Molly's Lotment - Sowing and Growing

Flowering Cherry

Last week's glorious weather lulled us all into a false sense of security. And then come Sunday we had howling winds, cold grey down pours and even a dusting of snow on the surrounding hills. Every day, in spite of the change in the weather, the flowering cherry trees on the edge of the lawn seem to get that much 'pinker'. I wish I had a  video recorder on stand by to record the blooms as they unfurl and then play it back speeded up. It's only when you take a photo and then a few days later, another, that you notice how much things have moved on. The miraculous silence of  growth.


Today I really intended to weed my flower beds and borders. The sun has been shining for most of the day, but a biting wind persuaded me to take cover and potter about in the poly tunnel. First of all, a little trip round to see how things are coming along.

'Hispi' Cabbages

The cabbage seeds sown last October and planted out in January are starting to fill up quite well. I hoed between them with my favourite hoe. It's an ancient onion hoe really with a narrow semi circled blade. I bought it from a car boot a few years ago for no more than fifty pence, but it's so good for doing all sorts of hoeing jobs. I'm hoping the cabbage will be ready to start cutting in April, especially with the price of vegetables ever rising.

'All Year Round' Cauli

As well as sowing cabbage, I sowed a tray of 'All Year Round' cauliflowers the same time.
I planted them the opposite end of the tunnel but the slugs played havoc with them. I tried circling them with rings of sawdust. It did have a measure of success but I'm afraid I had to include a few blue mini pellets as well.
Tiny curds of cauliflower are just starting to form so hoping they will make it to full growth. Think I may have to give them a dressing of blood, fish and bonemeal to boost them up a bit.

'Bunyard's Exhibition' Broad Beans

Here are some broad beans, I sowed in a couple of seed trays. Other Half thinks that they are well ready to be planted out. I'm hanging back a bit. Last year I planted two lovely rows along the edge of the poly out of the seed trays. So proud of my work, only to find that our four legged little friends had, had what might be described as a 'bean feast' during the night - bitten into and eaten all the bean seeds away and left a trail of lifeless shoots on the top of the soil. Who is Head Gardener in your house?

Parsley

Do you ever buy those pots of herbs, they sell in the supermarket? I bought a little pot of parsley some time ago. Instead of having, one little plant as you might expect, there were actually a clump of them and I separated them out and planted a row in the top tunnel. They have worked out cheaper than buying a packet of seeds and are at this moment still going strong. 


For the remainder of the afternoon, I've been indulging in a bit of seed sowing. The 'Ailsa Craig' tomatoes, I sowed in a margarine tub on February 8th have, as yet  just one head above the parapet. The seed was last year's so I don't know if any more will grow or not. Hedging my bets, I've sown another tub of 'Alicante' today. The Brussel sprouts sown in February have germinated, but I sowed another small batch again today as well. The first pinch of lettuce sown in January have survived and made it into a square in the poly tunnel. The second batch have also germinated. I've found out the hard way that it's a lot wiser not to sow the whole packet in one go.


Happy Monday
Molly