Pause for breath......no way!

    Well, another week has slipped by! It has been another pleasant week in La Creuse, mostly sunshine with the odd cloudy morning and a little (I mean LITTLE) overnight rain.
    Its all grow grow grow. The potatoes, which were planted just over two weeks ago, are already showing and I am having to patrol the beds morning and evening covering up those leaves that show themselves. In the outside garden a row of parsnips has been sown, some brussels sprouts and golden primo transplanted just to try to get ahead of the game later in the year. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. I am resisting sowing too much in the outside garden as there can be late frosts. Peas! Have I broken the curse of the peas? Maybe. I now have a row of germinated Early Onward peas all covered up to keep the chickens off and protect from any possible frost. I will nurture them! The newly planted apple trees have come out in blossom so I am well pleased about that. The biggest completed job this week has been to have dug and manured a reasonable sized bed. Yes, bit late to manure maybe, but I am planning to plant sweet corn and things like squashes so I do not think it will matter that much. Our large lavender bed was very badly affected by the cold winter weather and I believe we will have lost a lot of the plants. Some are showing signs of recovery but they will not be the glorious display that they were last year and I may even give up on them. Lawn mowing is becoming a regular chore and will continue to be so unless there is a prolonged dry spell.
    In the poly tunnel watering has started. I have transplanted Little Gem and chicory, replanted cucumbers which failed to germinated as it was too cold, transplanted sweet peppers and sowed some celery! I have harvested x2 cauliflowers which were grown over the winter and of course radishes. Well pleased with both of those. The F1 Celtic cabbage is taking over. There are only four of them but the leaves are enormous and the plants are just about showing signs of turning in. Kohl Rabi is slowly but surely getting there and Sweetheart melon seeds have germinated but only two out of six so I have resown four more and already one has shown. I need four to six for my melon bed. Celeriac has germinated. Tomatoes are thriving. The lettuce is doing well but I could do with it now! I should be picking red salad bowl lettuce leaves this week. About time too what with the price of lettuce in the shops here at about £1:25p a head.
    I guess that sums it up for last week. I am sure next week will be just as busy. I am thinking about sowing an early row of haricot vert but I am wary of the possibility of a frost. Hey ho, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I must check last years garden log and see when I planted the first haricots to see if I am being a little too adventurous and I need to check on my succession sowing! Boysoboysoboys!