossom

for Skywatch Friday.

Rhubarb, rhubarb

I've posted this recipe before, but Donna didn't know what to do with her rhubarb once she'd grown it and this is my favourite recipe, so here it is again, equally nice eaten hot or cold.

I grate the orange rind directly on to the uncooked rhubarb. Neither do I bother to liquidise the sugar and cornflour mix. The sauce colours when the yolks are added.

Simple to make, colourful  - and tasty.

Sunset

Looking over the garden hedge 

at tonight's sunset

for Skywatch Friday.

And wishing you a good weekend ahead.

Potting

Potting, pootling and being driven potty by the weather. I keep hoping to have a decent day to do some much needed work in the garden but every time I get my boots on the heavens open. Thank goodness for a greenhouse were I can sow a few seeds that won't rot away in the sodden ground. I've usually planted my broad beans and first early peas outside by now but this year I've resorted to sowing them in the greenhouse. Everything is late, the St Patrick's Day daffodils are only now in flower. 

I ordered 100 litres of perlite to keep my potting mixture healthy and realise that it's much better value to buy in bulk like this. (I'm rather late in life to be only just making this discovery!)

Took the lid off the rhubarb forcer 

and discovered enough for a pudding.

Well, that's cheered me up!

Good morning, good morning!

What a promising start to the day

for Skywatch Friday!

This is our second fine day in a row. Yesterday was dry and bright and the electricity supply was turned off for much the day whilst trees were being felled at the edge of the lake.

Himself brought some of the wood home when they had finished work and was busy sawing, splitting and stacking. He was one weary man at the end of the day!

At least he didn't have to be swinging about way up in the air!