Cracking on!

Poly tunnel cloche

   Its that time of year again! The poly tunnel fleece cloche has been set up. This year something different. I have used three pallets for the sides and covered those in horticultral fleece. A little more robust than the ones constructed out of hoops, string and clothes pegs! It is time to move the tomato seedlings from the house porch to the poly tunnel fleece clouche.
  Weather wise it has been a cracking week. Early morning frost and then sunshine most of the day. Of course the days are getting longer. Here in France the clocks "spring" forward on the 28th March 2020 so the eveings will be longer the morning a little darker! 
  Early (Dolween, a Brittany variety), second earlies, (Agata, a dutch variety), and main crop (Desiree, a firm favourite of mine) potatoes all planted. Beetroot seedlings transplanted in the poly tunnel and Mamouth leaf basil sown as an experiment directly into the soil in the poly tunnel. The french equivilent of White Lisbon spring onions have been  sowned outside and I have managed to find a space to put the rest of my Sturon onion sets. More weeding and of course grass cutting done. With my grand children being with me I have mowed pathways in my large field which my youngest grandson, Toby, thinks is just the bees knees and runs around the large field full of the joys of spring.
   The chickens are being chickens still laying well. 

Variety AGATA potato being planted 

First broad bean to be spotted

Basking in the sunshine

    Well I forgot to finish and publish this blog so there will be almost two weeks worth here now. France is in lockdown due to the corvid 19 outbreak. My eldest daughter and her children are with me and she is not allowing me to leave the premises! The weather has taken a turn for the better with sunshine and really nice day time temperatures. Spring has sprung and time to really get cracking in the garden.
    Finally I have managed to plant my Sturon onions sets. There was two relatively dry days and so I went for it and got them in. Had some help my my feathered friends, the chickens! Now I need to keep them off until the onions have rooted!
    The shallots have rooted and I have uncovered them. Of course the chickens took the opportunity to explore and scratch about. Fortunately not a lot of damage done as most were well rooted. Leeks, cabbage and lots of purple sprouting gathered. First early potatoes  (Dolween, Brittany) planted along with the help of my youngest grandson Toby! This is a variety I have not planted before. Started on planting the second earies, variety Agata, another type I have not grown before. Finally managed to sow own gathered parsnip seed and Touchon carrots. A little late by my usual timing but hey ho they are in! With the drier weather than meant another round of grass cutting.
    On the chick front nothing unusual just normal weekly tasks.

Chickens helping to prepare the onion set bed

Early purple sprouting

Banana shallot bed

Wet and very cool

   Well what can one say? More rain and it is on the cool side. The vegetable beds are all but impossible to do anything with and by my own schedule I am now late with onions, shallots (for pickling) and parsnip seed. Not a disaster yet as it is still early but I really need the weather to be a little kinder for a few days. Famous last words. Decided to bite the bullet and planted out my Red Sun shallots. Still have the onions to do though.
    So what is to be done? I need to think more about sowing in the poly tunnel beds. Least that way I may (I say may because I have had mixed results with sowing seed in the poly tunnel) be able to stay ahead of the game as it were. Food for thought.
    Broad beans are in full flower although I have not noticed any beans set yet. My early purple sprouting is the best crop I have ever had in my years of vegetable gardening and I cannot eat it fast enough!. Over winter onions and garlic look a little drowned to be honest but they are hanging in there.
     Seed potatoes are chitting well and there are a good number of tomato seedlings. Sods law though the ones I would like to germinate so far have not!
      Chickens are being chickens. Usual weekly maintenance done. Mrs Brahma has finally decided that she is no longer broody and has started to lay again. Still getting five to eight eggs a day.

Chives in the poly tunnel

Provençal Thyme in the poly tunnel