How does your garden grow?

[Mo]

Noticed this morning that the Wisteria is out (maybe that doesn't belong in GYO but never mind, it's nice to look out of the window at it)

I was wrong there - I meant the clematis montana rubens. The wisteria is just starting to come out now.
I didn't finish pruning the clematis last year (went as far as i could reach without setting up the bigger ladder), so it's over the garage roof - that's another job waiting.

[Mo]

One green leaf showing from in the tub where I put 4 early spuds. I sprinkled soil on it quick before the frost got it.

{rofwl} If only we could do that with all the weeds as well!

2 of the 4 have a nice bunch of leaves showing now. I've sprinkled soil round the stems but left them to enjoy the sunshine. Might add more later, but no frost forecast here.
It's scorching hot, I went out to start planting the 3rd row. Got to plant spuds on Good Friday, it's traditional. So that they rise again on Easter Sunday or something*
I've had 2x 30min sessions, can't stay out longer or I'd wilt.
When I tried to dig the trench I found that some of the weeds had got covered rather than dug out (if I fork up a big clump of grass I turn it over to dry out before shaking the soil off, and it has hidden some of the other weeds) The tussocky grass (whatever it's called) seems to be dying, but I don't think the couch would, so I had another go at it. And there were some thistles roots, going down into the subsoil, far lower than everything else. tried forking those out but heard them snap as I pulled gently.
Planted about a third of the trench.
My rhubarb need attention - it is very spindly.






*OK, because that's the day you had off work. And it depends on the weather, how far north you live and how early Easter is. But I still plant a few of them then.

[Mo]

A week ago my pear trees were in full blossom, the plums just going over and the apple buds showing colour but very few petals. Now it's the apples in full bloom and the pears going over.
3 of the 4 early spuds in a tub are up now, one grew a couple of inches overnight.
I'm plodding on with short bursts of weeding, hoping to plant the last 4 spuds soon, but I have a long 'must do before wed / thurs' list of indoor jobs too.

[Freeranger]

I didn't know that about the spuds, Mo. Up here, there was a tradition of families changing farms at the end of May in line with some fair, and the first thing they did then was plant the veggies. Did it May 29th my first year here and they grew fine.
Pruning also a problem for me at 5 foot little, so most things get chopped where I can reach them!

[Mo]

Down in Cheshire there would be new 'Cheshire' spuds in the shops by June.

You would think that farms would change hands after harvest (Michaelmass seems to ring faint bells) - just shows the variation as you go north.

[lancashire lass]

You would think that farms would change hands after harvest (Michaelmass seems to ring faint bells)

I'm not too surprised actually. Councils generally tend to rent out allotment plots to coincide with the new financial year (beginning of April) but by the time new tenants got one, the plots would already be overgrown and take at least 3-6 months before anything could be planted out. A few years ago our local council decided to make it the 1st January giving people time to get ready for spring planting but I think the real reason might be to encourage commitment from existing tenants already with plots - too often a tenant who might have been wavering about keeping a plot might wait until spring before deciding to give it up by which time, weeds will have already established. So if you have already paid the rent in full 3 months earlier, you are more likely to try and keep on top of the maintenance.

[Mo]

I'm taking a bit of a break from the veg patch, apart from rushing out with curtains and rhubarb leaves to cover / uncover the spuds which are coming through, when frost is forecast. Three of the 4 earlies in the tub are quite tall, the other is getting going. I'm aiming to earth up and fill the tub, but I'd swamp the little one if I did it now.
This morning I tried to rescue the bed in front of my study window from brambles. My wheelie bin looks full (haven't pushed them down, they're too prickly).
The soft fruit is forming nicely, look forward to that - hope they are ready before I've used all those in the freezer. That bed needs more weeding. And I really must do something about planting (a wigwam for) runner beans.

[Freeranger]

My wheelie bin looks full (haven't pushed them down, they're too prickly).

My garden is starting to fill up with trimmings. I'm trying to be creative about how to dispose of them - finding uses where possible.
We don't have the garden waste collections, but I always found them a bit unhelpful because they were too late for spring prunings and then finished before you could do too much, and they would only take one bin, which was never enough if you'd got much to do.
Have you got your beans started yet, or do you sow straight into the ground?

[Mo]

I'm thinking I should start them, maybe some in pots and some in the ground (when I've prepared it) and see which win.

I have a large unused hen-run which is probably very fertile (judging by the nettles), and if only I cleared the nettles I could let some climb up the mesh. Can't see it happening though. It will have to be a wigwam.

[Mo]

So I made a start on the bean patch, pulled out some clumps of grass - so matted that I have to fork and lever all round before they budge. Not done much. But there are some beans in pots now. Not the pots with the ants

[Freeranger]

With ants?! How far apart to you plant them, then?

[Mo]

They planted themselves (see other thread)

[Freeranger]

Ahhh. Self-seeding ants.

[Mo]

My ants (and other veg) will be well watered today.
A good number of my spuds are through now - the Earlies almost filling the tub - wish the last one would grow a bit so I can earth up straight not crooked. The first 2 rows of lates are thinking about taking off, and more than half of the last row (planted over Easter) are showing.
My gooseberries now look like miniature fruits, and there are tiny blackcurrants coming too. But the rhubarb is very spindly (other thread)

[Mo]

Ph.. exhausted.
The bean patch has been getting there, slowly. A small square weeded and composted. Then I was hoping my grandson would help me erect the wigwam. But like the little red hen I had to do it myself. One long pole looked OK from the old one, I had a couple of shrubs in sore need of pruning which would give me a couple more long ones and some shorter. Don't know what it was dappling the light through my bedroom window but it needed to go before I couldn't see out at all (still a side branch there). And a self seeded Buddleia that blocked the path. So out with the pruning saw and more exercise than I needed. The budd was thicker than a spade handle so took some cutting, then was heavy, OK to drag but hard to stand upright. I left some side bits on to give more twinning space.
The 3 big poles are in and tied together, the smaller ones can wait. Only weeds in the pots in the airing cupboard, so far.