Monday 29 March 2010

Spring cabbage..................


Well, March is almost over and Spring is sort of here - at least the Daffodils are out. Still no reliable sunshine and snow forecast for this week! No wonder my broad beans still haven't germinated. Spring is definitely here in all those newspaper and magazine columns, where the Editor's journal has sent out the reminder that it's time to run a gardening article. They're still all on the Grow Your Own bandwagon, with mindblowing words of wisdom such as the earth shattering news that vegetable seeds are out selling flower seeds by 3 to 1, or was it 4 to 1? Anyway, it justified a run of paper article in the Daily T which included quotations from well-known gardening authorities like a spokesman from B&Q.

As always there has to be a down side in the Great British tradition - There is concern apparently that we are ignoring flowers and only growing veg. and the Sunday lunch table will be decorated with a bunch of onions instead of a fragrant posy.Get real - who has time for lunch let alone time to worry about flowers on the table!
As you can tell I'm getting into my cynical pre-Chelsea mood - ready for an onslaught of journalists demanding to know what's new in the way of plants and showing little interest in the other 3,498 others on the exhibit. we do have a couple of new ones: Digitalis 'Serendipity' and the really wonderful Philadelphus maculatus 'Sweet Clare'. The latter is a real winner but will be a bit of a challenge to get in flower for the show. Ricky has just dropped into the office and reports that the roses look good - best ever! As always they will need some light to get them at their best but at least they respond quickly!
Have just ordered tickets for the show - last orders were called to all concerned a week or so ago. From now on all sorts of characters appear from the woodwork requesting passes, imagining that they can be conjured up on a whim - it just does not work like that!
Gill and I have chosen the uniform - safari shirts this year - very Adventures in Gardening!- Sort of Indiana Jones meets the Happy Wanderer - Get the picture.
Think all of the design details bar one are now in place - Just the Venetian Palace to sort. Mehrdad at Quist has come up with a fab. glass and copper sculpture for my Ventian Adventure - gorgeous glass globes that resemble exotic fruits. I see it rising out of the dark feather like foliage of Sambucus 'Black Lace' and the rich orange blooms of Rosa 'Pat Austin'perhaps with a puff of sapphire Ceanothus 'Concha'. - Nice to dream about that one - all my ceanothus are black as your hat after last winter - Oh for some sunshine!

No comments:

Post a Comment