Everyone is getting a bit jumpy about the show in 12 week's time!! It is still very cold and we have had lots of rain this week again. The plants are growing, but are not at the stage we would have expected had the weather been good.

I have pinched back quite a few this week, but will probably only be able to do so once more before they must be allowed to flower.

They all received a dose of Neutrog last weekend and have responded rapidly - very green and strong looking.

I spoke to Gavin about installing the irrigation in the driveway - it has rained every day since!! This will make life much easier in summer, and be a necessity if we go away in the hot weather.

The proposed shade house has proven to be too expensive. I will just erect some shade cloth on the patio outside the bedroom French doors. Will give me some more space and that will just have to be enough!!

The older plants are growing rapidly - more pinching required today. Looks as if they are ready for feeding again - the plants in the small shade house appear to be a bit pale in colour.

Evidence of caterpillar activity in the passageway - couldn't find any culprits so will just have to spray with a general insecticide when the weather clears. Still quite cold and lots of rain around till Thursday according to the weather man.

Growth is speeding up and some of the plants arebeginning to look really good - there areeven a couple of stray very early flowers on Abbe Farges, Shelford, and Beacon!!

So things are looking up!

The pests have also sterted - aphids and Lily Borer caterpillars are evident - need to spray on Monday!!

I intend to use this space to record a year in the life of my Fuchsia collection.

We are right at the beginning of the season, new cuttings are ready to be planted out, older plants are growing strongly and I've just started pinching and shaping. Growth is a little slow, but we have had a very cold, wet winter thus far. Hope it speeds up considerably as the show is a mere 16 weeks away!!