Sunday 24 February 2008

Making progress



This was part of the plot before we started today, (we've done more now) it's really making progress and just from cultivating some of the land the drainage has improved massively. The nice weather has also helped and my drainage trench at the back of the plot. We've been making small steps forward the last couple of weeks but looking at the photographs really helps illustrate just how much progress we have made. Mini is loving going down to the plot now and getting muddy, last week I had to stop her from eating mud off her spade, aren't kids lovely!?

So far we have broad beans and early peas in the ground and some new raspberry canes. I have parsnips and tomatos coming up in trays and the potatoes are spread out in trays to chit. I have prepared a large pot with peat so I can have a bash at growing some blueberries a much rated superfood so it would be good if we could grow some and I've also made up some large terracotta pots with compost ready to grow herbs.

I'm really keen to grow the things that we like to eat, it's pointless growing stuff we don't enjoy because the likliehood is that it will get wasted. I'm really getting into my cooking these days too and I'm really looking forward to when I can make things with our own home grown produce.

Our wider family has grown this month too with the safe arrival of our nephew, baby Ole James. Perhaps when he is a little bigger he will be able to come gardening with us but certainly by the time he starts weaning we are hoping to have some fresh delicious fruit and veg to serve up to him yum!

Friday 15 February 2008

More seeds



Got some parsnip seeds and some early peas planted up this week, I've also covered the beans and peas with some mesh to stop birds and other creatures pinching the early seedlings. The forst part of this week has been amazing weather wise and we spent two full days down at the plot with picnics, one day we were all in t-shirts the weather was so fab. I think it is easy to start to think that it is spring and plant things that it's too early for in February, I am so desperate to plant stuff and see some early results that I have to be careful not to be over enthusiastic, as it is still february and hard frosts or snow are still very possible. The plot is looking great compared to when we took it on and I'm starting to see the real potential that could exist.


Mini has learnt a new game which was partly my fault as I sat her in the wheelbarrow when we were down there one time, now she likes to ride around it and when I take her out to try and do some work she just shouts 'more!' which is funny the first few times but then rapidly gets annoying. She has also started to eat mud if we leave her unsupervised with her little spade, aren't children delightful!

Saturday 9 February 2008

Planted our first seeds

Our broad beans went out in the ground today and it was quite momentous to put our first thing in. I completed building one side of the fence and have put the stakes and fence frame on the other side just need the mesh now to finish it off. The fence really defines the plot and I am secretly quite proud of my first attempt at fence building. The sun shone today and it was lovely and warm a really great day to spend outside. The roots bed is now also dug and work has begun on digging over the potato bed. The ground is atill quite wet but if we have a few more days like today then I am confident that it will soon dry up. Mini was good today, the waterproof suits are absolutely fab and I am so glad I managed to bag a bargain in the sales with them. My wellies are also a top buy, they were so comfy and practical today so I'm really pleased I bought them.

Monday 4 February 2008

Potato seed

The potato tubers have arrived and it was with great excitement that I received the box from Thomson and Morgan, the new potatoes are one of the key motivators for me in growing vegetables because I just love them, I am so excited now about putting them in.
The weather here has been atrocious lately so we have hardly got down to the plot but we have a weekend off together coming up and I am on half term next week so can do a bit. I can't believe it is February already, work is really busy for both of us plus we have a little one to entertain, so time management, as I suspected, is going to be a real issue for us all and I'm very aware that we will need the longer spring evenings to get on top of things if we are actually going to grow much this year. Never mind as long as I get some yummy new potatoes that just melt in the mouth I will be happy, now that's not too much to hope for is it?