3 January
The first part of our seed order has now been decided on, I’ve chosen the flowers that I’ll be sowing this year. I’ve decided that I am not growing and half hardy annuals as we really get pushed for space in the greenhouse and are really busy planting out vegetables at the same time as we would need to plant out many of the half hardy flowers. Generally the vegetables take priority and the flower plants spoil.
This year I’ve decided to mainly grow hardy annuals that I can sow direct. I’ve chosen plants that I think the bees will like too.
After disappointment over my seed raised pompom dahlias, this year I’ve chosen a single variety - surely that will come true to description but will I get the colour range displayed in the seed catalogue.
With bees in mind I’ve also chosen a sunflower, not a pollen free or double variety as these would be of no use to the bees and one short enough for me to enjoy the flowers as well as the bees.
Looking towards winter and next years cut flowers I am sowing wallflowers ,which in the past I have bought as bare rooted plants, violas, instead of pansies in the hope that they will stand up to anything the weather throws at us a bit better and some sweet William for cut flowers next spring. This set of seeds will be sown late summer.
I’ve explained my choices in more detail on my blog here
5 January
If you’ve read December 2012 diary or read my blog, you will know that I have ended up with quite a number of cyclamen seedlings. These were growing like cress on a bedroom windowsill and were also becoming leggy and so something had to be done.
I’ve pricked our a dozen of each sowing of seed into half trays and most of the rest have gone into a full seed tray. The half trays have come back inside and placed under our indoor growing light and the full tray has been left to take their chances in a covered tray in the greenhouse. I figured it was better than throwing the seedlings away and will be a good test to see whether they manage to grow in cooler conditions.
I’ve also sown a couple of troughs of lettuce and they have also gone under to grow light to provide some salad leaves. Read more here.
Whilst I was out in the garden I had a wander around. Lots of bulbs are already pushing through the soil and the hellebore and mahonia are now in bud. The garrya is at it’s best with its long trailing tassels. Below are just a few of the photos that I snapped.
11 January
The Little Gem sees sown and placed under the growing light germinated.
12 January
We made a visit to the plot mainly to harvest a few fresh vegetables but also took the opportunity to have a look around.
The garlic is growing fairly well on the plot as it also is in the tub in the greenhouse. In the greenhouse the elephant garlic is now beginning to shoot although there is no sign of this on the plot.
Growth from the autumn sown onions is patchy but the sets were planted later than we would have liked.
As for the winter brassicas, the spring cabbage is under attack from slugs and fot some reason one broccolii plant has really suffered at the beaks of wood pigeons.
We had a bonus picking of a tiny cauliflower -the head wasn’t even big enough for one helping be we harvested it nonetheless.
The tayberry and blackberry really do need pruning - usually this has been done much earlier but circumstances, the weather and ground conditions have held us back. It really isn’t a good idea to trample on soggy ground as this compacts the soil.
It also looks as though the wallflowers are struggling.
26-27 January
The conditions have been very cold and snowy so for most of the time we have been indoors. Yesterday morning we awakened to another fall of snow but nothing like the amounts that have been experienced in some parts of the country. A swift thaw set in and then later rain arrived to wash all but a few remnants of snow away.
The Little Gem seedlings also growing under the grow light are doing well but only one of the Saladin seeds germinated and so I have resown this trough with a mixture of Red Iceberg and Rougette du Midi. I’m really just using up old seed so I’ve nothing to lose and may end up with some fresh salad leaves to enhance salads or sandwiches.
This weekend was the RSPB Birdwatch weekend and surprisingly the birds didn’t all fly away and hide.The results of our hour’s watch are on a blog post here. We counted on Saturday whilst the snow was still on the ground keeping the feeders busy. Had we waited ‘til Sunday there would have been far less activity. Maybe the thaw has revealed tastier morsels. At least the goldfinches haven’t deserted us.
I’ve been able to keep an eye on the cyclamen seedlings planted under the grow light in an upstairs room so knew that they were still growing very slowly but I was surprised to find that those pricked out and left in the cold greenhouse with only the protection of an unheated propagator are also not only surviving but have grown.
28 January
Our first batch of seed and onions sets arrived from Kings.
31 January
For the past few days we have suffered gale force winds so have again been in hibernation mode. One of the varieties of lettuce seed that I sowed on 27 January has germinated. I think it is red iceberg but as Martyn has inadvertently mixed up my labelling system - I can’t be 100% sure.
The seed potatoes have arrived from JBA - it now feels as though the season has really begun although we must restrain ourselves from planting and sowing too early.
Some activities are described in more detail on our blogs - links below