About time

Really the first spell of proper dry weather we've had this spring, and it's really showing in the garden. The ground is still completely waterlogged so it's tough to get out and do much.

Garlic...

This weekend however, I've finally managed to get some turnip and spinach seeds in one of the house beds, but in the process have trashed the soggy grass all around the bed (just shows how wet it is). The garlic is coming along nicely so has been transplanted into one of the new veg garden beds. Finally, the new potatoes and peas are starting to peak through the soil, and fortunately nothing can deter the onions from doing their thing!

Onions without weeds (won't last long...)

Disappointingly I have a small rodent problem in the cold frames so have lost most of the tomato seedlings that I potted on last weekend... The mouse traps have been deployed and are being emptied on a daily basis. The sprout and pumpkin seedlings haven't been attacked, or any flowers so I guess it's the smell of the tomato plants they go for.



Mal has been going great guns with the polytunnel excavation. The retaining walls and gravel drainage is now complete, we just need to remove a bit more soil from what will be the inside of the tunnel so it'll be easier Ti build the beds.

A busy weekend

Lots happening this weekend and I'm knackered now! First off I cleared all the weeds from the soft fruit bed and then spread a little mulch over it. I think I should probably add some more. I really wanted to crack on and get this done at the weekend as the rhubarb was starting to look impressive but one of the crowns was competing with a teazel weed.... The raspberries have perked up from last year,  but the blackberries are still looking very sorry for themselves. So I've put some plastic bottles over them - I'm not sure if they've been munched or not, so if they have then this will help.

The other really big thing was to clear and build up the two veg beds that have been gathering weeds for the last 18 months. I cleared out all of the weeds and grass that rooted and even tried to get rid of the roots as well.  Then we added another layer of boards to the side of the existing bed and built the new bed with new posts and boards.  Both of these were filled with the soil that Mal is taking from the polytunnel area (more on that below), and the closest one now has red onions planted.

 

Not only all that, but Mal's also finished clearing all the turf off the area for the polytunnel and started levelling from the bottom corner.....

 

Back to your roots

The main crop potatoes and onions were dug up this weekend. Both crops produced huge veg (the OH's father was very impressed).... Trying to leave them somewhere to dry out was challenging, with all the summer showers!

The bed was dug over and green manure (some type of flowering clover) was planted. That should over winter (if it doesn't flower first) to be dug in, in the spring.