I have had a really difficult spring and, like so many people, I have found solice in my garden. It has been all to easy to wander aimlessly outside and become captivated by a small job, which before I know it has turned into the loss of an afternoon. This has meant that I have sown, pricked out and grown on plants much earlier than usual. This has also meant that I have run out of space, everywhere, long before what would usually be considered my last frost date.
The garden has been very forgiving and if it can just hold off for a couple more weeks I think I will be able to say I have got away with it.
The sweetcorn and second early potatoes have been in the ground for about 3 weeks. I am covering the corn at night with the bottles and earthed up the potatoes for last weekends predicted frosts, but they are both doing fine.
The strawberries are full of flower and the onions look much bigger than last year. My white shelling bean had taken over the tunnel so that too has been planted out and rather cunningly covered with a tunnel of old roofing panels. They have survived a week of cold and rain so it’s fingers crossed for them as well.
This is my, supposedly, empty flower bed where I plant new seedlings every year. This winter the dahlias have all survived and thrived. Which is a blow especially as it is meant to be a zinnia bed this year. The dozens of zinnia seedlings might just have to squeeze in!
The onions and garlic are joined by carrots and parsnips. I started these in toilet rolls and planted out the seedlings. It worked fairly well last year although it probably would have been helpful if I had taken off the fleece before taking the picture. Not much to show off about if no one can see them!
The cabbages, caulis and purple broccoli are joined by only 6 sprout plants. They were such a disaster last year I vowed never to grow them again, obviously I have, but then I dropped them, both as seeds and then again as seedlings. I think I am just destined not to succeed which is fine as I don’t even eat them. They are, however, Miss C’s favourite veg.
Peas it seems, have become an obsession. These are snap and mange tout, growing through my cornus bush trimmings. Below are Alderman which apparently grow 6ft tall (although a few mange tout sneaked into the row so that will be interesting.) I have more on the go meaning to stagger them, but they are catching up fast. I’m not worried, I could eat peas at every meal if allowed.
This is my tunnel and the reason I’ve had to put so much out already. It’s hit 52°c and dropped as low as 4 over the last month. It might have been hotter but the thermometer stopped working at that point. As most would!
My very slapdash cucumber supports. Let’s hope they are good for more than a laugh! My houseplant has scale insect but a couple of cold nights outside soon sorted that out and it’s now recovering in the warm.
I’m growing my peppers in pots this year and they are already coming into flower. I’ve got them on a stand at the moment and am covering at night still.
I have pumpkins, butternut and spaghetti squash in builders buckets. The young girl in Poundland gave me an ‘are you crazy’ look when I brought their whole supply last week. I need a few more but might try a different town next time!
Some of the tomatoes are already in the soil. The rest are still in pots because the over wintered cauliflower are still taking up the room. I had this problem 2 years ago and swore never to bother trying again but I never learn!
acquest13 