Spring green

Of course with this benign rain and warm weather comes weeds. I'm over run with speedwell, Veronica arvensis and Lords and ladies, Arum maculatum, though the latter is forgiven briefly for its lovely flowers. It is all about timing, if you pull the arum out too soon you snap the stem from the bulb and guarantee its return. Wait till it flowers and gently pull and the whole thing tends to come up.

The pricking out is finally slowing down and now its a case of juggling from pot to pot trying to not to waste too much compost. There is always an issue with space and cold frame at this point. So today I must push on with the veg garden and try and get some more onions, khol rabi and lettuce out into the ground. I've got a thing for Batavian lettuce at the moment. You don't see them in shops because, on the whole, they just don't transport well. They have what in my mind is a the ideal mix of loose leaves when young, thus you can nip outside leaves off here and there for side salads, but turn more like an iceburg with a full head of lettuce when older.

Another lettuce I'm smitten with is 'Reine de Glaces' a toothed iceburg lettuce - imagine someone took a pair of scissors to an iceburg and ruffled all its edges.

It's strange how being outside gives you such a different perspective of weather. Of course when you film outside there's always going to be a lot of discussion about the weather; will it rain, how long for, look over there it's coming. And a constant diatribe on what to do when, to try and beat the inevitable at this time of year. Personally I like this sort of spring rain, it's gentle. When it stops the blackbirds instantly come back into chorus and you can feel the plants inching up in growth. I also don't subscribe to this being a bad spring. Perhaps my glass is too 'half full', but thinking back over the last few weeks it seems all sun and first salads.

And finally this is what this long weekend should bring: "Bank Holiday weekend coming up, and although it's going to be warmer, there is some rain on the cards.
On Saturday, Northern Ireland and western parts of Scotland, England and Wales look set to be wet and rather windy, with eastern areas of UK enjoying warm sunshine. Sunday looks cloudier with patchy rain clearing the east and another band of heavy rain in the west.
This rain band moves east on Monday, allowing western areas to get some sunshine by then.
Southerly wind flow means temperatures mid to high teens for most, into low 20s in southeast England. Milder by night too." Brought to you by Kirsty McCabe.