I Got Everything Done!!

Everything I planned to do today in the garden got done, along with the washing, school runs and after school activities, woo hoo result!! Don't you just love when it all goes to plan.

Well today I planted the last of my potatoes in an old compost bag which I turned inside out. they were my maincrop potatoes variety Desiree. My first carrot seeds were also sown variety Nantes'2. I had planned to sow some cut and come again salad greens but will have to wait till Sunday when I will have more compost as I plan to sow them in a window box or a hanging basket.

The second bean trench was filled in and a third was dug and lined with shredded paper and is now ready for kitchen scraps.

Now I have been advised by the good members of A4A that overwintered garlic benefits from a dose of potash at this time of the year, so as you can see I liberally applied some of last year's bonfire ash (which is one way to get potash) to the garlic bed it will also add organic matter which will help improve the soils structure.

Last year I grew two scotch bonnet chili plants and attempted to overwinter them in the conservatory which remained unheated for most of the winter months. Around early January the both plants lost all their leaves and though the peppers which were on them didn't drop off nor did the stems become dry I kinda thought the plants were dieing, plus a two weeks or so before the lost their leaves they became infested with aphids and all watering of the plants were stopped from Christmas Eve. Well anyway about three weeks ago I noticed both plants were resprouting new healthy leaves, so today I pruned the plants back to six inches removed them from the pots and washed the pots inside and out with soapy water to get rid of any aphids, their eggs and sticky residue. the plant stems were also washed with the soapy water, all the leaf litter and loose surface soil was removed and the top of the soil and the clean plant stem was sprayed with my homemade rhubarb insecticide to kill off any lingering bugs the soapy water might have missed. I then mixed some spent compost with a slow releasing natural fertiliser Blood, Fish and Bone and used this mixture in repotting the plants. They were then watered with warm tap water and placed back in the conservatory to get on with growing some new branches. the picture shows what they looked like before and after.

Signs of germination in the mini wildlife meadow area have been observed, I think I can spot seedlings of cornflower but there are a few others that I am not yet able to identify, so it will be a wait and see project.

Today the self sown heartese plants were flowering their socks off and yesterday the garden was visited by a crow, although they patrol and nest in the oak trees to the back and the front of the property this is only the second time I have ever seen them come into the garden. so please enjoy these beautiful pictures.