Easter—ideally Good Friday—is traditionally the time to plant potatoes. This tradition is rooted in folklore, with the belief that planting at Easter brings good luck and a strong harvest. After all, Easter symbolises new life, making it the perfect moment to start thinking about a new growing season.
We had intended to follow tradition and get at least some potatoes in the ground over the holiday.
A Windy Good Friday
Good Friday, however, had other plans. Working at the allotment was far from pleasant—the wind was relentless, and a nearby polytunnel seemed destined to follow Artemis into space. It looked unlikely that any of our potatoes would make it underground over Easter.
At the Allotment
Despite the weather, the pace of work at the allotment is quickening.
On Tuesday, I finished tidying the bed that houses the thuggish horseradish. Ideally, we’d remove it entirely—but believe me, we’ve tried, and the best we can do is control its spread.
Martyn removed the covers from several beds and weeded the garlic and winter onions, which are now growing away nicely.
He had planned to net the cherry tree on Good Friday, but the strong winds quickly put paid to that idea.
I tackled a bed of rather sickly-looking Sweet Williams. Being buffeted by the wind made the task less pleasant, but I was determined to finish. On the way home, a newly fallen tree blocked the road—so perhaps sticking to the weeding saved us from being squashed!
By Saturday, some beds had developed a crusty surface, hardened by the drying wind. I removed the weeds while Martyn ran the cultivator through the soil to break up any clods before they returned to being rock hard and unworkable
We had hoped to plant potatoes on Easter Sunday, but the rain dashed that plan. Easter Monday is now the target—but will the weather cooperate?
At Temple Newsam
The daffodils are still taking centre stage at Temple Newsam. By planting different varieties that flower at staggered times, the gardens cleverly extend their flowering period—a strategy we could take into our own garden planning.
While the daffodils remain the stars of the show, early blossoms and newly unfurling leaf buds are emerging from the wings, at the start of the greening of the landscape.
At Nostell
Horse chestnut trees are among the first to awaken from their winter hibernation, with young leaves bursting into life and the trees donning the fresh, vibrant green unique to spring.
Wildflowers are also springing into action: aconites create sunny patches across the grass, while more bluebells are appearing, gradually forming a soft, blue carpet across the woodland floor.
To me, yellow and green have always been symbolic of spring.
Nature on the plot
When we’re working on the plot, we are under constant watch. A robin perches in a tree, singing a territorial tune announcing “This is my patch. Keep off!” while occasionally swooping down to forage in the freshly turned soil for tasty morsels.
Meanwhile, our manure piles are sprouting fungi. Tall, bell-shaped mushrooms—Petticoat Mottlegills—and brown, cup-shaped fungi—likely Blistered Cup Fungus—appear shortly after rain on horse or cow manure. Both are decomposers, specialised in breaking down the high-nitrogen content in herbivore dung and straw. Fresh manure is packed with concentrated nitrogen, retains moisture, and presents little competition from organisms that cannot tolerate the high ammonia content. These fungi help convert “hot” manure into stable, nutrient-rich organic matter, so it’s best not to apply the manure to growing areas while the fungi are active.
Ruby is proving a challenge with her thick coat. The next time you see her, she’ll have had a visit from the groomer and look far more slender. Until then, her daily brushing remains a rather arduous task—one I’m looking forward to being made easier!
With only Easter Monday left, will we manage to get some potatoes in the ground over the holiday period? Whether or not you’ve been planting potatoes.
I hope you had a happy Easter and weathered the storms safely.
Haha, I like your comment about the polytunnel following Artemis. It was horribly windy and it’s bringing the temperature down. Much more pleasant when it’s possible to shelter from it.
I hope you managed to get some spuds planted yesterday
We did plant some Belinda