Gardening Calendar


Is it really a weed

Is it really a weed

In the greenhouse the spinach seeds have popped a few leaves above the soil, the cabbages are coming through and we have pots of tiny cherry tomato plants.  In the beds the first row of broad beans and peas are creeping through the protective barrier I laid. Garlic and onions are well on their way and I think we have some Brussels spouts sprouting (I hope they are not weeds but not 100 percent sure yet).

I added a few things to greenhouse this afternoon leaving behind my laptop with a headache and a bit of a saw throat I hoped a bit of fresh air would do me a bit of good. I’ve added courgette and pickling cucumbers to my pots along with some sun flower seeds.

I must go and put my two apple trees as well as a plum tree  in situ along with my early potatoes. It would appear rain is forecast for tonight so it would seem a good time for a little planting. The poor fruit trees have been waiting to go in since they should have been planted so we hope they will settle into the new orchard, three lonely twigs until the autumn when we will add to their numbers.

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After the Llanwrtyd Wells food festival yesterday we are having a catch up day in the house. It seems the cleaning of our home as well as the animals won’t wait for us to have a day off so we’ve knuckled down and now the house at least looks a bit more welcoming.

When we arrived at the festival to unload there was a mass of producers all jostling for the unloading spaces needed. We were lucky though as we like to get there with a little time to spare, once we had finished and moved the car to the parking area more and more vehicles piled in to the limited space. Eventually it became a car park, those at the front hemmed in by those at the rear. It all goes off in good humour and everyone makes the starting time.

The day was a warm day all the food producers were in a marquee while the craft producers occupied the hall. The warm day brought the shoppers out to enjoy a pleasant stroll round the wonderful mixture of delicacies on offer. Next to us was a fascinating couple who import and roast coffee beans. They then sell hot drinks, some home bakes and of course the beans. A good choice of neighbour! On our other side a lady selling spices all bagged up in tiny amounts lovingly labeled and displayed in exotic looking baskets.

Love spoon ice cream http://lovespoon.wordpress.com/ were opposite us and we were able  to sample their wonderful vanilla ice cream. Other stall holders such as the chili stall, the pickles man, the couple who make bread  and the french patisserie lady we recognised from Brecon farmers market. There was another spices lady we know from Llangynidr farmers market and a couple of  nice looking cakes stalls. This year we noted the huge array of beer, cider, whisky and other alcoholic beverages produced by micro breweries . Our Brecon neighbour who makes cheese was on the other side of the room and lastly there were some meat stalls, a veg stall and a few others dotted about the place. 

Soon after setting up we munched on a fantastic sausage sandwich each and this kept up going through quite a busy day until we stopped for a kitkat mid afternoon. Exhausted but happy we had only a couple of things left at the end of the day so we treated ourselves to a fish and chip supper.

So it’s a thumbs up for our first ever food festival

I’ve planted up a box of spinach in the greenhouse today & a few more broad beans

My lettuce box

My lettuce box

At long last we have a germinated tray of peas. The tender little shoots appear to be the only living things  in the greenhouse at the moment. My improvised heated propagator a.k.a. the radiator is working a treat on the aubergines while the chili seeds are taking a bit long to push through we have a few front runners making an appearance. I’ll be glad when they are up as they are living on my bedside cabinet which is a bit cramped.

The Brecon farmers market went well yesterday as the shoppers made an appearance which we think may be down to a bit of sunshine. It was a steady day rather than spurts of shoppers which makes our lives easier. The pork pies are popular so we will increase production for future markets. I must also get round to making up sausage rolls although for us they cost about the same to make as a pork pie just a bit less meat and we sell them for less so I’m still not convinced about the economics but they make a good option for the younger children.

My knitting has had to be put to one side as we prepared for the market so I’m eager to have a go at finishing off my first little baby cardigan. The parts are all finished it just needs putting together with a collar and borders. I say ‘just’ but this is the bit I muck up normally. I shall be searching for help and advice before I pick up a needle.

The planting continued today

Unwins 1 horseradish root – I have never grown this before. I put it in one of my recycled tyre planters which was composted last autumn.

Unwins pink garlic – a pack of two also in a tyre. They work well planted in a circle

Unwins Red Sun shallots – another tyre full.

Unwins Asparagus Bachlim F1 Hybrid – a pack of two crowns, another first for me I’ve put them in corners of the raised bed.

The real seed company Brussels Sprout ‘Sanda’  – I have planted up a tyre as a seed bed and I’ll move them into a raised bed later

Johnsons Purple Top Milan turnips – A tyre full again

The real seed company Giant Limousin Turnips - A tyre full

Unwins Bunyard Exhibition Broad beans – I’m trying a bed with a weed suppressant cover. I cut little windows, make a little hole and pop the beans in.

Unwins allsorts lettuce – in a lettuce box in the greenhouse

Mr Fothergills  red Cherry tomatoes- in 3 inch pots in the greenhouse

Mr Fothergills Greyhound cabbage – in cell trays in the greenhouse

The real seed company Serpette Guilloteau climbing peas – The weed suppressant cover covered bed and a tyre for comparison.

Lastly I have followed the advice of vegplotting and I have my parsnip seeds on some damp kitchen towel . http://vegplotting.blogspot.com/2009/01/guide-to-parsnips-you-ask-we-answer.html

Unwins Avonresister and The reel seed company tender and true parsnips.

I’ve planted modest amounts of everything. The idea for most things is to plant again in two weeks so we get a cycle of cropping.

My next ‘job’ is to get some herbs for a bargain basement pot I picked up this morning. The pot is quite large and some tiled decorations had dropped off the rim. I like it better without them anyway and my £7 pot should hold a couple of things. We found the pot when we went to a department store first thing to pick up a couple of basins they had in the sale. Compact & modern for our new bathrooms (the ones that have yet to be built).  We are buying up a few bargain things as we see them for the new rooms, there are lots of offers around now.

 

where's the odd one out?

The black sheep of the family

Simon the sourdough starter has a life of his own now, I’m fascinated to watch the bubbles burst as I look into the jar. He will be fed again and then move into the fridge tonight in preparation for some bread baking later this week. The next stage is making a sponge which I gather is an extra large version of the starter.

The idea now is to keep Simon alive and use him as when I need him until  Peter pushers him out  or he peters out (ha ha couldn’t resist that).  I have to get through the sponge stage first to know if he really is going to make a proper loaf of bread. If it all works I’ll do a complete post on the subject.

We have a friend coming over for dinner this evening (and she is bringing cake with her) so T-W-O will be making a prawn risotto. We have been freezing reduced price prawns from the supermarket for a few weeks now and it’s time to make a bit of space in there.

I have been reading up on what I should be planting in March and I’ve petrified myself:

 

Asparagus

Beetroot

Broad beans
Carrots
Cabbage

Garlic

Jerusalem artichokes
Leeks

Lettuce

Onion sets
Peas

Potatoes
Radish
Spring onions
Spinach

Shallots
Turnips


I hope we get some good weather this weekend. I’m off now to order up some Asparagus and check what seeds I’ve got left

 

 

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