Week 12

Saturday, 24th March 2007

The weather started out lovely and warm and then turned really ugly with icy cold winds. However I managed to get three rows of first early potatoes in, the rest of the Rocket, Epicure and Duke of York. Dug out a row for the new potatoe “Vivaldi” which I saved from shop bought packet. Will need to get them in this week during the “dark of the moon”. The Rocket potatoes that I planted on 11th March in the greenhouse is really doing well. Also managed to move the rhubarb crown that I had forced and a couple of Forget-Me-Nots that were smack bang in the middle of my new pathway (next to the potatoe patch). Planted out two healthy looking rhubarb crowns from the rhubarb in the two spots where mine had not taken and put the rest of the crown on the lottie table for anyone who needed one. Also moved the “canna” which turned out to be some unknown plant – will have to see what pops up – seems to be a kinda lily bulb. (Have now found out that this is a kniphophia plant.)

Did a quick stir fry before going out to the South African club and tasted Jerusalem Artichokes for the first time and liked them – they taste a bit like water chestnuts but with a nuttier flavour. Thank goodness Ron and I both like them as I have a row of them snugly planted at the top of the potatoe patch – although they have not yet poked their noses out of the soil.
Gerrard brought me three lovely bags of mulch and some lovely deep seed trays (industrial size) for pricking out. Pays to work for a nursery. Will mulch the back garden and front borders over the Easter week-end. Must go up to the site at Hurn Airport and see what they charge for mulch.

Sunday, 25th March 2007

With Marlize and Stephane arriving from France did not get much done in the garden. Had a thorough springclean of the corner of the kitchen that had started resembling a toxic waste dump with seeds, packets, plants, etc. I did however manage to pop a couple of plants that I bought into the back garden w (from the Jigsaw stand and the CGS plant sale ) into the ground – they were – Forget-Me-Nots, and a couple of primula’s – one gold laced. We ended up taking Stephane and Marlise around Stewarts with Ron and TD in tow- and not a peep out of either of them.