Snow’s gone, and although last night and maybe tonight is supposed to be cold, the weatherman said it would be ‘exceptionally mild’ for the rest of the week. I’m not sure how mild ‘exceptionally mild’ is, sounds a bit like ‘very moderate’ or ‘extremely medium’ to me, but there you go! So, ever the optimist, today I sowed the first seeds – onions (‘Golden Bear F1’, seeds bought last year) and leeks (‘Musselburgh’, free from a man in a pub (no, really), and ‘Lyon’, an early, free from GYO this year), 36 modules of onions, 18 each of the leek varieties. I’ve gone for the pinch method for the onions a la Zazen’s blog – a pinch of approx 5 seeds in each module, then plant module out whole. I figured this gets the most out of my modules! The leeks are 2 seeds per module with the intention of thinning one. Both trays are covered in clingfilm and standing on newspaper on the top shelf of my new blowaway – four foot and lined with fleece. Very excited to have the first seeds sown, although backup seeds available should they fail.
Speaking of failure, I chucked those Charlottes yesterday. We went on a fact finding mission to find a suitable screening tree (considering a Holm Oak) and went to a tree nursery, three garden centres and B&Q. I ended up with some peat free multi purpose from B&Q (having checked prices in the centres), some seed compost and four Valour main crop potato tubers. Never bought seed compost before but they had an open bag and it just looked so nice I thought I should. On putting the Valours into the chitting egg boxes I found the Charlottes had done nothing since the 4th and some had some nasty looking soft spots and mould. So to protect the Anyas, off they went to potato heaven.
I popped to the allotment today to measure it as I have yet another plan for this year’s beds. I recently realised South is 180 degrees off where I thought it was. This is fairly important when growing things! The Japanese onions look ok, bit shabby but green enough. I had to remove mulch from some – they appear to have got stuck underneath. The garlic is frankly massive – thick stocky leaves. Much better than their siblings in pots on the patio. The shallots are doing well also – just getting on with it. However (there’s always a however) the over-wintered broad beans did NOT like the snow. They have taken a total beating – every plant black and withered. Some have struck back with some growth from the base, so we’ll see what emerges, but I won’t be attempting that again in a hurry! That’s what happens when you call a post “The tenacity of life“!
I’ve ordered some exciting free* (just pay P&P) plants from my GYO mag – three asparagus ‘Pacific 2000’ crowns (to go with the badly planted one on the allotment, soon to be moved to a proper bed) and a blueberry ‘Sunshine Blue’, a pot for the patio me thinks. Also realised as I was reading the mag that between them posting it and me getting it, some light fingered bugger has nicked my free seeds. GYO are sending another mag but this better not be a common occurrence, or Royal Mail will be hearing about it. Assuming I get my seeds regularly I need to remember next year NOT to buy seeds – I now have duplicates of almost everything I bought.
I also bagged up the oak leaves on the lawn and got 4 full black bin bags for leaf mould/compost. Compost more likely as the likelihood of Dad accepting my need to store bin bags long-term in the garden is low to non-existent. Plus the fact that the leaves fell last autumn and look exactly the same despite being covered in snow and rained on a lot suggests to me that they aren’t the fastest rotting leaves in the world.
I got to tick a lot of boxes on my to-do list today.
