Kitchen Garden Forum

And I know exactly what I'm going to do, I'm off to the plot with my Mantis to see if I can prepared the ground for my spuds to go in. It's still pretty cold at night here in Rugby so I think I'll hold off planting anything until Easter, but a good bit of digging and tilling is what I need for my soul. This time last year so much was in and growing I'm trying to work out how I'm going to find the time to catch up this year.

Dear Chantal, i think we will all be a bit overwhelmed with the amount of planting out and other numerous jobs we have got left to do this year. I'm sure we will catch up in the end though.
Hope you got a nice lot done on your allotment today.

Kind regards a very busy Old Herbaceous.

Where there's a will there's a way.

Hi OH, yes thanks, got loads done this morning and even put in 3 rows of spuds which I hadn't planned to do, and most of the shallots which have been growing in pots. Then at 1pm the clouds came over and since then we've had drizzle, then sleet, small hailstones, huge hailstones, snow and torrential rain. It's still raining and has become very cold so I have retired indoors to a roaring fire (in my lovely clean chimney) and the Agatha Christie film on TV. Tim, the daft sod, is playing golf, although he did phone to say he'd retired to the bar after four holes until the weather cleared up a bit.

Ah well, I got something done and more than I thought I'd manage so I'm a happy bunny despite the rain.

nice and sunny here , but weve got relations for lunch so havent been able to get much done and will have indigestion later.

We got caught in it as well Chantal, we collected our frecycle greenhouse in the dry but had to unload it on the plot in a hailstorm. As by then we were wet anyway we decided to go for it and planted out the 26 asparagus crowns that arrived on Friday.

At least we didnt have to water them. Kazzi is off the latter part of next week so potato planting then methinks. Oh and greenhouse assembly.

We've had an entire year's worth of weather here in a day - bright sunshine, wind, rain, hail, sleet, snow and now it's back to sunshine.

I had to do the ironing today - whilst it was still only hill sized and not yet a mountain. I've just escaped from it and went to check my tunnels, only to find a family of pheasants in there having afternoon tea. Foolishly, I encouraged the dog to move them out - now I've got upturned pots and general chaos. She enjoyed it though and all of them escaped safely.

It's been snowing here now for about 3 hours, not settling, but quite unsettling mentally as it was so lovely this morning. Heaven only know what'll happen tonight!

The bloody snow is settling now and set to freeze tonight if ITV are anything to go by. Will my potatoes be OK 9" down?

Spuds should be fine Chantal. Cover them with fleece if you're worried.

Didn't go to the plot today. We went to the beach instead with the dog. He had a whale of a time and there's sand everywhere off him. He was in the rock pools, in the river, climbing over rocks. He even had a little, tiny bit of fudge. He sat next to the ice cream van cos he likes ice cream. He wasn't getting one. Maybe next week!!! Plus, he'll only eat it with strawberry sauce on He's in his bed now after eating 3 dinners, having a kip.

The only thing was it was bloody freezing cold. The sky was a beautiful deep blue, with few clouds but it was blowing a gale with north easterly winds.

Enough to freeze the barnicles off a brass dingy.

My garden is white this morning, with my unheated greenhouse frozen solid, I couldn't even open the door to start with; it took a bit of judicious wiggling round the edges before it gave way. Thank God for fleece; everything inside was fine. My rain water tank and pond are frozen too

Oh bugger.
Forgot to get the pepper seedlings in last night.
I don't want to go out and inspect the damage.
I blame that Dr Who special on telly.

Chantal, you are making me jealous!

The only things I've got on the go are my over-wintering onions and me spuds.

Hopefully this coming weekend I can actually put some seeds in the ground and in some pots/trays etc.

Have you thought of putting a minimum level of heat in the un-heated greenhouse?

Something like a soil-cable warmed box with a plastic top, within the gh, at a setting of 50f?

Wouldn't break the bank, but might save your seeds.

Been out to inspect the damage and they've survived
but I still think the temperature got too low and they won't grow as well now
Lucky I've only just sown my tomatoes (I only grow outdoor).

I've thought about it Peter but the greenhouse is 150ft away from the house and has no power. As I have the heated greenhouse and the only stuff in the unheated one are plants that are hardening off I'm not too worried. I keep all the tomatoes, peppers etc in the warm one until they are planted out.

Hope I hardened off the strawberies.....planted them out last night