Spring Bits and Bobs.

[retropants]

Too near The City and The Airport here for anything as exotic as swallows and cuckoos sadly!

[Geoff]

Two swallows have moved into our garage this week. While I moved out of the greenhouse last evening when the heavy rain started to include thunder and lightning, doesn't seem sensible to stay in an aluminium structure.

[Cider Boys]

Planted out purple sprouting broccolli plants this morning and sowed a couple of rows of carrots this evening. Yesterday I drove across the moors to pickup the compost I ordered and even that had gone up in price. If food prices also keep inflating, as they have been forecast to, vegetable gardening may become a profitable necessity.

Barney

[Westi]

My brain is officially addled! Went to pay my plot invoices yesterday & a total disaster with my computer not accepting them. A nice guy there had them all filled in & listed but despite both of us checking & tweeking we only managed to only get one to go through. The others looked like they were going in the system but just disappeared. Checked the bank but nothing untoward there just the single one going out so goodness knows what is wrong with the others.

It will be the good old cheque to pay for the last 3 whether they are happy or not, not wasting any more time now or in the future! They can sort out the invoice & plot numbers numbers when they get the cheque!

[Clive.]

I've just deep dug another strip across the back garden...a half lost bit towards the house end of the vegetable area....it missed out on my attentions at Christmas time, hence making for a slow progress sowing of my Radeo peas. Deep digging was required to turn in some 'rubbish' on the top.!
Next is to shell the pea seed, sat in a bag since collection in 2023..

Meanwhile 5 more stocky little leeks are part of lunch menu with stewed rhubarb as pud'.

C.

[Westi]

I'm a bit over excited as both phone & TV weather are saying sunshine for over a week! Temps aren't grand but liking the cheery little sun on most days. Works out well as just decided today I will be going down 3 days a week instead of just two for a bit.
I don't normally go down that often as Mr always gets himself in muddle in my absence but his sight is so poor with his cataracts now he can't go out side the house so problem solved! His op is just 4 weeks away now (he got bumped up as sight deteriorated more), so I am taking the opportunity to get as much done as possible before he is back supervising!

[Geoff]

Quite a ground frost last night so I deployed the potato tent, quite a bit of ice on it when I rolled it back but they look OK. Weather station says the air stayed above freezing at 1.2°C.

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Tunnel said down to 2.3° so first earlies still look happy.

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[oldherbaceous]

It all looks wonderful, Geoff.

Poor Old Coder, is really struggling now, he just hasn’t got the get up and go, to do anything…..it really tough to see!

[Cider Boys]

Lovely photographs Geoff, looks a well organised garden, you obviously take a methodical approach.

OH, I'm sorry to read about old codger, at least he has a kind friend in you.

Had my spring covid jab yesterday and have a very sore arm, does not usually affect me. I think they must have given me a super-duper dose.

Weather here is warm and sunny, no frost this morning but I did earth my potatoes up last evening just in case.

Barney

[Geoff]

Two sore arms here too today, Barney, most be different this dose.

[Westi]

I'm back to making lists again! All well & good off season getting distracted, but not so much fun suddenly realising you've got loads to do & actually quite behind. At least the beds are prepped so it really is just getting the seeds & plants in especially since the weather is looking good. I'll be interested to see if the latest batch of BSP have decided to grow, can't quite understand them failing but it seems to be quite a problem for others as well.

What seed company do you all use & could recommend? Never had a problem before, maybe the odd one or two not germinating but it's more like just one or two actually growing. I do keep thinking has the farmer behind sprayed but I doubt it as he is organic & proud of it when I met him once getting manure & it is monitored. That just leaves the railway guys but also pretty assured even if they did spray the tracks it is too far away. I off on line next to do another order just to have a back up, might not need but covering all angles.

[Cider Boys]

Westie, I just use a mixture, Suttons, Fothergill, Wilko and my local Ag Merchants for items such as potatoes, beans and peas. I used to use D T Brown when I ordered by post.

Another light frost here this morning, at least I had earthed up my potatoes.

Barney

[Geoff]

Not cheap buying seeds for them to fail, I spent £107 without the seed potatoes. Used 6 companies, in order of amount spent Premier Seeds Direct, Just Seed, Simpsons Seeds, Sow Seeds, Seed Megastore and Simply Seeds. Had only one partial failure in veg seeds that was 3/5 gherkins when I expect 100% from Premier. Quite a few flower failures with zeros for verbena (Premier); bacopa, quaking grass, nicotiana (all Just Seed), poor nasturtiums (Premier) and bidens (Just Seed). Best germination is usually what you save yourself which perhaps says something.

[Westi]

I just went online & ordered some more; thanks guys!
I never do a mix & match from different suppliers now with the site order available from Kings. Kind of makes you a bit lazy as just don't look elsewhere. Quite nice mooching around on line & found some new Chinese veg varieties to try, apparently less likely to bolt which they are indeed very good at doing!

[retropants]

I have had pretty good germination rates with most things, EXCEPT climbing beans. Not a one!