Time marches on...

As the daylight hours lengthen, there is much to do in Mr McGregor's Garden.  It's still very cold but the bright sunshine and a bowlful of porridge with some of last summer's rasps (only 2 large bags left in the freezer now!) set us up for a day on the plot. 

With all but a few parsnips left to harvest, the raised beds look bare and need re-stocking.  We don't dig so Doc forked over the top few inches of soil and then put on a thick layer of compost.  It is a good vintage, his best yet, all dark brown and crumbly after several months curing.  He says his secret is mixing brown stuff and green stuff, and turning it now and then. 

I had already sorted the crop rotation and so I set up the two beds for the beans and peas.  Deciding on the cane formation is an annual ritual but it doesn't seem to matter how I do it.  There is always a picking blind spot, somewhere for the sneaky runners to hide from us.  I have got two rather attractive rustic wigwams but they are consigned to the shed.  They waste a lot of space on the raised beds and the centres get clogged with weeds and compete for moisture. 

Anyway, it was a good job done and the beds are ready for Sugar Snap (Oregon) and Kniveton Wonder plants in a few weeks time.  I have germinated the first batch of seedlings and I'll start some more off in a couple of weeks, to get a succession of plants going - otherwise we finish up having to harvest the whole crop at once.  As for the runner beans (known as walking beans in our family) and French beans, they will have to wait.  If I start them off too soon, they are ready to plant out before the danger of frosts has passed. 

I looked around the garden and the magnolia is fit to burst.  Even the camelias, which were badly affected by the hard winter, are nicely budded.  The daffs are up and about and we have masses of snowdrops.  Our best clump comes up through the gravel drive.  

Spring is revving up its engine.  It's all systems go and it does the spirit no end of good.  Bring it on.