Fancy learning some Norwegian?  Here's a great expression for you...

'TING TAR TID'

(tid - pronounced 'tee')

Remember those tiny seedlings and all that bare earth?  I was fortunate to spend 7 days away working at the Chelsea Flower Show and when I came back the whole thing had just burst into life, without me - quite a relief, actually!

Oh the joys of fruitition!

Mind you, that hedge had also filled out well beyond it's remit and I had trouble just waiting for 'Derby day', so I could trim it back in line. Box (Buxus) is usually pruned once a year on or after Derby day (1st week in June) to eliminate risk of frost.  It's looking a bit sorry for itself at the moment though (I pruned it rather hard) so no photos of the new slim line hedge until its recovered a bit - and it will.

I've been harvesting! ...oh?.. thinnings, parsley, spinach, pointed spring cabbage, lettuce galore - it doesn't seem to freeze very well - only joking.  Actually I think that lettuce 'Bijou' would be more tasty if cropped younger, but it looks too glorious so I leave it in (and afterall, the snails have to have something to eat).

I've replaced some of the noughts and crosses lettuce with celeriac and chili plants.  Basil to follow shortly. Tiny toady there crawled out from my pile of harvested lettuce, but there's plenty more ground-cover and lettuce for him to nestle in.  I've found quite a few naughty snails trying to lay their eggs in my potager and I'm afraid I've had to stamp that out (literally).  I prefer the sole of a boot to snail/slug pellets.

I don't think you'll be satisfied with my investigations into this parasitic wasp - well I'm not either - but apparently there are only a handful of people in the country who can identify them and not one of them works at Wisley...

Broad bean crimson flowered - this gets the bees buzzing. Wouldn't look so out of place in an ornamental border.

So have you guessed yet, the meaning of that wonderful expression I told you?

Translated literally... THINGS TAKE TIME