Saturday and Sunday

Blazing sunshine and ground like concrete. Lovely. Managed to break my fork, so a new one has been duly purchased.

Got quite a few photos to put on, so here they come in no particular order. Have got some pretty little strawberry pots from Tesco for less than £4 each, so of course I HAD to go out and purchase 12 strawbs to put in them! His lordship has given his gracious permission for me to place them on the side of his precious pond, but if his fish take a fancy to my fruit, theres gonna be trouble!

My spuds are beginning to poke their little green heads above ground. Had to get a pic for the family album. The old lawnmower has been brought back into service as somewhere for my sweet peas to grow. They're starting to get a bit taller now, I'll pinch them out when they are big enough.

The swings have been put up for Lauren. I no longer get the 'I'm bored' chorus. She plays, I dig and plant, everybody's happy. I'm not worried about the space it takes up cos a few of the sheds have been marked for demolition which will give me extra planting space next year.

Have sneaked in a small pic of my little front garden as the tulips are all coming out and it was looking rather pretty after I had given it a tidy up and put in the plants I got at the show t'other week.


Have sown more runner and french beans, having Scarlet Emperor (runner) and Blue Lake (french). Herbs have been sown, currently growing on are Marjoram, thyme, Coriander, Dill, Parsley and Tarragon. Lettuces that are catch cropping between the spuds are doing well. Have planted out a short row of young pea plants. Need to get some more started off now. Tomatoes of all varieties are romping away in the greenhouse, have planted up 3 tumbler plants into a hanging basket. Going to plant some basil in there with them when its big enough.

thanks for listening
Kirsty

Muddling through

My resolution for next year (next week?) - be more organised! Steve commented on the rather haphazard way I'm doing things on the plot so the time has come to draw up a plan of things that need doing and get them done. Have had a poorly foot for a week or so, but plan to get going on the heavier work now its better.
Have been sowing lots of seeds lately, and they are sprouting in a satisfactory way. Been spending lots of time taking care of the chooks and generally getting to know them. They are laying loads of beautiful eggs which means I have enough to share with friends and family.

Arran Pilot spuds are coming up, nice to see some green on the bare earth. Jerusalem artichokes are growing nicely. Have popped some Webbs Wonderful lettuce in on the patch where the Pentland Javelin are as a catch crop, they should come to maturity before the spud plants get too big and shade them.
Runner and French beans are coming up nicely, plan on putting them out around the end of the month, depending on the weather and getting then hardened off.
Beans frame has now been constructed, plan for tomorrow is to get space ready for the peas and get them in as well as to get a successional sowing in.
Tray of lettuces that I sowed a couple of weeks ago has now been pricked out into pots. Surplus went down to the girls for an afternoon snack. When they see me coming, I get mobbed at the gate, definitely associated me with food now!

Got tomato plants coming out of my ears. Decided to keep 6-7 of each variety and then sell the rest off at a boot sale. Any pennies could then go towards any bits and pieces I need on the plot.

My Big Jim chilli plants are doing nicely. Had to rig up shade in the greenhouse so my plants didn't fry with the weather we've been having lately. Capsicums are starting to get going also.

Had a lovely time at the East of England Garden Show last week. Won a goodie bag!! There was an area there where a couple of experts were doing a gardeners question time kind of thing. They were answering questions from the audience, and also asking us questions so that we could win little prizes. We bought a goodie bag that the sponsors had put together with mags and seeds etc in there, which entitled us to join in the competition. Had to answer 3 questions correctly to win the prize - and I did, was ridiculously chuffed. Had to choose between a goodie bag or some all singing, all dancing wellies. Went for the bag cos it had some interesting looking books in it that I wanted to read as well as other bits and bobs for house and garden plants.
Also got some new plants for my little front garden at excellent prices which meant I absolutely had to spend all day Saturday pottering about, tidying up and bedding down my new babies. Its quite fun seeing what you can do while hopping and trying to balance on one foot while bending over wielding a trowel.

Thats probably not all, but can't remember everything.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings
Kirsty

Will put latest pics on when I get them uploaded from my phone.

Some cultivated land at last

I have to admit I did a little victory dance at the thought of having a small patch of ground cultivated at last. These beds contain my spuds, Pentland Javelin and Arran Pilot. Got another bed to dig about the same size for the Red Duke of York and then that will be all my earlies in.
Time to go shopping for seconds and maincrops now.
Have sown half of my sweetcorn today, have gone for Lark. Will sow the rest at the beginning of May.
Was poking around in the greenhouse today, another tray of salad has germinated, along with the Asters that I have sown for my front garden. Canes arrived from garden warehouse last week, so need to get my bean frame built and plan where my peas are going to go. Need to get my successional sowings of these on the go pretty soon. Need to rethink the brassicas, because I'm going to grow extra cabbages and greens for the chooks, reckon I need a larger area for these but the logistics of netting this are giving me headaches.

Plans for this week, if I get enough time are to sort out a place to grow tomatoes outside and get the bean trench dug and a frame up.

Thanks
Kirsty