The perkyness of spring

I'm definitely feeling better and was fortunate to get out in some spring sunshine and plant up some of my home grown veg on the plot. The weather forecast rain in the afternoon, but it never came, just more spring sunshine. We could actually do with a few showers now to get the seeds going, as my roots bed is looking decidedly bare right now, and I'm reluctant to sow anything else there until it either rains or the parish council install the water tap that has been promised.

Progress today as follows...

Broad Beans

As you can see they have been growing well in the greenhouse, and it was time for them to spread their roots in the soil outside.

Peas

I was not sure if it was a good idea to plant them out, but the roots were growing out of the bottom of the pots, so I've planted them among twiggy sticks and netted over to protect from pigeons. I thought if it's ok to plant them in the ground now as seed, it must be ok for them to go in as plants too. I think it's pretty sheltered there so the frost hopefully won't hurt.

 I have grown two varieties, Waverex Petit Pois and F1 Jaguar.

Wild Flower patch

I sowed a random selection of flowers between the raspberries, as a little wild flower meadow, they include Larkspur, Cantebury Bells, Marigolds, Mignonette, Cornflower and Morning Glory. Probably not very authentic, but I have some Ox-Eye Daisy in the greenhouse I can slot in to make it look more like a meadow!

Radishes and salad leaves have germinated

Overall everything is looking good!

An afternoon in the greenhouse

I deemed it was time to pot on a selection of seedlings that were languishing legily on my kitchen windowsil, including the kohl rabi, red onions and sungold tomatoes. I buried them all deep to help them toughen up a bit.

While I was in the greenhouse, I couldn't resist planting some more seeds, so I sowed sweetcorn and Florence fennel. I can't remember the sweetcorn variety as it was an old rediscovered packet from years ago, so who knows whether they will germinate, but they were a fantastic colour!

My sutton broad beans are up, as are the Eleonora Express, I will let them get a bit more established this year before planting out as they stalled once I planted and then were swamped by black fly! I love the look of the broad beans leaves as they emerge, they look like hooves.

The shelving is pretty stacked already in the greenhouse, so I may have to sort out the storage on the other side of my staging as I pot plants on...as I want to raise as many of my own plants as possible this year. Last year I ended up buying in quite a lot of ready grown plants to make up the shortfall. For example my harvest of own grown peas and beans was only enough for about a weeks worth of meals!