Getting ready for Spring

We've been going to the allotment a couple of times a week recently when the  weather has been fine enough. Some of the beds were cleared and  mulched in the autumn, so I have been sorting out the other beds. As winter vegetables were gradually harvested I have been able to clear any debris away, then hoe the weeds and lightly work the top surface of the soil. I don't dig the soil, just clear any weeds and then mulch with compost or manure. The worms do the rest of the work. Its been a few years since we have been able to get any manure for the allotment, so I have been using home made compost, which is as good. Sometimes we buy bags of manure from the garden centre and mix this with the compost.

Now the beds are looking tidy and are just waiting for the soil to warm up enough to plant or sow.  But there are other jobs which we have been getting on with. This time of waiting in the winter and early Spring is a good time to get on with  maintenance jobs around the allotment. Our allotments have been kept supplied with plenty of bark chippings from a local company. I have been using these to cover the non growing areas of my plot after weeding. They help to keep the weeds down and  make the place look tidy.

The pond has been needing a good tidy up and as soon as the weather improved I got my rubber gloves and a scoop and got rid of some of the mud and silt which was building up. I cut back some of the plants in the little garden around the pond and then covered the ground with some of the chippings. No sign of frog spawn yet, I just hope I didn't frighten the frogs off with all my work.

The greenhouses needed cleaning out and that's another job I leave for warmer weather. Once they were done I put the staging back in and I'm now ready to fill it with all the plants I'll be starting off from seed in the coming weeks. Already in there are sweet peas, broad beans, onions and peas sown in guttering. There are more seedlings at home which I'll gradually bring to the plot for growing on in the greenhouse.

Richard has been making a new fruit cage for the blueberries.  He bought a metal shelving system which he saw on offer and worked out that it would be cheaper than buying a proper fruit cage. He likes a project and this has kept him busy for a week or two. It's finished now and is great, its higher than the old one so I can stand up straight inside it which is much easier on my back.

The days are getting warmer now and work on the allotment will increase as I start to plant and sow in the ground. Its good to know that we are well prepared on the plot as we start the growing season.

Through the Garden Gate--February 2021

At last we started to have better weather in February and how lovely it's been to be able to get out into the garden and start doing some jobs . 

 One important job was to cut down the grasses which were looking like mounds of straw.  I could just see the new growth emerging from the base and this is the time to do this job. I didn't realize how many grasses I had in the garden until I started.  I found it hard work on my arthritic hands so with the tall grasses I resorted to using the loppers and this worked very well. 

Miscanthus before cutting back

Miscanthus after cutting back

The borders were looking a real mess with dead plant debris and leaves and I didn't know where to start. As I cleared each border I added a layer of mulch. It's not finished yet but looking much tidier. As I worked I could see new plant growth emerging. As usual I couldn't remember what some of the plants were--it will be a nice surprise when they start to get going and I can identify them.

Messy border

Looking better

Holly was taking a great interest in what I was doing

The bulbs have started to flower in the last couple of weeks, the warm sunshine has brought them out. So there are little pops of colour dotted about. 

We rescued a big clump of snowdrops which had been dug up and dumped on the allotment lane. I was so pleased to find them as I was wanting a few more in the garden.  I split the clump and it made a good number of little groups which I have now planted around the garden. It  will be nice to see them next year.

I have been trying to get rid of a Vinca plant which has been taking over one of the small beds beside the archway.  Its only been in there for two years and had rooted itself all over. I read somewhere recently that they can be a nuisance and the sort of plant you regret having planted.  That's definitely true for me!

This had taken over the whole of the bed

Finally got it all out!

As I have been working my way around the garden doing jobs I have been making plans for changes I want to make this year. Some plants have got too big for their space and need moving or splitting up. Garden work goes on and on and there's a lot of thinking ahead and looking forward to new things happening as the year progresses.

I am linking this post to Sarah's blog at 'Down by the Sea' for her monthly 'Through the Garden Gate' post

Indoor gardening

No, I'm not talking about houseplants, I'm talking about garden jobs I can do indoors when the weather is too bad to be outside.  I think most gardeners are like me and are itching to get outside and start doing jobs in the garden or at the allotment. We have had lots of snow recently here in Lancashire, when it hasn't been snowing its been raining heavily and when it hasn't been doing either of those its been too cold to venture outside. Even Holly the cat hasn't wanted to go out.

