Full of Beans

The toilet roll beans are brimming over and ready to be planted out.

They started off like this:

but have moved on to this:

It's going to be a busy weekend!

Craiglockhart Pond Cygnets

Last Sunday the new pair at Craiglockhart Pond hatched 7 cygnets. 

Last year we lost the pair that had been on the pond for 22 years.  First the male disappeared then the SSPCA removed the rest of the brood,  but the female still died. So the pair on the pond are new.  Happily they have proved successful.

Judging from their behaviour the new parents have got the hang parenthood. Out of the seven offspring six are centre stage here.  

It would be nice if they all survived. We will be keeping an eye on them.

Rievaulx

Rievaulx Abbey Ruins

On Saturday we had a rendezvous in Thirsk and managed a sojourn into the Yorkshire Moors and stopping off at this  pastoral spot.

Back home today I used the weed suppressant fabric offcut from the brassica patch to carpet our "Exotics".  Sounds better than curcubits and besides we can't move the blueberries as they sit atop a buried liner that helps create that acidic bog effect. This is where the courgettes gherkins and Sharks Fin Soup Melon  (also called Fig Leaf Gourd) are going to go this year.

At home the beanage is coming on nicely:

Next weekend looks like a frantic planting weekend.

Back to Rievaulx Village for a final picture which would be any estate agents dream:

Propagator Progress and a Challenge

 Here's the current state of play with the propagator:

There's Sungold, San Marzano, and Currant Tomatoes, Cucumber, Sweetcorn and the dreaded Celeriac. The Jalapeno Pepper and Kobocha Squash both failed. Not too impressed with the supplier. Their sweetcorn is looking good though.

Can you guess what this is?  

As a clue, there's a Jaws connection.

Alliums to Attention

Woopee: I've weeded the alliums and they're looking pretty good at this stage: 

From another angle you can see garlic in the foreground and onions at the back.  All planted last October.
Also along the right I've weeded out a row of parsnip.  Direct sown in February. (I've sworn never to transplant parsnip ever again after last year's debacle)

One reason for growing a lot of garlic (aside from eating a lot) is to have enough over to make a garlic spray to deter slugs.  Martyn is already running tests: here

Footnote: Blogger doesn't like the word alliums which comes up as a spelling error every time.  Urghk!

Bed Making for Brassicas

A week ago we made up the brassica bed - but I forgot to bring the camera. Today I was pleased to see that it wasn't a figment of my imagination:

Brassica Patch

 Beneath the membrane the soil has been enriched with manure and fertilized.

Here's how it looked two weeks ago:

I call that a result  - and that's without having planted anything yet!

I celebrated by weeding the alliums. The next patch requiring attention is the soft fruit.  The strawberries are flowering and there are gooseberries and currants on the way.  As yet no net.

Strawberries today

Redcurrant two weeks ago

Plot Update - Half Way There

Today I built this year's carrot temple - I wouldn't grow carrots without the mesh to keep the root fly away. 

At the far end I've removed the forcing barrel from the rhubarb:

In between the two the ground is pretty clear (although there are 8 rows of potatoes under the soil in the foreground)

except for a double row of broad beans.  The carrot netting was over these until today.

Stepping further back takes in the carrot tent and beyond it the allium patch.

It's looking pretty green just now.

To complete the run to the other end there is a fifth patch which I am reserving for curcubits. I'm planning some squashes as well as the usual courgettes this year. (More about this later)

There are two more "rooms" on the other side of my internal path, both in need of some attention.  I will save them for another post once I've put my plans for them into action.