Armchair gardening has taken precedence so far this year. I am planning on opening the garden in late August, and early June, and so it is time to peruse the catalogues. I have a voucher for £100 worth of seeds each year (my prize for being Garden News Gardener of the Year 2011). It has proved really useful this year, as with all the rain a lot of the most reliable seeds never even ripened, and I am sure that some that have been collected will not be viable.

Last year I was preparing for drought tolerant plants, and more than a tad worried how I would manage through the long, hot dry summer! So the best advice I can give is just to go for what you like, but do compare catalogues, many offer the easiest of plants at quite expensive rates, and vice versa. Also, if you have tried unsuccessfully to grow something, try again.

I never accept defeat until something has failed for three years.

A lot of the spring bulbs are quite well up now. They were planted last October, but I have my eye on the late flowering summer bulbs that will fill any gaps. Some of my favourites are Eucomis, Galtonia and Crocosmia- Star of the East, and Emily Mckenzie. I love the orange with the gentian blue Commelina which I grow from seed, as they are gorgeous with everything, but they are available in catalogues too.

Ah well, back to the present…. Snowdrops are almost out, the light is better, and I'm just going to have a little look outside, I may be some time!