Bloomin'

After finally selling my scooter, ive decided over the next couple of months to make use of what money i have aquired from selling junk on ebay and the like, to buy all those things i'd like for myself. Once ive done this, thats it, any spare money is saved, and i will no longer buy anything for myself. So, as the first step in securing all these things, ive ordered a greenhouse

its 6ft x 8ft, polycarbonate glazing so quite safe with Sam around, and will fit (i hope) neatly in the space between the animals living area, and the lawn. Ok it means moving Sams swinging chair and his sandpit, but im sure he won't mind, and will help his dad with the seedlings and plants.

Ive also partaken in some new in car entertainment to replace the rather shoddy, factory supplied tape player.

The first of the arran pilot potatoes have started to come through

the brocolli has definately finished, as its now started to flower. Very pretty little yellow flowers

and the blueberries are flowering, so that looks promising for a nice crop later in the year

elsewhere in the garden, its just as lovelly. The tulips and daffodils may be nearly finished, but the bluebells and 'whitebells' are bursting out, covering the borders with subtle colours

What A Scorcher

phew, these last few days have been just too warm. And as nice as it is being able to enjoy being out on a warm spring day, the complete lack of rain is no good for seedlings. And there is so much happening in the garden, the leeks, beetroot and lettuce, and peas are all coming through. The onions are doing well, and the spring cabbage is just about ready to start cropping. Ive used all the stored rainwater (about 400litres), so im now hoping for a good downpoor overnight.

Ive managed to get the wheels finished on the henhouse. One had a bad valve housing, but the chap i got the wheels from was nice enough to send me a replacement inner tube. My mum came to visit over the weekend, and she looked after Sam while i got on with working on the henhouse.


the piccy above is of the early carrots and spring cabbage, both shooting up after a good compost mulching. The one below is of the pea seedlings. Theres several missing where the birds have got at them
All thirty onions are doing fine, although some are growing faster than others
and everything is in bloom, the damsens, victoria plums, and the apples
some further modification is needed to the henhouse, as now the wheels are on, the run is too far away. So a section needs adding to butt the two together and create a pest proof join. The picture shows the first part of this in place
and of course, in the nice weather, the monsters have been allowed out to munch the grass in their run. Freddy doesnt like being picked up and carried, but enjoys himself once he's out

also over the weekend, i popped into the garden center to pick up a bag of topsoil to pot Sams sunflower seedling. £3.50 a bag. So £36 later, and we emerge with fuscias, strawberry plants, a mattock, and the soil. The strawberries are a mix of varieties, all with slightly different cropping times, to help spread the crop over the season
Sams sunflower that he planted at nursery, is now in its own big tub, and looks like it is going to grow tall and strong.
Sams broadbean plant is also developing pods. His runner beans and dwarf beans are not showing yet, nor are his carrots. They shouldn't be long now. The bramble runners have taken well into their new tub and are thriving. Hopefully soon i can sever the runners and move them to a new location in the fruit and nut hedge
along the fruit and nut hedge everything seems to be doing well, the four new raspberry canes are all showing nice green new growth. The beetroot seedlings are still small but look strong

Today, ive sown the sweetcorn in a large block, F1 tuxedo variety, and brussels sprouts peer gynt at the top end of the plot. Ive picked the first of the spring cabbages, and a handfull of carrots, and im secretly preparing these for Julies tea, along with a bit of salmon