Spring is such a wonderful time of the year, particularly for gardeners. This is my first Spring at the Convent and it is wonderful to see both the old plantings and the new spring into life, particularly my misgivings and the forebodings of the damage that the vicious Winter frosts could inflict on my new garden.

Last weekend was the first Convent Spring Retreat. My friends are always welcome but by setting aside special dates each season, it makes it easier for them to co-ordinate and plan when we can all get together. It was a wonderful extended weekend supplemented by Verve and Moet and also co-ordinated with the wonderful Kandos Hootenanny. The Convent is now much more comfortable being painted and with carpets in bedrooms, curtains and polished floors, as well as some furnished rooms, however guests are still mainly on air beds. Unfortunately the Convent plumbing was a tad overwhelmed with supporting more than one or two residents, although the roses are flourishing with the unpleasant results.

The garden is springing to life and I’m seeing the results of my planting as well as now more heavily planting out, particularly with the impending Kandos Gardens Fair, which has the Convent as one of the gardens on display (although positioned as “in progress”).

Remember a recent post when I said we had been gathering wild asparagus? Much to my delight, yesterday I noticed three spears coming up from the scavenged “crowns”. As they were old crowns, the spears are thick and generous. I’m now hoping for a bumper crop. Amazing when I think of how woody and dead they looked a few weeks ago. I think the pony poop is beginning to work wonders.

I’ll now show some of the flourishing garden residents as they are now beginning to make an impact and make the garden such an interesting place to visit each day.