Tuesday 6 March 2012

Getting ready for a new season

I have been busy sowing for the new season. The broad beans were sown just over a week ago and are raring to go.  They are growing bigger each day in the root trainers. I love using these as they give a nice long run for the roots to develop and are so easy to open without disturbing the plants.

I have also sown four different variety of chilli seeds and they are just about peeping through the soil, hopefully they will be up before the weekend.  I have them growing on a south facing very warm windowsill which they seem to like.
I also sowed some tomato seeds yesterday and some long banana peppers which are expensive in the supermarkets at the moment.

I worked on the allotment for four hours last week, no photo's as I forgot to take the camera ! but lot's got done and it is looking good.  Today was a brilliant day weather wise, so I spent it gardening. There was a lot to chop back especially the Ivy growing on the fence, it's kind of taken over and needed to be pruned hard.
 I left it over winter for the birds as it had lot's of berries.

There were lot's of ladybirds around, so I was careful not to disturb them.  I did feel very guilty about disturbing a hedgehog though ! I had started a compost heap in the corner of a large bed last year  and I decided to turn it over today and accidentally dug up a hedgehog.   It was alive as I saw it moving as I almost threw it in the bin !!  I hope I did the right thing by putting it back under the soil ? I know nothing about hedgehogs, so I really hope it is OK.

That's about all the news, but I'm glad I have got into the swing of things now and hopefully as the soil warms up I can get more direct sowing done on the plot.  I have been keeping up with all your  blogs, and I felt  it was time I got a start on the allotment and sowing seeds.  Reading other blogs give me inspiration and make me feel lazy for lagging behind.



8 comments:

Anonymous said...

What varieties of chilli are you growing, Mo? You know how much I'm interested in such things!

Margaret said...

It's probably time for hedgehogs to wake up, so I'm sure you just gave him a helping hand!

The Cookie Jar said...

The hedgehog should be fine. One year I found one in the bag of seed and potting compost on the bottom shelf of the plastic green house. I had put the bag there for weight over the winter. I got one hell of a fright when I tipped him out into a flower pot. I just put him back and he was ok.

Maureen said...

Hi Anonymous (is that you Hilary ??) after I published that post I thought I should have put which ones I sowed.
Suttons - Demon Red (for those who like it hot) so it says !
Mr Fothergill's - (Hot) Cayenne
grew these last year and they are good.
And the other 3 varieties are unknown, but grown last year and were brilliant and very hot, so I kept some seeds.

MARGARET & COOKIE JAR, thank you so much for the info on the hedgehog as it has been bothering me.

Anna said...

Good to see you again Maureen.Isn't the start of a new season so exciting. Your broad beans look most healthy. Mine failed to germinate - think that I started too early :)

Maureen said...

Hi Anna, thanks for the comment and for visiting my blog. Yes it is exciting, but I have had to force myself to start work on the allotment this year. I hope your next sowing of broadbeans will be better. I have started hardening mine off as it's a bit warm indoors for them and I don't want then to grow too leggy.

Pam's English Garden said...

Dear Maureen, Isn't this the BEST time of the year? I'm hoping to get started in my veggie garden this week. P. x

Vegetable gardening said...

I have just sown my leeks outside. And some radishes under some glass. And in my seed box I have sown some lettuces and Swiss chard.

Do you grow your chillies inside or outside?