Hurrah! The natural order of The Universe has been restored. Monty Don is back on Gardeners’ World. No more of Toby Buckland’s ’30 minute fixes’, endless clichés and pointless jobs. I know he meant well, and he is actually a well respected and successful garden designer. He just didn’t seem to cut it on the TV, as the huge drop in viewing figures demonstrated.

We are full steam ahead getting the garden ready for our NGS opening s on the afternoons of 1 and 2 May. This is when I tend to alternate between feeling happy and content that all will be well, and blind panic that it will be a disaster. It usually tends towards the first state, so I am trying to remain calm. I’ve got lots of good plants to sell; Friends of South Wolds are coming to do home-made teas, and the bulbs and blossom should all look good, so please come, it’s all for charity. Check out the website for pictures and my up to date blog: www.katescuttings.net We are also happy to open for garden clubs and larger groups.

One area we have tackled recently is a sheltered, shady corner in what we pretentiously call our Magnolia Garden. Apart from the magnolia, there are bamboos, hostas, and a variety of shrubs, grasses and perennials; it’s a secret, tranquil area you can feel nicely lost in. The aforementioned shady corner was a bit boring and empty, so we went to Sulney Nursery (in Nether Broughton, also Carrier Landscapes) and as ever got some good advice. So we have planted a lovely, big specimen of Photinus, a large evergreen shrub with red new shoots. It sets off the golden bamboo canes beautifully. We have also planted some pyracantha that will eventually provide a contrasting backdrop and hide the fence.

I usually get my dahlia tubers going about now. I check them over and cut out any that have shrivelled up or gone mouldy. I split them carefully with a sharp knife and plant them in some compost, keeping them well watered and in a bit of heat so they are ready to plant out in May when the frosts are over. Getting them started in a pot like this means that they flower earlier and are less susceptible to slug attack, but they still need keeping an eye on. I only have 2 varieties, Bishop of Llandaff – lovely bright red with dark, fern like leaves which set the flowers off beautifully, and David Howard, bright orange with coppery leaves. All being well I will have some of both for sale on 1 and 2 May as well as penstemons, perennials, tomato plants and herbs.

Since I am a rather half hearted vegetable gardener, I’ve decided to grow more perennial vegetables that should look after themselves so I ordered some asparagus. They need an open, sunny site and well drained soil with plenty of compost dug in. They were a bit of a pain to plant, you dig a 20cm deep trench, fork in some compost, plant the spidery crowns about 40cm apart, covering them lightly with soil and gradually fill up the trench as they grow. But I’m banking on them being easy once that’s all done, with our own home grown asparagus for years and years to come. I’ll let you know! This is a lovely time to be in the garden – don’t forget to find some time to sit back every now and again with a cup of tea and enjoy it.