As Spring Marches On

Emerging from the hibernation of January and the potential of the growing year ahead begins to germinate! The first demand is to feed the soil that gave us so much last year – the ‘heavy’ machinery was rolled in and made light work of spreading well-rotted manure over the entire garden and ploughed.

With the soil and weather warming up slowly and it’s time to prepare for the first direct sowing of the season – beetroot, carrots, spring onions and snowball navets. The potatoes are planted and plans are being made for new crops and varieties to sow and test for the kitchen. Salad leaves, lettuce, broad beans and herbs are started off in the tiny propagator where they will germinate within approximately 5 days.

The glasshouse is already full with tiny seedlings and modular trays. Spring has indeed sprung.

A few jobs for the coming weeks:

• Quick! Prune the roses and stone fruit trees
• Sow red cabbages, green cabbages and broad beans
• Cut back ornamental grasses and deadhead hydrangeas

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