A Tale of Two Gardens

I'm now back in Italy, getting my breath back after a hectic 3 weeks in England.  One of the disadvantages of living in two places is trying to keep pace with two gardens. The English one is quickly running away with me - so much rain and warm weather just encourage the weeds that flock in from the river bank without so much as an invitation!  I spent my last week digging one of the flower beds, completely strangled by ground elder, buttercup and nettle, in the hope that if I could get them early, they might not be so difficult to eradicate. This is the before

and this is the after

by means of fork and bucket (and a large bottle of Radox bath soak) .....   I can't tell you how many buckets of weed I had to cart off to the compost heap.  But there are still two flower beds waiting for me when I next go back and by then the pests will probably have reappeared in the first. I fear it is a losing battle but I'm not giving in without a fight!

Back in Italy, which has also had a warm, wet winter, the garden is weeks ahead of schedule.  The peony is already shaking out those huge top-heavy blooms

and the cherry tree is beginning to blossom

There are catkins on the edge of the woods - giant ones several inches long.

And, of course, flower beds to weed and plant.

This one now has lily bulbs and spider orchids buried under the soil, and a sprinkling of poppies, mallow, salvia and snap-dragon.  It will be interesting to see what survives the birds and the ants. Gardeners are always optimists!

No Tuesday Poem from me this week - it's just been too busy, but please hop over to the Tuesday Poem hub to see what the others are posting.  The  main poem this week is Tuatura from New Zealand poet Nola Borrell.  If you don't know what a Tuatura is or what they eat, then you need to find out!