Sunshine and rain, sunshine and ....

   What can I say? The weather has been perfect really. Increasing temperatures, April showers and some heavy rain to refill the water butts. All in all grand growing weather which means....yes you guessed it! Mowing grass. Well after the disaster of my bush whacker dieing on me much to my surprise I managed to get my old petrol mower going. Just in time too! The grass was getting a little long and you could almost see it growing!! Well it is now cut but of course it took two sessionis to completet the whole lot and of course by the time it was all done where I had started from was starting to look like it could do with another cut! 
   So lots to write about. All potatoes are growing well and I am keeping my eye on the over night temperatures. Mid May is last frost date so it is possible that frost could strike. The garlic is looking real good so fingers crossed for a good crop. Onions and shallots doing well but my first sowing of broad beans which were looking so good for so long are now a sorry state. Badly affected by rust the crop I am likely to get will be light. The second sowing does look good and I am hopeful for a decent crop. Lettuce is now being cut from the poly tunnel. The first summer cabbage have been transplanted to an outside bed and are being kept snug under bottom cut off plastic water bottles. The purple sprouting has now been removed and the bed they were in prepared for sowing haricot beans of one sort and another and probably more mange tout. The first sowing of peas and mange tout are now showing. Small round carrots sowed in and out of the poly tunnel and more mossed curled parsley as the first lot failed to germinate. After a conversation with my daughter I have sowed Kohl Rabi in the poly tunnel. The chickens managed to destroy a row of french spring onions so they have been resown.
   The chickens continue to lay well and Mrs. BuffyCross is still sat tight on her eggs. As we head for May spring is well sprung with the haw thorn now is flower and the meadow grass at knee height.
   My daughter and her friend harvested a "super" of honey from the bee hive which produced sixteen 370g jars of honey and that was without really trying to extract the honey. It is a dark colour proably caused by the wonderful crop of blackberries we had back in the autumn of 2019.

16 Jars of home produced honey

Scrapping of the caps

Its rained!

   Mostly very warm days this last week with some cloud, however, I hate to say it but there has been some thunder, lightening and rain! To be honest the rain has come just at the right time. I have one major problem. I managed to break my bush wacker which it the only means I have to mow the grass. Really could not have happened at a worse time!
   Another "finally" managed to do job done. I have a small bed at the bottom of my lavender patch which I have ignored for probably the better part of eighteen months. It is now cleared and ready to be planted. 
   In the poly tunnel mostly in pots and modules I have now sown sweet corn (to be transplanted outside the poly tunnel when large enough), Tamra (a new one to me) and Marketmore cucumber, Kuri, Sibley, and Pacific Giant (these are for halloween hopefully) squash/pumpkin, Blacktail water melon (usually successful in getting a couple of reasonably sized water melons), and Verde Di Milano dwarf bush courgette.
   The early purple sprouting has now gone to flower so that is the end of that. A good crop considering the drought last year. Off to a good start this season with early purple sprouting seed germinating already in the poly tunnel. First lettuce pulled from the poly tunnel. This is one that had over wintered!
   Trying to consume the leek bed! They are showing signs of going to seed so I need to eat leeks! Early potatoes are starting to show as are those I planted in large pots. Always worth a go with the odd few seed potatoes left over. Usually get a boiling or two. So its potato patrol every evening covering up those that have poked their heads above the soil or been exposed by scratching chickens. The first lot of broad beans I sowed are looking a little sorry for themselves and are being very slow in producing pods. They have been badly affected by a rust fungus. The second sowing are still looking good so I am hopeful. Onions and shallots are now looking a little happier after the rain. I decide to transplant tomato seedlings as they were large enough to handle - Auroa bush, Jens Orange, Andine Corne, Poitron eclarte, Gardeners Delight and Crimee Noire - grand total of thirty five plants! Not nearly enough but there are at least as many again at an early stage of growth.
   My eldest daughter, Sophie and a friend, Simon, braved the bees and have harvested one super of honey. The hive has not been harvested for at least two years and probably longer. Last year the colony swamed and we thought we had lost them. The bees were very cooperative with only Simon being stung once and that was away from the hive. I stayed out of the way as a couple of years ago I was stung and reacted to it. Sixteen jars of honey so far recovered and bare in mind this is without a centrifuge! It is hoped that another super will be tackled next week.
   On the chicken front one chicken had to be killed as she had developed a prolapse. Not a injury that can be fixed easily or to the comfort of the chicken. Our buff oprpington cross continues to sit tight and we have put a dozen eggs in the incubator. Fingers crossed for a few chicks.

