O, The Month of May, The Merry Month of May

May is named after the Greek goddess Maia.  The Anglo-Saxon name for May was Tri-Milchi due to the cows being let out onto the lush green meadows and being able to be milked three times a day.  May has been called Mayes, Maius and Mai before settling on May in the 1430's.

These are the Hebe cuttings taken back in the autumn.  They've been pinched out to allow them to become bushier.  They will remain in the pots over the next year to establish a little more.

Bees.  A sure sign that spring is upon us.  In fact we have just enjoyed the warmest April on record, with temperatures in the Shooters Grove garden reaching well into the 20's.

The wam weather has urged lots of seeds to germinate.  From a mixed flower selection to Cornflowers and Calendula, the tiny seedlings are just beginning to emerge.

Do you recall the tiny tree whips we planted back in March?  Look how well they've filled out now!

And the beans.  We lost a few over the harsh winter...

...but the recent weather has been so useful to play catch up with new beans, peas and tomatoes.

The potatoes have some very strong growth, which looks extremely promising.

Peas!  Did you know that you can eat the fresh green shoots of peas.  They taste just like peas too!  Sow a few peas every two weeks for a succession, and simply pinch off a couple of inches when they get to around a foot long.  The pinching out of these tasty shoots will make the pea plants bushier and they can be pinched out around 5 or 6 times a apiece.

The long shoots of onions share a planter with basil, thyme and other herbs which are just beginning to germinate.

In folklore, "A wet May; makes a big load of hay.  A cold May and a windy, a full barn will find ye".  So far May has been wet, cool and windy.  I wonder if the folklore will be right?

The oulook for the rest of May is sunshine and showers.  Perfect for growing, although we could do with some more in the way of rain to help fill up the water butt!

The Earth Laughs in Flowers

Sometimes the flowers speak for themselves!

 

I think you'll agree Spring has sprung, but we could really do with some rain (sorry).

Did you know

* Daffodils are members of the Narcissus family.

* Daffodils originated in south west Europe.

* These days, the majority of daffodils are grown in the Channel Islands, Great Britain, The Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly.

* There are over 25,000 varieties of daffodils and they come in yellow, white, orange and even a peach/pink shade.  

* The sap of daffodils can be damaging to other flowers. If you’ve picked them for the house, then it’s best to leave them in water on their own for at least 12 hours, before mixing them with other flowers.

* The national emblem of Wales is a daffodil and Welsh people usually wear daffodils on St. David’s Day.

* The Victorians thought daffodils were symbol of regard.

* Every year, Prince Charles is given a daffodil as a form of rent for land on the Isles of Scilly.

* The daffodil is used as a symbol by Marie Curie Cancer Care to help raise awareness about cancer.

Something is stirring in the carpark bed.  These sticky fat buds are on one of the Hydrangea bushes planted last summer.  Still a little early to cut the stems back yet.  The stems will provide some protection from the biting spring frosts

Even on a wet day, there is brightness.

They might not look much yet, but the Busy Beez planted their first potatoes this week.  Over the coming weeks foliage will appear. This will be covered with more compost until the bags are completely filled.

Young trees beginning their new life with Shooter's Grove...

...and one of the more established trees.

One more daffodil fact.  All parts are poisonous.

Whiff of Spring?

As we begin our struggle to shake off winter, there are some little gems the Busy Bees wish to share with our followers.

All the hard work back in the autumn has really paid off as these troughs now heave with colourful bulbs and bedding.

Dwarf varieties of Narcissus contrast so well against the bright blue of the Iris and sky blue wall.

Delicately nodding...

...or jam-packed in for effect.

You just can't blame nature for giving it 100%

The birds are singing, and busy with their nest-making.  It won't be long before we know if the blue-tits have returned to our Enviromental Garden.

New Beginnings

The wind is howling through the trees as this entry is being written.  Winter still has it's icy fingers wrapped tightly around the gardens of Shooter's Grove Primary School, with no intentions of releasing any time soon.

But something is stirring beneath the cold hard ground.  Something that was planted long ago, and forgotten about. Bulbs.

Around about now, these little patches of bright green seem to pop up overnight, and in a matter of weeks will be braving the chill to put on their welcoming display.

Talking of braving the chill, take a peek at this brighlty coloured polyanthus.   In a trough at the entrance to the yard, it almost demands attention from the infants as they arrive for school.

A few new arrivals to the garden look on expectantly.

More cheerful faces.  These pansies aren't at all shy nestled in amongst the hebes.

Of course the Busy Beez gardening club is not all about flowers.  We grow produce too, and this is a great time to catch up with what's been quietly getting on with it in the cold frame.  Onions.  Don't they look fab?

The beans unfortunately struggled through the heavy snowfalls and sustained sub-zero temperatures, but the onions planted outside in the old sandpit are more than making up for it!

And last but not least, this ornamental cabbage just had to have a look-in.  The colder temperatures, the more vivid the colour.  It's a real beauty!

It's difficult to imagine wamer temperatures and enough sunshine to get the garden into full bloom once more, but it is on it's way, slowly.  Each day the sun climbs just a little higher in the sky.  The sun sets just that little bit later.  Spring is just around the corner.