And sow (see what I did there?) it begins

My sowing has begun... no photos to share this time as modules full of compost aren't that exciting really, but today I sowed:

• Tomato (Roma) x 5
• Tomato (Gardener's Delight) x 5
• Tomato (Moneymaker) x 5
• Tomato (Red Cherry) x 5
• Cauliflower (All Year Round) x 5
• Aubergine (Black Beauty) x 5

all in a propagator (non-heated) in the potting shed. Now historically - seems a bit weird using the word historically as this is only year 3 - I have done pretty well with all types of tomatoes. Can't say the same for cauliflower... I got a tiny one in my first year, even having to fight the caterpillars for that, and nothing last year when all brassicas failed to materialise. Last year I managed to get aubergines to the flower stage - ah, a photo opportunity...

but that's as far as it got, so I will be paying particular attention to both caulis and aubs this time round to hopefully get some produce.

I had also wanted to get the garlic into my recently prepared alium raised bed, but the ground was too hard... we've had a couple of frosty nights in a row, so I guess that will have to wait a little bit longer and go in at the same time as my shallots next month.

Currants and Berries

I weeded my currants & berries bed today and planted the blackcurrant and redcurrant canes I bought earlier this month. This is them in their new home in the middle of the bed.

To the left, my strawberry plants are looking a bit sorry for themselves, and as I have never had much success with them I'm a bit worried, but frost is supposed to do them good so fingers crossed.

On the right hand side I cut down my raspberry canes, which is what you are supposed to do in winter, I think I should have done it at the end of last year though and I'm just hoping I didn't leave it too late and they grow back to fruit in the autumn... fingers crossed again!

I didn't get any gooseberries or blackberries last year, and the respective bushes (are they still bushes if they have no leaves?!) have been left to their own devices, and seem to be okay.

So, if everything comes good, I should be overwhelmed with currants and berries this year... for the last time, fingers crossed.

Deconstruction... Reconstruction

Can't believe it's almost the end of the month and this is my first post of the year... I guess the snow had a bigger impact than I thought.

Nevertheless, today was a busy day. I more or less finished off the reconstruction of the raised beds... deconstruction started on New Year's Day. When I put them down last spring I knew that I would probably have to redo them, so anyway this was my starting point...

I took them apart, dug over the whole plot and tried to get it level.

Not as easy as it sounds. I actually measured the plot for the first time and realised that it is narrower at one end than the other, plus it is higher at one end... so, after fiddling around with a spirit level for far too long I gave up and just left it for another day. This was few days later...

... then the proper snow came. So I didn't manage to get out there again till today... not totally due to the snow, I'm a busy girl after all.

So, back to today... I secured them all as level as I could get them, added manure (to the ones that won't be home to the root veg), topped them up with multi-purpose compost (well I ran out, so a couple of them need further topping up, which is why they are more or less finished!), bark chipped the pathways and hey presto!

Ready for the imminent planting of garlic and shallots.