Grow your Own ~Planting time

Spring here in the UK has been a long while in coming. I think its been the longest 7 months I can remember, as last years wash-out Summer spilled into a wet cool Autumn, which ended with the coldest winter in over 50 years. Spring seemed to never want to spring as we had yet more deep snow, and even now the buds are only just showing us their green tips as they sleepily awake from their cold winters slumber. The chill is still in the air.

So today I went with Hubby to take a few photos..  as even I managed to get down and plant a few onion sets last week which were watered today as we have had strong winds which are drying out the earth this week.

The Potatoes are in, We have earliest and the main crop. We are putting 10 rows in this year.. Potatoes here have risen in price due to many farmers fields being flooded and waterlogged.. The potatoes are lying in the ground unable to be harvested as the machinery cannot get through the water-logged fields so they lay rotting.

The Bean poles are in, but the Beans are not set yet, too early and cold. But we will start them off in the green house.. Like we are doing the sweet corn. which is already sprouting.

In front of the Beans Poles we set the Parsnips these were started off  by germinating on our window sills on damp kitchen paper, the term is called chitting They are soaked and kept damp and warm to encourage sprouting. Before being planted in the ground.. We did this with our Beetroot too and they are just showing above the ground new growth.

On the left is the Rhubarb coming through and those rows of sticks you see on the Right are the Raspberry canes which my hubby thinned out this year and transplanted. Our Raspberries rotted in the rain last year as did our Strawberries. The little bush to the bottom right is a Gooseberry bush. 

So this year I took all the new shoots off the old Strawberry plants and replanted in a raised bed freshly prepared with good compost and manure at the base. We created 3 raised beds seen here.  the others will have Salad foods grown in them such as spring onions, lettuce, and herbs.

 

The weather has been so cold, that most of our plants have been started off on window sills in our home, then they have been transferred to the cold frame in the allotments.. Below you can see the brassica selections of Various Cabbages, January Kings, Savoy Kale etc just starting to sprout nicely.

So, We have made a start, All the hard work goes to my husband who has been putting 2 hours in the allotments each day preparing and digging in the manure and clearing it ready for planting..

We have also put into pots the Tubas of the Begonias  which have been over wintered in dry compost in the side shed of our home. These are going in the baskets and pots around our home. 

I hoped you enjoyed your own garden and if you don’t have much of a garden you can always start growing various things in pots which look good on Patio’s and Balconies.  Such as Strawberries and Tomatoes in hanging baskets..

Enjoy your Garden and outdoors…and I am happy to once again be able to Grow my own in the outdoors as the weather is improving..