Back from half term we have had some frosts in Somerset which has knocked everything a little. I actually brought my sweet peas in from the greenhouse just in case they get nipped by the frost. The temperatures did not dip low enough for the Old Man to need his water turned off in the lean-to, so I guess I was worrying needlessly.
Anyway, before I went up to Arran I had planted tomatoes in order to avoid the tomato tensions of last year, when Mrs B was gazing longingly at other Gardeners Delights and comparing them unfavourably with my Sweet Millions (looking more like sad singletons).
Aubergines going in
And hey presto, the toms are up. The problem now is trying to make sure they don’t get too leggy as they strain for the dim light coming through the study window. Do I put them in the greenhouse and risk losing them in the cold?
One thing that will not be going in the greenhouse any time soon are the chillis and aubergines that I planted at the same time. Even Monty on Gardeners World (hoorah – new series started Friday….middle aged? Moi?) was saying that planting chillis was a job for this weekend, but mine have steadfastly refused to germinate so far. I’ll try again next weekend if they have not come up by then.
In the meantime, I have a Sunday which I will spend finally cleaning the greenhouses – then perhaps I will risk those long-legged supermodel tomatoes out there.
It’s Easter and bunnies are very much of the moment around here as Ella once again caught her very own Easter Bunny when VB took her for a walk. In Ella’s defence (and the rabbit’s for getting caught by a lugubrious black lab in open grassland twenty hops from the safety of the burrow) there is a lot of myxomatosis around at the moment. So perhaps Ella is doing a merciful task putting rabbits beyond pain before they become too sick. A canine Dignitas for rabbits – though not so dignified for Verity who struggled to get her retriever to drop the still warm, possibly breathing, rabbit.
Who’s been digging in my bed?
Down the garden there was evidence of rabbits in the garden as one part of the chicken wire seemed to have been pushed down before a couple of random holes were dug in the onions. No onions were harmed in the skirmish but I have since got another couple of rolls of chicken wire from Swift Huts and renewed the rabbit proof fencing around both veg patches.
The main item on the list of jobs is PLANTING. The greenhouse is fit to bursting with seed trays full of Broad Beans, Cabbages, Curly Kale, Cavalo Nero, Kohl Rabi, Leeks, Mangetout, Sugar Snap Peas, Peas, Purple Sprouting, Butternut Squash, Uchiki Kuri Squash, Sweet Peppers, Chilli Peppers, Tomatoes, Coriander, Basil and Aubergines.
Old Faithful
In addition to a mass of full seed trays, another sure sign of spring is the sound of the rotovator. The old Howard never fails you. It can sit in the Cow Stall all winter, unloved and seemingly forgotten, but comes out in the spring like a Grizzly Bear from hibernation ready to take all before it. It never fails to start and apparently needs no maintenance. It is a marvel. Or so I was saying as the clutch went half way through digging the salad bed….
I had a feeling it would be easy to mend, but neither myself nor Jim could see it so I was forced to ask the OM to tell me how to re-attach the wire. I am increasingly worried by his lack of mobility and unwillingness to walk further than the garage and back, but such was the importance of the issue, he made it down the garden to stand on one side of the chicken wire and instruct me on how to mend the machine. Fortunately it was done in a trice and hopefully the exercise did him good
In the main veg patch I have gone all “No Dig” this year, with the cardboard keeping the weeds down, so I was able to plant the spuds with relative ease. I have a combination of Belle de Fontenay, International Kidney, Cherie, Pink Fir Apple, Sarpo Mira and Sarpo Una. It looks pretty good – apart from the cardboard bits. While digging them I got an ear worm of “No Surprises” by Radiohead…”A heart that’s full up like a landfill…”
But this job is not going to kill me – it’s what makes me feel alive.
Trenches dug
Seed trays being filled
Spuds done
Massive Bumble Bee – might have smashed a window if I had not trapped him in a bucket…
