Time to get cracking!

   Taking a look at my gardening log I see that over the last week there is only one day without an entry and that was the day I decided to watch the six nations!
   What have I been up to? Mostly catching up with jobs that should have been done in the autumn. Jobs like clearing the herbaceous borders, clipping the lavender, pruning the vine. My bonfire pile has doubled in size! First 2016 cutting of the grass done. Mostly with the setting on the mower up high but still, mowing in February! Off course there is the  never ending chore of weeding.
   My eldest grandson is taking a bit more interest in gardening this year. I rough dug a patch for him and he has been forking and weeding it. He has now planted onion sets and shallots which are already showing signs of growing. I have a present coming for him. A border fork which he should be able to handle far better than my garden fork.

Onion and shallot bed

  On the planting front some 132 onion sets and 44 shallots have been planted. I have also sown parsnip seed which I have covered up with cloches in an effort to keep the rain off and the chickens away! This parsnip seed is seed that I gathered last season and is a variety call Jersey Royal. Fingers crossed!

Poly tunnel chives

   I have taken common thyme and white sage cuttings and stuck them into a pot of potting compost. They may take they may not. With the last lot of thyme cuttings I got one plant. Curly moss parsley has been sown in a pot, again my own seed. The pot of Little Gem lettuce has been thinned and I noticed that the pot of Red Salad bowl has some seeds germinated. In the poly tunnel the next sowing of 18 Jour radish has germinated but other seed I sowed, peas, leeks and lettuce have not and I will now resow. Too cold I guess but it is always worth a try.
   Leeks, turnip-swede and cabbage have been harvested this week. My youngest granddaughter, Evie, is a great fan of turnip-swede!
   Another sign spring is coming. Lots of common crane/Grue have been flying over the house heading for their summer breeding grounds.

Grue/common crane

On the animal front the chickens are having an egg strike. Compared to last year they are 50% down this February. Not really sure why other than many of the flock are now over two years old and it has been a wet and miserable February and chickens do not like the wet! Here is hoping for a pick up in March. The sheep are being sheep and the ducks are being ducks.