You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch.
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
and your two months back in the middle of March
- Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926
and so the amazing weather has continued, as has lock down, extended by another 3 weeks..........
The days have been filled with blue sky, some warmth, some days warmer than others, but a couple of frosty mornings too, to catch us gardeners out and keep us on our toes. I don't know if its the current situation and I'm trying to look for the positives and trying not to think of the worries and sadness around, but the daffodils seem more plentiful this year, there are fields and fields of lambs, the weather, the sloe blossom in the hedgerows. it all seems ironic and somewhat sad that very few of us can appreciate them. I do think this has been a lot ore bearable because of the amazing weather, I know it has helped my mental well being, and i would be in a worse place if we had our usual miserable wet dull weather!
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| Flowering current against the wall of the cottage |
Despite the lack of rain for several weeks, plants are growing and the weeds are not, yay! The stream in the nursery is very low, and I could walk right down without getting wet feet today! We really could do with rain, but at night and lovely weather in the day, if only.
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| The kiwi is taking over the greenhouse! |
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| The double daisies are putting on a great show in the nursery |
We've had great success selling our cowslip seeds online and have almost sold the 70 odd packets we had. The seeds were harvested from our plants on the wildflower banks in the nursery in the autumn and just the week the cowslips have started to come in to flower.
Nearly two weeks ago we changed our way of getting our plants and customers together until we can re-open. Our click and collect service has gone really well since then and I've been kept very busy and it's much appreciated. I've also been doing deliveries on my way home in the evening. You can look at our plant lists on our website and email me with your shopping lists if you are interested in our click and collect service or live in the Peebles / Tweed valley area where I can deliver on my way home.
I do miss chatting to my customers though, I'm ok with my own company, means I win all the arguments but it is strange to have an empty nursery and no plant or garden chat especially at what should be our busiest time in the nursery
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| Click and collect orders waiting to be collected |
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| Deliveries on the way home |
My commute to the nursery might be twice as long but the views and scenery more than make up for it, especially with skies like this, the wee lambs in the field and swathes of daffodils along the road verges. We had a walk along the Tweed on our way home while waiting on our takeaway to be ready. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place
The nursery continues to colour up and despite the dry weather for so long plants are growing well. I am kept busy working through the stock beds, tidying, cutting back, weeding and repotting anything needing a larger pot or some TLC. Propagation continues at great pace in the poly tunnel. As quickly as I take trays of last years propagated plants out i am filling it with potted cuttings and seedings. Its so exciting to see new plants coming to life, growing and then going out into the nursery to sell or into the gardens to be planted and grow on as stock plants. We have been busy creating new gardens too, with several projects on the go this year to enhance the garden offering to our customers, allow me to create new ideas and provide lots of healthy plants to propagate from.
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| Clivia |
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| Anemone x lipsensis and Hellebores |
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| Hellebores and Pulmonaria |
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| New growth on astilbes |
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| Eye watering yellow of Valerian phu aurea |
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| Deliveries to Broughton on the way home |
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| We're not out of frost danger yet, those lovely clear skies often lead to early morning frosts here right into May! |
This Week's useful plant recipe using Applemint
Applemint tea
Perfect for sunny days, sitting
out in the garden under a brilliant blue sky.
Make up a litre of tea using your
favourite tea bags and boiling water, add 4 sprigs of apple mint, with the
leaves ripped to release the flavour. Leave to stan until cold. Once ready to
drink, strain and add ice cubes, a slice of lemon, half a tsp of honey and a
spring of apple mint. Cheers!
My day off and the weather was still amazing! For our day off walk we walked along to Kirkhouse and then joined the SUW, up the hill, sitting at the top of the hill, against a drystone dyke in the sun, listening to the stunning and calming sound of nothing and back down the track at the side of the cottage. The weather and scenery is stunning. Thelwell ponies do exist! I feel so lucky to have this literally on my doorstep, now more than ever and that all my loved ones so far are well. I make NO apologies for the lamb spam :D they are so cute.
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| Applemint |
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| Fresh applemint |
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| Thelwell ponies do exist! |
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| Enjoying the sun and the views |
Another week done, I hope you are all safe, well and coping ok, take care and hope we will see you soon.
#rural #countrylife #countryliving #cottagelife #antiquecottagescenes #interiors #scottishborders #independantretailer #smallbusiness #localbusiness #independantplantnursery #uniqueplantnursery #hardyscottishplants #scottishgarden #gardeningontheedge #scottishborders
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Find out more about the nursery here - our web site: www.quercusgardenplants.co.uk
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