Spring is springing!

After nearly three weeks of the most amazing weather, I have made some real progress on the plot. Planted cute miniature two-variety apple tree, James Grieve and Elstar varieties on one rootstock; planted five Autumn Bliss raspberries to go with my Joan Js; moved the blackcurrant to a bigger permanent home; established a raised bed for strawberries; checked my cloche to see I have six nice plump overwintered lettuces nearly ready for the salad bowl, alongside the purslane, lamb’s lettuce (corn salad) and land cress that has been going all winter; harvested first two sticks of rhubarb; summer onions peeking through, overwintered garlic looking very perky - even the overwintered onions have recovered from their trial by rabbit. Finally I dug over the bed that is planned for spuds – time consuming but easier that I had feared. Aching today, though…

Check out my lettuces!

Bohemian rhapsody

Andrew (half of plot 61) told me that he thought my plot was 'Bohemian' today. He meant it as a compliment, as in unorthodox, but I think it might imply 'disorganised' as well! And hopefully not 'careless about marital orthodoxy and personal hygiene' as wikipedia so kindly puts it.

OK, I don't do a lot of rows or raised beds, but I have mulched my razzas (left, I successfully intercropped with brassicas last year), and am very proud of my broad beans (right), even if the mice did get some of them, so I had to fill in the gaps. That said, I have one plastic raised bed which is now in place for strawberries to go in it in the Spring.

Looking forward to getting my brassicas in (thank you Elsiena! - other half of plot 61) to replace the ones I lost; and my exciting two variety apple tree...

Definitely time for the very earliest green shoots, and even some sunshine on the plot today.

Snowy start to 2009

A snowy plot. Makes it look quite tidy, though it's been very frustrating with the rain and snow, and everything is pretty waterlogged. On top of that, the deer (remember them?) have been eating any green shoots - the chard has gone, and now the onion tops.

The lamb's lettuce and land cress have been a success, still thriving under my plastic mini-greenhouse.

Razzas pruned, encroaching pathway reclaimed (at least patrially), Russian kale and strange contorted brassicas out, one clump of rhubarb duly being forced, gaps in broad beans filled in: now it's time to start planning the new year.

Pump up the, er, pumpkin

A lot of growing in 14 days. And the foliage is staging a bid for world domination...

More sweetcorn porn

The sweetcorn changes every day, and is between 4 and 5 ft tall - I swear it grew 6 inches in one night. It has flowers on the top, and these exotic red beards have just appeared. It seems to like being on a little hillock alongside beans, and being fed on blood, fish and bone and 6X. Yum yum!

Coveting my neighbours' plot

My neighbours, Lyn and Richard, have a very tidy and well organised plot - and a huge frame of sweet peas that look and smell lovely. They grow a small number of a lot of different vegetables, and a large amount of strawberries, which is an approach I shall be copying next year.

I was lurking behind my sweetcorn (now the tallest on the whole site, yay!) to take the pic. Isn't it pretty?

That's shallot

Geddit?

A very satisfying crop, especialy as I only planted them as an afterthought (and with a bad pun in mind). Here they are having a nice sunbathe, prior to being plaited for storage.