Easter is approaching and the clocks have changed so now we have some lighter evenings, more opportunity to get on with some of the little things in the patch. Also I've just had 3 days off work, the wind has dried the soggy areas a bit so the prospect of doing some productive work was too tempting.

After many months of thinking about it, we have finally staked the raspberry canes and tayberries. This was not such a big job as I had imagined and it certainly tidied it all up nicely. The new growth is coming on nicely and we can look forward to a bigger crop of Liz' favourite fruit this summer. We have also decided to extend the soft fruit growing so I have planted 2 more rhubarb crowns (Timperley Early), and we have gooseberries, a dozen strawberries and a plum tree to add just as soon as the threat of frost has passed.

We've taken on a new raised bed which is hard to miss! It was a free gift from a neighbour who was going to throw it out so, not one to miss out on anything free, we decided it would fit nicely. We'll use it for summer salad crops, (lettuces, pak choi, radishes, rocket, maybe even some tomatoes) easily accessible without that irritating bending .... one for the bad back brigade! The plan is to plant the plum tree alongside, just to the right, between the raised bed and the greenhouse.

First early new potatoes have gone into the ground today. Following the advice of Grantham Jim, they have gone down the far end where, in June, they will be followed by next winter's leeks! Last year I grew Arran Pilot news but they got scab badly so this year I've gone for Homeguard. They look fine so I'm hoping for a bumper harvest. Winky Welch over the other side of the Common planted his news a couple of weeks ago so I have sneaked 4 intop a black bag which I have hidden in the greenhouse in the hope that I can overtake him and be first to harvest the perfect new potato .... maybe even before the end of May!!!

I've planted another row of onion sets alongside the red onions I put in last October and planted out a dozen garlic cloves from last year which had sprouted in the shed over the winter. Shame to let them go to waste.That's about as far as its got outside.

In the green house, everything is growing a pace. Broad beans are flourishing, spring cabbages are coming on, lettuce, pak choi and purple sprouting have all done well in the heated propagator before being transferred to the greenhouse. I've not seen the electric bill yet but I'm hoping the propagator doesn't consume too much power. I have it on the wrokbench in the garage, right in front of the window and everything seems to do well there. I have just planted some sweetcorn (Sundance) in trays which has also gone out there.

And finally for the weekend, I've planted Grantham Jim's dahlia seeds in a seed tray which has also been consigned to the heated propagator for a week or so, just to make sure the seeds all germinate. Once they're up they can move to the greenhouse to be brought on for planting after the frost risk has passed.

Well Easter is approaching so we're hoping for some decent weather to get some more planting done. Hopefully there'll be time to update the blog to keep anyone who's interested right up to speed.

Spring has arrived .... almost

At last the rain has eased off, the sun has been out for a few days and I managed to put the rotavator through the patch for the first time. All the winter veg has been pulled out, the final parsnips and beetroot lifted and stored safely in the shed. One surprise was that my secret wine gum supply tucked away in seed tin, seems to have been raided and finished ... just when I was fancying one!! No doubt who that was!! The soil is drying nicely now and I'm looking forward to a bit of planting

Cabbages and early purple sprouting are just up in the heated propagator in the garage and broad beans are in trays in the greenhouse. New and maincrop potatoes are chitting in the spare bedroom. I'm thinking of secretly planting a few in black bags in the greenhouse to get the drop in the first to pick stakes with Ronald!!