this week in the herb garden

It is blackcurrant time again!
The bushes are heavy with berries this year and the birds don't seem to have taken any. I picked three pounds this afternoon, but I think I will be picking after work every day this week to get them all. Unfortunately there will be no time to make anything with them, so they will be going into the freezer for now. Well... I may keep some back to make some blackcurrant gin!

this week in the herb garden

although the day was overcast and grey, the air was warm and full of birdsong. Today I chose to replant the lavender border. The plants had been in for a few years and had always flowered well, but they did not survive the combination of a wet summer followed by a long cold winter. The new plants are small, but hopefully will grow well and produce enough flowers to use for soaps and creams as well as my popular lavender shortbread!

Before and after photos of the lavender border...

 

in search of spring...

There was a surprise visitor in the garden today - a song thrush was seen busily cracking snails open on a stone. It has been so long since a thrush was seen in the garden - hoping it is a sign of approaching spring! We seem to have been in the grip of this relentless winter far too long...