Yesterday was my weekly update on the plot. The day started of frosty, so I had to wait for the sun to burn off most of the cold in preparation for digging, which in turn made the countryside look very autumnal with the mist laying low on the fields. Then by midday it was almost mid summer, with scorching (yes I even felt like I may need sunscreen) sun, but I'm sure it was probably only about 12C.I had to shed a couple of layers while working and was truly soaking up the spring sunshine. Then by about 3pm, the mist rolled in again and cloud blocked out the sun, and we were back to winter!
The plot is structurally coming on nicely, and I'm excited for the children (or perhaps just for me) as I have created some paths and seperate beds, not quite raised beds, just sectioned off areas, for them to walk and play around. When I was younger I used to love visiting country house gardens because they were exciting to explore with their different 'rooms'. I want to recreate a tiny part of this idea on my plot as it makes it an inviting place for them to visit.
So, I have a salad bed, and now a courgette bed behind...
In the salad bed I have planted some general cut and come again lettuce and some radishes, just to keep my enthusiasm going (as my carrots have not come up elsewhere)
...the path leading up to this is a climbing bean and flower tunnel, to the right of which will be a sweetcorn block.
In my roots bed, I planted more Early Nantes Carrots (not sure if the others will ever germinate, will give them a couple more weeks before resowing there). I also sowed rocket and parsley, intercropped between the roots.
Then, as I had frivolously bought some additional early potatoes, I decided to put them in, the shoots had reached almost 2" long. The variety is Foremost, which don't necessarily get the best recommendations across the web, but we shall see, the proof being in the eating. This time I've added a little comfrey to the trench, not something I've tried before, but most books say potatoes are a 'hungry crop' and as this bed has only been mucked this year, they might need an extra boost.
Garlic update...
Don't be too eager to sow seeds outdoors Last year our first outdoor sowing of carrots was mid April! We sowed a tub of carrots on 21 March to germinate in our greenhouse
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, yet I fall foul of this temptation every year! Fortunately this year I've done the same and sown a window box of carrots in the greenhouse too. Either way I'm determined to get early potatoes and carrots and not have to buy the expensive ones in the shop!
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