Spring rain and shearing sheep...

   It is that time of year again. Time to grab a sheep and go at it with the shearers! I have bought some electric ones to speed up the process. We managed to get four done before the weather turned against us. Electric shearers are the way to go!

   The rats in the chicken coop were just becoming too much so something needed to be done. Over a week or two I have managed to eliminate them but it took three boxes of poison blocks, two types of poison. Makes one wonder if there is some resistant in the local rodent population.

   Anyway to more happier things! The asparagus season is coming to an end and I have to admit the crop has not been as large as I would have hoped. Still, just having some is nice. Sun flowers, sweet corn, popping corn and a second row of Champion of England peas have been sown in the garden. The corn was up within a week. Most of the tomatoes are now well 

Latvian soup pea

established and I have started to remove side shoots. I had to buy another hundred and eleven metal tomato poles! Could be a glut of tomatoes. The cabbage and sprouts are looking good and fingers crossed, maybe, hopefully I will get some decent sprouts this year! The beetroot grown in modules is now well established as is a good row of carrots. There are lots of pea pods on the Oskar peas so hopefully soon I will be picking outside peas. The potatoes just look grand. I do enjoy the foliage of the potatoes each variety a different shade of green.

   In the poly tunnel cucumber, melon (musk, water and troubadour) and pumpkin have been sown and have germinated! First lot of purple spouting have been sown and I am having a go a growing calabrese but from what I read they are not an easy plant to grown by any means. 

   Out of a packet of white sage seeds I managed to get one to grow and establish itself. I have been waiting for the plant to produce enough shoots for me to take cuttings. I have now taken six cutting and fingers crossed I may get a couple more plants.

   Of course, the grass is growing and I managed once more to break the handle of my petrol mower. As it happens we have acquired a low cutting bush whacker so the grass will still be cut.

   After a period of really nice weather, sun and very warm, it has turned cool and it has been raining. If I am honest as a gardener the rain came just at the right time. The ground was getting dry and newly transplanted crops and seeds need some moisture to help get them established and growing. Must not grumble!

Haricot and sweet corn

Runner bean poles

   My rustic, mostly hazel, runner bean poles! I have sown a Greek variety of runner bean from the Real Seed Company called Greek Gigante. You eat the beans rather than the pods and beans. The beans can also be dried for storage. The first strawberries have been picked - three! One each for the grand kids! Behind the poles is a bed of Rosebelle potatoes with Franceline potatoes in the distance.

Now the threat of frost is fast rescinding I have sown haricot  - Cupion (yellow), and Borlotti. Cupion is one of those haricots that you can eat young. You steam the beans when small but also you can eat them as they develop and even leave them to store the seeds. The last of my tomato plants, Stupice, Champeau Giant yellow, Latah , Galina and Ethel Watkins Best have been transplanted to outside beds and I have removed the fleece from those already out. There is a lot of tomato's in my garden this year! Sweet corn and pop corn (yes pop corn!) have been sown with fleece over the soil to stop the chickens from scratching them up! Last year I grew most of my sweet corn in modules and some directly in the ground. In the end there was not a lot of difference between the methods. Least growing them inside the poly tunnel I know I will  get a good germination. Heck, I am running out of room to sown stuff! Of course, I am mowing the grass, oh too frequently. It will not be long and it will slow down (fingers crossed!). My summer cabbage, Louvier, and Golden Primo are looking good. The potatoes are a picture.

Bed of Belle Fontenay Potatoes

  In the poly tunnel and tomb lettuce predominates along with some nicely establish tomato plants. Wautoma cucumbers have germinated and I am expecting the courgettes and melons to follow. The weather is helping by being in the 20's (centigrade) for a few days.

Good grief! Two weeks has gone by.

   Well, I do not know! The time has flown away again and two weeks has passed since I posted anything. Apologies about that!

Rhode Island red, Cuckoo Renne and a Limousin

    Lots and lots has been going on. In the chicken world three new birds have joined the egg laying flock. Thirteen (should have been twelve (it would seem the french cannot count!) hens have arrived which will be grown on for our consumption. There has been a bout of chicken conjunctivitis with one hen having a bad time. Treatment with human eye drops has sorted them out and all are recovering. 
   In the garden I have taken a gamble and I have planted out under fleece a large number of Roma and Ethel Watkins Best tomatoes. Two reasons. Firstly the spring has been unusually mild with very few hard frosts and a calculated risk (oh boy that brings back memories of work!) was called for. Secondly again due to the mild spring the plants have grown well and needed to be transplanted! Two rows of Sangine beetroot grown in modules and more Evesham Special Brussels sprouts have been transplanted. A row of Lisbon spring onions has been sown. We are going to look like onions this year! The field beans are now over six feet high! Crazy! The scent from the flowers is really nice. Of course, grass mowing is now a regular chore. The asparagus has been good although not as heavy cropping as I would have liked, however, we are only about one third of the way into the season so hopefully it will improve. The last of the winter leeks been dug up with some going to seed. Time to prepare the runner bean trench and set up the poles. I have a Greek variety this year to grow. Instead of eating the pods you leave the pods to dry on the plant and you store the beans. 
    In the poly tunnel lettuce is being harvested (Little Gem and Salad Bowl) along with radishes (French Breakfast and Pernot Clair). Another row of radish, this time, Candela di fuoco, a long rooted variety. Tomatoes have been transplanted, Gardeners Delight, Dr. Wytches tomiltillo, Millefleur and Galina and are now well settled in. This year I have concentrated on growing grape varieties in the poly tunnel. 
   Round two has now been entered with squash, pumpkin, melon, cucumber and courgette being sowed in pots. 

Excavation in progress!

  I decided that I was fed up of walking on a slope when looking at my strawberries, which by the way, are doing just fine. So I embarked on a task to level out the paths. The two photograph's are of the top path. The lower path had to be cut through yellow/orange clay! 
  Phew! Well the above is most of the things I have been up to in the last couple of weeks but I am sure I have missed out something. I will try to be a little less tardy with my posting!
  

A more level path!