Our 1st harvest dinner of 2021

Our peas have survived, I think Jo's great idea of using Teasels to stop birds getting at them worked.

I planted the last of the potatoes Maris Piper, in 3 rows slightly closer together, but each seed spud was 15" apart, so plenty of space to grow. 

Stockbridge Arrow rhubarb, looking ready, short stalks, but that means they will be super sweet.

Bees have been busy visiting the Black Currants, so we netted the cage, now we should get a good harvest, not the birds!

Our 1st harvest of Asparagus, we will have these in a rissoto for dinner tonight.

1st harvest of rhubarb, a crumble to have after that yummy rissoto.

It was so sweet too.

I put in a solar powered waterfall pump, to aerate the pond, watch the video below.

So a great few days and the weather has been dry and sunny, we do need rain though, all the rain barrels are empty and the soil is turning to dust!

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo.
 

A month since last Blog and we got lots planted

April has been a better month, chilly nights, mornings too. 

But sunny days and sadly no rain for weeks!

I made a Potato planter/dibber. 

Made from an off cut of timber, I shaped the bottom to be a rounded point, cut grooves at 6",8",10" for depth and 12" & 15" for distance between spuds. I added a handle from an offcut of broom handle.

It works really well.

I planted 4 rows of Charlotte, first I dug a trench, put manure in the bottom then put the soil back in the trench, using my Potato planter/dibber I made a hole 6" deep into the soil/manure and placed a potato in each hole. Watered, then dragged soil over using a rake, to fill the holes and make a shallow ridge.

Jo planted 4 rows of Broad Beans, she started them off at home in the greenhouse.

Jo also planted 2 rows of Peas, to climb up 18" chicken wire, also started off at home, in toilet roll tubes, so the roots aren't disturbed while planting.

We made a wigwam with netting for Sweet Peas. 

We have a obelisk at home with Sweet Peas on too.

Jo planted some Cauliflowers. 

First soil was raked flat, compressed by walking over and some Lime added (brassicas like firm, limed soil) then netting added as we get Pheasants and they will pull them up! 

I carried on planting more Potatoes, now we have 3 rows each of King Edwards & Cara. 

There is just enough space left for a final 3 rows of Maris Piper, will put those in next week, to stagger harvesting.

Its been lovely during lock-down, we have had pic-nic lunches quite a lot. 

Sadly our rain butts are almost empty, so we are getting water from the well. 

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo