Gooseberry bumps

I won't pretend to be an expert gardener, and I have no idea about the right time to prune and cut back or whatever the terms are, but today I did a bit of improvised gardening anyway. I cut off all the lower branches of the little bush which resides on my balcony for the third year now. It's really quite exciting to see something so dry and unpromising as these prickly sticks crammed into a corner during the winter suddenly start showing tender little green ears once spring starts. Over the last couple of weeks I have watched the little ears growing and becoming fully fledged leaves, and today I noticed that little berries had started to form. Oh, the wonders of nature! I don't want it to grow into an unruly bush though, because there just isn't room for that, so a bit of cutting back was necessary - let's just hope I didn't kill it!
The bleeding heart has grown as well, in spite of this very cold spring, so I might risk it now: a trip to the gardening centre to stock up on plants to fill the balcony for the summer.

I find myself getting all excited just thinking about it - what will I find this year? Some hanging plants of some sort, some Verbena, trailing Pelargoniums and what else? Pansies of course, herbs, and since my Fuchsia didn't survive winter in the basement - somebody had decided to mix cement right next to it, and it had suffered a mafia death - concrete shoes... - I need to stock up on Fuchsias - there are so many great varieties to choose from, I can't wait!

The bleeding heart inspired this quilted postcard a few years back. Unfortunately I gave it away before I could take a proper picture of it. Maybe I'll make another one.

Just as I finished my spot of gardening today it started raining though - the perfect excuse to go inside and do some sewing. I have dug out my Mumbo Gumbo blocks again. The first 24 are finished and I'm working in the next set of 12 - there will be 48 in all, and the weather forecast for tomorrow tells me I'll make some progress...