Back after Easter

Wayhay! Things are still alive!

A little view of the plot before we went away - must take another one soon as it has changed already:



Compare and contrast from those few short weeks ago (from a different angle) here.

And here is the plan so you know what is what. The photo is taken with back to shed.

The bonus of going away to demolish your Mum's shed is also that she ends up throwing stuff away so we now have some biggish terracotta pots, abig piece of wood that will make a good potting bench, and the old shed window for another cold frame.

Easter egg-replacement gifts from Mum, aunt, and in-laws include a small watering can with a delicate rose for watering seeds and seedlings in the greenhouse, a pot of 6 raspberry canes and a tayberry cane,, garlic bulbs, some sunflower seeds, and a b&q voucher. I also got given a lovely old red tilley lamp by my granddad (which hasn't been used for 30+ years but seems in working order) and we bought citronella candles; a wasp jar; a smaller parafin lamp; some fruit netting; some watercress, cress, mustard and garden huckleberry seeds; and another little chilli plant and a 'burpless' cucumber plant. The garden centres in Lancashire/Yorkshire seem much more satisfying than our local ones - I don't know if that is just beacuse I kow where the good family-owned ones are down there.

So we have potted up the chilli and cucumber, planted the garlic, and sowed the hukleberry seeds and sunflower seeds.

And then went round so see what had been growing in our absence.

The radish has come up and the seedling as quite big. The beetroot is just peeping tiny leaves through the soil. the rocket is well on it's way and the perpetual spinach looks like it is sending up the start of some leaves. The spicy salad has several good leaves and I think will be ready for the first cut soon. The carrots have gained some true leaves.

One close inspection (nose to the ground) some broad beans are starting to germinate (must get the chickenwire out) as are some peas. The onions have sent up some green. The starwberries has formed some new leaves since planting, and I have harvested yet more rhubarb for the freezer. All the fruit bushes have new leaves.

In the greenhouse some more aubergine seeds have germinated, and three of the tomatoes have too - the 3 vintage wine seeds I think. Still only 1 chilli one. All the bought tomato/chilli/aubergine plants have grown. Gert's brassicas had not died.

And the previously sad looking broccoli had flourished! Loads of lovely long purple sprouts. So it was stilton and broccoli soup for dinner.