It might not look like it...

... but this is probably the tidiest the plot has been!

I've moved the comfrey to next to the leaf bags, cleared all the rubbish next to the leaves to the 'bonfire' side of the plot, moved the glass down to where the greenhouse will eventually go, added loads of wood material to the compost heap (which will take an eternity to rot down no doubt), used loads of old compost bags to cover the ground next to the leaves (which are now held down by the hose pipe and various logs from the tree), tidied away the netting and pots and raked all the rubbish off the path around the entrance to the plot and next to the compost.

It's tidier, just take my word for it!

Compost
Now I can actually get on to the plot, it's time to get a manure delivery in. Bit late, but should be OK for the potatoes still and a fun job for Easter. However to get the beans going I managed to 'score' a load of home made compost on offer from a local gardener who had too much for his own needs. Some of it needed to go back on the compost heap for a bit longer but most of it looked like good stuff and after borrowing the neighbours wheelbarrow (you so need a new one Dan!) I carefully (aka slung) over the bed for this years beans and peas, which you can see in amongst my cardboard crop:

I also added a load of compost around the old rhubarb:

Can't think where the mess from the top of the plot went...


Finally Easter's pudding (finger's crossed) is coming along nicely:

Some Pictures!!!

Firstly, spot the difference:

And I'm not talking about the lack of dodgy looking leeks! I'd have cut down the rest of the tree on the left but it's quite big and to be honest I wasn't confident enough to do on my own with the trusty bow saw.

Now that spring has finally started, some signs of life:

This years forced rhubarb, hopefully be ready in a week or so.

Daffodils and garlic just beginning to get going.

Newly potted up Blueberries.

Crocuses growing along the lane - we were lucky enough to get some crocus and daffodil bulbs from the council to plant around the site last Autumn and they've just started coming through - despite my random planting of the ones I put it!

Up on the forgotten plot...

It doesn't appear to look that bad from the picture and the small area of dug ground at the far end of the picture has grown significantly since the picture. Truth be told the soil in a dream to dig really, it's good deep, loamy soil. Plenty of weeds too! It's also a bugger to keep moisture in it come summer, but that's a long way off yet.

However, it's not all good news up there. This is the remains of the greenhouse. At least I can get to cut the hedge now I guess...

Overun with plants...

Happy Birthday me!

Mum and Dad bought me this for my birthday last month and since assembling it I've been busy setting about filling it. It now contains: shallots (Golden Gourmet), red onions (Red Baron) and white onions (Sturton), broad beans (Masterpiece Green Longpod), sweet peas (Old Fashioned Mix), Brussels (Bosworth), parsley (Italian Giant), sage, leeks (Jaune de Poitou and Bleu de Solaise).

I know what you're thinking, some of those could have gone straight in the ground. Ah, that would assume I'd prepared the ground by now... So the broad beans are in root trainers (aka toilet rolls) and the onions and shallots in module trays to allow them to root and start growing - which should also help stop the birds from pulling them out too.

For good measure the planting continues inside as well. Mrs D just loves the kitchen being overtaken with plants at this time of year! The sweet peas have largely germinated as have the chillies from last week, so I've put in more chillies (Hungarian Hot Wax), okra (I hate okra so another one for Mrs D) and tomatoes (Red Cluster Pear and Aurora). Having filled the propagator and windowsill (beauty of living in a stone house is the vast deep windowsills - the kitchen one ideally facing south-ish) planting has reached an impasse.

Down on plot no 1 some serious digging took place on Sunday and three of the four veg begs are now (largely) ready for planting. The final bed only needs a little work as two thirds of this has been covered by leaves over winter and the soil should be in good condition. The azada/mattock also had its first serious workout, making short work of weedy areas next to the hedge.

Plot no 1 having been licked into shape (!), an assault on plot no 2 awaits. Lighter nights be here soon so should be a piece of cake...

I declare this season open!

First seeds planted this year. I'm probably a bit behing on previous years, not helped by not being able to find the propagator - must tidy up the cellar...!

After finding and cleaning it up, finally got round to planting this years chillies. I use the seed from last years chillies (Ring of Fire) - which begs the question why are chilli seed so expensive? I get more seeds from one chilli than I ever get from a packet of seed??? I also planted up some Padron (Spanish tapas type chillies) and Joe's Long, which I'm sure will be similar to the Ring of Fire. I've just sent off an order for some Hungarian Hot Wax as well - Mrs D doesn't request many specific varieties of plants, but this is one of them.

After last years disaster of no sweet peas (another request of Mrs D), I've made an earlier than normal start with them - which is probably still later than I should have put them in. So far I have Blue Velvet and Perfume Delight in, with Old Fashioned Mix on order too. I've not sure you can ever have a glut of sweet peas ;>)

Down on the plot, the garlic is finally showing signs of growing and the dafodills are just poking through the soil too. Unfortunately the bed with the dafs and tulips in is over-run with weeds so I've been having to dig it over, which probably isn't going to help them grow.

Must take camera to plot...