Early potatoes in the poly tunnel

Transplanted tomatoes

Sophie and Simon ready to tackle the bee hive!

   
   

Despite all

   The sun continues to shine! Despite CV-19 work continues in the garden. Much has germinated in the poly tunnel. I pleased that I have cabbage and basil growing. Both are quite often problematic to grow from seed although they should not be. The tomatoes are probably not a good as I would like but there are plenty of plants growing so I am hopeful that I will have enough although not of the variety I would have liked. I have been picking the purple sprouting and freezing it with the hope that I can extend the period of harvesting. So far so good! I have finally got round to weeding my Egyptian (walking onions) bed. Must have been over a year since they were done last. More of the usual taska...mowing grass and cleaning out chickens who continue to lay well and I am becoming overwhelmed with eggs. Better too many than not enough I guess! 
   Easter is here and our annual easter egg hunt has been conducted by the grand children. Some strange sites around the garden.....

Shallot with strange growth!

Dried herbs

                                                           

Egyptian onion bed after weeding

Sturon onion patch

Other activites....

     Other than contruction the Hugelkultur bed with the help of my grandsons, I have been busy sowing seeds in the poly tunnel. With the CORVID-19 situation it is unlikely that I will be able to get any plants from the local market. More tomato seed planted, cabbage, sprouts, lettuce, basil and french and White Lisbon spring onions sowed. I found a couple of tomato plants that I do not know what the variety is but they are strong plants so I have transplanted them within the poly tunnel with the hope that I may get some early tomatoes. They have been protected with a plastic water bottle with the bottom cut off! Nothing ventured nothing gained! I have also moved what I believe are Japanese bunching onions sowed in the poly tunnel but never harvested to an outside bed.  They may do something. I am fearful for my wonderful looking broad beans as they are suffering from rust and the daily frosts. I fear the crop will not be as heavy as I had first hoped. I have also started to dry herbs. I have dried thyme, marjoram, sage and parsley to make a jar of dried mixed herbs. More to do! 
   More purple sprouting picked with two lots frozen. Still lots of leeks to consume! The over winter onions are looking good as is the garlic. Onion sets and shallots are well established with leaves now showing well. Batavia blond lettuce in the poly tunnel is growing well and there are couple close to being ready to eat. There are some radishes but not as many as I would have normally expected. Maybe the soil was too cold? Anyway, another row sowed and have germinated! I love these 18Jour(18Day) radish.
   More grass cutting done. So the season is now well underway with probably a little more urgency than normal. Still plenty to do.

Poly tunnel seed bed

Batavia Blonde lettuce in the poly tunnel

Tomatoes in the poly tunnel fleece clouche

Special edition Hugelkultur construction

    Over the last week I decided to turn my melon bed into a Hugelkultur bed. Took a little bit of effort but hopefully the rewards will be worth it over time. Usually a Hugelkultur bed is steep sided but the principle of the construction is the same, lots of wood, cover with earth, layer of compost, more earth, (in my case), hay (straw would have been better but I only have hay), more earth to complete the bed. 

1. Digging the trench

2. The trench is completed 

3. Filling the trench with wood 

4. Covering the wood with earth

5. Adding a layer of hay

6. The Huglekultur bed is finished