Spring is sprung - the grass is riz.

[jacey]

It's mild and sunny up here. BB and I spent a couple of hours in the garden today (sans coats) with dadgaderie  waging war on a dreadful ivy-like creeper that's been threatening to choke the big ash tree at the top corner of the garden. BB's pet robin has come back again this year and he came to join us as we exposed potential bug-hideouts under the mass of old growth.

My tomato (2 varieties), lettuce and broccoli seeds are sprouting beautifully on the bedroom windowsill, the first early potatoes are almost well enough sprouted to commit to the growing-bags (bastardised Tesco shopping bags at 39p each rather than garden centre ones for six quid!) and the four plug-plant strawberries are healthy and growing nicely in their new pots. My fuschia cuttings have all potted on well and there's another set rooting in water. At the beginning of the winter I brought in the huge triple-plant fuschia basket that hung by the front door door last year and it has already flowered once and is getting its second wind for another burst of bloom. Sadly the second hanging fuschia got left outside and I think that may be done for, but time will tell.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

We're not lucky with fuchsias and are running a little slowly with planting. But my much loved magnolia is budding happily despite all the frosts and the marquis is jubilating that he still has mint. (Yes, I know. We are the people who have trouble with mint. While everyone else is drowning in it.)

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Did I spell fuchsia wrong? Oh bugger. I can never remmeber which way riund it is. Fyooshers, ok?

Re the mint - can't stand the stuff, though BB likes mint sauce and minted new potatoes. I've never been able to get the hang of it, personally.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

The point of mint rather escapes me, too, but the marquis likes to grow it.

[del-c.livejournal.com]

It's all because people were too embarrassed to pronounce it properly, as FOOKS-ya. Named after a fellow named Fuchs.

The tropical flower Rafflesia is another one I always find difficult: my internal grammar wiring insists it must be pronounced ra-FLEES-ya. But that makes no sense of either the original English name Raffles, or any Latin translation of it.

And of course Monsieur Magnol never gets his name pronounced properly by English speakers :-)

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

I rather like fooks-ya.

Magnol... er... let's see... pronounced man-yo maybe?

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

Our garden helpers have been chitting spuds. I want to get around to planting some seeds this week. Good luck with yours!

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Thanks.
:-)
We're hoping to do a few raised beds for veggies this year.