Pace is quickening...

   The pace is now starting to really pick up. It has been a busy week. Lots of forking and weeding done with the onion set and shallot beds made ready and planted! Lots and lots of onion sets! Ha! This year I have planted a french onion set, variety Jaune Paille des Vertus as something different to the usual. The other variety I have planted is Sturon. They did quite well last year and I thought worth any other go. I found a packed of Bedfordshire Champion onion seed in my seed tin so I have also sown those in a seed tray. Nothing venture nothing gained! Also the first lot of lettuce seed sown in a seed tray, variety Great Lakes. Soon be time to buy lettuce plants from the local market. A row of variety Touchon carrots sown and I must remember to sow more in couple of weeks! The early planting in the poly tunnel usually works well. More tidying up done and I have had a bonfire. I have cleared brambles from around the bee hive. I do not know if the bees have survived the winter as it is still generally to cold for them. The asparagus bed has been weeded and some compost added. I also fenced it off to stop the chickens from scratching up the newly disturbed soil looking for worms!
   On the animal front some good news. Our Buff Orpington hen has successfully hatched out an Ixworth chick. She had seven eggs, one was broken and one chick so far. Hoping for a couple more. Hens are laying well, sheep are being sheep! 
   The seed potatoes are in egg trays chitin away! I bought a new variety as a early potato, a french variety called Anoe. Also bought the usual Desiree and I went back to a favourite, Belle de Fontenay.
   First mow of the year done. Not a complete garden but about a third that was just getting too long.
  Plenty to do. More seed sowing over the next week I should think and always there is tidying up.

Mrs Buffy and her Ixworth chick