Nature works in cycles and we gardeners work along with this. We sow, plant, harvest and store our crops until the growing cycle starts again and the cycle is repeated.
Our stored potatoes are coming to an end. The few that are left are producing shoots which tell us that they are ready to start a new growing cycle. We are listening to nature and have been busily planting potatoes over the last few weeks.
We grow lots of potatoes and growing using the traditional trench method would, not only be time consuming but, would probably wear us out. For many years now we have planted potatoes using just a trowel and have not noticed any worsening of our crops. Once the potatoes are spaced out I dig as deep a hole as I can with a trowel. I sprinkle some concentrated farmyard manure into the hole and then plant the seed potato. Martyn then earths up the row. As the shoots emerge the row is earthed up again.
The early potatoes that we planted in tubs have pushed through and shoots of the ones on the plot are just tentatively emerging. There won’t be any potatoes to harvest for a good many weeks so in the meantime we will have to buy some in.
We sowed our first lot of peas last week. We sow the seeds into shallow trenches. Concentrated farmyard manure and Growmore is added to the bottom of the trenches and the trench is watered before scattering the seeds. As you can see from the photo we sow a generous amount of seeds, The bed was covered with enviromesh to try to cut down on any animal disturbance. Hopefully, the peas that we have stored in the freezer will see us through to this year’s harvesting.
Last year we took seeds from our sweet pea plants. We sowed the seeds in autumn. Hopefully, these will produce some early flowers, to be followed by plants grown from seeds sown in early spring.
Our lavender bed has become overgrown so I planted up a new bed.
Details of everything that we have sown and planted in April are posted here.
I tidied up a mixed perennial and shrub bed that had also become overgrown. Grass has grown in amongst some plants that will need lifting and cleaning up at a later date.
I’ve been busily trying to use our stored onions which are now trying to shoot. I made more onion bhajis last week, There are only a few onions left now but I have a couple of bags of chopped onions in the freezer which will hopefully see us through until the autumn planted onions are ready to use.
If you want to have a look around our allotment we filmed a plot tour which is posted here.
The early rhubarb is growing strongly now. Last week, we harvested a few sticks to use in a fruit compote and also in some rhubarb flapjacks. Small pieces of fruit were poached in a little fresh orange juice and sandwiched between two layers of flapjack mixture. I used oats, butter, honey, coconut and ginger to make the flapjack layers.
We also harvested some purple sprouting broccoli but I forgot to take a photo.
I bought a couple of pots of herbs, – sage and thyme – which are both useful in cooking.
We paid our usual weekly visit to Nostell. After several dry weeks the winter lake has now disappeared completely.
Everything is beginning to look lovely and green. I love the fresh green of the new spring leaves.
The bluebells are also in full flower now and looking beautiful. Photographs can never do them full justice.
There is a quiet spot in one of the meadows where Ruby can enjoy chasing her ball. The problem is that the grass will soon be left to grow so we will have to try and find another suitable spot. A video is posted here.
As always stay safe and well
I am again linking to Dave’s Harvest Monday post on his Our Happy Acres blog.
Coo! Look at all your peas! I think I’ll add a few mangetout seeds when I plant out my seedlings later – in an attempt to get some succession to my harvests.
Those rhubarb flapjacks look delist, I like the addition of coconut
We usually take a snack to Nostell, Belinda. Ruby gets a dog biscuit. When the strawberries start to arrive I’m going to try strawberry flapjacks. I add sunflower seeds too.
It’s good to see the cycle of the year spinning again Sue. Just a few ‘Charlotte’ potatoes for me now all planted in bags although too recently to see any foliage yet. The trench method for you would involve a lot of time and energy and I’m sure that you will get just as good crops. Hope that you’ve also enjoyed some of the wet stuff that we were blessed with last night 😂
We haven’t noticed a drop off in potato harvest. Anna and have used the trowel method for years now. We just managed some drizzly stuff.
Just wonderful seeing all that progress! Your autumn planted onions will be available soon as will mine fingers crossed. It is lovely seeing the greens of spring, so lush and vibrant. Loving Ruby as always! Oh I agree, photos never do bluebells justice.xxx
The autumn onions are growing quickly now Dina
Nothing says spring like planting peas and potatoes! Interesting to see all that lavender. It must do better in your climate than it does in ours, where it is quite finicky to grow.
There is a commercial lavender grower not too far away, Dave. They make all types of lavender products from their lavender crop.
Love your pea brush for the sweet peas. Are you familiar with Robert Frost’s poem on Pea Brush? Hope it all works out as planned. The bluebells are gorgeous.
https://www.ediblegardens52.com/ediblegardens52/pea-brush
I haven’t seen that poem, Sue. The sticks are from our coppiced hazel.
Yes spring really is arriving. Well done on your potatoes lasting so long. Ours gave out a month or two ago. And our onions and garlic are long gone. Mind you we are growing a lot more this year. Now carrots have only just run out
Our carrot started to grow a few weeks ago, Mal so you did better than us there.