Mid-May 2013 when will spring arrive??

Well, yesterday it was almost spring-like!  

We put a temporary roof of plastic over the strawberry bed, as we lost our entire crop last year when it rained incessantly (seriously! we had exactly two that ripened, the rest rotted before ripeneing). We were just in time, as it has rained all day today. Hope it works this time. The raspberries in the fruit cage behind are going mad, as is the rhubarb. Time to make rhubarb and ginger jam!!

Pete got Bessie the tractor to start on only the second try (bless her, she's nearly as old as me!). 

He got the strip of grass above the main field cut, and then he cut the top field where our neighbour Yvon had harrowed and re-seeded it after the chaos of leylandii cutting last year. The new beech hedge (in front of where the leylandii grew) is leafing-up nicely...

The apple trees are blossoming their hearts out! The pear trees have also blossomed well this year, as have the cherries.

 I just adore apple blossom!  This is Lord Derby - such a tasty cooking apple.
The hawthorn is starting to blossom...

...as is the rowan

 and here are the first flowers on our new quince tree - for all the world like small pink roses!