and suddenly it feels like the race is on and I’m still behind the bike shed having a smoke.   Must get on.  Or as Bernard Cribbens in ‘The Railway Children’ would have it, “Perks must be about it.”  Seeds to sow, young oak trees still to transplant and a couple of trees to fell, a little more pruning to complete, a bit of herbaceous digging up and re-siting, an ancient dogwood to tame and loads more scratching my chin whilst doing hard thinking.  The latter is especially difficult.  Not panicking though.  “Eeek!”  Well, a little bit.

I’ve already sown some seeds.  Four plug trays of a wildflower mix.  I won’t bother potting these on; just plant straight out into in the meadow when they’re big enough.

I’ve also sown white foxgloves into a seed tray.  These will be pricked out and potted on in time.  Tomatoes and aubergines are done and in the next few days, I will sow chilli and sweet peppers too.  The latter, which I’d never grown before, were a great success last year as were the aubergines, again a first for me.  The chilli’s however were a great disappointment.  They were a variety called Hot Portugal but weren’t.  No heat at all.  (Though they possibly did come from Portugal).  Rubbish.  So I shall try another variety this year called Fiesta.  (Needless to say that the greenhouse is heated).

I’ve also sown all the remaining seeds I had of Echinacea paradoxa.  I grew perhaps a dozen of these last year having been smitten by the photo in the seed catalogue.  They didn’t flower but (after a stern talking to), I’m sure they’re going to put on a good show this year.

The Priory is going a little tropical this year (hoorah), hence the cannas and ginger lily in the photo.  I shall use my own (personal) collection of dahlias and bananas too.  The only problem is I haven’t yet decided where this pocket of lush, Amazonia is going to be ……. Exciting though, huh?