Beautiful day

Today has been absolutely beautiful,warm and sunny with very little wind. After seeing to the livestock and doing the usual weekend thorough clean of the houses we spent the day in the garden. It was too wet underfoot to do a great deal but I managed to tidy up the flower border, the bit by the steps and the herb garden and bank along the path. It does look better for it, you can now see the snowdrops and other bulbs poking through as well as new shoots on some of the earlier perennials.

My husband glazed the greenhouse, so I am very near having my first greenhouse!! I know it sounds daft but I love greenhouses. Each one is so personal to whoever owns it.

When I was younger my father used to keep a deckchair in his and very often at a weekend you could find him in there asleep with his newspaper on his lap and a pint of beer on the floor.....his retreat from 4 teenage daughters!!
Now whenever I visit he proudly shows me around, he loves trying new and different varieties of tomatoes, peppers, chillies etc.In fact its become a bit of a family tradition that every father's day I try and buy him a couple of packets of unusual seeds.

I remember, as a child, visiting my uncle's greenhouse, he used to grow cacti and alpines, the flowers were beautiful. My aunt's is always a muddle yet her house is spotless. A friend of mine works as gamekeeper and gardener for the local 'big house', there they have the most wonderful Victorian greenhouses with all the old hot water pipes for heating running through them.

The one I have inherited came from my parents in law. It was used very traditionally, seeds for bedding plants first, then tomatoes and in the winter houseplants...not sure I'll continue with that tradition but will certainly use it for propagating and.. yes tomatoes but hopefully will follow in my father's footsteps and try a variety of plants.

A very good day , I ache now though !!!