Getting Ahead

Posted by Rosie

This time last year I had hardly stepped foot in the veg garden for weeks.  We had had snow and more snow and hard frosts in between.  This winter has of course been very different and for once, despite the wet, I am really rather well ahead (shock).

Most of the veg beds are manured and covered - I am a "do as little digging as possible" type of gardener and this way I simply need to uncover the patch where I want to sow, remove the odd persistent weed, rake over the surface and I'm ready to go. Easy!  And if we do, by chance, get a long dry spell the fabric helps keep the soil damp.

I have sown parsnips and broad beans outside.  We have had a few gorgeous days this week - warm enough on Monday to eat lunch in the garden, temperatures above 30ºC in the polytunnel and wind to dry out the soil enough to make it workable.  The French think I am completely daft sowing things outside in February, but then they rarely grow parsnips or broad beans.  I have also sown loads in the polytunnel - oriental greens, carrots, rocket, beetroot, chard, spring onions, lettuces, cabbages and turnips.  OK - I know I run the risk of bad weather still to come but anyone who knows me knows that I like to try things early and

Harvest Home

late .... and certainly nothing will grow if the seeds stay in the packets. Last year I had a poor broad bean crop as they went in so late.  This year I am hoping for better!  Late last year, far later than the packets advised, I sowed Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Turnips and look what I am harvesting this week.  The hens are also well and truly back in lay - thank you Girls.

Tidy Tayberries

In the fruit patch, I have pruned back all my fruit bushes and tied in the rambling fruits - I still have all the prunings to remove (I hate doing that!) and a blackberry to replant that has self seeded in a daft place but it's all otherwise looking very neat.  Simon bought me some new fruit bushes back from the UK - 4 blackcurrants, a redcurrant and some yellow raspberries and they have all gone in.  Unlike the broad beans I had a FABULOUS fruit crop last year - the best ever and I am hoping for a repeat performance this year!

Simon also bought me a few "oddities" back:
* some mushroom spawn - we tried a box before and it did well initially - that is until the cat thought it would make a convenient litter tray.  (Note to self - keep Henry away from mushrooms).
* a small citrus tree - it's a clementine cross and supposed to give edible fruit.  It is hardy down to 5ºC so can spend the summer in the garden, spring and autumn in the polytunnel and winter in the house (I hope it doesn't get too big!)
* a ginger root - I have had root ginger sprout in the fridge and apparently you can get it to grow .... if it is hot and humid enough.  We shall have to see.

A good week in the garden then.  I'll end with a plea to the weather Gods - previously you have sent us deep snow in March, biting winds in April and frost in May. Could you kindly this year send us none of these as we gardeners would prefer no snow and, to quote a well know poem, "April showers to bring forth May flowers".  Not much of an ask surely?

Linking up with Mammasuarus and other gardeners in How Does Your Garden Grow - I'm off to read what everyone else has been up to this week.