Is it Spring?

It seems very warm for February. Mr C and I got busy on Friday repairing the fence which had fallen down and become overgrown with brambles. It's better but it's still a tatty fence! We had a bonfire whilst repairing the fence and the babe was very interested - lets hope she doesn't grow up to be a pyromaniac! I think it was the movement of the smoke she liked she certaintly wasn't near enough to feel the heat.

A few more beds have been edged with old floorboards from a clear out taking place a few roads away. Generally things are looking quite organised. We've even got some mushroom compost and made a heap. Some has been distributed to the raspberries and especially the rhubarb so I'm expecting huge growth!

About 3 more beds to be dug over the next few weeks and lots of things to be sown. The maincrop potatoes are ready to plant but I'm holding off for a few more weeks. If I plant them we're bound to get some hard frosts.

The peas in the cold frame will definitely need to be transplanted as only a few of those in the pea bed have germinated.

Wildlife

Not much to see but we did disturb a frog this week! It seemed to appreciate the rain more than JB and I!

Mr C has collected some more planks of wood in order to eventually create new boundaries round the plot and to edge the beds. But digging is still the main activity every visit!

Heavy Rain

Saturday morning didn't look too promising but by lunchtime the sky had cleared and it was quite bright. It was not to last however...

JB and I got to work on the old raspberry patch that we began to clear last week. We took loads of couch grass clumps and have begun to create a earth pile which might one day rot down and be of use or it might just get burned!

The old raspberries have been completely cleared, and we are gradually making the plot look a lot better. It won't be too long before we have reached the fruit tree line and then it will feel like a real achievement.

6 beds are now dug on the lefthand side of the plot; the first contains rhubarb and blueberry bushes. Bed 2 has got the parsnips and radishes in (no sign of growth despite the cloches). Beds 3 and 4 were filled on Saturday with the early potatoes couldn't leave then chitting any longer - the dining room was beginning to smell a bit strange.

Oh course the heavens opened and chucked it down once we had begun planting the pots but the job had to be finished. We got soaked and really it was far too muddy, wet and totally inappropriate for planting but it was fun and it needed to be done. The maincrops are chitting in place of the earlies now and they will be ready for planting very soon too. Probably should try to keep them back until at least March, but the weather looks set to be pretty warm so who knows.

Wonderful weather.

The weather was glorious didn't need a coat and got pretty warm digging. Had help this weekend. JB got digging and we successfully dug one new bed and started to clear the old raspberry cane bed which was completely over grown with couch grass.

Found a small slow worm basking in the sun but had to look it up to be sure what it was. I thought they were meant to hibernate so perhaps it is confused by the warm weather.

All the broad beans seem to be ok despite being nibbled by a few slugs and snails and some of the peas are evident. I'm definitely going to need to use some of those growing in the cold frame as there are quite a few gaps in at least 2 of the rows!!

We had a very exciting morning at Seedy Sunday at the Old Market in Hove. Wow so many people swaping and buying seeds, a lot of knowledgeable people too; felt very amateurish! Got some sweet peas seeds (can't only grow edible things) and some marigolds which are good to grow to distract carrot flies I think. Oh and had to get some Love in a Mist as it has such a great name - think its a good deterent for some bugs but can't remember what!

Managed to get husband, me and the babe all at the plot at the same time for just a few minutes yesterday! So we have a few more beds hoed, and some edged. Well Done Mr C.