Keeping the Faith

This continuing spell of very cold, wet weather is holding back the garden.   There is no sign of germination from the parsnip, carrot and beetroot seed I sowed more than three weeks ago and I have re-sowed the raised beds again today.  But given the weather forecast for next week I can’t say I am filled with confidence.  They need warmth and I am doubtful their fleecy topcoat is enough to keep them happy.  As a backstop I have sowed some beetroot seed in modules but parsnips and carrots prefer to be sown directly into soil.  

I sowed assorted courgettes, butternut squash and beans in pots about ten days ago and even in the greenhouse they are only just up and about.  The cucumber plants are barely growing and I have covered them and the tomato plants with fleece because there could be another hard frost  tonight.  Neither am I taking any chances with two Dollar Princess Fuchsias which are in pots by the front door.  They are swaddled in fleece too and the lettuces are tucked up under their cloches.

But it is not all gloom.  My love-hate relationship with the rhododendrons is currently more love than hate because they are adding a real splash of colour to an otherwise grey outlook.  We have several varieties, planted probably a hundred years ago and each one flowers in sequence in different colours.  They are are quite boring the rest of the year but they are important to the character of the garden and act as a backdrop, giving structure and height. 

There is plenty of time for sunshine and with all this water about, when the warmth finally arrives, there will be an explosion of growth. We just have to be patient.