Happy Mondays

Today Monday is good. It is good for many reasons, not least that the sun is shining and Spring feels truly to be about us. Bravo Spring! Another reason for the smile on my face is a book that arrived today.

Now I am not one to condone the pillaging of books, but this one by Paul Burrell has done its duty well to my mind, repurposed by the previous owner who saw the original contents for what they were and simply chucked them out. Inside was the book proper I'd been waiting for: Garden Craft in the Bible and other Essays, by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde. My first edition, published in 1927 is falling apart, but inside it I found many pressed leaves and flowers. It was rather magical opening it up.

Another reason why this Monday is good is that I can put my reputation as a murderer of plants to rest. I have managed to sow seeds that are finally germinating. It is no less than a miracle! My two trays are now peopled with tiny up-shoots from three packets of seeds I emptied into them on Thursday last.

The seeds are Papaver 'Peony Black', Digitalis pur., 'Pam's Choice' (both of which I picked up from an RHS event at the Horticultural Halls costing £3 each) and Penstemon 'Huskers Red' (which came free with this month's edition of The English Garden).

I spent the weekend trays in hand chasing the sun about the house so that they would get plenty - but not direct - sunlight. One bag purports to contain 100 seeds, so god help me if they all germinate. You can click here to read more about how the seeds get on.

And a final reason to call this a happy Monday is because yesterday I put a deposit on a lovely whippet pup from Wiltshire who shall be coming home in less than 3 weeks. Here he is at 6 weeks, the little fellow:

So there is much good cheer about the place, although I probably should remember to take the seeds off the kitchen floor before the pup arrives. Tomorrow I shall celebrate by chopping down some trees and riddling soil from border 3. So long till then.