Gardening update

With the sun continuing to shine for the past two days, we have all been busy in the garden.

Yesterday I finished the second round of rotavating, having done the pass vertically, I then cross hatch horizontally and I did the final pick of the grass sods, nettle root clumps and first batches of buttercups sprouting leaves.

We celebrated the weekend's official start of Spring with an outdoor lunch on Monday, complete with some well earned garden beers.

Today I started planting out the flower bulbs I was given - I don't actually know what they are but they are pretty, and some gladioli bulbs as well.

The ground is now so hard as we have not yet had any rain after the snows. The well level is really high with the snow melt, but the tilled ground is drying out really fast. However there is rain on the forecast heading in on Thursday along with more risk of snow next week. On this occasion I really hope that the forecasters have got it wrong.

We were given a large water bowser on Monday, so we got that mounted up and ready to use for the green house today. It is supposed to be the basis for Bren's water trailer taking water to Milla when she is in her summer grazing fields, but until he manages to get his tractor repaired, the bowser can be static in the garden.

I got the small salad poly tunnel up in the garden as well today.

I normally start at one end and succession sow in each section, 1 row of lettuce, 1 row of radishes and and 1 row of spring onions, about a week apart. 

I also spent some time in the bit green house getting my herb planting started with some basil, oregano and dill to replace those plants which did not survive the winter.  My thyme seems to be done for - no sign of life to it at all so looks like I shall have to invest in a new plant this year.

While it was so lovely outside I thought I had better tackle some of the nettles sprouting in the strawberries too.  I am not as retentive as our neighbours locally who like to have nothing but bare ground around their strawberry plants, I don't mind a bit of grass and clover, but I do draw the line at nettles, they just make harvesting the fruit much to painful!