spring gardening

This antique garden cloche was one of the treasures I found earlier in the year on a buying trip. It came from the Yorkshire dales area of the UK. I am using it to help protect basil seedlings. It is a bit too early to plant basil here in Tasmania, it is not warm enough. I am hoping that the cloche will give create enough warmth to make the basil grow! This is my dibber - the handiest tool I own, and my light weight watering can.

Rocket is growing well at the moment. The slate label was a Christmas present last year. These are available at Karen Wagner's store in Hobart. If you are like me and love gardening, visit Karen's blog here.

You may have seen these antique French garden tiles in a previous post. Oh well, you didn't see my garlic and rhubarb planted in the bed, did you? Purple garlic grows very well here in Tasmania. Plant on the shortest day of the year and harvest on the longest day of the year, or so they say. I followed this method last year and it worked for me.

I am a tad worried about my broccoli, they are not sprouting or flowering at this stage and they have been in for a few months now. I am trying to be patient but it is difficult. Advice anyone?

My bay tree is flowering at the moment, attracting much needed bees to the vegetable garden.

Tarragon and purple sage in a wire work planter against the fence with another slate marker for the Tarragon. The slate markers are very handy if you ask someone unfamiliar with herbs to go picking. I am speaking from experience, it is easy to end up with parsley when you asked for mint!

This is my trusty daisy weeder which is vying for the title of handiest garden tool. And it is coming in at a very close second. I will be on the hunt for these for the store on my next buying trip as they work very well with daisies in the lawn.

And lastly, a weeping cherry tree in the front yard and a bee at work! As worldwide bee numbers decline with the possibility of extinction, we should all be happy when we see these beautiful little creatures in our gardens.