3:15 project update 6

A second go at this post - I got it very nearly finished, hit "control A" instead of "shift A" and then "backspace", deleting the whole thing, and in the fraction of a second before I could hit "undo", Blogger helpfully autosaved/annihilated the whole lot. GAH. Just GAH.

Anyway; so here we are again (and as ever, click to embiggen photos). Shots 1 and 2 haven't really changed since last time - although there are leaves starting to appear on the limes, they're so tiny that you can't see them in the general gloom. The weather's been grey, but not cold, all weekend, and although it's rained a bit, it hasn't been as bad as the forecast; so I've been out there for a couple of hours so far this weekend, and if it cheers up will do some more tomorrow.

The main difference in the Abomination of Desolation shot (which is starting to look slightly less like its name) is that I've hacked down a vast amount of dead creeper from the right-hand bed - a mix of clematis, a very dead jasmine and some honeysuckle.

Shot 4 isn't that different, but you can see how gloomy it is from the brightness of the watering-cans!

I planted up the herb bed with some tarragon, parsley, mint, feverfew and sage; and also (which always feels a bit Petit hameau) some mixed salad leaves; all from Ely farmers' market. I'll sow some lettuce for later in the year, but the salad leaves will be good until then, and the more plants there are in the bed, the less the Bug will be tempted to use it as a loo.

I also bought a saxifrage to fill some of the area vacated by borage; the buds looked like garnets, which are my favourite stone...

In contrast, the other "achievement" this weekend would have the Red Queen calling for my head; this is not, I'm aware, the world's greatest piece of topiary, even by my standards, but it's a first attempt at the box hedge for this year, and does mean I can move round both sides of the bed. I'll have another go when it's grown back a bit. I need a saw, or a bigger pair of loppers, to give the standard euonymus in the middle a haircut...

Meanwhile, and appropriately for this time of year, there are other signs of life - the alpine strawberries are flowering,

the little Japanese maple has produced some leaves,

and the wisteria is reminding me why so many Art Nouveau artists and architects used it as a motif.

Happy Easter, everyone.