Busy Busy...

Spring finally appeared and now we are having another horrible cold spell. It's been really wintry and horrible, not my kind of gardening weather at all. And yet 2 weeks ago it was blazing hot and shorts weather.
So it's been a long time since last post and lots has happened:

Shallots, onions and garlic are all doing well. The cats like to lie on them so some are a bit wonky but am sure they will be fine.

Planted out a half bed of asparagus grown from seed last year. Also a few in some large pots to see how they do. Been earthing them up and they are all looking healthy. I LOVE asparagus so excited to see if they develop, and SO impatient to wait for them another year or two.

Put some summer raspberries into large pots as I haven't yet decided where to have a proper fruit garden. All my fruit is in pots. Blueberries, raspberries, red and white currants, a gooseberry and loads of strawberries. There are tiny peaches on the tree even though it got left out this winter and some of the branches had to be removed due to frost damage. The fleece kept blowing off. It is shwing signs of leaf curl again but I have pulled off the affected leaves and hopefully we will still get a few peaches. I did spray with bordeaux mix in the autumn.

The tomatoes were moved into the greenhouse about a month ago. They have now been hardened off and I have some inside and some outside. I also donated some to friends and the local pre-school. I am growing sungold, marmande, black cherry, outdoor girl, tumbling tom, sweet million, tigarella, big boy, roma and red cherry. Think that is all of them. I have about 30 plants, but make sauces with them and chutneys so can't really have enough :o)

The broadbeans planted from loo-rolls are doing great. They were planted out about 3 weeks ago. The ones sown direct are a no-show. I may pop some more in tomorrow to see how they do.
The peas are looking good too, even though the pesky pigeons have had a nibble.
I have planted out some parsnips in kitchen roll holders and sown some direct. Too early to say if they will poke their heads through. I find them a bit hit and miss if sown direct.
I have sown 2 rows of carrots and had almost given up hope when hoorah! they are coming though.

I have got all my early potatoes in the bit of overgrown land next to the house - I dug some over- and the rest went into buckets. The main crop are at Nanna's and salad ones in a bed here. The greenhouse ones are almost ready for a furtle... salivating at the thought of new potatoes now! (growing lady christl, king edward, blue danube and charlotte this year). All been earthed up once so far.

I have a few cucumbers (marketmore, and crystal lemon), peppers (golden wonder) and chillis (cayenne), in the greenhouse but they seem smaller than last year. I also have cape gooseberries, and a couple of melons in there too. And a couple of aubergines. I don't like the spines, they always catch me out!

I have planted out marrow, courgette, pumpkin and squash at Nanna's today - a bit early maybe but they are hardened off and it's quite sheltered there. I also have my runner beans and borlottis there too. Again planted out today.

Up the wigwam here I have planted out yesterday some climbers and french beans.
I have lettuces in the greenhouse we have been picking from, salad leaves and rocket etc. Been having fresh salads from the greenhouse now for over a month. Yum, so nice after all the cold weather! I have lettuces just planted out in the garden too.

Planted out 2 weeks ago my brassica bed - cabbages, caulis, sprouts, kale etc - the pigeons have kept away so far (crosses fingers). I will try and get the netting up before the first cabbage whites appear. Just my luck they will arrive as we go on holiday.
been harvesting lots of PSB but it's just about finished, shan't plant it out at Nanna's again as it does better here.

Spring onions are coming up nicely have got clumps of them planted out with the lettuces.

One compost bin has been emptied on one of the beds - lovely stuff :o)

Flower wise, I have sown some nasturtiums for eating hopefully and have got loads of sunflowers ready to go out. I am hoping the slugs keep off them this year. we had one side of the garden (shady and weedy) gravelled last week so I have had a lovely time arranging all my pots on it. It will mean less time weeding it and more on the veggies :o) All the herbs are now on the decking (mint, rosemary, **marjoram**, parsley, chive, garlic chive, curry plant, sage). I have purple basil, sweet genovese and a miniature basil on the kitchen windowsill.

** Bought the wee marjoram plant to go with the deer that committed suicide in the garden and is now in my freezer in the garage!

And we have a new coop - the girls and me love it :oD Thanks Marc xx