Spuds

First and second earlies and maincrop:

Tomatoes

I'm treating these a bit differently this year with a bit of DIY ring culture - I've planted them straight into their growbags and surrounded each plant with a 20cm bottomless pot which I'll top up with compost as they grow.

Phacelia and californian poppies

These have self-seeded from last year and besides looking beautiful the bees are loving them too.

Ox-eye daisies

I'm well pleased with these. I started them off from seed and planted them out in my orchard last year. Now they're flowering a treat. Hopefully they'll seed themselves around and spread too.

Struggling

May Day. Up the workers. April in central England turned out to be the hottest and driest since records began 350 years ago, ie it didn't rain. At all. The sun is blazing and just to rub it in there's a stiff easterly wind doing it's damnedest to desiccate everything in it's path. It's blowing just cold enough for me not to notice the UV taking my skin off. Not good growing weather. The perennials and anything planted out last year with their roots well down in the soil - the broccoli, asparagus and spinach - is doing well enough, so I won't starve. Even the autumn-planted spring cabbage is hearting up nicely without any watering. But anything planted out this spring is struggling - the peas look sorrowful and the cabbage positively pathetic.

9-star perennial broccoli undersown with trefoil.

In my garden

Out in the country

There's been a police helicopter clattering over our neighbourhood today, disturbing the peace and generally making a nuisance of itself, so I escaped up the fields.

April Is The New June

I shouldn't have to be seeking out the shade at this time of year but that's how it's been. Much too hot and still no rain - so much for April showers.

The cherry-plum, plum and pear blossom has been and and gone and the cherry and apple is out now - about two weeks early.

Eating fresh asparagus, spinach and purple-sprouting broccoli.

The first row of peas are planted out and there's plenty of seedlings on the go in the greenhouse and coldframes. All we need now is some rain.

Blossom time

Cherry

Apple

Early peas

Planted out and growing away:

Broccoli

Spring

So, after one of the coldest winters on record it's been the driest March for fifty years, and with temperatures well above average. Very pleasant but also a little ominous.

Out in the countryside the hawthorn is greening up even as the blackthorn is still in blossom.

I've seen red-tailed bumble bees and orange-tipped and peacock butterflies.

And I like the way the elder sneaks into leaf without me noticing (but then I would wouldn't I).

Sowing time

Sowing lots of seeds this weekend, here's some I did earlier:

Cabbages

Peas

In my garden

Blooming now - hellebores and pulsatilla -

Making a start

Here we go again; my seed potatoes are chitting I've and sown a few seeds. I'm still eating sprouts and carrots from the plot and there's some early spinach. Last years maincrop potatoes that I have in store are starting to sprout and go a bit soft but as yet are still edible. And there's no shortage of young nettles.

I can't say I'm feeling overly enthusiastic - the world seems to be going into meltdown, both literally and metaphorically. At the end of the day all I can do is get on with it and continue doing what I believe is right for me, right for my loved ones and right for the planet.

I can see a point coming in the not too distant future when access to land will be more useful than access to money, so I'm thankful I've got this bit of earth to nourish. It gives back more than I could ever put into it.

And these daffodils that I planted around the fruit trees in my orchard are helping to lift my spirits.

Cultivation

I've done all the digging I'm going to do. This last patch is where my potatoes will be going.

Spreading home-made compost:


...and digging it in:

Yes we have no broccoli

I always look forward to cropping the purple sprouting at this time of year - it being the first new crop of the season - but this year it ain't gonna happen; the cold winter has put paid to that. Needless to say these plants are now on the compost.

Records 2011

Mostly for my benefit, I'll update it as the season goes on.

Antirrhinum (saved seed) - Sown in greenhouse 2.4, 1/2 seedtray. Pricked out 7.5 to medium modules x12. Potted on to 12cm pots 29.5. Planted out 30cm apart x7 11.6.

Basil (saved seed from Tenerife) - Sown in greenhouse 2.4, small modules x10. Potted on to 9cm pots x5 30.4. Planted in trough 29.5.

Bladder Campion (saved seed) - Sown in greenhouse 9.4, small modules x10. Potted on to 9cm pots x8 7.5. Moved to coldframe 14.5. Planted out in orchard 4.6.

Broad bean "Aquadulce Claudia" - Sown 15.10, 1/2 row.

Broccoli "Early Purple Sprouting Red Arrow" - Sown 16.4, small modules x10. Potted on to 9cm pots x9 7.5. Moved to coldframe 14.5. Planted out 75cm apart 28.5.

Broccoli (white) "Nine Star Perennial" - Sown in coldframe 14.5, small modules x10. Potted on to 9cm pots 11.6. Planted out ?

Brussels Sprouts "Cascade F1" - Sown in greenhouse 9.4, small modules x20. Potted on to 9cm pots x12 30.4. Moved to coldframe 14.5. Planted out 60cm apart 21.5

Cabbage "January King" - Sown 7.8 in 15cm pot in coldframe. And 1/2 row 12.8.

Cabbage "Hispi F1" - Sown in 15cm pot in coldframe 8.5. Planted out 11.6 30cm apart. And another 15cm pot sown same day. Planted out ?

Cabbage "Greyhound" - Sown in greenhouse 12.3, 1/2 seedtray. Discarded in favour of Spitfire.

Cabbage "Spitfire F1" - Sown in greenhouse 12.3, 1/2 seedtray. Planted out 23.4 x20, 30cm apart.

