Not long now...

Until we'll be reaping some of the rewards of all our hard slog over the last few months.

The first early potatoes are starting to flower and this is supposed to be a sign that they're ready. Although when I dug one up I only found 3 tubers...boo! I'll probably have to step up the watering and wait until more flowers have opened.

The peas have started to flower, can't wait for my first pod eaten, there and then! The broad bean flowers are now giving way to tiny little beans, so they'll need more watering too...sigh!

At the weekend we planted 20 replacements for the celeriac seedlings that got munched (an Ebay purchase) and 12 red cabbage plants that I couldn't resist buying at the garden centre the other day. The cabbage plants have been netted against the pigeons and butterflies and plenty of slug pellets put round all of them.

You go away for 2 days....

...and this happens! The beetroot and kohl rabi seedlings try to make a run for it.
No sign of the celeriac but then they are very small seeds which means they take longer to germinate. There is the merest hint that the physalis are about to break through and the Love in a Mist are finally out aswell. Meanwhile the other flower seedlings look like they need transplanting as they're producing their 1st set of adult leaves already.

Going to try and plant the Jerusalem Artichokes one night this week if the weather behaves as they're sprouting. Also going to start preparing the early potato bed and maybe get them in too. I think we got a variety called Nicola, but I can't remember and I've lost the label...hmmm.

Sprouting seeds!!

Came back after a day and half walking in Snowdonia and noticed that the flower and tomato seeds I sowed on Sunday have emerged.

In the lead, in joint first place, are the Blue Echium and the San Marzano tomatoes...closely followed by the Gardener's Delight, Black Peony poppies, sunflowers and the merest hint of the Costoluto Fiorentino and Tigerellas. But no sign (yet) of the sweet peas, Golden Sunrise, physalis or sweet peppers.

Seed Sowing & Saving Strawbs

Finally got round to sowing some seeds.

Sowed 25 sweet peas, and then 5 modules each of Black Peony poppies, Love-in-a-mist, Blue Echium and 5 sunflowers. And sowed 9 each of the following tomato varieties - Costoluto Fiorentino, Red Pear, Gardener's Delight, Golde Sunrise, Tigerella and San Marzano, and 7 Physalis ('cos they look pretty and are edible!) and 7 Sweet Pepper "Corno di Torro".

The toms and peppers are in the new propagator that I got from MJC's mum for Christmas.

I also transplanted the strawberry plants that were on the allotment, hidden in amongst the weeds. They're now in pots outside and I'll probably put them into the clay strawberry growing pots once they have a chance to recuperate.

We had a couple of hours on the plot yesterday. MJC dug another raised bed and I started weeding out all the docks and couch grass where the Jerusalem artichokes are going to be.