Good Day sunshine

I am mildly cheered up by the sign of the sun today. I say 'mildly' because the weather seems to ve very variable, ie one thing in the morning and something else pm. But the calendar moves on, the daffodils have appeared, the tulips are struggling for glory and the first signs of life in the Astrantia and perennial geraniums tells me that I have not lost them over the harsh winter.

Congratulations to Gardening Direct for their support of garden charity Thrive. Gardening Direct have supplied a large quantity of bean seeds for Thrive's BeanFest 2010 competition. The seeds have now been distributed to groups of people Thrive works with including projects that work with disabled people and people affected by stroke or heart disease. If you work with disabled people or are disabled yourself and would like to enter the competition, call Thrive on 0118 988 5688, for your two free packets of bean seeds and comp. guidelines. The winner gets plants to the value of £200 from Gardening Direct.

My picture today is of Arnside Railway Viaduct - you can just see the tops of the mountains in the background still have slight snow on them although it is fast disappearing now.

there is now just a few weeks to go before everyone must dispose of their personal supply of sodium chlorate - the deadline set by the Pesticides Safety Directorate is 10th May 2010. Gardeners will now have to look around for a new solution to the control of tough weeks. Bayer Garden has a range of products that are helping fill this gap, one being Long Lasting Ground Clear, which is a systemic broad spectrum residual weedkiller, providing season long control of difficult weeds such as thistles and nettles on waste ground, around trees and shrubs.

Note: Long lasting Ground Clear contains glyphosate, ffufanacet, metosulam.
Always read the label and use pesticides safely.