Seedy stuff.

The latest update.

But before I say what I've done, here's an exciting new venture in the garden - coloured lollipop sticks.
Yes, you heard right.

You can buy 1000 lollipop sticks from Amazon for about a tenner.  These come in cool colours.  They work brilliantly as plant labels (though the deep purple will probably be easier to write on once it's sun-bleached a little).  Now, it might be less garish to go for the non-coloured ones, but I figure that, if the flowers don't work, at least you've still got some colour in the garden...


Been sowing:
Saturday (5/5/12)
Two trays of sunflowers.

Also planted the cherry tree out in the orchard.  Need to stake it really...

This is the hole it went in.  For some reason, I chose to plant it next to the stump of the apple tree that got knocked over a few months back.  This was a good idea, until I found a root that was about 4 inches thick.  Thus the pickaxe.  I also got a splitting maul, but it's not in this shot.

Today (7/5/12)
Sowing.
A tray of beetroot Detroit (birthday gift)
A line of beetroot Boltardy direct sown next to the purple sprouting broccoli sowing.
A pot of mint.  The last lot failed en masse.  It's supposed to be indestructible, but I can't seem to get any going...

Potting on:
One tray of sunflowers into the 3" pots.  Total of about 25 out of a 40 module tray.

They had absolutely amazing root systems:

Planting out:
Tomatoes in Big Boy's bed.
Pansies in the pots on the front steps.
Marigolds by the purple sprouting broccolli and between the gooseberry bushes.

Busy busy busy.

Lots of stuff done, and even more stuff not done.
This weekend I raked over the main veg bed in the garden (fine tilth and all that) and sowed some carrots and purple sprouting broccoli.  Went out this morning to find a frost on the ground...
These tulips look *way* better in real life.

And this is to show that the copper beech hedge is showing signs of new growth.

I love that time of year when everything's just poised, about to explode into flower/leaf.  There's a sermon in there somewhere...
Also potted on the tomatoes, and put a bunch of the failing squash/courgette/pumpkin seeds outside in the hope the sunlight might do something...
Also ordered 1000 lollipop sticks to use as plant labels.  Less than a tenner for the lot...  And they're all different colours, so at least there'll be some colour in the flower beds!!

Yet another update.

It's been a productive few days...
21st was seed sowing day, with echinacea, pumpkins, squashes, courgettes and the like all done in pots for inside germination.
The toms, chillies and onions are coming along too.
It also saw the potting on of lots of pansies.  Hopefully will be ready for a nice late-spring display.

The blossom on the plums is almost over (I'm hoping the bees have done their bit!) and the apples are beginning to show some signs of life.  The other fruit trees have been showing hints of life for a couple of weeks too (pear's early, but the quince, cherry, little plum are all progressing).
Bought two blackberries, two blueberries, a growbag and a big watering tray on Thursday.  The soft fruit hasn't made it into the ground yet, though, as Thursday was the day when this was done:

That slightly odd looking construction with bits of wood is Big Boy's protection for a carrot that he buried.  I tried to explain that I'd just harvested the carrots, and you planted seeds and got carrots, rather than planting the carrots themselves.  It rather fell on deaf ears.

If you're wondering why the light is different, it's because it was dark by the time I finished up, so I couldn't take the photos on the same day :)
This bed will be planted up in due course, though with what, I'm not quite sure.  Probably a mix of veg and flowers, like last year.  Might put the flowers in the middle this time.  The bit of greenery left in the middle at the moment is garlic.  I sort of accidentally left it in, so I'll leave it be and see what happens.  Probably just slightly deformed bulbs come harvest time.
The red cabbages that overwintered look like they might produce seeds this year (I think they're biennial, aren't they?) which is exciting. 
Anyway, the sun's just starting to burn off the morning mist (it's now half twelve!) so I might go and plant some soft fruits.

Bbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Chilly.

It's been a cold snap recently.  Most distressingly, my fuscia seem to have been killed off.  I'll cut them back, and see if they give life another go, but it doesn't look too hopeful :(  I got them as plugs, and they'd grown to about a foot in pots...
The chickens have had a little extra protection:

I draped horticultural fleece over their 'bedroom' bit of their house.  I have no idea if they slept better as a result, but I know I did!  Thankfully, to date, all three are still with us.

Not much chance to do anything else outside.  We've picked up a couple of big pots for a pear tree and an apple tree, and they can be done despite the weather, as they don't require digging!  Perhaps a project for this week. 
I keep promising myself I'll do an onion sowing session ... been saying that since December.

TIMBERRRRRRR

Our tree's just fallen over.
It used to look like this:

Now it looks like this: (different seasons, clearly!)

Here are the bits of it...

 

It's been quite windy here...

It's cold outside.

Nice to have some help in the garden...

Even it Big Boy didn't make it out, despite assuring me he wanted to help!
Trying to sort out the beds, need to plant a bunch more bulbs, and get set for sowing some onion seeds (they're going to be winners you know...)

Raking it in.

Well.  I tried last year, and failed.  I thought I'd try again.  Raking up the leaves is a pretty tall order if you happen to have an orchard.

It's also not that straightforward when you have children.  They do sometimes like attention.
What complicates things further is the chicken population.  When they insist on going up to your carefully piled leaves and kicking them all over the place...

... you start fantasising about pies.  (Not really, I love our hens!)
But this was as far as I got before Little Boy demanded my attention, and the sun went down (thus the different exposure - my phone camera struggled with the light)

Not bad.  Probably nudging a couple of hours work.  Saves going to the gym (and I can't really take the boys with me to the gym, but I can have them in the garden!)