The Head Gardeners (Jeannette) seedling tunnel - now 50% taken over with Tomato plants; it's so warm the camera keeps steaming up!!

 

These Onion sets were planted last October but have readily survived the winter and are looking great now. Should be ready to pull at the end of June fingers crossed

 

Plant Sale

Dinnet Hall

Saturday 18th May

10am till 12 noonish

 

Bedding Hanging Basket Veg and Tomato Plants

Flower and Tomato Hanging Baskets

Home made Jams & Marmalades

We love trying new things so this year we're giving 2 new Mulch materials a go. Every gardener surely hates weeding so anything we can do to reduce/eliminate the time spent weeding has got to be a huge bonus.

The first is a paper mulch incorporating a 'built in' fertiliser the second is a fabric made from Corn starch which looks like black plastic both of which last a season and then can be composted or rotavated into the plot.
You can find more information at http://www.mulchorganic.co.uk/

This week thanks to the fine weather we've rotavated
and planted outside Tatties Cauliflowers and Broccoli with Peas and Broad Beans to follow in the next few days weather permitting. The 300 Onions are doing well in the polytunnel...many more to follow and we've got plenty of bedding plants ready for our annual sale at Dinnet Hall on Saturday 18th May 10am till 12 noon

Polytunnels and babies

Well our latest Polytunnel is well and truly taking shape and it's spawned some babies as you can see in the pictures above !! 

Jeannettes been busy again sowing more seeds of every description and variety both for the Veggieboxes later in the year and for our Plant Sales which weather permitting will hopefully be taking place in May

 

Otherwise little has been happening outside as the ground is still very wet but fingers crossed we can get some prep work done very soon

 

 

and get some of the plants outside where they should be like these peas and broad beans

 

 

 

We are now fully committed for Veggieboxes for this coming season thanks to our existing customers and our new ones.  

 

If anyone is still interested then you are very welcome to register and in the event someone drops out we'll be in touch......in 5 years however only 1 customer has !

 

Hopefully the weather will improve shortly and we can actually plant something outside.

 

Tomato plants (Alicante)
Whilst outside is a freezing -1c during the day these little beauties are enjoying their underfloor heating which is at a constant temperature of around 14c.  Happy little bunnies that they are tho' it wouldn't take much to under or over water them even at this stage in their lives.  I leave the radio on sometimes (mainly 70's if possible it's the best up beat music for these little darlings) and even if I never see them dance along you will certainly catch me boogieing.   All told a very happy greenhouse with exception to the cold outside and  it  looks like this will their home well into April.

Cucumber plants (telegraph improved)
A favourite vegetable of mine all told.  This little guy is about 2 weeks old.  You cannot believe that it will produce around 10 or more 12-18inch long succulent fruits within just a few months and continue well up to the first frosts of the autumn.   You just can't beat home grown for flavour. So roll on the summer months.   And don't forget, as bad as the weather is right now there is always sunshine behind those clouds.

“Nature herself does not distinguish between what seed it receives. It grows whatever seed is planted; this is the way life works. Be mindful of the seeds you plant today, as they will become the crop you harvest”.
Mary Morrissey

The consequences of sowing seed is something that constantly amazes me - seeing it appear from underneath the medium in which it has been placed, in such a delicate state, to the grand finale of producing a crop - a reproduction of hopefully what you have in mind in the first place and what the picture shows you on the seed packet.   

Afterall as the quote infers - Nature cannot help itself!

 

First onion seedlings.  Around 3 weeks since they were sown. You can still still see the seed on the tip of the seedling.  Each seedling will be seperated once hardened off a little to give them a chance to expand otherwise they become too spindly and weak. 

Harvest for these babes won't be until July/August.

 

 

An experiment this year is sowing some French Beans earlier than usual.  They've had some heat to get them started and at the moment are being acclimatised to cooler climes in the greenhouse until they can be moved to the polytunnel for planting. 

The idea is that we can have those delicate tasty beans by May/June instead of July/August.   Lets see shall we? 

 

More next week.......