It went quite...

   This  blog is covering two weeks. The first of the two weeks was very quiet with odd jobs being done, like a little wood splitting (tiring!), fix to a gate and moving sheep from the large field to a paddock to allow the grass to grow for hay making. Other work done that week was changing the duck pond water and I transplanted some Provence thyme to pots! Oh, not forgetting the cutting of a lettuce and mowing the dreaded grass.
   So the second week has been a little busier. I cleared a small bed of weeds into which I think I will put courgettes or melons. Maybe a pumpkin? Umm. I continue to earth up the potatoes to protect against any frost which is now becoming rarer, however, last frost date is not until the 15th May! More sweet peppers and aubergines have been transplanted to pots leaving just a few sweet peppers to do. The various types of basil, lemon, mammoth and sweet Genovese are growing well. A good number of asparagus spurs have been cut although the chickens got on the bed and I think have done some damage to the plants. I noticed that the first lot of carrots have dared to show themselves so it will not be long before I will need to get the second sowing done. The chickens have taken a fancy to the pea bed so I am resowing and trying to protect them Chickens are a double edged animal. Good for bugs etc bad for anything green and succulent.

Evesham Special Sprouts

First lot of outside the poly tunnel lettuce

Jersey Royal Parsnips weeded and thinned out

An uncertain time, take a gamble!

   At this time of year one is always trying to get ahead of the game. Unfortunately there are risks. Frost is a constant danger until the middle of May yet there are many seeds that need to be sown and the resulting plants protected from the potential frost until that time has passed. Still every day that  goes by should and I say should mean a less chance of frost. Currently the skies are clear and the frost comes every morning. The  temperature has been around zero first thing in the morning but once the sun comes up the frost is soon cleared. So far I have had only one or two plants suffer and no losses, yet. There has not been any rain for some time now and my water butts are all but empty. Time to pump water from the well.
   In the outside garden the potatoes were growing well with me earthing them up every evening and I will continue to do so for the next couple of weeks at least .The onset of the cooler weather they have stopped growing so fast.  I have transplanted Brussels Sprouts to an outside the poly tunnel bed and covered them in horticultural fleece. They are the best sprout plants I have managed to grow since being in France. 
  In the poly tunnel melons, squash and cucumbers have been sown and placed in the poly tunnel fleece cloche. My tomatoes are now outside the cloche but well covered up over night. I am cutting lettuce and pulling radish. The lettuce has been very good. Sweet peppers have been transplanted to pots along with Basque and Nigel's Green chili.
  On the animal front the female duck continues to lay and the chickens are being a menace by taking dust baths in my vegetable beds. The sheep are being sheep but soon will need to be sheared.

Ambassador peas

Spring sunshine

   The sun has shined a lot this last week. It has been nice to wake up before dawn and wait for the dawn chorus to start before getting up. There have been a few days of frosts but every day that now goes by means less of a chance of a frosty morning. That does not mean I lower my guard! Potatoes which are now putting up shoots need to be earthed up every evening and the more tender plants like peppers, chili's and tomatoes need to be protected in the poly tunnel.
   In the outside garden more forking, more weeding, more grass mowing and a bonfire. Only a small amount of ground to fork and weed left and that is in the area where the courgettes and pumpkins will go, so not urgent! I have sowed Touchon and Long Less de Meaux carrot along  with a row of salsify. Shallots, tree onions and onion sets are growing well. There is a good show of parsnip seedlings.
   In the poly tunnel more Evesham Special Brussels sprouts transplanted along with Provence thyme, Basque chili, White sage, Moss curled parsley, Roma and Gardeners Delight tomatoes. I am now regularly pulling lettuce (Batavia) and radishes. There is Moss Curled parsley, chives and coriander that is being used in salads. Lemon, Lettuce leaf and sweet Genovese basil has been sown, hopefully not too late.
  On the animal front the female mallard Indian runner duck is laying a lovely duck egg blue egg every day. The sheep look like they need shearing and the chickens, well, are being chickens. We have had a campaign against the rat population in the chicken coop and have killed at least six of which three were mature adults.
  So lots done, lots still to do. It never ends. LOL!

The pace quickens even more.

   What can I say? The pace in the garden just gets faster and faster at this time of year. The grass almost needs cutting twice a week! 

   In the poly tunnel I am pulling lettuce and radish as required. So far demand has not outstripped supply! It will at some point I am sure. Yet more radish sown.  I have sown a row of cauliflower seed given to me by my youngest grand daughter Evie. They are white and purple, yes purple, cauliflower. Should be interesting!. As an unusual sowing I have sown woad and have plans to make a woad bed next to my comfrey. The last of the over winter beetroot has been dug up and cooked. Tomato plants in pots are growing happily in the poly tunnel fleece along with Brussels Spouts, summer cabbage, spring onions, beetroot and white sage! Up in the house I have various varieties of sweet pepper and a couple of chilies growing slowly but surely.

   In the outside garden the potatoes are starting to show. I now need to go round the beds each day and cover up with soil any that pop up their heads. I have sown a main crop pea,variety Ambassador and I was disappointed to find that I did not  have any sugar snap peas! Need to find some quick! First lot of lettuce planted outside and covered with a cloche. I am still forking and weeding but there is less than there was!

