‘April is the cruellest month...’

This is the poignant first line of The Waste Land, a poem written by T S Eliott in 1922.  The last line isn’t so cheerful either:  ‘.....I will show you fear in a handful of dust.’ 

Still, I must try to be positive amidst the apparent devastation in the garden.  It might not be as bad as it looks.  Doc’s mum says she can remember when, many moons ago, it snowed on May 1st.

I have to say though that I am stunned by the meteoric change in the weather.  Despite being British and supposedly used to changeable weather, my brain is experiencing great difficulty in registering that a week ago we were testing out our new parasol on the terrace in warm sunshine and today, there is a blizzard which is causing havoc.  It clearly is the reason why we never stop talking about the weather; we will be dining out on this for months.

A tree has blown over further up the street which has made the road very quiet, almost eerily quiet.  I expect it won’t be long though before it is chopped up and taken away.  With some patient seasoning, there is enough fuel to keep a log burner going for months - maybe it will be useful during next summer’s arctic conditions.  Well, you never know, do you?

The daffs have all been knocked over by the wind and the blooms have been crushed by the weight of the snow.  The damson blossom is no more.  Yesterday, I popped to a nursery to buy a tray of alpines and forgot to take them to the cold frame last night.  There was a couple of inches of snow on them this morning but being tough little plants, I think they will survive, though I have taken them to the greenhouse for a while.

The tomatoes and cucumber plantlets in the greenhouse are cosy in their propagators – not heated ones - but nestled together  these little pots of potential are fine.  On one of the raised beds, the sides of a cloche collapsed under the snow which has given the endive underneath a jolt but since these plants were overwintered, they should recover.

It’s a good job that I did not sow any early carrots, they will have to wait and be late carrots.  Actually, quite a lot will now be on hold but that is the weather for you.  Gardeners live by the weather and must be flexible.  The diary had been cleared to allow for a packed gardening Easter Weekend - hence the visit to the nursery to beat the rush - but I guess we will have to do other things and catch up later.  I am disappointed though because Easter is one of my favourite times for gardening. 

The chickens are not too happy and have stayed in the coop, all huddled together in one corner.  I don’t think it’s worth opening the run to let them out into the corral.  But you never know, the sun might come out this afternoon, melt the snow and then they can get some fresh air.  And maybe I could enjoy a cup of tea on the terrace, under the new parasol.