First on my list of indoor jobs to do was to sort out all my seed packets and list what I need to buy for this year' s growing plan. I ordered seeds from Simply Seed and what I couldn't get from there I ordered from Seed Parade. I was very pleased with the service from both companies, seeds arrived within a few days. 

Since the start of  COVID and lockdown last year a lot of people have taken to growing their own flowers and vegetables.  This resulted in many seed companies being overwhelmed with orders, so I was thankful that I didn't have to wait long for my orders.

Along with planning what to grow this year I needed to work out my allotment plan and crop rotation. I have a very simple plan of the allotment, which I renew every year. Although it's too early to sow seeds outside, I have started a few off indoors in propagators on the kitchen windowsill. It can be a bit hit and miss as there isn't always enough light and seedlings can get leggy. 

I sowed some chillies, peppers, broad beans and sweet peas. So the kitchen windowsills are now taken over with seed pots and trays. I check them several times a day and never fail to get excited when they start to germinate. Upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms are trays of seed potatoes laid out for chitting.

One of the jobs which the presenters of gardening programmes often tell you to do in the winter time is clean up your plant marker sticks.  I have never had the time or patience to be bothered with this until this year when I have spent a few cold wet days sat in the kitchen scrubbing the marker sticks with wire wool and washing in soapy water. I know I will be pleased about all this preparation in a few weeks time when I'm sowing seeds or planting out and  can reach for a nice clean seed marker.

Through the Garden Gate--January 2021

The garden has looked pretty dismal during January, either covered in snow or drenched with rain and puddles all over the bottom borders. I've often looked out of the house windows and thought the garden looked ok really (when there was no snow to hide it). But on closer inspection when the weather allowed me to get out and walk around, I could see how soggy the borders were and full of wet brown dead foliage. I know though that they will recover. All we need is some dry weather and the puddles drain away, the dead stuff dries up enough for me to clear them away and plants bounce back to life. In the past I've been concerned about the wet in the borders and if plants will survive, but in the damp borders are plants which love all that wet, so I know I will see them again.

There are signs of new life all over the garden. In the front garden, where I've planted most of the spring bulbs, I can see the green shoots of narcissi and crocus. The snowdrops are flowering now, I have to walk around to spot them though. They've only been there for the three years we have lived here and have not increased their numbers yet. It could be a long time, I think before I can see drifts of snowdrops from the house windows. But its nice to walk around and have these little surprises as new growth appears

In the back garden, the crab apple tree has delighted us with loads of bright orange/red fruit for months, but now the little apples have gone soggy. The birds are still not interested in the fruit, I don't know why. Perhaps I provide more interesting food on the bird table. Although the colour has now gone from this tree, walking round the garden down in the woodland border I can see that the witch hazel (hamamelis 'Jelena') is now in flower. This has lovely spidery, orange flowers. The contorted hazel has produced catkins, the hellebores have buds and look as if they will soon burst into flower and there are some little pink cyclamen under the silver birch.

Next to the crab apple tree there is a grass--miscanthus zebrinus which was given to me by my sister-in-law in a small pot about five or six years ago. I didn't plant it until we moved to this house and the first place I put it didn't seem to be the right place.  Now it loves where it is in full sun with plenty of space and it has really taken off. It has turned straw like now, but has some lovely feathery plumes, so still has lots of interest. Next month it will be time to cut it down ready for the new growth, but until then I will continue to enjoy looking at it.

I am linking this post to Sarah's blog at 'Down By the Sea' for her monthly 'Through the Garden Gate' post.

Bad weather but getting a few jobs done at the allotment

We've been having some really awful weather this month, when its not been snowing we've had really heavy rain. We haven't been out much because of the weather, and I'm so looking forward to being able to get down to the allotment again regularly. We've managed two visits to the plot recently when we had some fine, dry days, although it has been very cold so we didn't want to stay too long. We watch the weather forecasts and if there is likely to be any suitable days then we plan ahead to go and do some work. 

Its been lovely to get down to the plot on these two days so far and we've done quite a few jobs. On our first visit I went with a plan to start cleaning out the greenhouses, but instead I decided to dig up all the beetroot which was left and take it home to store in the shed. I expected the soil to be quite wet and soggy after all the rain, but it wasn't and was quite easy to weed and hoe the bed. I try to follow the

'no-dig method' of growing vegetables so the next job was to mulch with home made compost. It looks great now and will be ready for sowing and planting into when the soil warms up in the Spring.

