I think I should be building boats not growing plants!

Little blue gems in the nursery gardens last week. Our second week of the season and we had plenty potting, propagating alongside helping our customers, and carrying on spring cleaning the stock beds, there's always plenty to do.

We have exciting expansion plans in the pipeline which we can't wait to share soon. Meanwhile we look forward to welcoming you to the nursery and gardens when you visit. Remember to pick a monthly information sheet when you visit, they are available under our nursery map when you come in or up at our counter. There's lots to look for, even so early in the year.

Chionodoxa lucilliae

Pulmonaria 'Beth Chatto'

Synthyris missurica subsp. Stellata

Another woodland scene - working on fading subjects into the background to give a sense of depth. Not getting much time to paint at the moment, so usually a rush to get something on paper on the odd evening after work.

Into the woods

Some days 5pm seems a long way from 3.30 on a cold, wet and windy day. A coffee and cake pick me up is what's needed.

What a weather day! From blue skies and sunshine to snow, rain, sleet, hail and wind every 2 seconds! We really need some warm spring sunshine, I am officially done with this weather.

A surprising find in the railway garden this morning a wee leveret hiding and waiting on its Mum coming back.

Some days have to be cake days. Having a cafe on site can be tooooo tempting, I try to resist but then there are creme egg brownies........

Behind the scenes - today we finally started the new path in the scented garden. The first step is to level the ground and lay the grids, then fill them with soil. Once we have completed the path I will sow grass seed. This means the path will be closed for a few months yet but I am sure you will agree a wider more accessible, safer path to the middle terrace will make such a difference. We acknowledge our site is not the most accessible, being on a slope and terraced. But we are doing what we can to improve access as much as possible as time and costs allow

On Sunday I got the cornus cut back, this will encourage new colourful growth which will look fab next winter. I always feel guilty about cutting them back, so I went for a compromise. I cut out all the old growth and left some of the nice new stems I also took 50 odd cuttings of each variety from the material I cut off, nothing is wasted here

Pollinating my lemon tree flowers has become part of my breakfast routine. Coffee in hand and one of my water colour brushes it's quite a relaxing start to the day and there are wee lemons begining to form.

The first of my Amarylis to flower in the house

We had a fabulous breakfast at the cosy cafe this morning. Lovely to see everyone again. If you are in Peebles pop in for great coffee, cake and food, fab service and the lovely lively people running it. The French toast, bacon and maple syrup was fabulous

After our lovely breakfast at the cosy cafe, it was back home to feed and repot all my house plants, all 27 of them. Here they are queuing to go out to the potting shed and back in again :) I then sorted through, fed and top dressed all my cacti and succulents which have been hiding in the potting shed since the greenhouse was blown apart in the storm last month. I picked out lots of little shards of glass from amongst them.

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