I did mine about a month ago - I like to get ahead... even so, yours will be blooming well before mine...

Here the sun finally came out, bringing spring-warm temperatures with it. The sun is great, the warmth acceptable though I'd have been happier to see it a month or two further along; but, we badly need rain. Enjoy your gardening! I too have a helperwho comes once a week to dig, while I prune and clean up. I've been down in the bottom of the big garden lately, studying with dismay how fast the ground is sinking, and wondering if our trees and shrubs are taking hold fast enough to keep our soil in place. No possibility of planting now until fall. Still lots of pruning to do; and when March comes, it will be the turn of the big warm climate climbers.

I'm a third of the way through pruning, about halfway done with weeding (more actually, but new weeds keep showing up), most of the way done with fertilizing, and am hiring out the spreading of the arborist mulch. They spread mulch all day today. It will take at least another day to get the job done, probably next week. This is the reason I've set aside pruning to concentrate on weeding and fertilizing; that and the frequent days of rain with the new growth starting to push. I don't prune everything every year, so I'm probably further ahead on the pruning than I think. I like to finish by Valentine's Day. That didn't happen but the blessing of rain makes it worth while to be running late.

Rosefolly

Coming back in to say that the fertilizing is now done, hurray! Rain coming this afternoon to water it nicely in so I don't have long to keep the dogs away from it.

I spent the day yesterday rearranging the roses. Fortunately they are still pretty young. Too bad I'm not. Digging out and moving half a dozen bushes, amending the soil, reconfiguring the watering lines, replanting and watering by bucket...exhausting. Fortunately that's about the most laborious of my gardening for the year. The seven new roses to go in should be easier, but maybe I'm deluded.

Daisy,

At below link you can order the best of greek craft beers to be delivered right at your doorstep. I recommend Septem, Siris Voreia, Chios and Donkey microbreweries. I love Septem 8th Day IPA and Porter, Voreia Smoked Amber Ale and Stout, Chios Ale and Smoked Porter and Donkey Crazy Donkey american style IPA. Yellow Donkey bitter is not bad either. Some of them you might be able to find in reputable liquor stores in the larger cities in Crete. 'Solo' beers are very good craft beers designed and marketed by the Cretan beer firm Solo, but actually brewed outside Greece (I think in Norway).
Greek beer shop

If you'd rather have imported beers here is a link
Beer Shop

Daisy those are beautiful! I have all three of those roses, although MN is a baby in a pot and I had to replant my TG, so it's still small. My challenge with ladders is that I have positional vertigo and it occurs if I bend my head back. So I have to be very careful on a ladder. Most of the time I just use a step ladder. But for some like my Zepherine Drouhin, I have it growing up from the bottom of my deck and I do need to use the big ladder.

For...Nik in Greece...

If you are still looking in Nik, can I ask you please are any of these Greek beers and wines any good? do you know of these? We have a European Beer store a few miles from us and we will be visiting in a week or so. I don't drink it, but my husband wants to know if any of these can be recommended - shown in link below..

Thank you

Beers of Europe

Yeah, it's pruning and manuring time here, too,actually pruning SHOULD be finished by now, but as per usual stuff keeps coming up,and I'm not yet done As usual, i'm "at a good point" with it,lol. Which means that I'm close to being done, but now that new stuff has come up I wonder if and when I actually will get it DONE. I hopefully found a man that can work on my road ,so I'd be able to drive down to the middle area of the garden,turn the car and drive back up. This would be an important thing for me; it would allow me to have the car carry heavy stuff down, not me own juddering bones...But I have to clear the way, take down anti-badger protection, move a couple roses, etc, etc, etc...

Marlorena, in a word 'no', I'm afraid. Fix Dark lager is drinkable but that's all..

Check Septem, Siris (Voreia) and Donkey beers at the link below. Their wine list is also pretty good but small. This South London shop (and eshop) carries some very good greek produce although it is far from cheap.. With regards to wines, for the most 'local' taste check the wines from local vine varietals Xinomavro and Agiorgitiko (reds) and Assyrtiko and Moschofilero (whites) although there are hundreds of greek grapevine varieties.

Maltby&Greek

Nik... thanks for your reply and taking the time..

Some yummy things on that link, I want that quince jam... I had not heard of Maltby and Greek before, I'm not sure if I'll order from them at this stage but it's good to know. I see they're fairly new.

However, I've found a couple of those wine varieties you mention at our local store, so I'll let him know. I would like to try Samos Sweet Wine myself... thanks again... I've made a note of the others for future reference if we see them...

If you like sweet wines see if you can find Lemnos sweet Moschato (Muscat) wine and Santorini Vinsanto also which is a fortified sweet wine (unrelated to Tuscany Vino Santo wines).

oh I shall make a note, thanks. I enjoy a small glass of 'Sauternes' or 'Moscatel' wine, they are the only types I can tolerate, so that Lemnos in particular I'm sure would suit me fine...