Green Fingers and 2 weeks of gardening

I know it is rather early to tackle the garden. We have had amazing weather ,blue skies and sunshine. What nicer way, however exhausting, to get on top of all that needs doing in the garden. I kick myself now that I had not taken before and after photos. The vegetable garden is all dug over, ready for when it warms up a bit to get planting. A good sprinking of ash from the fire on it too - potash ash all for free. The roses are pruned and I nearly got quite carried away as I was just asking my Dad where there was a saw to cut a very spindally tree down. He gave me one of those looks that was as much horrified crossed with the

look you got when you raced to pick up the phone when you were young when it was his place to do that . The tree in question was actually 80 years old and was slow growing. Plenty of mulch on the rhubarb outside. Inside I have a bit that I brought inside a few weeks ago . Did you know rhubarb is the perfect diet food?. Even with sugar on as long as you only eat it and nothing else for a week or two. A few years ago I sickened myself of it but did lose quicte a lot of weight. I just tend to boil a whole pan full and run the juices off to add to a glass full of ice and gin. I keep a lot of juice from boiled fruit fruit to mix with gin .I am sure it must count as one of my 5 a day . The green plant do you know what that is .... it is my very special yuzi tree which a very kind Japanese lady and her friend posted me from London. It was after they saw I had a collection of lemon and orange plants all grown from pips. Only my lemon tree has produced fruit so far this year The cuttings that look like little fir trees are rosemary cuttings that I took from my best friend's home as she moved the other week. A rather late housewarming present butthough it would be nice to have something as a keepsake. Hopefully out of those at least half of them will grow. Under Fathers instructions I have planted seeds- cabbages, cauliflowers ,leeks, broccoli and onions although he perfers onion sets .I prefer buying a sack full ready to use. I know it is very early, but it looks like I will be having a very busy year with guests so need to get the gardening out of the way. Carrots, beetroot, koli rhabi and other similar seeds will be plented directly into th eground when the soil warms up . Oh and what you will all be glad to hear as I went to feed my bees on Saturday, that all 4 hives have survived winter and hopefully will go on to be busy this Summer. I did have over a dozen hives at one time but they are so time comsuming and I havent a pipe and beard - the typical thought of a bee keeper. I have to wear a suit to protect me from getting stung. Believe me you wouldnt want to buy a sauna when you can wear a bee suit in the height of Summer.