Yesterday I was racing around dividing clumps of Primulas that seem to have done the best that I have seen in years, they have been self-seeding everywhere, today I am hurriedly trying to pot-on the Pelargonium plugs that I received from Ball Colegrave a fortnight ago. The Sweet Peas sown last month are growing well in the greenhouse, it should be time to pinch out their tops next week to help them branch out a little.

It all seems to be such a rush; the mostly dry sunny change in our weather means that spring has suddenly sprung and that everyone expects their gardens to be maintained way in advance as all of the plants are storming ahead of schedule. It has been a fast-paced challenge to get all bare-rooted plants in the ground and hedges trimmed this year due to not being able to get onto to the wet ground until recently.

Somethings we are a little behind on as we still have some ‘bulbs in the green’ to plant out and a lot of office paperwork still has not been done due to the turn in weather, this work normally would be caught up with when it snows in late winter.

Mowing has started early, which is slightly awkward as one mower is out of action waiting for it’s winter service locally and the regular watering of new outdoor plantings and containers seems to have begun earlier  too.

Vinca major “Greater Periwinkle” is flowering beautifully sprawling among plantings in the shade of trees. Myosotis sylvatica “Common Forget Me Nots'” are all bulking up nicely getting ready to turn the small espalier orchard into a mass of blue under white, pink and red Tulips.

Daphne odora aureomarginata has been flowering for a while now filling the Rhododendron Dell with a delicious scent and so is the Clematis armandii, (above picture), over the archway of the Kitchen Garden with a fabulous side display of white and pink Hyacinths and a background of Osmanthus x burkwoodii, (below picture).

I am doing design sketches for a triangular-shaped low maintenance garden with a change of level and the requirement of a fish pond. There are some interesting shapes that can be created on the plot and they can be softened nicely by lots of greenery as luckily the clients love plants.