Mid March Blog

For all Opera lovers the great news is that Dorset Opera is going ahead this July and we have had our first booking. They have stayed with us before when attending the Opera and it will be lovely to see them again. I have yet to discover which opera they are doing this year, they do two different operas, I will find out and let you know. They use Bryanston School theatre and people picnic in the grounds and have a lovely evening with wonderful music.

It does feel as if winter is hanging on this year, with a nasty cold northerly wind spoiling the effects of the sunshine. Buds are swelling on many of the trees and it won’t be long before some of the fruit trees burst into blossom, the orchard always looks fabulous when the fruit trees are in blossom.

The sun is having the effect of bringing out the bumble bees, some of them are enormous and so noisy, when we leave the conservatory door open, they often come and visit the plants in flower. They can get too hot so we have to keep an eye out for them and let them out before they overheat. 

The sun, even when hazy warms the greenhouse up beautifully and seed is germinating rapidly which is always exciting. We planted out broad beans last weekend they are growing beautifully, so rewarding. I love small sweet broad beans, young pods can be eaten whole, delicious.

Our cucumber plants were very successful last year and I noticed this week, that the seeds I have planted have germinated. The difference in flavour is amazing compared with industrially grown cucumbers. It is why I grow as many vegetables as I do, it’s the taste of fresh vegetables which is well worth the work involved.

It does feel as if we can reopen this year with confidence, so many people will have been vaccinated which will make life easier, covid won’t have gone but if we follow good hygiene, lots of hand washing and consideration, we ought to be able to enjoy summer. We will have to sterilise and not lower our guard but we can enjoy being together again.