Lighter nights and seedlings

Now that the evenings are staying lighter for an extra hour or so, I have become more enthusiastic in my garden plans. My enthusiasm has inspired my little 2yr old who has beaten me to the first emerging seedling of the year (beaten at my own game godammit!). I have planned my sowing better this year too. Sweet peas are now well on their way, ready for pinching out at about 3 inches for bushier growth. Planted in my usual loo roll tubes, I can plant tube into ground, so as not to disturb roots. This is a method I have used for years now for all my peas, beans and sweetcorn. Broad beans, loo roll tube planted, are being hardened off now ready for planting out.

My normal sweet pea planting, up a few canes somewhere, will also be moved to the bean row this year. This will encourage some more bumble bee activity, thus getting some extra set on my runner beans too. My onion and shallot sets (usual Setton, Red Baron and Golden Gourmet) are shooting well in the coldframe. I start them into 20 &12 cells to get a head start. This method also stops the birds pulling up the sets, as the root-ball holds them in the ground stronger. Brassicas and Leeks are all at pricking out point too. It has been a busy few weeks at Blackgates! Ground is all dug ready for the off, manure added where required.

I have also sown some Parsnip into 20cells. This is part of a trial I decided to do, to overcome irregular germination in ground sown Parsnips. By doing them into cells, I can put them into the propagator to germinate. Hopefully they will transplant to final growing place ok. Time will tell!

I spent most of Sunday undoing the poor landscaping that had been done on the garden. The previous owner had a unhealthy desire for Conifers, Heathers, trellis and gravel (as in picture). Low maintenance they called it, no maintenance more like. Jungle look and no lawn! All along side a tarmac drive for a couple of caravans and a lorry! Not enough controlled horticulture for my liking.

We are planning a 'micro orchard' as I like to call it, with chickens running about beneath the tree canopy. Some vegetable garden has to be sacrificed to enable this, but it just means I will have to plan my crop successions better.

Off now to ponder Greenhouse catalogues.