Perfect Timing and Seedling City

Over the last year we have been thinking about buying a polytunnel. We have a small glasshouse, numerous cold frames and lots of windowsills and it seemed like the best way to increase protected growing space for tomatoes, peppers etc. Then the idea came to convert the inherited aviary built to withstand a major air strike! So, many sheets of polycarbonate later, we have a 5x3 metre Ice Cube ready for the growing season.  Although I am planning to grow tomatoes in the ground, I had been thinking about benching, when a generous Freecycler on Anglesey advertised some benching framework. It was originally shelving for pallets in a warehouse but can be dismantled and used at various heights. We cut up pieces of old picket fencing removed from the rails to make the shelves and covered with landscape fabric. After all the gales this year, I think we have a something a bit more likely to stand up to high  wind speeds and the benching will certainly not blow away! The lucky timing of the benching means I have been able to move in a few seedlings just as everywhere else was filling up.

The Ice Cube during construction

Think I might have gone overboard on the chillies and sweet pepppers again!

 

I wonder if anyone else has problems with seedlings on windowsills and inquisitive cats? As we have become surrounded by seed trays, pots and propagators, the cats need to be banned from certain areas. The spare room has been out of bounds to felines for a few weeks now following an incident with an upturned seed tray and compost all over the bed but not a cat in sight.

After we increased from three ducks to seven ducks and a pair of geese our pond has been transformed from being slightly murky to something resembling a puddle of spinach soup! So, a pond extension is in progress. We have removed the edges of the pond and Paul has been gradually digging around it. Next weekend should see the transformation complete. We shall line the pond with clay instead of a liner as we have lots of clay and a high water table.

Ducks, geese  (and hens!!) still use the pond while work is in progress.

Despite the fact that the sunshine everyone else has been having over recent weeks seems to have by passed us, spring is getting into full swing....

Primula denticulata

Brocolli 'Claret'

Hellebore and Hyacinth brightening up the kitchen

Daffodils... Ice Follies and Rip van Winkle

A wonderful selection seeds from seedy penpal  Andrea. I have sown many already and have pricked out the alpine strawberry seedlings today.

A Calm Day at the beginning of February

After a grand selection of storms, gales and rain we had a fine day today so what did I do? I watched the geese for a while in the sunshine as they preened themselves and then cropped the grass. Then I watched the bees around their hives for a bit as clusters of them were busy round the hive entrances. .. It wasn't all gazing around though as we had hen houses to clean, repairs on greenhouse again (gales recorded at 80mph in Gwynedd yesterday), kindling to chop and the most important task for me was to sow the chillies, sweet peppers and aubergines in the propagator!!

I know the containers dont look that professional but it means I can get loads in the propagator at once.Chillies are Thai, Habanero, Palivec, Black Hungarian, Lemon Drop and early Jalapeno. Sweet peppers are Sweet Chocolate and Californian Wonder. Not forgetting Aubergine Ophelia! More seeds to sow next week. I enjoyed sending off a parcel to my seedy penpal in Germany and looking forward to what might come through my letterbox! However, I am still enjoying the fruits of previous seedy penpal treats with oca and mashua from Carl Legge being a great addition to the kitchen garden and winter salad courtesy of Bethan. A gift of seeds and plants can last for ever and can so easily be passed on to others as well.

Some of the garlic doing well. I have kept the bed free of weeds so they should do ok. We are still very well supplied with a variety of winter vegetables and stored veg so that we still havent bought any veg or salads but expecting the hungry gap in the spring! Luckily  broccoli is just beginning to spear despite the  'trunks' being a bit battered into twisted shapes by the wind.

A delightful little clump and sadly one of only two clumps of snowdrops so I must order some bulbs in the green to naturalise.

I checked through the coldframes today and found this  cheerful Hellebore.

We now have seven ducks and two geese who have made a bit of a mudbath! We are planning a new pond for them and making the current rather small pond into a wildlife pond

Some of my sweet pea plants which seem to have tolerated the gales that have passed through the greenhouse on several occasions since Christmas. I became a regular at the glaziers!

 

 

 

 We are expecting a week of further gales but now all the beds some of the beds are ready for a bit of soil warming so I am bracing myself to build some industrial strength cloches next weekend!