Purple broccoli

This Sunday we enjoyed the first purple broccoli with a roast beef dinner. I wasn't overly impressed but it was nice to see my first broccoli harvest on the plate.

The apple tree is beginning to show a fine display of leaves. I'm sure within a few more weeks the once twiggy look will be replaced with a fine bushy growth.

Carrots and lettuce have started to show in the borders and pots. I have had to put slug pellets down in these area in the hope that the young seedlings will survive.

The only other activity in the garden over the last week has been to transplant the 11 tomato seedlings and 2 leeks. 3 cabbage seeds have germinated but they can wait for another week before they are re-potted or moved to a position in the garden.

The radish and Brussels that were re-potted a few weeks ago are still in their pots. As they are still small I cant be sure which is which (should have labelled them!). I will have a better idea in few days as everything is changing so rapidly now the warmth has arrived.

The warm weather has meant that the garden has needed a watering with large cracks appearing in the soil.

First signs of life

This weekend brought the first signs of life in a number of places. The first potato broke through the surface at the weekend. Now, two days later, two others have emerged. The potatoes with planted about a week before the main seeds in the greenhouse. Therefore they have taken about 3 or 4 weeks to germinate.

The broccoli, planted last year, has started to develop into more recognisable small purle/green fluffy sprouts. However the cabbage is still just a mass of leaves.

The seeds in the greenhouse are emerging slowly. Broccoli and radish have already been repotted with tomotoes looking like the next contender. They are too small to transplant yet, but hopefully they will be much bigger by the weekend.

The garlic is still doing well. I am experimenting with carrots and parsnips sown directly into the borders as the carrots sown into pots over last two years have been disappointingly small.

The sunny weather also meant the grass could be cut for the first time this year.

The warmth of spring

There is certainly a warmth in the air with spring making it's subtle presence felt. Although the wind has been generally cold and the rain (sleet and snow!) heavy and persistant, when there is a chance to feel the sun, it is warm. The plants are lapping it up too.

Daffodils are almost all in bloom and blossom is starting to appear on trees. Since I sowed the seeds a couple of weeks ago, the brussels and radish have germinated first. There are signs of the tomatoes germinating next but everything else is at a slower pace.

A couple of days after sowing all those seeds I planted garlic into the right side border. That too has germinated quickly with each clove at least 2 inch's high. Last year I grew garlic in pots. They germinated fine, but a combination of overwatering and a dull area of the garden meant that they all rotted. This year they are in the ground and on a sunny side.

This weekend the rain and bog-like conditions prevented me from doing much until Monday. However I did eventually get to repot the brussels and radish, sow onion, leek and cabbage seed for the greenhouse, and start off some salad, both indoor and out.