Carnation "Giant Chabaud Mixed" - Sown in greenhouse 2.4, small modules x20. Potted on to 9cm pots x19 6.5. Moved to coldframe 14.5. Planted out 10.6 x19 30cm apart, 1 row.

Carrot "Early Nantes" - Sown 2.4 in trough in greenhouse. Moved to coldframe 20.4.

Carrot "Amsterdam Forcing" - Sown direct 19.5, 1 row.

Carrot "Autumn King 2" - Sown direct 19.5, 1 row.

Chineese Mustard "Green in Snow" - Sown 7.8, short row.

Climbing French bean - Sown in greenhouse 7.5, medium modules x24. Planted out 4.6.

Clover (white) - Sown 31.3 for paths.

Clover (crimson) - Sown 8.5 for green manure around courgettes.

Cosmos "Candy Stripe" - Sown in greenhouse 2.4, small modules x20. Potted on to 9cm pots 23.4. Moved to coldframe 6.5. Planted out 14.5.

Courgette "Black Beauty" - Sown 16.4, 9cm pots x6. Moved to coldframe 30.4. Planted out 8.5.

Flax (saved seed) - Sown in greenhouse 2.4, small modules x20. Potted on to 9cm pots 23.4. Moved to coldframe 6.5. Planted out 14.5.

French bean "Purple Queen" - Sown in greenhouse 8.5, medium modules x24. Moved to coldframe 14.5. Planted out 4.6 20cm apart and 1/2 row sown direct.

Garlic "Vallelao" (from saved cloves) - Planted out 19.11, 20cm apart, 2 short rows 30cm apart.

Kale (Cavolo) "Palmizio Senza Testa" - Sown direct 16.5, 1/2 row. Eaten by flea beetles.

Leek "Musselburgh" - Sown in 15cm pot in greenhouse 23.4. Moved to coldframe 14.5. Planted out 11.6, 20cm apart, 1 row.

Marigolds (saved seed from Tenerife) - Sown direct 14.5, short row.

Mizuna - Sown direct 8.5, short row. eaten by flea beetles. Another short row sown 11.6 plus x12 medium modules in coldframe. Potted on to 9cm pots 3.7. Planted out ?

Nicotiana Sylvestris "White Trumpets" - Sown 2.4 in greenhouse, 1/2 seedtray. Pricked out to medium modules x12 30.4. Potted on to 12cm pots x12 14.5. Planted out 60cm apart 28.5.

Pea "Early Onward" - Sown in greenhouse 12.3, 9cm pots x32, 3 seeds per pot. Moved to coldframe 28.3. Planted out 9.4, 1/2 row.

Pea "Onward" - Sown direct 8.5, 1 row. And another 28.5.

Pea bean (saved seed) - Sown in greenhouse 7.5, medium modules x12. Moved to coldframe 21.5. Planted out 28.5.

Phacelia (green manure) - Sown broadcast 13.4. And 11.6 where garlic was.

Potato "Desiree" - 1kg bought in for chitting 12.3. Planted out 22.4, 1 row,15cm deep, 40cm apart.

Potato "International Kidney" - 2kg bought in for chitting 12.3. Planted out 31.3, 1 row, 15cm deep, 30cm apart. Earthed up 27.4.

Potato "Wilja" - 1kg bought in for chitting 12.3. Planted out 31.3, 1 row, 15cm deep, 30cm apart. Earthed up 27.4.

Runner bean "Enorma" - Sown 8.5 in greenhouse, large modules x36. Moved to coldframe 21.5. Planted out 28.5.

Salad leaves - Sown 2.4 in 15cm pot in greenhouse. Moved to coldframe 30.4. And another sown 23.4. Moved to coldframe and another sown 14.5.

Scorzonera "Long Black Maxima" - Sown direct 23.4, 1 row.

Spinach "Mikado F1" - Sown 1/2 row 12.8.

Sweet Pea "Royal Mixed" - Sown in coldframe 12.3, 9cm pots x8, 1 seed per pot. Pinched and planted out x3 22.4.

Tomato "Gardeners Delight" - Sown in propagator 9.4, small modules x10. Potted on to 9cm pots x4 30.4. Planted in growbags 14.5.

Trefoil (green manure) - Sown broadcast 13.4.

Wild Rocket - Sown in greenhouse 9.4, small modules x10. Potted on to 9cm pots x7 7.5. Moved to coldframe 14.5. Planted out 4.6 30cm apart.

WILD FLOWERS/MIXES -

Field Poppy - Sown broadcast 13.4.

Pictorial Meadows Classic Mix - Sown broadcast with sand 15.4.

Pictorial Meadows Contrasting Mix - Sown broadcast with sand 13.4.

Leaving Tenerife

Back home now and feeling lucky to have been able to spend much of the winter in the warmth and sunshine. Already I'm missing the fresh greens, tomatoes, avocados, bananas and much more.

I love the scenery of south west Tenerife and was able to spend time walking in the mountains where spring is much in evidence, the almond blossom on the trees around the towns and villages is especially beautiful at this time of year:



Every part of what many people would call scrub land is to my eyes as beautiful as any garden.


The hour before sunset infuses everything with a golden glow:




Not so long ago the island would have had a sustainable economy based on farming and fishing but has now mostly gone over to tourism. The terraces where lentils and chickpeas once grew lie abandoned. But up in the mountains I sometimes came across people still living the old ways with a few goats and a patch of vegetables. Just as it should be:




The last of my photos from Tenerife are here.