This all started with a dead lavender plant

The herb patch is now finished it's winter construction and the path is looking smashing. Some of the unsightly blue water barrels that have been lurking at the top of the patch will find a more suitable home where they can earn their keep.

One herb patch casualty of the winter has been the lavender. Sad, but Coryn sprang into action and bought a replacement. Top work Coryn!


The new lavender is outside of the main herb patch so I have more room for cooking herbs. Great.

However, together with the lavender came something else,



and another thing,


and something that she had at home,


this one was a 2for1 deal,


and one I've had this at home for years and it's never really taken off at home so I thought it might do better down here.

Don't let your guard down fellas. The first sign of weakness and you'll have yourselves a cottage garden just like mine. It's my own fault. I got a bit flouncy with the sunflower seeds. In stead of getting Army issue "FLOWERS"Sun, for the use of. I had to get Italian Whites and Dwarf Sprays. Slippery slope.

This is a slippery slope. Slippery slope is not a type of sunflower.

Flipping things should come with a warning. Caution: Sun flowers may turn you into a florist not a vegetable gardner! They are a gateway flower.

Sure I grow a few sunflowers. We keep them for the bees. It's no big deal I can handle it. Those? Oh they're Nestersions. Yes they are flowers but they're edible! They are lovely in salads. Very Sweet. Ah! No. That's a pansy. No you can't eat them. I just think they look pretty!

Now look where I am. Cut flowers up the Waszoo. Which is also rugby tour punishment. Oh, now I'm just over compensating.

My name is Rad and I grow flowers. It would appear.

'Erbs man!

The bed is really taking off this year.

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After my tentative but determined start the bed will be fuller and busier this year.

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More Thyme, more Sage, more Chives and more Parsley. This is the stuff I use all the time.

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The Lavender bit the icy bullet this year so that's coming out. Don't look.

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The Tarragon survived the icy blasts from the East this winter much to my surprise and delight. I think I will propagate this one this year.

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The Rosemary is looking quite chipper following its winter surgery.

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Some of the space I will use for pots. I've got some coriander hardening off outside. That will stay on buckets as the slugs love this stuff.

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The mint is one I bought for my pea soup I made for our come dine with me extravaganza. Yes we did a CDWM.


Anyway, The Mint I had was dying and I bought this one in Sainsbury’s and kept this one in the bucket over wintered in the green house. It survived and I hope that it will grow a little faster now that it's in its final position. You have to keep these bucket bound or the mint will just take over every where.

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Sweet pea Jungle has been started off in route trainers so I'll have my summer fence in position in a couple of weeks.

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