Preparation for the new season.

Last year we decided to cut down on the quantity of vegetables that we grow, there are only two of us and we do not need beds sixteen feet long, eight feet is plenty, but what we did need was for the beds to be higher than ten inch , so the vegetable garden is undergoing a make over.

We now have five raised  beds and one more to go, eight foot by three foot six and twenty inches high. With pathways wide enough to get the wheel barrow between with ease.

Just one more bed to go.

This should make life easier and will certainly help our backs, I should even be able to sit on the edge of the beds for weeding. We still have two long beds, one is the asparagus bed, the other was last years root veg, this will be planted with peas and beans which will help to fix the nitrogen in the soil, the following year it will be planted with leafy things such as spinach and chard. We will still have to do some growing on the flat, potatoes, which need a lot of space and some of the brassicas, which don't like a light and free draining soil.
The broad beans which were planted in the root trainers two weeks ago have now all germinated,  our own seed saved from last year, these will get planted out in March, possible covered with crop cover depending on what the weather is doing. This time next month seed sowing will be in full swing, where did the winter go?

The rhubarb is looking good.

The rhubarb is coming on well we should have our first picking at the start of March, again this depends on what the weather does.

We always look forward to the first of the rhubarb, a real sign that the new season has started.
One thing we are never short of is fresh veg,

Leeks, swede and parsley.

we still have plenty of leeks, swede, beetroot, parsnips, turnip, artichokes, herbs and some cabbages as well,

1st of the purple sprouting broccoli.

the Brussels sprouts should last out until the end of the month and the purple sprouting broccoli has  formed it's flower heads, the Swiss chard is starting to show  new growth.  We  also have curly kale growing but this has rather been overshadowed by the sprouting broccoli, you can't win them all.  We should last out with the onions ,

Sarpo Mira.

we have plenty of potatoes but a shortage of carrots, we lost one entire bed to mice so will have to buy some before the new seasons are ready.
Winter flowers are now starting to bloom, the first of the Helleborus is about to burst out,

I think this one is Helleborus Orientalis, it's very pretty when it's fully out.

Snowdrops are growing all over, even in places that I don't remember planting them, it must have  been the fairies.

Tommy trying to control Meg.

Meg the puppy is now a fully integrated member of the family but shows little respect to any of the cats or even Tess.

The face off.

Tommy our eldest cat tries to control her

she has now found out that cat claws can hurt. Tess today however had had enough, the pup would give her no peace, Tess's solution? Pick up Meg by the scruff of the neck and dump her into her bed. Unfortunately I didn't have the camera at the ready so missed the shot, maybe next time.
 

New season vegtable.

           We have now had the first couple of pickings of  Purple Sprouting Broccoli,

First pickings.

this plant takes a long time to grow, the best part of a year from sowing the seed to cropping, but is always well worth the effort. The seeds for next years crop have also been sown in root trainers, they will get planted out in a couple of months. We are coming to the end of the last year veg,

Nearly the last of the leeks.

maybe a couple more pickings of leeks, but plenty of carrots, swede,  parsnips potatoes and onions, also curly kale. Cauliflowers are just starting to form their curds, we will look forward to them. Swede and turnips have germinated in the garden and various brassicas are growing away in their seed trays. The tomato plants are all looking good, potatoes all planted, various squashes and courgettes in their pots, the new season has begun.
Yesterday saw us again over in North Roscommon for a plant swap day, meeting up with like minded friends, talking gardens and swapping plants. Although several of us live in the west of the county we seem to gravitate to the north of the county where there is more energy and alternative  thinking people.
 Had we been looking for soft fruits we could have planted a whole field with the amount of black and redcurrant cuttings, raspberries and strawberry plants as well, but our soft fruit garden is completed although it has cost quite a bit, but we could have done it all for free from the plant swap.

Plants from the plant swap.

We came away with some lovely plants including Agapanthus, Arum lily, Bamboo, Red Bergamot and  Perennial Purslane, plus other bits and pieces. Seven of us then descended on the local garden centre, never a good idea, the excuse being we all wanted a good cup of coffee. Needless to say we all ended up with a little more than coffee, but by and large we were all quite good!  We sound like a bunch of naughty kids in a sweet shop, for the group of friends that we were with, a garden centre is the adult equivalent, the coffee is just the excuse.

Starting off with a board for the base frame.

Inspired by the previous weeks basket making course we have now made a large willow obelisk for our runner bean support,

Now all we need are the beans.

it not only looks good but came free from nature and took just an hour to make.

Daffy is not too sure about Felix.

Our two youngest cats, Sparky and Felix have fascination with a couple of our ducks, Daffy duck who likes to spend time in our garden when she is wanting to lay a clutch of eggs

What is that duck doing?

and a white Indian Runner who we have had to remove from the run as she had a bad leg. On closer examination we found  that her leg band had cut right into her leg, this we had great difficulty in removing and she is still limping, so she has her own sick bay and we give her a daily swim in the pond as physiotherapy.

The cats just do not understand how these friends appear to be able to walk on water, they have both tested out the pond with their paws and found it to be wet, Sparky has had a bath in the pond, but still has not quite worked it all out.

Strange friendship.