April in the garden

A few beautiful warm days has meant that everything is looking a little more organised in the garden.

The weeding is done, the grass is short and the compost bin has been emptied onto the raised beds and the raspberries.

I managed to get some wonderful hazel poles from the nearby community woodland (the one I posted about here).

Sturdier than bamboo, locally grown and beautifully rustic.  I was thrilled.  Especially as they were only £3 for ten.  I tried to convey to the rest of the family how fantastic they are, but I'm not sure they got me.  But here in this space, I think some of you may understand.

Another thing I don't think they got.  My borlotti beans.  I grew some last year and saved some of the beautiful speckled beans.  I dried them for a while in a bowl on top of the piano and then I put them in an old envelope.  A couple of weeks ago I planted them.  I wasn't hugely hopeful, after all, they weren't proper ones from a seed company or anything.  But, they grew.  

It works!  There's no secret trick or complicated procedure.  Anyone could do it.  Even me.  Grow beans.  Dry beans.  Plant beans.  New plants!  Now please tell me you get how fantastic this is.  Around here everyone looks at me and quietly edges away whenever I show any signs of waxing lyrical about this small miracle.

More natural wonder on the pear trees.  Masses of blossom, but this year there are bees as well.  Last year I didn't see a single flying thing around the trees.  I did the thing with the paintbrush but it didn't really work.  This year both trees are blooming at roughly the same time (one is a little earlier than the other - they are Doyenne du Comice and Beurre Hardy) and if you stand close to them you can hear a happy buzzing sound as the busy bees work hard collecting the nectar.  

Even better than pear blossom is apple blossom.  Daffodils I can take or leave, but apple blossom I can't get enough of.  Often I'll go over and stare at it on my way up the garden.  So I'll apologise in advance in case I post too many pictures of it.  But it is pretty.  The white!  The pink!  The little touch of yellow!

Elsewhere there are tomatoes growing quietly away, blueberry flowers, hostas and the odd herb putting on new growth.

Finally a glimpse of this beautiful tree that's just beyond the end of our garden.  It's always full of birds and I can see it from the kitchen sink (somewhere I spend an unreasonable amount of time).  Right now it's in full glory.  I've no idea what it is, I shall keep a closer eye on it this year and see if I can work it out.

I'm going to have an evening on the sofa now, after a long afternoon of tying up canes, planting beans and sowing peas and watering things.  At one stage I was stood on a dining chair tying the tops of sticks together when it tipped over and I crashed to the ground, smashing the chair on  my way down.  Did I ever mention that I'm a touch clumsy?  Fortunately I'm also quite rubbery, so although I fall over a lot, on the whole I don't break.  I do feel a little bruised and a touch torqued though.  I sense that I may feel it a bit tomorrow.