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04/03/2006
Sweet peas are made of this
Tppical spring day on Saturday, bright sunshine, heavy showers, quite windy. Made a start on planting stuff out. Bit risky because there is a frost forecast for Monday, but I need the space indoors now, so some things will have to take their chances.
Tidied up the border behind the twisted hazel tree, which was full of couch and n
o doubt will be again soon. Planted six sweet peas up against the canes which had the convolvulus tricolor last year. Gave the penstemons a little trim at the same time - they have overwintered well - I thought they may not be hardy. Also planted out various narcissii that had been in the house and which had finished flowering - they'll go well under the hazel tree. Potted up some hyacinths and tulips that were in flower and took them inside - looking very nice. Potted up some more winter aconites, too, lots of them in the wrong place!
Also put some sweet peas in the veg patch, growing up a wigwam. They've been outside for a couple of weeks, so should've hardened off a bit. There are still a few spares should anything go wrong. Planted out the broad beans and peas also and constructed a nice forest of pea sticks from the hazel prunings.
Planted out the remaining potatoes (Sarpo Mira or Axona, not sure which) and Desiree (red maincrop). Pulled up the sprouts, fed the tops to the guinea pig and disposed of the stems. Read somewhere that having a few weeks with no brassicas in the garden helps break the lifecycle of brassica pests. Not sure that will help much given that we are surrounded by farmers growing rapeseed. Checked on a few of the Dahlias, too, which I left in the ground during the winter. They look OK - no sign of frost damage or rotting.
Potted on the tomatoes, chilli peppers and aubergines into bigger pots, also a couple of pumpkins. Realised I have dozens of packets of seed to sow - need to get cracking. Globe artichokes have germinated, as have many of the other seeds, so they will need some attention, too.
Was extremely impressed on visiting Liesbeth's house (she is the chairperson of her local allotment society) to see that she has her window-sills, small greenhouse and patio covered in hundreds of pots of different seedlings - not too many of each. She also produced a wonderful meal, with literally a dozen or more different things from the allotment - no hungry gap there!
To finish, a picture of the tulip bed, used for cut flowers in the house at this time of year.
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