Rainy Day Update

Today has been a bit frustrating – every time I tried to do something outside that would take more than a few minute a shower would come along and interrupt play.

So – I spent some time in the greenhouse and sowed some more things. In particular, more dwarf and climbing beans as well as some more mangetout peas. I note that the maincrop peas (Hurst Greenshaft) I planted direct are coming through – but only a few of them. I’ve never really had too much success with peas planted direct into the ground, which is why I prefer to start them off in pots – I sowed some more maincrop peas into pots a week or so ago so hopefully they will be a bit more successful

I was driven into the greenhouse in any case as yet another delivery of flowers turned up today (that I don’t remember ordering…) in this case some Lamium (variegated dead-nettle) ‘Mega Purple’ which is destined for some areas that are shady and dry to act as ground cover – they came as plugs so just needed putting in some compost in a reasonable sized pot.

I also repotted a couple of sweet pepper seedlings (Gourmet) still in their original pot into individual pots.

Yesterday I filled one of the growbags I bought on week which I’d moved into the greenhouse and watered ready with three tomato plants – an ailsa craig, a marmande and a zuchero. Still plenty left though….

Also the other day I rapidly planted two rows of potatoes in the raised bed which has potatoes already coming through – one of charlotte and one of maris piper. There are still a few of each left so may just put them into the bags I’ve used before if I can’t find anywhere else.

Just to rub it in – the weather is now sunny and when I started typing this it was pouring down – April showers in May!

The Last Bed Is In

Beds 9, 10 and the new one, 11, furthest away

Eleventh raised bed (more compost has now been added)

Yes, at last the last, and eleventh, raised bed is now in place and filled. This one I’ve filled with a mixture of compost from one of the compost bins, which seems to have a high soil content anyway, plus the contents of four grow bags from last season. Not sure what I’m going to grow in it yet – and I really need a plan for all of them written down, I’m just carrying vague thoughts of what is going where in my head at the moment.

The other aspect of getting all the beds in is to redo the ‘garden map’ and to number the beds in some logical way.

The other big task now, is to get the paths around and between the 6 beds on the ‘new side of the central path sorted out – which is going to be quite a bit of work I think.

Of course, getting the bed in place isn’t the only work that I’ve done, although not much else  outside in the garden, there have been developments in the greenhouse.

As I mentioned in the last post, more tomato seedlings have appeared now, and since then a couple more have appeared. No sign of any peppers yet though. Just today I potted on 9 ‘pomodoro’ tomato seedlings and both the cucumber seedlings.

I’ve also got four varieties of potato ‘chitting’, some are saved from last year (‘maya gold’ & ‘rooster’ – they are both well on) plus some ‘maris piper’ & ‘charlotte’, which I bought today, so they will be a week or two before being ready for planting. I finished potting on the marigolds the other day, so that’s two trays full.

I noticed today that some rocket seedlings have appeared in the bed in front of the kitchen, no sign of any coriander yet though.

Things are beginning to look very spring like in the garden, lots of leaves appearing on the blackcurrant bushes and on the gooseberry bushes.

Gooseberry leaves

The fruit trees are also getting close to having open buds as well.

Plum Tree buds breaking out

Spring flowers have been making a show in the ‘wild’ part of the garden.

Primroses

 

Summery Again

Thanks  to an extended period under high pressure (well a week or so) we now have daytime temps into the low 20’s (C) but night-time it drops to below 10 deg so a bit chilly first thing in the morning.

The other effect at this time of year of course is the shortening day – there hardly enough time in the evening to get things watered and one or two simple jobs and it’s already dark (before 8pm already too dark to work).

I’ve also had lots of things to do inside – like work and decorating – so outside work has taken a bit of a back seat. It’s been frustrating as well since the weather has been fine and sunny. It’s not that I don’t have plenty to do – there are over 70 ‘winter bedding plants’ in trays in the greenhouse which will soon need planting out.

Meanwhile I can scarcely keep up with harvesting the tomatoes, though amazingly by having pasta sauce made with our own tomatoes, we’ve been able to keep on top of the tomato situation. However, that isn’t so true of the courgettes, though production is slowing down now so maybe we’ll catch up.

The other bit of routine harvesting that has been handy is the raspberries – this time from just one cane I’ve had a few years, it is an autumn cropper and is quite prolific – so I’ve been able to have raspberries with my breakfast cereal several mornings each week, just picking the ripe ones just before breakfast – yum!

After finding a rather disappointing harvest of ‘Maya Gold’ potatoes from two bags the other week – scarcely enough for a couple of meals – with small portions. I emptied one of the bags with Maris Piper in the other day. This proved a bit more productive (see pic below)

Maris Piper harvest

So we had them mashed (with roast pork)

What’s the most depressing thing about wandering round the garden is the weed situation – boy have they proliferated – although the flower beds aren’t too badly affected, its mainly the areas around the raised beds and those bits I haven’t cultivated this year that are affected. I think an assault with the strimmer is called for….

I have harvested the grapes from the greenhouse  (pic to follow) but haven’t weighed the crops, seems like several pounds though. I’m now desperately looking up things to do with them – looks like gape juice or jam/jelly at the moment.

Wildlife

A major development for the birds is a ‘squirrel and pigeon proof’ enclosure to put over a ground feeding station (picture to follow) purchased from the RSPB. Within hours the dunnocks and a robin had worked out that it wasn’t a problem – haven’t seen any blackbirds inside yet – in theory they can get in. Sadly the pigeons have failed to appear (or a squirrel) since I put it out so I haven’t been able to gloat over their inability to get at the food yet.

Speaking of squirrels, one appeared last week, so the trap duly went out. Next morning I could see something was in it – but it was a hedgehog! So I rolled it out and after a few minutes it decided  the coast was clear and wandered off I have a picture which I’ll add). It does at least prove the hedgehogs are still around, so it served a useful purpose. Needless to say the squirrel hasn’t made another appearance, at least while I’ve been watching…..

Hedgehog just moving back to hide