Happy Easter on this glorious Sunday morning. I hope you are utilising the excuse of Easter to pack yourselves full of chocolate and hot cross buns. I can’t get enough of these toasted delicious buns with a slither of melting butter. Eating one as I type, yum!
The clocks have only just gone forward but I am already loving the light mornings and slightly lighter evenings that Spring has brought. It has meant that I am not relying on dry weather at the weekends for me to get up to the plot and make progress.
After managing an hour in the morning, followed by two hours in the evening after work this week, I finally looked behind me at what I had left to dig and felt like I was actually getting somewhere and might just be ready for Spring.
In case you are looking at the below photo thinking I am nowhere near ready, my aim for this year was just to target the right hand side.
Alongside fighting the digging and deep root pulling war, more sowing has commenced at home. It has been the weekend of flowers, Cosmos ‘Xanthos’ and ‘Sensation Mix’ went in, closely followed by Calendula ‘Oopsy Daisy’.
All, 2 seeds per module in 24 module seed trays filled with multi-purpose compost. Now placed in unheated propagators and on the window sill.
The window sills are quickly filling up now and I am sure everyone is in the same position unless you have the luxury of a heated greenhouse. Hopefully it’s not causing too many domestics and soil covered surfaces.
My full list of germinating dreams currently looks like:
– Sweet peas ‘scented mix’ – These need pinching out now I think but I am too scared to damage the seedlings
– Pepper Piccante – 4 out of 9 germinated – I put this down to not putting them in to a heated propagator for the first week, but I didn’t need 9 plants anyway.
– Onion ‘Bedfordshire Champion’– all of these have germinated and our looking happy on the windowsill now with the lid off and up to about 4-5 inches tall
– Flowers listed above.
I was originally planning on following the advised Easter tradition and planting my ‘Charlotte’ and Sarpo Mira’ potatoes this weekend, but my instinct said that the weather was still too temperamental and the ground too cold. Maybe next weekend…
I have lots to sow and plant next month according to my plans so hopefully the weather will sort itself out soon.
How are your plans going? All as you hoped or have you had some setbacks too?
Everything is looking really good! A very good start to the season. I would leave your Sarpo Mira until mid to end of April to put them in. The shoots might get damaged by a late frost. I think the charlottes will be good to go in next weekend though!
Thank you Emma!
It’s really looking great. When you look at that throwback Thursday picture you posted on twitter of that overgrown plot, the difference is fantastic. I am also looking forward to the extra day light during the week. Getting down the plot after work will be a great boost!
Thank you very much Richard!
You’ve done really well, watching your progress has been inspiring. I don’t think I’d be as far along if I taken on the plot that you did, it certainly looked like a challenge but you seem to have mastered it. You will enjoy it even more when you start harvesting.
Thank you so much, my aim was to inspire so I am really pleased that you think I do. I don’t think you can ever master gardening and growing your own as its constant learning, but I’m certainly getting there with the digging and weeding. Glad you think so too. Harvesting will be so satisfying and rewarding, I can’t wait!
It’s all looking and sounding good. I’m growing the lovely cosmos ‘Xanthos’ again this year, and among my own ‘Flighty’s favourites’ pot marigold seeds there are bound to be some similar to the wonderfully named ‘Oopsy Daisy’.
As the date for Easter varies so much I feel that it’s better to plant potatoes as and when ground conditions and the weather is suitable as you’re doing.
As you say next month is when we’ll all be busy planting and sowing. My plans are very flexible, and so far without any real setbacks thankfully. Happy plotting! xx
Thank you Mike. Happy plotting too
All looks great. Still to wet to put spuds in 😯
Thank you, let’s hope next weekend is better!
Looks good!
I also feel that we are getting to that pinch point in spring. So much needs to be moving soon or we will miss the window!
I really need to get a wiggle on. With weather, work and being ill I have had a few weeks of no jobs done. >.<
Nice wellies, BTW.
Thank you Kal, hope storm Katie hasn’t affected you too much and you can get your wiggle on a bit. Good luck.
Hi Belle.
Yes the weather is very temperamental at the moment. I went to my allotment today to pick some late sprouts and an abundance of sprouting broccoli and didn’t expect to do any other work but managed to sow a double row of broad beans and my bed of onion sets. Surprising for South Yorkshire!
I’ve used a system of black plastic mulch on my individual plots for a number of years where there are no crops and it saves me hours of weeding, keeps the soil texture in great condition and the soil temperature is always higher than normal. Yes it doesn’t perhaps get the full benefit of rainfall but it’s surprising how moist the soil is when you remove the plastic mulch.
Planning to get the early potatoes in when the weather improves and sow the parsnips.
Look forward to the next instalment.
Hi Steve, thank you for commenting. Good work on the sowing! It is great once you have system in place that you are happy with and works for you. Fingers crossed for the potatoes in next weekend. Happy Gardening
Awesome update your plot is coming along nicely hope you had a nice Easter
Thank you Linda, I had a lovely Easter, hope you did too
Hi, loving your blog, really interesting. One minor detail though that I think you may have got mixed up with… The mornings actually just got darker ( by an hour) and the evenings lighter by a whole hour ( hurrah!). Enjoy!