Last week the rain abated and at times the sun shone, so we took the plunge and started planting. Fortunately, beds had been dug over earlier in the year so we could start planting straight away.
The first to be planted were the early potatoes. Some compost and fertiliser were added to the soil and two rows of potatoes were planted using the trowel method which seems to provide us with as good a yield as going through the backbreaking task of digging deep trenches. Once the seed potatoes were planted, mounds of earth were drawn up over the rows and more earthing up will be done as the tops emerge.
We planted up two beds, one of Casablanca and one with two varieties that we haven’t grown before – Ulster Prince and Sagitta. We usually like to try something different.
We planted up our first bed of onions and shallots. There are four varieties of onions and some Longor shallots. I don’t hold out much hope of a successful shallot harvest as the sets had sprouted excessively. Once planted the bed was covered with enviromesh which will be removed once the onions start to grow away,
Martyn has posted a video of our onion and potato planting here. All the varieties are listed here.
Our final planting of the week was a bed of early peas. We buy large bags of pea seeds and sow them generously. This allows for some being eaten by other than human creatures. Once sown the peas were covered with enviromesh to protect any young emerging shoots from wood pigeons. It also deters any animals from walking over the bed or birds choosing it as a dust bathing area.
Our cherry tree has flower buds and so we covered the tree with a net- no easy task. Any unprotected cherry tree has the buds and any new leaf growth stripped by the wood pigeons. No doubt our efforts to protect the tree will have knocked off some buds but that’s a better option than leaving the tree uncovered.
After each of two visits to the allotment we brought home a helping each of purple sprouting broccoli.
In the garden, I stained the cold frames, which were looking very shabby, and Martyn emptied the compost bin and mulched around some of the perennials.
The greenhouse is gradually filling up.
At Nostell, the swans are still sitting on their nest. Swans sit on the eggs for up to 36 days so it is a good job that both male and female take turns on the nest.
The first bluebells are flowering. This prompted me to check the ones that I planted in the garden a couple of years ago. No signs of any flowers yet. I wonder whether we will have another flowerless year?
Elsewhere in the garden, there is an increasing display of colour.
Finally, some of last week’s meals were a chicken and leek casserole that made use of some of our leeks and potatoes. Unfortunately, the potatoes still in store are starting to grow. Other ingredients were celery, carrot, mushrooms and a tin of tomatoes. Sweet chilli sauce was added to the stock.
The broccoli and some of our potatoes were served with haddock.
Into a vegetable biryani went some of our onions, frozen green beans, peas and sweetcorn and peppers.
That’s all for another week so until next time stay safe and well.
This week I am linking to Harvest Monday at Dave’s Our Happy Acres blog.
Good seeing food going in the ground. Great job of the coldframe. Loving all the spring blooms.xxx
It is good to start planting Dina
Good to see that the weather is finally more like spring Sue and that you can get on with planting. The last couple of days have been grim though weather wise. I love purple sprouting broccoli and grew it a few times at the allotment. I know that some Cheshire farmers lost their whole crops this winter so you have done well,
The weather is still hit and miss, Anna. More rain and soggy soil again.
Sue, what wonderful weather! There are so many colors in your garden. I love magnolia blossoms, I see yours is pretty. Your dishes look very delicious and I would like to eat haddock with veggies.
The weather is changeable, Nadezda. Just the odd spring-like day
I love planting, but for me there’s rarely a rush to get going, as i have more of an even tempo, planting 1-2 beds a week, each week of the year : All the best – Steve
Not so much of a rush Steve as things catch up but it’s frustarting when young plants are desperate to get into the ground and the weather is against us.
I am guessing it felt good to be planting things. I was able to get out today and do a bit myself, with hopefully more to come tomorrow.
I did, Dave. I hope you managed your planting.
I very much enjoyed your video on planting potatoes. Perhaps I will do that next year when my cauliflower finishes in late January. My soil is very loose so the method should work. All your spring bulbs are lovely.
Much easier than breaking your back digging trenches and quicker too Sue. We haven’tnoticed a difference in yield so why do it thenhard way?