Blasted blight

So, here they are, the tomatoes Luke has raised from seed, grown in the conservatory and planted out in rich, dark compost. The tomatoes he has fed with tomato feed, watered to stop their skins cracking and checked over nightly. The tomatoes that have succumbed to blight! The pulled up plants can't even be used as compost in case the blight spores infect the compost so have had to be thrown out in the green bin.
There's now room for salad leaves and cress but will the hens eat those?

Luke has saved a few tomatoes and is keeping a close eye on them. We are hoping that by sitting in the sun   and warmth of the greenhouse they will ripen up and be salvaged for a few glorious Greek salads of mozzarella, basil and tomatoes.

A big raspberry

 I have been laughing today at the chickens, leaping up to secure a fat red berry from the raspberry canes. I thought it would be good for them to get a bit of exercise. As long as they don't land on anything to cut or bruise their feet and cause bumble foot they will be fine and of course around the raspberries we have the old bark chippings that the hens had in their run before I cleared it out for fresh chippings. This habit of recycling is paramount to gardeners (although I can hardly call myself a gardener, just a  plant lover) and with the addition of well rotted chicken manure is perfect for the raspberries.
The chickens had made quick meals of the lower raspberries but now some of those ruby jewels are as high as my waist which means they are all for us! But you know me and those darn chickens. I just can't say no to them. Here Buckster gets one of her Five a Day!

A ready made Spring garden, just add water and wait!

This is how the border had looked before I decided to divide it up and space it out. I did it so early purely because I didn't want to get cold outside in a month's time but of course if means I miss out on enjoying the border as it was. Me and my impatience. I'll probably find my giant (and expensive) allium  bulbs will either shoot too early and get frost damage or else be eaten by slugs in the damp ground. And it will all be my fault!

I do love these funny pineapple lilies. I have four but only two have come to anything much this year, standing like bookends either side of the conservatory windows. With the heuchera infront of it, picking up the purple on those tiny flowers in the main body of the plant it really does sing for it's supper.

 On the other side of the garden, in the seriously in need to attention monochrome border, my Japanese anemond lights up the patch. It's so utterly white and almost glows in the dark.

 I love this hollyhock. It is such a lovely lemon colour and such a fat pom pom of a flower, there really is a plant for everyone out there, Luke's is Salvia Patens Blue which I have managed to buy two of at 75% of it's usual price but that's because there are only three gentian flower buds on each large plant. But, God-willing, there is always next year.