Pace quickens...

  The winter vegetables are coming to an end. The last cabbage has been cut. These cabbages were not very inspiring to eat but least they stood the cold! Leeks, parsnips, swede, Jerusalem artichokes all still being harvested but all but the artichokes are also coming to an end.

Parsnips, Leeks, Cabbage, Green swede

Work has really got underway over this last week. Tomato seeds sown and the first sowing of 18Jour radish in the poly tunnel has shown itself. Second lot are in! Moss curled parsley sown in a pot and once again I am trying to grow home produced white sage. I had a good collection of seed and I am hopeful to get one or two to germinate this year. Fingers crossed! The asparagus bed has been weeded and there are signs it is starting to sprout. The rhubarb bed has been weeded and a good layer of manure put over it. I have finally managed to have a bonfire and got rid of a lot of stuff. I have started to prepare the potato beds and the bed for the first planting of early potatoes is ready to go! Jersey Royal parsnips have been sowed on the same day as in 2016. Shallots and onions will follow. The herb beds look a real mess and I have sorted out one of the small ones. Couple more to do. I need to replace some of the herb plants or try to take cuttings or layer.
   On the animal front a new, well, replacement duck coop has been purchased, collected and put in place. The ducks have yet to be moved. The chickens are laying well, five a day! The sheep are being sheep and the rams are being annoying. 
   So all in all a busy week and as long as the weather continues to stay reasonably dry the next week will not any different.

Is it time to panic?

   Over the last week not a lot has happened in the  garden. Too wet or other things have got in the way! Hey ho! No need to panic yet but it sure is getting close to it.
   The Touchon carrots are now all dug up. What a wonderful crop they have been this autumn and winter. Never grown such a good amount of  good sized carrots before. There are still some leeks, parsnips and green swede along with Jerusalem artichokes, which no one seems to like, in the garden and a few not so good looking savoy type cabbage. I expect the rabbits will get those. In the poly tunnel there are now two rows of 18 Jour (18 Day) radish sown and some beetroot from last autumn. They may do something and there again they may not. No sign of germination of the first lot of radish which I would have expected by now. I  have put a cloche over them to see if that encourages them to grow. As an experiment I have chopped up some ginger and planted it in a pot which is in the dinning room (along with the chitin potatoes!). From what I have read ginger should be easy to grow. Ha! Famous last words.
  On the animal front the rams keep breaking down the fence to get to the ewes. Rotters! We have two Ixworth cockerels who were not getting along. The dominant one was chasing the other out of the coop area and it has a six foot high fence. So the youngster has been moved with two generic black hens from the other coop into the duck enclosure. He is a lot happier and I would also say so are the hens! Egg production is picking up. Mostly getting five a day now. Hopefully the rest will start soon.  
  Well that is about it. I now need to get my tomato and first lot of lettuce seed in as the weather has taken a turn for the warmer.

Moving to the starting block

   Ok here we go! The potatoes are now laid out chitting away in my dinning room. Yes, the dinning room. Why? Because it is the warmest room in the house, that is why! I  have

Seed potatoes, onions and shallots

the usual main crop, Desiree and three early varities, Belle de Fontenay (an favorite of ours) and two new ones to me Cherie and Anais.

   Over the last week the wind and rain has come and stopped me in my tracks as far as  gardening is concerned. I am now coming to the end of the Touchon carrots which this season have been exceptional. The first row of radish (18 Jour) has been sowed in the poly tunnel and no doubt tomato seed will be sowed during the next week. More seed trays in the dinning room. Following on from last years success in sowing radish in succession I am  hoping to repeat the trick this year.

   On the animal front all appear well and the chickens have come back into lay. Not all but at least we are getting some eggs. The Ixworths are laying regularly but they are small eggs! The two chicks that I obtained that survived one is a cockral, the other a hen, are now mature. The hen has laid her first egg on the 6th February. It is tiny. 

   It is quite noticable this time of year how the day is lenghtening. It does not get dark here now until seven o'clock (french time). Soon be working outside in the evening|

Chitting potatoes