Margaret's Garden Journal for March 2009

The weather brightened towards the middle of the month and we have had a couple of warmer days when it has been a delight to be out in the garden. The canes you see in the picture are supporting soft fruit and the net on the ground, has been taken off the loganberries so they could be pruned. I am contemplating growing some potatoes in bags this year. The green bag you can see behind the arch is one I may use for that purpose
Today 21^st March I saw the first butterflies of the year, one brimstone and one tortiseshell. There were also numerous bees, both large bumble bees and smaller honey bees Despite the cold the fig tree has hung onto the figs it formed late last year although they look somewhat discoloured. I have potted up some of the surfinias I bought as rooted cuttings at the beginning of the month and placed the pots in the greenhouse.
The broad beans are very much behind hand this year = not worth staking yet.
I tried two types of aubergine, large from the seed that came up well last year and small mixed species. The species was new seed and has germinated well but there is no sign of the large aubergines, Perhaps the seed does not keep well.

To do this month

1. Feed roses

2. Feed veg

3. Plant potatoes

4. Hoe

5.Support plants where necesary

6.Divide snowdrops

7. Sow most seeds

Later Comments

1. Fed with Wilkinson's rose food

2. Not yet done

3. The potatoes are still chitting

4.Have done some hoeing but still not enough!

5. No.

6. The snowdops have only just started flowering

7. Sowed lettuces, butterhead, an iceberg type and a mini cos, brussels, calabrese, aubergine and Gardener's Delight tomatoes. The tomatoes so far have failed to germinate.