Laters 'Taters! | #sublimesunday meets #gardenjournal2019

I've been wanting to jump on #gardenjournal2019 and at last I caught the post at the right time! I'm combining it with #sublimesunday, which catches just about my favourite day of the week.

It seems "later, tater" was a catch phrase from a show called Archer, my friend used to say "laters" when she was going and that developed into "laters, taters" a while ago. I always thought it was to do with potatoes, like that joke about Jersey Royals and King Edwards and Harry Carpenter being a common 'tater.

But anyway, this post is a bit about the next stage with my 'taters, a look at my spring garden and one of the jobs I love but always have trouble getting round to, cleaning the garage.

Last week I wrote that the first batch of seed potatoes were just about ready for planting. On Monday I got to my local diy shop and picked up 10 x 10l pots (a discount for buying multiple items. It's worth going to an independent retailer). I already had enough compost to get me started.

The big problem, though, was where I was going to do the potting. Although it has been lovely all week, it has been a bit nippy for working outside and the back porch didn't really have a space large enough to work on.

There was only one thing for it: I would have to clean up the garage ...

several hours later, I did at least have a clear work surface and all the windows had been dusted and cleared of cobwebs ...

Most of the potatoes had shoots long enough to plant them ...

An hour or so later, they were planted and watered, ready for their new home ...

Although I've done some planning for my vegetable garden and last week I did some tidying and weeding, there isn't really very much to show yet. So I went for a tour of the Spring flowers which have been gorgeous.

Narcissus and pansies outside the front-door.

Dwarf daffodils in the border. The roses are starting to show signs of life.

We rescued this planter from the roadside last year and filled it with bulbs and some bedding plants we got from a post-graduation sale at the university. The narcissus are nearly finished now, but the pansies, which have been magnificent all winter, just keep going.

This plant pot was the only casualty of the high winds we had recently, I patched it up with a plastic carrier bag until I have time to find another planter. The forsythia is blooming anyway. The herbs in the pots behind are just starting: mint on the left and organo on the right.

I found this little fellah taking the sun on the ivy on the hawthorn tree.

I'm really looking forward to the garden this year. I have a great space outside the up and over door of the garage, with the vegetable garden on the other side of the drive. Now that I've started clearing the garage, I can begin to sort out the workshop I want to have.

Happy gardening!