Two weeks behind

A visit to a friend who lives in the countryside this week highlighted the differences that abound between where we each live. Blossom on magnolia and cherry is only just beginning in her garden whereas magnolias around Hythe are already in full bloom. In addition, I have tulips that have flowered and are at the point of going over already whereas hers are just in bud. Well, I hear you say, that could just be the variety, and I agree, but there was a definite feel that being here by the sea and having luxuriated in glorious sunshine for most of last week, we are about two weeks in advance of those country dwellers.

There's also a huge difference in our garden styles, hers is vast and requires a tractor mower and a digger to make holes (or is that just because she likes to drive one?), whereas our garden is more traditional and relies on lots of colour to give emphasis. We both, however, love trees and the picture above is of our rather ancient Cedar of Lebanon, or Monteray Pine (we still haven't worked out which!) and at this time of year there's such anticipation as the deciduous ones start greening up - nothing compares to the colour of new leaves. Obviously, our ancient tree, doesn't green up and to others it's looking a bit worse for wear, but it has withstood the storms and winds of many a year and we love its shaggy state.

I've spent my garden time this week setting out wigwams (the expanding willow sort) ready for the sweet peas of summer which. are growing nicely in their toilet roll middle individual pots. There has also been more weeding and more digging up of ground elder - what is the point of that plant? Or wasps for that matter? Two of the unanswerable questions of gardening I suspect. With the elder, you just know that each time you dig you're potentially making much

more work for yourself, but I keep trying.

My potatoes are well chitted now and I plan to plant them out this weekend and to perhaps pick more rhubarb for muffins or crumble, both of which we've already enjoyed in the past couple of weeks. I think it was Robert Browning who wrote 'Oh, to be in England, now that April's here' and he is right, I just hope that the spring sunsine returns soon so we can all enjoy it even more.