  On the animal side the main chicken coop and duck coops have been cleaned out. The duck pond has been emptied and refilled and made just as dirty by the ducks by the time I had left the paddock! The sheep are being sheep and it will soon be time to sing the sheep shearing song again.

Row of Ambassador peas

A little late...

  I am a few days late with this posting, sorry about that. 

Runner bean poles

  In the outside garden I have dismantled and re-erected the runner bean poles. Yes, I know they should have been taken down last autumn but what with one thing and another I never got round to it. Lots of forking and weeding getting beds ready. Early (variety CHERIE), second early (variety ANAIS and BELLE DE FONTENAY) and main crop (variety DESIREE) have been planted. Planting potatoes is always a tiring job. Mark out and dig a trench, put in manure and ashes, cover with a layer of soil, plant seed potato and cover over! Then watch the chickens having a go digging them up! I have also continued to clear a large patch of brambles. The grass is growing like a weed and is in desperate need of cutting. I continue to dig up leeks and swede.
  In the poly tunnel transplanting tomatoes continues with variety ROMA (plum), UKRAINE purple and JENS TANGERINE done. I have also transplanted some thirty EVESHAM SPECIAL Brussels sprouts plants to pots. The seed were given to me by my youngest grand daughter, Evie. She must have put a good luck charm on them as I have never had much success with sprouts in France. Still more tomatoes to do if I want them. Lettuce, radish and beetroot are being harvested from the poly tunnel. The lettuce are now really getting underway.
   On the animal front the chickens continue to lay well. The sheep are being sheep and are being a pain rubbing themselves against fence posts and pushing them down. The ducks are fine but not laying yet.
   Oh, we had a severe storm here. It took the top out of the pine tree that grows outside the front of my house. Fortunately no property or other damage done. I will now need to get it taken down. It will open up the front some what.

  

Oh my!

   That time of year is creeping up on me. Given a little bit of warmth and everything starts to grow. I sowed some Brussels Sprouts seed, a birthday present from my youngest grand daughter Evie and they germinated in two days! Two days! I ask you. Since the photo was taken many more have come up.

Evesham Special Brussels Sprout

  It is all go go go. The poly tunnel fleece is up and there are already seventy transplanted tomato plants in there plus a host of other sown seeds.
  A big disappointment has been my garlic (Violet Brut). There is no sign of it growing at all. The only garlic I have are bulbs that were not dug up last autumn. These I have transplanted to one bed in the hope of getting a few bulbs!
  Forking and weeding continue. This last week there was a gale. This caused the the top of the fir tree outside the front of the house to snap off. Fortunately no one hurt and very little damage to property. Luckily the whole tree did not come down and what did missed the telephone line.

Result of high wind

  So what has been sown? Moving on from tomatoes and sprouts I have now sown Basque chili, Nigel's Green Outdoor Chili, Orange bell, Wisconsin Lakes, Mini Bell sweet peppers, Jalapeno pepper, Thyme de Provence (never had much success with thyme from seed. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!) De Barbentane aubergine, Golden Acre and Precoce de Louvier cabbage, Cheltenham Green Top beetroot, Jaune De Poitou leeks, Red Salad bowl lettuce and Giant Prague celeriac.
  Harvesting in the poly tunnel continues with over wintered lettuce and beetroot both acceptably edible. In the outside garden there are leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips and green top swede. The parsnips need to be eaten soon as they are starting to  grown again.
  The chickens in there wisdom have taken a fancy to my broad beans and I have had to resow a lot of them. Annoying as they looked really good. 
  On the animal front we lost three chickens to some critter that just bit their heads off. They were replaced by three rescue hens but  unfortunately one of them died. The high wind caused the lid of new duck coop to fly off and I have now repaired it. I have also replaced the duck pond (a children's paddling pool) with the last children's paddling pool we have. The ducks were ecstatic!
  So onward with plenty to do. Soon be time for planting the early potatoes!

Oh no! Mowing again.....

   Two things mark the start of the growing season for me. One is the sowing of parsnip seed, the other is the planting  of onion and shallot sets. Of course this is not all that is  going on right now. Tomato seeds are up and hey I have three white sage seeds that have germinated. I have been trying for several years to get white sage to germinate. Success! The radish are doing well in the poly tunnel and there is some late sown beetroot growing which look like they might produce something. I suspect they will be inedible. One never knows! There are still parsnips, leeks and green swede in the garden and they now need to be eaten up and the ground cleared for this years crop. No one wants to eat the Jerusalem Artichokes. Wonder why? Work in the garden has been fork and weed beds getting them ready for the early potatoes. Daffodils are in flower as are crocus. A real sign spring is here. 
   On the animal front some critter got into the Ixworth/black hens coop and killed them all. That was very annoying as the hens had just started to lay again, however, a friend offered some ex battery hens to replace them and they have been fetched and are settling in with our main flock. These hens were so called free range. I suspect it will take a little while for them to settle in and start laying. Ducks are being ducks but no eggs yet. Sheep are being sheep.
  I need mild dry weather so that I can crack on with getting the beds prepared. Over the next week I expect to be sowing more seeds and probably potting up tomato plants. Time to get the poly tunnel fleece cloche up! Oh  yes. I cut the grass. Man!

Beetroot and radish