Sunday 10 April 2011

Spring Roundup

Spring Harvest


Leeks, PSB, Parsnips, Kale and Rhubarb

Brassicas - end of season

SSPPSB - Scottish Society for the Protection of Purple Sprouting Broccoli!

Carrots


Carrots under way

Next year's brassica patch is beyond the net, waiting for me to put up fencing and nets. The parsnip plant remaining is going to be left to go to seed, for next year's seed.

Potatoes

Potatoes under way

It may not look much but it's weed free! Beyond the post is the "Alliums and Others" patch. The white cube is my blueberry cage.

Alliums
Red Baron onon sets started in January

Leek seedlings started end of February
Lettuces

I tried sowing some indoors this year and transferred them to the outdoors.  This tray has now been planted out:


Mini tray of lettuces started in February
Here's how they started out:


Lettuces sown

Can't resist rounding off with Friday's sunset:

And so to bed








9 comments:

  1. What cracking photos! The "spring harvest" one looks fantastic. What kind of kale is, that, please? I do like the look of it - I've been thinking I might try kale for the first time this year. I don't like to eat the super-frilly type, but yours looks nicer than that.

    Also, I'm interested to see you've got your tatties in already ... Mine are still chitting, although I did plant three in a bag yesterday just for the heck of it. I've only bought Sharpe's Express (cause I LOVE the taste) but I hadn't been planning on putting them in the ground for another week or two as I thought our temperatures here in Edinburgh meant hold on for a wee bit yet. Guess not though? Do you always plant your tatties around now?

    Those brassicas look smashing. I've got some cabbages in pots which have done very well and are nearly ready for lifting I think, but the PSB I tried last year was a disaster. My back garden's just not big enough, really, but I DO want a kale or two ...

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  2. Busy times Mal..it's nice to have a bit of warmth to work in...I just hope it lasts a little longer as I still have plenty to do!!

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  3. We all seem to have been very busy - it must be spring

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  4. Hi Croila, The kale is "Pentland Brig" - an old reliable friend. It suits the Scottish climate and puts on a spurt in spring. I think of it like big parsley. Really I don't know what variety the supermarkets sell, but they seem to need to put it through a shredder first!

    Tany, thanks for your comments. I retired (just) before the onset of heatstroke and drank about a gallon of water.

    Sue, Well it felt like summer for a day or two - More like normal spring today. No chance of my keeping up with you.

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  5. Yep, its Spring! Busy doesn't quite cover it, does it!

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  6. "Pentland Brig" ... Cheers Mal. I DO like getting advice from locals cause if something grows well in (say) the south of England, doesn't mean it'll be any good for us here. I'm also quite keen to try, uhmm, can't quite remember the name but think it's something like "Cavolo Nero" or something, just cause it looks quite nice growing.

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  7. Great harvest, definitely keepin food miles low there!

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  8. Cavolo Nero translates as "Black Cabbage" but is black kale. Definitely worth growing as a summer/autumn crop. Yes it looks irresistable - which it is once you've stripped it off the stalks. It's ideal for (Italian) soups! Try Ribbolita.

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  9. I've only eaten kale from supermarkets before and to be honest I thought it was pretty bogging. I have high hopes that the homegrown stuff is nicer - though I don't yet know what I'll do with it! The soup sounds a good idea though. Just need some more ;-)

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