Sunday 18 April 2010

Planting Day Today

Having had a clearing the patio and sorting out pots day yesterday, today was the day to get planting and sowing. Cold out but clear blue skies and warming up nicely.  I even had to dig out my shorts.

In pots are:
- tomatoes - three plants - possibly Italian plum and Beefsteak but can't be totally sure as they came in one of those selection trays and weren't individually labelled.
- Lemon apple - a small round yellow cucumber
- Yellow zucchini - planted up in a mix of compost and well rotted manure, so let's hope they grow well this year.
- Sweetpeas - outside the kitchen window for their scent
- Chilli pepper

This year in the raised veg bed:
- Broad beans, mangetout and beetroot. Quite intensely planted a la 'square foot' method.

There's still space in the middle for something ... swiss chard maybe? Well covered to protect from both the cats - thinking it's a marvellous litter tray and the pigeons thinking it's a tasty snack.

The disadvantage of encouraging birds to come into the garden - especially the pigeons!  I think they've already had a go at a couple of the tomato plants which have been stripped of leaves.

Also planted seeds for:
- Rocket and spinach - in the 'salad crate' - another potential litter tray
- Courgette - ever hopeful
- Ridge cucumber - they were delicious last time but limited in number.
- Squash - little gem and butternut
- Nasturtium
- Basil
- Coriander

The seeds are now inside until they germinate and it's a little warmer for them to go outside either in the ground or in pots.  Although I'm already running out of pots and wondering just where the rest will go.  It also gives me a chance to see which one's actually germinate as most of the seeds are a little old. In fact so old Noah probably had them on the Ark.

My gooseberry twig from a couple of years ago has grown.  In fact, so much so that it's grown through the bottom of the pot.  I daren't heave it up and replant it at this stage - especially as it has a few flowers on it.  Might get a few home grown gooseberries this year!

Quite excited by the prospect of all this potential produce.

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