What happened to February?

Greenhouse 2: seedlings and sad looking geraniums

There has been no chance to update recently, it always seems to be manically busy at work, and then by the time I get home the last thing I want to do is look at another “device” whether it’s a mobile phone, computer… or even the TV!!  Then to complicate issues I left my phone at a friend’s house in Germany and – four weeks later – it still hasn’t arrived in the post! However, I do have a new phone and have retained the same number.
 
The other things that seem to be taking over my life in recent months are my ‘volunteer’ roles in Winchcombe.  The thing is, you get involved in one thing and then seem to be absorbed into more and more.  For example, over the past two weeks I have attended a FOSPA (Friends of St Peter’s Association) committee meeting as a representative of the Winchcombe Open Gardens event, as well as the Winchcombe Together Association AGM – that’s the one that runs this Christmas Festival.  I've also met up with some people who are willing to open their gardens in June - including one 92 year-old lady - and have recruited two volunteers to help with on-the-ground organisation and administration Phew - I was beginning to panic!  I have also designed a new Open Gardens website but it's not yet 'out there' until I feel that some of those associated are comfortable with it all.  Soft;y, softly and all that jazz.

By the way, more to come on the various committee meetings - just hold 'Vicar of Dibley' in mind and you get the picture!

It’s all good stuff but working full-time and all of the above as well as 'real life' takes a bit of juggling.
 
Still, I have spent some time in the garden, and even more time in the greenhouse to avoid all the horrible wet weather and various storms that have been battering the UK lately.  A lot of my seedlings are coming along and some are even being ‘hardened off’.  This is a new direction for me as usually I just plonk the plants in the ground and hope for the best!  However, checking out both Geoff and Monty’s advice, this does seem to be sensible.  I have also started sowing more seeds – runners, peas, tomatoes, feverfew, hyssop, chilli-peppers, asters, nasturtium and calendula. 

’m also working on my 2020 ‘veg patch design’ and trying to accommodate all the various rotation and companion planting rules… it’s all a bit complicated sometimes!!
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Greenhouse 1: sowing more seeds. 
​Just a few more thousand in stock!

Bed no.4:  three additional evergreen shrubs added.