Sowing

You can just about see some of the lettuce growing in the vegetable patch. There is also some carrots growing and I think another variety of lettuce poking through the soil. I have planted the beetroot between the carrots and lettuce as I think there will be space. I wasn't going to try beetroot again after my disappointing crop last year when almost nothing grew larger than a seedling but I am hoping that in this location where they will get more sun and probably a little more attention from me they will thrive. We shall see.

I notice that the courgettes, butternut squash, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are doing well in the green house. I will plant them out soon. I hope to grow the butternut squash and cauliflower in pots and the Brussels in the vegetable patch. Will attempt to grown the tomatoes and courgettes in a grow bag as I did last year. Anyone any experience of growing cauliflowers and butternut squash in pots? The potatoes seem to be doing well in a pot!

Bricks

Have commenced a brick wall around the vegetable patch at the bottom of the garden. I have simply stood rows of bricks on their ends to form a rectangle which I hope will hold the soil just a couple of inches above ground level. I intend to sieve all the soil in it and fork in some of the compost from the compost bin.

I also purchased some seeds over the weekend to start sowing over the next week. Tomatoes, courgettes, butternut squash, carrots, lettuce, beetroot and Brussels sprouts. I have left it really late this year to start growing the veg but for some reason I just haven't felt like it was time until now. I think now the evenings are lighter and the weather a little warmer I shall make a start!

More Sowing

Have been out again this evening and planted up some more pots and a grow bag that I am trying for the first time this year. I have planted out the tomato and aubergine plants that have grown from seed into the grow bag. (I've more tomato plants and may even get another grow bag actually.) I have then sown cucumbers, chillies, peppers (although I'm sure I have got some little seedlings growing already - can't remember), basil, chives, parsley, and butternut squash.

I have also planted out some little stick things which I received for Christmas which came in what looks similar to a match stick envelope of Alpine Strawberries (Fragaria vesca), Wild Flowers, and Butterfly Flowers.

Not sure where I shall plant these out when they grow as I have courgette plants to plant out soon and I would like to sow some more lettuce straight into the vegetable patch as the first lot didn't take very well - I may even sow some in the green house or under the little propagator. I am off over weekend and then Monday and Tuesday too so hopefully weather permitting I shall spend some more time outside - I may even attempt the gate which remains in bits!!

Seedlings

Hasn't the weather been gorgeous? And I have got little seedlings growing in the vegetable patch! I hope that more will spring through soon and that where the cat has dug around a bit will not have disturbed the others too much. The cat and slug repellent, black cotton and warm weather have done the trick...

Canes

The seeds I planted at the end of March have done well in all this warm weather we have had recently. I planted up three pots with seeds, two of which are already growing... tomatoes and I think butternut squash but I am not sure! I cannot for the life of me remember what was in the third pot! Will have to wait and see...

Spring is in the Air

I have not been able to post for a while due to a computer problem which has now thankfully been sorted - not that much has been going on in the garden anyway...... until today....

I have strimmed the lawn as it was too long to cut with the mower and then raked it over twice to get rid of all the cut grass - put it on the compost heap. I have dug over the vegetable patch and the border at the bottom of the garden and hoed the border at the side along the path.

I thought it time to start planting out some seeds today also. Onions, carrots, lettuce, and beetroot were sowed directly on the vegetable patch and the tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers were put directly in pots in the mini greenhouse. I have covered the vegetable patch with slug pellets - not very organic I know but I got fed up last year of them eating everything. They also apparently act as an animal repellent which is good as the new cat next door has started taking a liking to scratching in the dirt around the garden!

I also generally had a clean up around the garden and tidied up the shed a little. It has been a lovely sunny day and I am so pleased with what I have done. I must get out there tomorrow and take some pictures of the daffodils and tulips which are coming through. They look lovely.

It was the seed fair in Conwy today which I went to bright and breezy this morning all ready to buy some little plants to plant as last year but unfortunately I couldn't find any tomato or cucumber plants as last year and left a little disappointed. There were some lovely plants and flowers there with lots of different stalls selling various things from honey and chutneys to cards and CDs. I was pleased when I returned home without any cakes or chocolate!