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...