There are still a lot of leeks growing but they are not looking too healthy, so I dug a few of those up.  And I was delighted to be able to pick brussels sprouts, this is the first time in years that I have had any success with growing them. I think they were in a more more sheltered spot and didn't get blown about by the wind.

The asparagus bed and adjoining cut flower bed was looking untidy so I cut the asparagus stems down and pulled up the dead flower stems.  This bed will get a mulch of compost too next time we go.

The rhubarb is coming through already and looking very colourful.

On our second visit to the plot we concentrated on clearing out the dead tomato and chilli plants from  the two greenhouses. Then I swept them both out and swilled with water.  They still need a good clean out, the windows and all the nooks and crannies will need washing down with disinfectant. I'm saving that job for a warmer day, it's one of my least favourite jobs.

It was good to get to the allotment, we felt we'd made a bit of progress getting the plot ready for Spring. I think the robin was pleased to see us he followed us round as we worked finding worms in the newly worked and composted beds. 

A snowy start to the new year

Christmas has now been packed away in boxes, except for the evergreen wreaths at the front and side of the house.  They are still fresh looking and I don't want to take them down yet. The house looks a little bare, so I bought some daffodils the other day, which bring a little brightness and cheer. Much as I love all the sparkle and glitter of Christmas, that's over with now and I want to look forward with hope to the Spring and daffodils give me that. Things are not good in the world at the moment, worse than they have been since the start of the crisis, so we all need a bit of hope to keep us going and to know that soon this shall pass. 

After Christmas we had snow here in Lancashire, lots of it and it's taking a long time to clear.  So there's no chance of doing any gardening jobs or going to the allotment yet. I have been feeding the birds, enjoying watching them on the feeders and walking around the garden spotting the changes taking place. The crab apple still has lots of orange/red fruit on its branches which the birds have been ignoring even in this cold weather. But now the fruit is going soft and mushy on the branches perhaps it will be more attractive to them. The brightness of the berries is a lovely splash of colour against the snow.

                                              

In the autumn I planted bulbs in pots, crocus, little tete a tete daffodils and tulips. Its lovely now to see little green shoots emerging from their snow topped pots on the patio and potting bench. This is my bit of hope that over the next few weeks they will continue to grow and will soon be flowering.                                   

Also in the autumn I planted up pots of hyacinths which I kept in the garage in the dark and brought out into the light in December to grow on. Some were ready and flowering at Christmas and some will have their buds opening soon. I bring them into the warmth of the house gradually so I will have a continuous display for several weeks. 

                                             

January can be quite a dreary, depressing month even when we're not going through these bad times, but I am trying to focus on the small, simple things which make me happy.

What's helping you at the moment during lockdown?

A happy, healthy and safe New Year everyone.

Through the Garden Gate--October 2020

 

We have enjoyed watching the garden change colour in the last few weeks. I do love October with all the changes in the garden and the countryside. There is still a lot of colour and interest to be had in the garden, even though the leaves are falling. We can see a lot of trees beyond our garden so we are still able to enjoy the changes in nature even after our own trees have dropped their leaves.

In the garden we have yellow from the silver birch and red from the liquid amber and rowan. 

The grasses are now more visible in the borders as the other plants die down, some of them having lovely autumn tints. The Rowan has yellow berries which contrast well with the red leaves and look like little fairy lights.  The crab apple seems to have even more fruit this year, those are red. last year the Rowan berries stayed on the tree well into the new year, but I don't think they will this year as I saw some blackbirds having a feast on them this morning.

In the borders, the pink sedums are a welcome late flowerer along with the rudbekia.  I haven't done any cutting back yet as I like to see the seedheads of some of the dead flowers and how the foliage changes colour. You can miss so much if you cut back too early. I have seen blue tits and sparrows balancing on tall stems trying to eat the seeds from the dead flower heads. This is all the more reason for not cutting back too early.

I have been busy in October making up patio pots with autumn and winter displays.  There were so many lovely colours of mini cyclamen at the local garden centre, I couldn't resist buying some and then going back for more!

The antirrhinums I potted up in the summer are still looking good so I have left them in their containers, they look as good as the cyclamen.

We have had a lot of rain recently so I haven't been out to do any gardening.  I am hoping for some fine days soon so that we can go out to visit one of the large gardens in our area to take in the autumn colours.

I am linking this blog post to Sarah's at 'Down By The Sea' for her monthly 'Through The Garden Gate' post.