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| The first beech leaves |
The first beech leaves have unfurled and everything's starting to grow in the garden. On the weekend, temperatures are forecast to reach 20C, but we believe it when we see it.
This year, we've decided to string up our tomatoes rather than stake them with bamboo canes. Jim lovingly cut and dipped 41 lengths of coir rope in wax, before tying a slip knot with a stopper in one end, slipping it over the tomato plants and then tying off the other end with a clove hitch. Those sailing knots come in handy on land, too!
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| Clove hitches in the garden |
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| Strung up tomatoes |
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| Work in progress in the polytunnel |
The greenhouse has had a major reorganisation and has been filled to capacity, but still looks tidy. It houses 10 tomatoes, 4 achochas, 12 tomatillos (awaiting planting out in mid-June), 4 chillies and 8 peppers and the extra brassica seedlings in case the first ones get chomped by slugs.
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| Nicely spaced-out greenhouse |
The conservatory is much less crowded and much tidier this year because of the extra polytunnel space and because I've decided to sow the courgettes, squashes and sweetcorn in early May rather than mid-April, as before. I think this works better here - last year I got stuck with enormous plants when the weather didn't warm up properly until July.
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| Tidy conservatory |
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| Chilli-ringed sofa |
The conservatory is reserved for cucumbers (crystal lemon), chillies, okra and melons this year.
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| Okra seedling |
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| Watermelon seedling |
Outside, I've just planted out lettuces, peas and mangetout. The peas are in a high-security netted tract to keep out the blackbirds. Please help yourself to layers' pellets, blackbirds, and leave those tender peas alone.
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| Pea wigwams with nets |
The Jerusalem artichokes, early potatoes and onions are already poking out and the bumblebees are enjoying the broad bean and kale flowers.
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| Shallots |
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| The earlies |
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| Broad bean with bumblebee |
In the top corner of the garden, we've tidied up the raspberry and mint beds, removing all traces of the former playground, and dug over a new area that is going to be a herb garden. To be planted this week - watch this space!
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| The new herb bed to be |
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| Tidied-up raspberry enclosure |
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| The mint bed is getting going |
You are really getting on with everything! The polytunnel will be a sight indeed then the tomatoes have grown some... We string them up, too; it's much handier than staking them.
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